Whither Iraq?
Saturday's Star Tribune editorial "Whither Iraq" continues the newspaper's anti-American crusade over the war in Iraq. Although the article is wholly defeatist, the compairson to the outlook of Vietnam in the 1970s is the most egregious. Vietnam comparisons abound in the liberal media, yet the differences are vast.
First the "insurgency" in Iraq cannot be compared to North Vietnam. North Vietnam fielded a massive army of hundreds of thousands to millions of troops, who were trained and equipped in houndreds of thousands of square miles of territory held by the North Vietnamese Communists for more than a decade. The North Vietnamese ruled over a population of over 20 million who produced food and goods to help maintain the standing army and carry out the war. The North Vietnamese brought into combat towed artillery pieces, modern fighter jet aircraft, and anti aircraft defenses sufficient to shoot down the likes of John McCain and others. North Vietnam was actively supported with material through the USSR and Communist China - material that flowed unmolested across its borders.
The Iraq insurgency has none of this. The insurgencey perhaps numbers a few thousand and controls (after Fallujah) no territory. The insurgency has shown only to be capable of quick raids and suicide attacks. The insurgency has no sophisticated weapondry and cannot defend itself against air attack. The insurgency has no possible chance to achieve a strategic victory on the battlefield. With the success in Fallujah it is unlikely that the insurgency will ever again rise to anything beyond a criminal organization.
The only way the insurgency can ever hope to achieve any sort of victory or "honorable defeat" in the eyes of arab nationalists would be to crack our will to continue through manipulation of the media. The best chance for the insurgents to achieve a political victory, however, dissappeared with Bush's victory on November 3.
Nevertheless, despite the hope of the Iraqi people, the Star Tribune will continue to oblige the Twin Cities with its hope for an insurgency victory.
First the "insurgency" in Iraq cannot be compared to North Vietnam. North Vietnam fielded a massive army of hundreds of thousands to millions of troops, who were trained and equipped in houndreds of thousands of square miles of territory held by the North Vietnamese Communists for more than a decade. The North Vietnamese ruled over a population of over 20 million who produced food and goods to help maintain the standing army and carry out the war. The North Vietnamese brought into combat towed artillery pieces, modern fighter jet aircraft, and anti aircraft defenses sufficient to shoot down the likes of John McCain and others. North Vietnam was actively supported with material through the USSR and Communist China - material that flowed unmolested across its borders.
The Iraq insurgency has none of this. The insurgencey perhaps numbers a few thousand and controls (after Fallujah) no territory. The insurgency has shown only to be capable of quick raids and suicide attacks. The insurgency has no sophisticated weapondry and cannot defend itself against air attack. The insurgency has no possible chance to achieve a strategic victory on the battlefield. With the success in Fallujah it is unlikely that the insurgency will ever again rise to anything beyond a criminal organization.
The only way the insurgency can ever hope to achieve any sort of victory or "honorable defeat" in the eyes of arab nationalists would be to crack our will to continue through manipulation of the media. The best chance for the insurgents to achieve a political victory, however, dissappeared with Bush's victory on November 3.
Nevertheless, despite the hope of the Iraqi people, the Star Tribune will continue to oblige the Twin Cities with its hope for an insurgency victory.
posted by Sloanasaurus | 11/20/2004 11:43:00 PM
I'm using Publius's post again as a start to mine over at my own blog,
noteconomics.blogspot.com. What get's me is that these guys are ignoring the fact that we've just had a major victory in Fallujah. Remember when urban warfare was the great nightmare?
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