|
Template for Quagmire
This entry was posted on 4/2/2008 9:14 PM and is filed under Kurdish Region of Iraq,Northern Iraq,Victory in Iraq,Iraq Logistics,Iraq Discussion Comfort Paradigm,Turkish Kurdistan.
It became clearer on my most recent visit to Iraq that in the early 1990s we had a template evolving. A template we ignored later. It became clear not because of the chaos in Northern Iraq but by their attempt to pull themselves from it. That chaos evolved after the first Gulf War in 1991 that left Northern Iraq in shambles and still lurks in the shadows but is being addressed only now.
Saddam embargoed Northern Iraq for their resistance to his rule. We kept him out of much of the North with a No-Fly-Zone after 1991. After the first Gulf War the world was boycotting Iraq which in turn took its economic wrath out on its own North. The Kurds in the North had sided with Iran during the Iran/Iraq War in the 1980s so Saddam poison gassed the Kurds in turn. The effects linger still.
Northern Iraq's agriculture, economy, security, politics, people, and hopes collapsed after the first Gulf War. The Kurds fought a civil war amongst themselves under the nose of the No-Fly-Zone, the Saddam regime, the United Nations, and the U.S. stationed up the road in Turkey.
Now, 18 years later, Northern Iraq's agriculture, economy, security, politics, people, and hopes are marginally on the mend - but, 18 years after collapse.
Look at Southern Iraq now five years after the current war started. Anything above sound familiar? You can not visit Iraq as an American without having the queasy feeling of paradox and contradiction in your gut. I was intrigued that Northern Iraq had marginally emerged from the depths of hell. Yet, I felt great sorrow that it took 18 years and then...then I looked South...and the anguish rose to my throat. Billions of dollars, 4000 dead U.S. military personnel, anarchy and chaos with no end in sight. My own country back in American is on the verge of economic recession. Americans obsess over sports and pop stars and consumer junk and wonder why they can't afford gasoline. The Northern Iraq template we could have drawn from regarding our campaign in greater-Iraq, collects dust somewhere in the basement of the Pentagon.
We truly are indeed, I grudgingly suspect..."A Ship of Fools."
Stupid pop culture, media-complex, distraction-from-reality story
I see the main stream pundits are still up to their old tricks more than ever while I was gone to Iraq. So, I am thinking, each day I should continue to jot down the stupidest news story that is foist upon us by the big-media-complex as a distraction from the reality that has become America. So here we go - welcome to today's "Stupid Pop Culture, Media-complex, Distraction-from-reality Story."
The war in Iraq languishes on; the dollar collapses; gas prices have us working stiffs deciding between filling our car tanks and buying necessities; and, Washington apparently continues to be run by two-party paradigm lunatics. Good God! But wait, the military is letting its married soldiers sleep in the same beds in the Iraq war zone. The nanny-state America that has become the real-time world of Orwell has had a conjugal set back?!
Most pundits seem befuddled by war-zone soldiers being allowed to sleep with their spouses. I however, am befuddled that in this war, we have so many spouses in the war zone at the same time. It reminds me of the Vietnamese and Cambodian soldiers during the Vietnam War. They had to bring their families to the war front with them. We have either entered a new phase of battle logistics enlightenment, or digressed to Third-World troop deployment strategy. You make the call - I have a head ache. Now there is some real God damned news!
Wisconsin military service person of the week
Sergeant First Class Trevor J. Diesing 30, was killed by a bomb in Husaybah, Iraq, on Thursday, August 25, 2005. Treveor was from Maiden Rock, a western Wisconsin community. He grew up and worked on his familys' dairy farm. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned Diesing played basketball and baseball for Plum City High School. He joined the Army Reserves before graduating. Diesing was assigned to Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was on his third tour of duty in Iraq. Trevor Diesing is survived by his wife and three children one of which was a baby; his mother Debbie Diesing and father; and, a younger brother Toby. Sergeant Diesing spent several years in the Army Reserves and joined the Army full time in 1997. Sergeant First Class Trevor J. Diesing was the 45th Wisconsin military service person to die in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
4,013 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
487 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
308 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
294 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
29,628 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1,912 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
87 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
10 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
127 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
15 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Soldier of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; and, icasualties.org.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
