Save.
“We Americans are accustomed to labeling and categorizing:”
Lt. Col. Cucullu is absolutely right but I hope his manuscript points out new and imaginative ways to address what he is describing as a problem. Bob Graham in his book “Intelligence Matters” suggests U.S. Intelligence agencies should open its doors to first generation Americans, hiring them to collect intel on their parent’s homeland. Not a bad suggestion but it could perpetuate the problem if they come to the intel table with personal agendas. But it usually takes an agenda to motivate a person to understand, analyze and change regional dynamics in the first place. So then the quest begins for agendas that are compatible with America’s regional agenda. Cucullu alludes to the fact that regional agendas do not fall neatly into partisan or religious categories.
To expand on Cucullu point, one might conclude that core American values may exist within groups and states and therefore, if we look, we are likely to find allies living in the nexus of our enemy’s camp.
Americans, from soldier to politician, should not be afraid to point out these allies and advocate their mission within the context of existing U.S. foreign policy. If the ally rejects U.S. advocacy then U.S. policy makers have mislabeled them. This has been demonstrated time and again with the so called “Reform Movement” in Iran. There are no “Reformists” in Iran. Not as an American would interpret “Reformist" Anyway.
The student movement that leans toward regime change in Iran will have trouble officially rejected or accepted U.S. advocacy because of its oppressed state. True opposition within the Iranian Diaspora almost universally accept U.S. advocacy. Cucullu might serve us all if he were to use his analytics on U.S. allies within the Iranian Diaspora and student movement and how best to foster their opposition to the regime in Iran.
Good post.
I started reading Endgame and got sidetracked with the election. Guess I'll have to go back and finish it.
It's amazing that the two Generals FOX chose to discuss the Iraq war were the only two who got the war strategy correct. I've seen these two give talks about their book and they are facinating to listen to - they are so smart.
And .. General Vallely lost his only son during training for either Rangers or Special Forces. It was one of those tragic accidents .. and I remember seeing the General totally break up when he mentioned it. It just ripped your heart out.