Protect homebase first: David Hackworth urges Bush to postpone Iraq attack

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Tuesday, August 20, 2002 | Col. David Hackworth

[JohnHuang2]

Iraq is dead center in our commander in chief's cross hairs. While the trigger hasn't yet been squeezed, our forces are on the march, and soon a giant juggernaut will be cocked and locked. The Butcher of Baghdad will be hit everywhere but loose if the attack order comes down.

No question Saddam Hussein – with spies near every U.S. military base and at our overseas launching pads reporting on the beans and bullets, war toys and boys – is watching the fist move into position.

For sure he must be thinking that President Bush wouldn't talk war, activate the Reserves, spend billions of dollars moving tens of thousands of fighters and megatons of gear into place and then call off High Noon – possibly committing political suicide after all the saber rattling – because of a lack of consensus with our allies.

Saddam-the-Guilty has got to be worrying that despite widespread dissent, the odds are that "43" will make his case for war to the American people using Iraq's failed compliance with the '91 Desert Storm peace agreement. Or by proving once and for all that Saddam's got the Doomsday factories going full steam. Or that Saddam's one of the firstest with the mostest behind al-Qaida.

But while the phony field marshal's battle record reveals that the master of military miscalculation would flunk Tactics 101 faster than the dumbest recruit in the regiment, Saddam has earned a doctorate 10 times over in ruthlessness and cunning. And when Psycho Saddam's finally cornered – the bottom line being his bunker simply isn't deep enough to save his sorry butt from what we'll dump on him – he has to have figured out that he's got nothing to lose by taking as many of those he hates with him as possible. His idea of a good time these days is probably putting loyal kamikazes in place to strike back at us big-time with Weapons of Mass Destruction – real nukes, chemical and biological weapons or dirty bombs.

The Israelis know exactly what to expect from Saddam. Not only do they have an anti-Scud missile-defense system up and running, they're making sure their citizens are protected from WMD: Each house-building has a sealed room to keep out the deadly bugs and fumes, and everyone has a gas mask. All first-responders – medical, police, firemen – are being vaccinated against smallpox. Even anti-radiation pills might soon be distributed to the general population. Based on past experience, Israel's already implemented the carefully conceived plans that will allow the besieged country to survive Saddam's final hits.

Thanks to our own proper planning, our forces in the desert will also be protected – by good gear and top detection devices to tell them when the unthinkable's about to happen. And if the present crop of generals is Stormin' Norman smart, the charge across the desert after the WMD exchange should be even easier than the ground phase of Schwarzkopf's brilliant 1991 Desert Storm campaign.

But are the average Joe and Jane and their kids in the USA similarly set for the bad stuff? Because if you ask savvy members of our security screen about Iraqi WMD, they'll tell you they're already here, that Saddam's agents have been sneaking them in for years. If we can't stop tons of cocaine and heroin, they say, how could we stop a few containers of WMD?

Unfortunately, the average American family is about as ready for Armageddon as the good people working in the World Trade Center were up for evacuating the Twin Towers on the morning of Sept. 11. That's because in almost a year the only tangible thing our Homeland Security apparatus has done – besides spending a bunch of bucks building the slickest bureaucracy in U.S. history – is produce a color-coded warning system that most of us still don't understand.

Regrettably, the history of our country tells us that we only get our act together after we're knocked down. But this time around, the white stars and crosses could stretch from New York City to Los Angeles and back.

Mr. Bush, don't squeeze the trigger until our citizens are as well-protected as the Israelis. Right now, Saddam's exit from the world scene simply isn't worth the tragic price our unprotected citizens might pay.

[newfreep]

I think it was Brit Hume who asked, "Why wait for saddam to get stronger - why not hit him now when he's the weakest?"

Makes sense to me. No doubt saddam's a strong supporter of Al-queda, along with the saudis, and probably was partially behind 9-11.

[Redleg Duke]

It sounds like some else must have had a fellow grunt taking his "Tactics 101" final exam. Hackworth sounds like the militant wing of the "Hate America First" crowd.

[meenie]

I don't think that the attack against Iraq should be postponed until we have total security here. I am disappointed that there is not more urgency in protecting the public though. Part of the neglect we see here is the fact that we haven't had a war on our soil during the lifetime of our population.

This is also a different war. Sadaam is evil but this probably makes him a harder opponent than he should be. His defenses cannot repel our military forces and he knows this. His alternative is the same route we are taking. Play a hell of an offense and hope this offsets the lack of defense.

I hope I am wrong, but I am very suspicious that we have more terrorists here than we realize. If not, there soon will be. When Sadaam can hire a suicide bomber for $10,000 against Israel he can do the same against us.

One terrorist coming across the border with 50 pounds of C-4 in his backpack and we do not keep him out can spell a lot of deaths. We do not have to give up on confronting Sadaam and Iraq but we sure could do something about our security here.

We have enough national guard to make the borders air tight if we have the will to do this. If there are so many already here, then we better start cleaning them out of our population. We don't have to sit here and do nothing to protect ourselves.

[jeremiah]

Bush and his team of planners, do not fear attacks by moles within our borders. They have access to vaccinations, antibiotics and safe rooms. When the average Joe dies from Anthrax or Smallpox, they will use the event to decry terrorism, jack up the war effort, and not change a thing. It has been a year since the towers fell, the homeland is not measurably more secure, the borders are not checkpoints for the enemy, and the people that deserve protection, are but easy targets for the followers of Allah. Hack is right, the first move should have been to secure the home base, ready America for attacks, close borders and expel non-citizens/illegals. It seems our defense industry, is in place to defend everything but our countries borders.

[Vermont Lt]

To the average American, we are not at war. Aside from the kid who was called out to active duty from the NG, there is no impact on life around here.

We are not mobilized. We are not focused. Something will need to be done to get our attention again.

I know 9-11 was a wake-up call, but in the past year we've hit the snooze button. I fear that the alarm will go off again soon.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Hackworth has apparently gone over to the dark side. I have been watching him for months become less and less relevent to the discussion. He apparently has become infected with mediaitis normally a condition fatal to rationality and recognition of the truth. Too bad.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Hack is dead wrong but that doesn't stop you from latching on to any excuse to attack the President and his team ignoring, of course, the RAT enemies.

The "Average Joe" has his head up his @$$ and still supports the RATS who are preparing our destruction. He has been shown the truth but prefers to ignore it and ask for more goodies. Even a yr. after we are inudated with whiners and pretend patriots who attempt to block all rational attempts to defend the nation.

In fact, the Average Joe is not as much in danger as the leadership which is quite likely to be particularly targeted just as it was on 9/11. Only a couple of major cities would be the targets not Averageville. Or targets like Pentagon, CIA, White House hardly the paper mill the town over or a meat packing plant down the street.

[Red Jones]

hack is just an experienced soldier. People who have been in war are frequently very cautious concerning new wars. politicians and irresponsible cheerleaders are not like that.

[jeremiah]

Just because I point out that there have no substantial efforts to prepare the citizenry or the homeland for defense(should have been the first thing), is not an attempt to stop or dissuade from attacking enemies. Good, destroy Saddam, should have been done 10 years ago(wonder why not?) As for leaders and major cities being targets, they are big targets, with big pay and intensive preparations for saving their lives. Joe Bloe is forgotten, as is defense. All is sacrificed to the offensive side.

[TDTESS]

who said anything about backing down? I just question how potent our security is at the present, regarding to helping the saudi airline industry.

[justshutupandtakeit]

There is little that can be done to prepare a people sticking its head in the sand as fast as possible. The people of this nation are unwilling to face reality and care nothing about truth or righteousness. It is self-destructing in every way imaginable. Until the mass media's influence is totally destroyed there can be no preparation for defense.

Saddam was not destroyed 10 yrs ago because our word had been given to our allies that we would not. This and the unwillingness to leave Iran without any major opposition in the area saved his sorry ass. I understood this though did not support it.

Joe Bloe is always forgotten and for good reason; he is forgettable. Happily willing to shut out the rest of the world as long as he is supplied with beer, baseball and mind-rotting tv shows. He has no one to blame but himself.

[Deadeye Division]

bump

[jeremiah]

Until the mass medias influence is totally destroyed, there can be no preparation for defense The media will be with us always, but a reinstitution of CD, issuance of antibiotics to local community groups, vaccines enough for all in the case of need, and identification of enemies within, and the deportation of those that can legally be, is but the beginning of the process. Not something to be worried, or hurried in the event of a nationwide Anthrax attack, or God forbid, something more sinister.

[justshutupandtakeit]

None of that can be implemented until the people are on board and they won't be until the media is neutered. Once it begins to hammer the truth home with as much enthusiasm as it hammers home treason and perversity we will have a chance to become a serious people. Until then forget it.

[RISU]

Aw shucks. Go ahead and hit him. Hard. Fast. ...and massively. Use tac nukes is he acts up. Go in and get the body. Let's be done with this creep.

[newwahoo]

I wouldn't delay anything, but Hack is right about one thing that we all should keep in mind. Our offense is second to none but our defense is middling at best. Closing borders, tightening control over immigrants, hardening soft targets and beefing up the ability of local agencies to detect and respond to attack seems to be where we need to make progress. Bush seems to be lukewarm at best about the first two and he's going to pay for it politically if something goes wrong.