"IRAQ FINI"

The Implications of the incident at the Golden Mosque…

We have reached the tipping point it seems and nothing we are going to say or do at this point is going to change the forces set in motion. All the president can do at this point is show how removed he and his staff are from the real world by pursuing opportunities that are past and gone.

A study of the Middle East since our deluded Crusade to bring Christianity to the masses, as part of a misplaced Messianic vision, indicates that the opportunity to make a real difference came and went when we failed at the very beginning to keep chaos from erupting in the days immediately after "Shock and Awe."

Not unlike our sense of timing after Katrina or 9/11 or our failure to respond to the Cole incident or the bombing of the two embassies, we further demonstrated that we have no business allowing the mentally deranged to decide our foreign policy…

When the banks were looted and the museums robbed, it was a sign that chaos was endemic and we failed to respond to it. The very fact that we could not restore vital services in a reasonable period of time showed the Iraqis that we were incapable of bringing order to their shattered country. And with every passing day we confirmed that we could nothing that would restore their confidence in our ability to make their lives right again. In time, this perception only got worse fueling the idea that America talked a better game than it delivered. At the same time, the insurrection gained confidence and those behind the guerilla actions saw that they could use this experience as a laboratory to put to the test their training against the infidel.

This entire situation was exacerbated by the appointment of Paul Bremer who in the opinion of many, including the respected Middle East editor for Time Magazine, was the essential fuse that lit up the insurrection. By tossing out the entire Sunni infrastructure because of their connection with the Saddam regime, we laid the groundwork for the insurgent movement. According to informed sources, the insurgency in the early days was fueled by ex-military officers with no income and nothing to do…

…If Paul Bremer had tried to be inclusive by salvaging some of the Sunni infrastructure we might not have descended over time into the situation that exists today where Sunni is pitted against Shiite in what is truly a Civil War.

Ironically, it is rumored that this war per se was set into motion by Al Qaeda and who saw that there was a benefit from chaos in achieving their objective of driving us out of the Middle East. Almost overnight, with the attack on the holiest shrine of the Shiites, it has become an exploding tinder box with no near time resolution possible. Iran’s prime minister had added fuel to the flames by blaming the US and heating up the rhetoric.

For all intents and purposes, the attack on this Shiite Holy Place marks the beginning of the end. From here on out all bets are off.

The conclusion: We have blown it; and there is nothing for us to do at this point but pack our bags and beat a hasty retreat!

Nevertheless, this unnecessary War should never be put to sleep. It should serve as a constant reminder to us that we are responsible for what we do and if we take on such a venture, there better be a damn good reason for our actions. Thousands of our best and brightest were unnecessary sacrifices to a War that didn't have to be. And for that, the guilty have still not paid the price; so that we cannot put this behind us until there is resolution. And that means a thorough investigation at every level. And no more smoke screens!

We couldn't do less for our fallen comrades.

Les Aaron
Come for the cartoons; stay for the content www.lesaaron.blogspot.com