Major decisions made by the Bush administration and military commanders in the war against terror that I question include the conduct of battle at Tora Bora and the pullback and eventual withdrawal of troops from Fallujah (yes, there are other smaller decisions that merit rethinking but Tora Bora and Fallujah have bitten back). In both cases, the United States chose not to fully engage the enemy- instead providing air and logistical support for proxies who were to assume responsibility for combat.
It is thought by many that Tora Bora represented our best chance to capture or kill Osam bin Laden (I am not counting the opportunities squandered by Bill Clinton and his inept security team). Instead, our fighting allies in Tora Bora allowed many al Qaeda soldiers- among whom may have been bin Laden- to escape and fight another day. In Fallujah, complex political and cultural considerations placed responsibility for policing the city in local hands- a solution that has resulted in a breeding ground for terror.
The New York Times today reported that Fallujah has become a safe haven for Islamists, former Baathists, and other disaffected rabble seeking to end Iraq's march toward representative government. Rather than pressing into the city at the height of the conflict, America reached agreement with Fallujah locals allowing an Iraqi militia to police the city and precluding an American presence. The utter ineffectiveness of the Iraqi militia created a vacum that was filled by so-called insurgents who have reached critical mass and now control the city. The Times wrote that Iraqi official, "... say the government in Falluja has been effectively replaced by a group of insurgent leaders, many of them Islamist extremists, who dominate most decisions affecting the city." It continued, "Former members of the Baath Party are using the city as a base to regroup, and recently held a meeting to plot a strategy to return to power."
An uncontrollable Fallujah that exports terror to the rest of the country poses a grave threat to the new government of Iraq. I do not pretend to have a comrehensive understanding of Iraqi culture and politics, and I do have confidence in the new Iraqi government's capabilities in this regard. Nonetheless, a brokered solution seems remote. At some point, hopefully sooner than later, the new government will have to deal with the problem. It is wishful thinking to expect that an Iraqi force of sufficient size and competence will exist any time soon. This leaves the First Marine Expeditionary Force, which is perfectly capable of completing the job- if allowed to do so.
There was bitterness and anger amongst the Marines when they were pulled back and eventually withdrawn- anger because their comrades died in a battle they were not allowed to finish. The Times quoted Gunnery Sgt. Mark Kline, a Marine serving in the vicinity of Fallujah, "The 10 marines that died - those were wasted lives, because we didn't finish the job," he said. "Falluja is a time bomb." The Times continued, "Like most of his comrades, Sergeant Kline said he was convinced that the quiet in Falluja is a fake peace that will have to be dealt with soon enough."
One hopes that this time around America and Iraq will let the Marines be Marines. If so, Islamists the world over will take note of our resolve. If so, the job in Fallujah will be finished and significant numbers of Islamists and terrorists will not live to fight another day.
Posted by publius at July 8, 2004 08:22 AM