Monday, June 05, 2023
Blog
Nov 27

Written by: Diana West
Sunday, November 27, 2011 5:55 AM 

This (past) week's syndicated column:

The last hot meal to be served at Camp Victory, the largest of 505 military bases once operated by the United States in Iraq, was a Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 20. Cooks served more than 2,000 pounds of turkey and more than 3,000 pounds of mashed potatoes to 6,000-plus military personnel.

Doing the dishes this time also meant shutting down the kitchen. That's because Camp Victory, one of only 10 U.S. bases still in operation, will be closed soon. According to the agreement signed in 2008 by President George W. Bush and implemented by President Barack Obama, the U.S. military in Iraq is coming home.

Praises be. So what if the U.S. withdrawal comes only after Obama was unable to convince Iraq to extend its welcome under tenable conditions? I'll take it, and give thanks. I am very sorry Camp Victory troops are on cold rations until they finally return stateside next month, but I am thankful to be able to see the day when they will have left Iraq – taking all of their Christian religious posters and symbols from base chapels with them, according to the New York Times.

This withdrawal will mark the end of a misguided misadventure to convert, in a zealously secular and even philo-Islamic way, a member of the Islamic world to the ways of the West. Despite the courage, dedication and sacrifice of American and allied troops, despite the so-called surge, despite the endless (and endlessly expensive) attempts to win Iraqi "hearts and minds," it was a flop.

The top American spokesman in Iraq, Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, can spin all he wants – "It's not about winning or losing but making significant progress" – but this eight-year "counterinsurgency" didn't work. It was a failure – unless, of course, you're Iran. To borrow from the great Winston Churchill, also unenthralled with the British misadventure in Iraq in the year 1922, we have been paying billions of dollars "for the privilege of living on an ungrateful volcano out of which we are in no circumstances to get anything worth having."

In Afghanistan, meanwhile, no preparations for departure are so clearly evident. For the time being, the U.S. military's per diem costs – an estimated $350 million just to get U.S. forces fed and in the field every day – are still effectively open-ended. In fact, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has just presided over a gathering of the clans, a "loya jirga" assembly of some 2,000 Afghans, who have produced a list of conditions for a continuing American presence.

Here, culled from different news sources, is a list of the loya jirga's conditions: 1) no more immunity from Afghan law for U.S. forces; 2) no more night raids by U.S. forces; 3) no more "arbitrary" detention of Afghan suspects; 4) no more U.S. detention centers; 5) transfer Afghan detainees to Afghan detention centers; 6) a capped 10-year limit to any pact with the United States; 7) Afghans must lead all security missions after 2014; 8) the United States should commit to training role and "support"; 9) no more U.S.-run "parallel" structures to handle contracting and other matters; rather, America should support Afghan institutions; and 10) no U.S. attacks on neighbors from Afghan soil.

Can you say "rent-a-cop"?

No wonder Karzai is so enthused. "I absolutely agree with it," Karzai said of the loya jirga's list of terms, as McClatchy Newspapers reported. "We would never allow any foreign country to use our soil for causing harm to our neighbors," he added. Love thy non-infidel neighbors, Iran and Pakistan – the default-affinity that is a basic stumbling block to U.S.-Afghan alliance.

But still Karzai wants more. "The U.S. wants military installations from us. We will give those to them. But we have conditions for this. We will benefit from this. Our soldiers will be trained. Our police will be trained. We will benefit from their money."

It's one thing for yet another "ungrateful volcano" to scheme so, cold and numb to the blood and sacrifice of tens of thousands of Americans, even in this season of Thanksgiving. What I want to know is why we put up with it.

Tags:
Archive
<June 2023>
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
28293031123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
2526272829301
2345678
Monthly
June, 2023
May, 2023
April, 2023
March, 2023
February, 2023
January, 2023
December, 2022
November, 2022
October, 2022
September, 2022
August, 2022
July, 2022
June, 2022
May, 2022
April, 2022
March, 2022
February, 2022
January, 2022
December, 2021
November, 2021
October, 2021
September, 2021
August, 2021
July, 2021
June, 2021
May, 2021
April, 2021
March, 2021
February, 2021
January, 2021
December, 2020
November, 2020
October, 2020
September, 2020
August, 2020
July, 2020
June, 2020
May, 2020
April, 2020
March, 2020
February, 2020
January, 2020
December, 2019
November, 2019
October, 2019
September, 2019
August, 2019
July, 2019
June, 2019
May, 2019
April, 2019
March, 2019
February, 2019
January, 2019
December, 2018
November, 2018
October, 2018
September, 2018
August, 2018
July, 2018
June, 2018
May, 2018
April, 2018
March, 2018
February, 2018
January, 2018
December, 2017
November, 2017
October, 2017
September, 2017
August, 2017
July, 2017
June, 2017
May, 2017
April, 2017
March, 2017
February, 2017
January, 2017
December, 2016
November, 2016
October, 2016
September, 2016
August, 2016
July, 2016
June, 2016
May, 2016
April, 2016
March, 2016
February, 2016
January, 2016
December, 2015
November, 2015
October, 2015
September, 2015
August, 2015
July, 2015
June, 2015
May, 2015
April, 2015
March, 2015
February, 2015
January, 2015
December, 2014
November, 2014
October, 2014
September, 2014
August, 2014
July, 2014
June, 2014
May, 2014
April, 2014
March, 2014
February, 2014
January, 2014
December, 2013
November, 2013
October, 2013
September, 2013
August, 2013
July, 2013
June, 2013
May, 2013
April, 2013
March, 2013
February, 2013
January, 2013
December, 2012
November, 2012
October, 2012
September, 2012
August, 2012
July, 2012
June, 2012
May, 2012
April, 2012
March, 2012
February, 2012
January, 2012
December, 2011
November, 2011
October, 2011
September, 2011
August, 2011
July, 2011
June, 2011
May, 2011
April, 2011
March, 2011
February, 2011
January, 2011
December, 2010
November, 2010
October, 2010
September, 2010
August, 2010
July, 2010
June, 2010
May, 2010
April, 2010
March, 2010
February, 2010
January, 2010
December, 2009
November, 2009
October, 2009
September, 2009
August, 2009
July, 2009
June, 2009
May, 2009
April, 2009
March, 2009
February, 2009
January, 2009
December, 2008
November, 2008
October, 2008
September, 2008
August, 2008
July, 2008
June, 2008
May, 2008
April, 2008
March, 2008
February, 2008
January, 2008
December, 2007
November, 2007
October, 2007
September, 2007
August, 2007
Privacy Statement  |  Terms Of Use
Copyright 2012 by Diana West