Gregory D.

Lee

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April 11, 2008

Al-Maliki’s Cut and Run Strategy

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki must have Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other cut-and-run liberal members of the U.S. Congress as his military advisors. What else explains his dismal performance in Basra, where he retreated from his raids against Shiite militants after anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr merely hinted retaliation if Iraqi security forces continued to arrest his many followers?

Before his assault on the city, al-Maliki issued an “ultimatum” to Shiite militias to disarm. “Any gunman who does not do that will be an outlaw,” he said. Shortly after, he softened his rhetoric and offered money to militants who turned in their weapons. He must have got that idea from the mayors of Los Angeles and other large U.S. cities who, like other liberals, foolishly think they can buy handguns from law abiding citizens to reduce violence. Maybe he should have offered them something more valuable like barrels of crude oil.

Then he sweetened the deal by saying that extremists “who lay down their arms and participated in the recent acts of violence” would not be prosecuted. How about a time-share vacation villa on the gulf? Anything else we can do to appease you?

Before getting cold feet, al-Maliki warned, “Basra is a decisive and final battle,” and he vowed to remain there and oversee operations against Shiite militias until security is restored. Hmm, guess a political solution looks a lot better when your security force is getting its butt kicked against a bunch of ragtag, Iranian-trained militiamen. Unfortunately, many political solutions often unravel and create further chaos.

Adding to al-Maliki’s woes, about 900 military and police officials deserted or refused to fight their fellow Shiite Muslims. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, these deserters turned over their weapons and equipment to the Mahdi Army, the Shiite militiamen they are battling. So much for the training and equipment the U.S. provided these misfits.

Al-Maliki obviously lacks the leadership abilities required to settle Basra and bring the Southern portion of the country into stability. So long as he subscribes to the Democrat doctrine of cut and run when resistance is given, this conflict has no end in sight.

According to Gen. Petraeus during his Senate testimony last Tuesday, al-Maliki only consulted U.S. military advisors shortly before the assault, and they felt that the plan was flawed. Obviously we want the Iraqis to start initiating aggressive action against the militias, but not if they’re not ready or have an ill conceived plan. As Gen. Petraeus said, “I certainly share the frustration” when told by Sen. George Voinovich that “the American people have had it up to here” with the war.

The best trained and equipped military is rendered useless when it lacks the will to fight. Obviously Shiite recruits need to be held to a loyalty oath and be convinced the nation will only survive when religious differences are set aside. Those who will not affirm their allegiance to the Iraqi government simply must not be allowed to enter military service. Iraq does not need a repeat of this disaster on the battlefield.

Al-Maliki must step up the attack in Basra, and with the help of U.S. artillery and air support, can eventually overcome resistance from al-Sadr’s fighters. Killing al-Sadr should be an operational goal. Al-Maliki could go so far as to warn all women and children to leave the city before a second full-fledged assault occurs. The militants would get the message and many would have second thoughts when faced with a well-executed plan. Either way, al-Maliki needs to follow through and not retreat when faced with threats of retaliation.

Losing face is a big deal in the Middle East culture, and he has lost it for sure with the cut-and-run tactic. His political and military opponents now view him as weak. He must do something to overcome that impression and immediately seize control of this important city.

The Iraqi army needs to start using U.S. military tactics to achieve their goals, and not Iraqi police tactics. Is this a war or barricaded suspect situation? A temporary ceasefire only postpones the agony and allows your enemy to recoup and regroup.

Paraphrasing General George S. Patton from the movie, Patton: “You don’t want to pay for the same real estate twice.”

Gregory D. Lee is a nationally syndicated columnist and Army Reserve officer. He can be reached through his website: www.gregorydlee.com.

© 2008 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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