Utah Free Press

How to WIN in Iraq!

Originally Published February 12th, 2007 by Richard Okelberry

When I look at all the political wrangling surrounding the war in Iraq I notice two things. The conservative Republicans don’t seem willing to do what is really necessary to win and the liberal Democrats don’t seem to want to win at all. I say this as most Republicans support President Bush’s plan for integrating a surge of troops into Baghdad neighborhoods and Democrats are talking about passing a law that complains about the plan but does nothing to stop it. From the beginning neither camp has been willing to do what is necessary to not only win this but any war. I say this because I believe our ability to wage war and defeat an enemy has become hamstrung by the need to appear politically correct and compassionate to a defeated enemy.

 Now I’m not saying that we need to take off the gloves completely the way that world tyrants throughout history have. I am however saying that we need to face a brutal reality about war. To win a war, you must be willing to not only defeat a country’s military but also force their population into submission. This may seem cruel at first but my philosophy about how a campaign like this should be waged has deep historical roots that predate the Roman Empire. When I say submit, I don’t mean that we need to have our troops pillage and burn Iraq. I mean that it is necessary for an occupying force to take complete control of a country if it is ever going to be able to stem uprisings and insurgencies.

The failure of our President and military commanders to secure the country under strict marshal law was a huge mistake and is one that has led Iraq to the brink of civil war. In any armed conflict it is absolutely necessary to disarm every man woman and child across the country. This can be done by first imposing serious penalties for any person or family found in possession of firearms. Second, house to house and building to building searches need to be conducted beginning with the large metropolitan areas. This can be done by segmenting a city like Bagdhad into small zones where travel is restricted between each. Anyone needing to pass between these zones must do so by passing through security checkpoints where their identity can be documented and verified. If we begin sweeping the city, one zone at a time we can establish “safe” zones within the city. When violence erupts in an area we can then lock that area down, sweep the zone and document the individuals within that zone during the event. When it happens in a different zone we will then be able to see which individuals always seem to be “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” and mark them as possible insurgents. Also, as some zones become safe and commerce is allowed to function again, people will be more willing to report any known insurgents to help maintain their safety and livelihood. Also as zones become more stable, neighboring zones can be joined together into larger sections.

Eventually, this technique will then be applied to outlying cities and townships. Also, very strict, “fire on site” boarder enforcement needs to be enacted to keep insurgents and weapons from entering the country. You do this by establishing a 10 mile free fire zone along each boarder. Anyone found in those areas would be considered enemy combatants and captured if possible or destroyed. I know this may sound harsh but the alternative path of allowing war lords, thugs and insurgents to bring Iraq to the brink of anarchy is far worse. I promise that given the compromise of living under the umbrella of marshal law verses trying to protect your family from a daily barrage of bullets, most will choose the umbrella.

Also, this system makes it far more likely that individuals will provide information about insurgents. The current system has created a situation much like we had in Vietnam where locals are in fear of helping security forces out of fear of reprisals against their families. This system allows security forces to move informants into safe zones for their protection if necessary. I know that this system seems heavy handed, but it is one that has been used successfully throughout history. We need to see ourselves as foster parents who have the awesome task of caring for an unruly child. While plenty of love and tenderness is certainly needed, it is useless without a safe, structured and disciplined environment.