Melvin R. Laird: Iraq: Learning the Lessons of Vietnam [Secretary of Defense from 1969 to 1973]

Foreign Affairs ^ | November/December 2005 | Melvin R. Laird

[Tolik]

Summary: During Richard Nixon's first term, when I served as secretary of defense, we withdrew most U.S. forces from Vietnam while building up the South's ability to defend itself. The result was a success -- until Congress snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by cutting off funding for our ally in 1975. Washington should follow a similar strategy now, but this time finish the job properly.

 

[CHAPTERS]:

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

...The war in Iraq is not "another Vietnam." But it could become one if we continue to use Vietnam as a sound bite while ignoring its true lessons.

...It is time for a reasonable look at both Vietnam and Iraq -- and at what the former can teach us about the latter...

STAYING THE COURSE

VIETNAMIZATION AS THE MODEL

THE PRETEXT FOR WAR

MARKETING THE MISSION

BUILDING A LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT

INSURGENTS AS ENEMIES

LIMITED WARFARE

AT WHAT COST?

SHORING UP OUR ALLIES

...In Vietnam, the voices of the "cut-and-run" crowd ultimately prevailed, and our allies were betrayed after all of our work to set them on their feet. Those same voices would now have us cut and run from Iraq, assuring the failure of the fledgling democracy there and damning the rest of the Islamic world to chaos fomented by extremists. ...They forget the immediate costs of the United States' betrayal. Two million refugees were driven out of the country, 65,000 more were executed, and 250,000 were sent to "reeducation camps." Given the nature of the insurgents in Iraq and the catastrophic goals of militant Islam, we can expect no better there.

...if we fail now, a new standard will have been set. The lessons of Vietnam will be forgotten, and our next global mission will be saddled with the fear of its becoming "another Iraq."...

[Tolik]

MELVIN R. LAIRD was Secretary of Defense from 1969 to 1973, Counselor to the President for Domestic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, and a member of the House of Representatives from 1952 to 1969. He currently serves as Senior Counselor for National and International Affairs at the Reader's Digest Association.

...The president must articulate a simple message and mission. Just as the spread of communism was very real in the 1960s, so the spread of radical fundamentalist Islam is very real today. It was a creeping fear until September 11, 2001, when it showed itself capable of threatening us. Iraq was a logical place to fight back, with its secular government and modern infrastructure and a populace that was ready to overthrow its dictator. Our troops are not fighting there only to preserve the right of Iraqis to vote. They are fighting to preserve modern culture, Western democracy, the global economy, and all else that is threatened by the spread of barbarism in the name of religion. That is the message and the mission. It is not politically correct, nor is it comforting. But it is the truth, and sometimes the truth needs good marketing. ...

Print ready format   The foreignaffairs.org is a MUST EXCERPT website   :^(

[Tolik]

Very Interesting!

A long one for your weekend reading

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[fizziwig]

Didn't know Laird was still around. Good points. We let the idiots control our nam policy in the end, bad move for everyone.....well....except the north vietnamese.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Makes you wonder what side they were on.

[Semper Paratus]

Mel Laird took over a Pentagon that was racked by 8 years of mis-management by then 'wiz-kid' Robert McNamara who has been apologizing for US power since.

[Publius]

Laird is still alive?!! He must be in his 90's by now!

[Tolik]

I want to be as clear minded in my 90's...

[digger48]

It was also the appeasers who were and have been "emboldened".

It's unbelievable that for the second time in a half century, I have to watch THE SAME PEOPLE try to destroy this country, THE SAME WAY they did 35 years ago.

[CaptRon]

...They forget the immediate costs of the United States' betrayal. Two million refugees were driven out of the country, 65,000 more were executed, and 250,000 were sent to "reeducation camps

They don't forget. They don't care. Their side was the one doing the driving out, executing and reeducating.

[cynicom]

Laird is just jealous that he did not get a fat communist beer contract like McCain and his daddy in law got.

[Candor7]

All the President has to do is fight the battle at home for Iraq. This is where the real Iraq war is being fought , for the hearts and minds of America.

Why are we in Iraq? The people need to know that this war is every bit as long term as the Cold War. The people also need to know why that is, because many Dems have not figured it out, having opted to follow the path of the knee jerk invoking liberal mass media.

We are preventing the rise of Shiites to national power across the belt of the world, from Ankara to Istanbul. Can you imagine an axis of nations run by Islamofascists , ready to gut the soft underbelly of Europe ( already started), with nuclear arms and control of the worlds oil supply?

The Prez needs to deliver that message BIG TIME.
Enough posing for the PC Liberals in America, who occupy both parties. The strategic case needs to be made, and we need to fight the battle at home that WAS NOT fought during the Viet Nam War...and we need to win it at ALL costs.

[Tolik]

Ditto. It all comes back to communication problems.

Bush was not afraid to surrounded himself with smart people, whose varies talents complement his own strength in areas where he is lacking. Smart move. But communications remained wanting.

He is not a strong communicator himself, and nobody around him stepped forward (or was not allowed to step forward).

A Leader is not just a doer (as he is), but also a motivator. There is only 30% of Bush haters who can't be won over. His current approval ratings in lower 30's indicate that there is a huge playing field up-there that needs a reinforcing message.

Clinton was a much better show man and had advantage of MSM playing on his side. That means it is so much more important for Bush to stay on the message loud and clear.

Oh, well. /end of venting

[ClaireSolt]

I think that the Pentagon is doing a lousy job of PR. For every casualty there are 98,000 success stories we never hear. I watvched gen Myers testify before a senate committee where Johjn McCain ws angrily asserting his superior knowledge. I looked at it and thought, which one is the real hero, the one who got shot down or the one who became join chief? If we do not celebrate the true heros then guys like McCain and Kerry can continue to claim to be heros when threy bail out ofter 4 months.

[Travis McGee]

Burn in hell, Chappaquidick Ted. You only killed one girl in your car, but millions died in SE Asia after you stopped the resupply of the RVN.

And now you want to do it again in Iraq and the middle east...

[visualops]

Our troops are not fighting there only to preserve the right of Iraqis to vote. They are fighting to preserve modern culture, Western democracy, the global economy, and all else that is threatened by the spread of barbarism in the name of religion. That is the message and the mission. It is not politically correct, nor is it comforting. But it is the truth, and sometimes the truth needs good marketing. ...

Bears repeating...over and over

[visualops]

His son was at the same school as my brother so I wouldn't think he'd be that terribly old?
I just Googled, Melvin Laird was born in '22.

[Bigg Red]

The Prez needs to deliver that message BIG TIME.

**
You are so right. But it must be so hard for him to try to get the message out through the MSM filter.

[joesnuffy]

My homeboy grandpa's neighbor..

Too bad his Vietnam War protestor niece had to marry
the Vietnam War Protestor we now have in the Governor's mansion though...

[pepperdog]

More of a Miz(ery) Kid than a Wiz Kid, McNamara was a disaster for the military that it took years to recover from.