Iraq...Another Vietnam?
It’s been thirty years since America’s dramatic retreat form Vietnam via helicopters landing on the American embassy in Saigon. America lost the war because she failed to gain domestic and broad international support. America’s leadership was overly optimistic about their high-tech military machine and idealism only to be drawn slowly into the enemy’s conflict leaders did not understand or provide adequate preparation.
Now in Iraq, America faces the same dangers. Bush, like Johnson in Vietnam (i.e.Gulf of Tonkin incident), attacked Iraq based on false assumptions. Over three-fourths of the world’s population is against America’s invasion of Iraq. Foreign and religious leaders (including the Pope) continue to condemn America’s attack on Iraq. Foreign countries are withdrawing their forces from Iraq. Newly released polls show an erosion of support within America for the continuation of the war. Bush and his advisors, as illustrated by released government documents and numerous investigations, did not adequately prepare for the aftermath of the initial invasion. Conventional warfare has been replaced by guerrilla warfare, The enemy has become very elusive. Newly, American-trained, Iraqi forces. as shown recently, are afraid to search, pursue, and destroy the enemy. American casualties are mounting each day. Attacks within Iraq against military and civilian targets are at an all time high. Like Vietanm, war crimes are being committed by American soldiers (e.g. killing wounded, unarmed civilians in mosques, torturing prisoners).
However, Bush and his staff, like Johnson during Vietnam, continues to state, contrary to facts, that guerrilla atttacks are rapidly declining and that the Iraqi insurgents are dwindling in numbers. Cheney exclaimed that the Iraqi insurgency is “in the last throes.” These facts are contradicted by his own commanders in Iraq.
America lost Vietnam; what will be the outcome in Iraq?
By Christian Gatsby
Now in Iraq, America faces the same dangers. Bush, like Johnson in Vietnam (i.e.Gulf of Tonkin incident), attacked Iraq based on false assumptions. Over three-fourths of the world’s population is against America’s invasion of Iraq. Foreign and religious leaders (including the Pope) continue to condemn America’s attack on Iraq. Foreign countries are withdrawing their forces from Iraq. Newly released polls show an erosion of support within America for the continuation of the war. Bush and his advisors, as illustrated by released government documents and numerous investigations, did not adequately prepare for the aftermath of the initial invasion. Conventional warfare has been replaced by guerrilla warfare, The enemy has become very elusive. Newly, American-trained, Iraqi forces. as shown recently, are afraid to search, pursue, and destroy the enemy. American casualties are mounting each day. Attacks within Iraq against military and civilian targets are at an all time high. Like Vietanm, war crimes are being committed by American soldiers (e.g. killing wounded, unarmed civilians in mosques, torturing prisoners).
However, Bush and his staff, like Johnson during Vietnam, continues to state, contrary to facts, that guerrilla atttacks are rapidly declining and that the Iraqi insurgents are dwindling in numbers. Cheney exclaimed that the Iraqi insurgency is “in the last throes.” These facts are contradicted by his own commanders in Iraq.
America lost Vietnam; what will be the outcome in Iraq?
By Christian Gatsby
