AN EMAIL FROM THE FRONT

andrew sullivan ^ | Wednesday, April 14, 2004 | in iraq

[dennisw]

AN EMAIL FROM THE FRONT:
Here's an email from a soldier I first corresponded with when he was a cadet at West Point. He's legit - and his email is worth printing in full, I think. I'm not endorsing everything he says, but it's worth hearing what a very bright and committed young soldier is going through right now:

Troop strength - I think we have consistently underestimated the number of troops it would take to pacify Iraq. Gen Shinseki's original estimates were much closer to the mark. The fact that the 1st Armored Division (my unit) has now been extended for at least 4 months shows there aren't enough troops - in order to deal with a fairly minor uprising we had to break the one-year-boots-on-ground pledge. If we had had a strategic reserve, this would not be necessary. However, the dirty secret is that there aren't any more troops to be had - at least not the active-duty armor/infantry brigades and divisions requried to fight a tough enemy. Furthermore, the frenetic destruction that occured after the fall of Baghdad set us way back in terms of reconstruction - more troops could have limited if not prevented the extensive looting.

Sadir et al. - Although his uprising is seen as a ominious sign for the coalition, it does have an upside. His poorly trained and poorly equiped rag-bad militia is being chewed up by our army. His defeat and eventual marginalization will serve the coalition well. After one year of occupation, I think many Iraqis have come to see the army as rather toothless - we get blown up by roadside bombs or mortars and yet we continue to rebuild schools, enforce the laws, train police etc. Now because of Fallujah and what has been going on in Baghdad, our potency and resolve are on full display. My task force alone has killed many insurgents in the last two weeks - something that was not happening before. By confronting us in a conventional way, Sadir et al. are playing to our military strengths - and it isn't going well for them.

Long term prospects - I have to admit that after one year here I am largely pessimistic. Iraqi society is sick in many ways. Sometimes it's hard to tell if Saddam was the problem or the symptom. I just don't know how a society so divided along ethnic and tribal lines, with no democratic or liberal traditions and almost zero respect for the rule of law can build any kind of society accept and autocratic one. I'm not ashamed that the US came here with good intentions and noble sentiments about the universality of our values - democracy, liberty, the rule of law etc., but I think all our efforts might be eventually futile. In essence, we have given the Iraqis an enormous gift, but they don't seem to be seizing the opportunity. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink...

The Army - Most soldiers in my unit were pretty demoralized by the extension. We were promised a one year tour and now that promise has been broken. Retention will certainly suffer. However, we are facing a difficult time in Iraq and our continued presence is necessary. What I would like to hear and I think most soldiers feel the same way - is for someone high up to say "Look, we didn't plan for this. Things have gotten screwed up and we need your continued sacrifice. This is why it is so important you stay." Instead we have gotten vague comments about "managing the troop redeployment" - as if it were some little snafu or inconvenience. The truth is, our division is now getting ready for another bloody and hellishly hot summer that none of us expected to ever go through again.

Good and bad. But it's only one year.

- 1:42:52 AM

[Montfort]

Imagine if a US soldier had written a letter just like this in World War II. And it got through uncensored and a small newspaper published it.

Would there be consequences?

[holdmuhbeer]

the man's just calling it like he sees it. my opinion is iraq ought to be split 3 ways and you might have a chance with it. give the kurds the north, the sunnis the middle, and the shias the south. keep these people separate and things would calm down.

[kidd]

In essence, we have given the Iraqis an enormous gift, but they don't seem to be seizing the opportunity

Well, it would be nice if Iraq turned around because of this, but that is not the primary goal. The primary goal is to protect the long term health of Americans, in which the military has been highly successful.

And this American (kidd) is highly grateful.

[proud American in Canada]

"The truth is, our division is now getting ready for another bloody and hellishly hot summer that none of us expected to ever go through again."

We're all grateful for their sacrifice.

[Shery]

PING!

[RichardW]

Bush was ill served by his advisors who estimated the necessary troops to get the job done. It will likely cost him the election in November. The American people will not tolerate incompetence.

[GOPJ]

Iraq doesn't have the cultural framework to accept the gift of democracy. After-war assistance should have been done in the style of WWII Japan.

The way we've done it is like giving a free college education to a 5 year old. Great intentions, but total failure the only outcome.

we have given the Iraqis an enormous gift, but they don't seem to be seizing the opportunity

[mrsmith]

Sounds reasonable.
"...because of Fallujah and what has been going on in Baghdad, our potency and resolve are on full display. My task force alone has killed many insurgents in the last two weeks - something that was not happening before. "

I'm impressed by how stoically the volunteer troops take this extension. In the conscript early '70's type of Army I was in it would have been a morale disaster (but we weren't too far from a morale disaster even on our good days).

[dadokane]

you're right, Monty. he shoud be court-martialed -- for betraying his country.

[JimVT]

The American people will not tolerate incompetence.

I donno...we survived Clinton!

And what do you expect we'll get if John F. Ketchup wins?

[captbarney]

these soldiers shouldn't have been told a time frame. During the 2nd WW men left for the duration. There also needs to be a little censorship. The country is at war and VULNERABLE

[G.Mason]

"The American people will not tolerate incompetence."

All two of them?

Thanks for the laugh!

[observer5]

" I just don't know how a society so divided along ethnic and tribal lines, with no democratic or liberal traditions and almost zero respect for the rule of law can build any kind of society accept and autocratic one."

That about it. It will take about 30 years for these guys to run a democracy.

[Broadside Joe]

"Bush was ill served by advisors who lied about WMD"

We do not know this to be the case. We are not to this point sure that there are none.

[Rodney King]

The answer is clearly to split the country up into three new countries. Yugoslavia didn't work without a dictatorship, and neither will Iraq.

[xusafflyer]

If your prediction comes true then the United States is over. The world will fall into pseudo socialist-fascism (dominated by the UN) and John F'n Kerry will destroy whatever remains of this nation.

[Puddleglum]

my opinion is iraq ought to be split 3 ways and you might have a chance with it. give the kurds the north, the sunnis the middle, and the shias the south. keep these people separate and things would calm down.

I'm leaning toward this opinion myself. Separate them like this, then it's up to them to decide if they want to play nice with each other in the future or not.

As it is, I see every side resorting to violence following any election where they don't get their way. At least separate they will each govern themselves with less likelihood of protesting the results and sinking into anarchy.