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The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are eight years old now, with no positive conclusion or victory anywhere in sight. In fact, the U.S. is on the verge of committing an additional 40,000 troops into the Afghan military theater in an effort to overcome a tenacious and implacable enemy in the Taliban and their sponsors in the supposedly American-allied government there.
Circumstances are only slightly different in parts of Iraq, where American forces have withdrawn to the periphery of major population centers. They had to do this because the emerging democratic government of Iraq felt that they could not sell this newfangled style of government to their freedom-loving people as long as they were under American occupation.
That doesn’t change the fact that suicide bombers are still exploding themselves near mosques and shopping areas to inflict maximum damage on the fragile pseudo-stability that makes Iraq look far more peaceful than Afghanistan. For our part, we Americans have to appear victorious even while the death and destruction continue to wreak havoc on the people.
One would have thought that the American forces, with our far superior military power, training, and acumen, could have successfully ended the wars a long time ago. And, though I’m not a military man, conventional military wisdom says that there is no reason for the U.S. to be so deeply stuck in these conflagrations without the ability to succeed decisively and withdraw.
Because of the advanced technological nature of today’s weaponry, it should be militarily more feasible to score quick and decisive victories. Unfortunately, however, the precise opposite is today’s reality. Such was the case with Israel last winter as she sought to put a halt to the constant firing of deadly missiles into Israel from the Hamas/terror-controlled Gaza Strip.
While the terrorists fired over 7,000 missiles into Israel’s population centers over several years, there was hardly a sound of protest emanating from the UN or, for that matter, from any of the great centers of morality and human conscience scattered around the world. When Israel had incurred enough of a collective bloody nose, however, and it was time to act decisively and effectively, this coincided with the UN raising its ugly head and leading the charge to condemn the Jews for defending themselves.
The recent Goldstone Report has declared in its finding that both Israel and Hamas have committed war crimes. In some countries, those affiliated with the military operation last year, and especially the political leaders, may be subject to arrest, trial on these so-called crimes, and punishment. Some Israeli officials have already been intimidated by the Goldstone findings and its acceptance by the United Nations.
Interestingly enough, Goldstone found that both the Hamas terrorist group and the State of Israel committed these crimes for which they can be prosecuted. Hamas leaders, however, don’t appear to be anywhere near as concerned as the Israelis are. It is more than likely that being a Hamas leader and being charged with a war crime is something tantamount to a badge of honor. It’s like saying that a snake crawls on the ground; of course it does. Or that a terrorist fires his illicitly acquired weapons at innocent targets and people.
Just the other day, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution condemning the findings in Goldstone related to “Israel’s defensive war against Hamas.” The resolution said that Congress “opposes unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration by the UN or any forum of the irredeemably biased UN Human Rights Council.”
The idea that you may be brought up on international criminal charges because you direct the military to protect your citizenry is today woven into the corrupted fabric of a society that refuses to marginalize those bent on terrorist violence. This is where the idea originates that allows the Palestinian Authority to claim they’ve done away with terror in the West Bank by giving the terrorists police uniforms and guns and calling them security forces. And this is how suicide bombers recently passed through four checkpoints in Baghdad that were manned by rigorously trained Iraqi forces.
In 1967, Israel scored a quick victory over the enemy countries that were determined to go to war by destroying the Egyptian air force while its planes were still on the ground. Today such a move by a military force could possibly be considered what has become known as “disproportionate force.” Israel’s intelligence and radar as well as their air force was most likely far superior to that of the Egyptians. That’s why they were able to achieve what they did as quickly as they did.
Today that thorough and devastating knockout punch would have to be studied, because apparently Israel had some kind of unfair advantage over the Egyptians in ’67. Perhaps it was military or quite possibly it was on the intelligence level; either way it could be problematic.
Goldstone says that Israel used disproportionate force and that is a war crime. Hamas in Gaza really does not have an official army, so just about everyone in the fighting force is a civilian. That is coupled with the fact that if you can manage to identify a difference between the civilians and the fighters it has been conclusively demonstrated that the civilians are complicit with the terror army. Case in point was the fact that the Hamas leadership stationed themselves inside a Gaza hospital during the recent war.
Oddly still, Israel has to defend itself on these allegations and demonstrate a discernible difference between a defensive and offensive action. All I know is that when I was in yeshiva in Brooklyn a long time ago, our building was in a deteriorating neighborhood and adjacent to a public school with a couple of thousand students. I recall a few times that kids from the public school came into our yard, smashed empty soda bottles on the ground, and a couple of times stole a few bicycles. The last time they came into the yeshiva property, they were met by a few of the more muscular yeshiva students, who physically convinced the intruders that their activities were not conducive to their continued good health. They didn’t come back.
Which leads us to Iraq and Afghanistan, where the U.S. should have led the way to a convincing and decisive victory over those who believe that there is a place at the diplomatic table and a place amongst the family of nations for terrorists. This matter of being fearful of using overwhelming force in battles with Al Qaeda in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan is beyond absurd, as well as being a danger to people everywhere who love freedom. Case in point is Mr. Obama’s dawdling over the request of his military advisers to order 40,000 troops to deal with the enemy’s activities in Afghanistan. That’s what the military people say it will take to win. Mr. Obama still has to do some polling and draw a conclusion about whether increasing the numbers of troops in that dangerous area of the world is politically expedient.
The delay and uncertainty is inexplicable and unconscionable. On the matter of the war against terror, George Bush said it shortly after 9/11, and it holds true to this day. He said, “If you’re not with us, then you are with the terrorists.”
Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome at editor@5tjt.com. ♦
1 - Posted on 11/7/2009 12:10:08 PM
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