Soundbites Are Not Good Military Policy

Stay the course. Don’t cut and run. Failure is not an option. Pithy catch-phrases all, and probably good motivation when you’re building a college football program, trying to stay on a diet or saving a marriage.

The phrases might even motivate troops to fight with zeal, but they should never be the inflexible credo of a military commander. In war, people who have nothing to do with the decision to engage in battle die hideous deaths; young people; innocent people. Making decisions about war based on egotistical and evocative sound bites is immoral.

Refusing to retreat can be bad military strategy. You don’t stay the course when the road ahead is mined. When faced with a losing scenario, smart commanders retreat to fight another day. Just ask the men of Dunkirk.

In 1940, the German army pinned down hundreds of thousands of British and French forces in the coastal town of Dunkirk, France in what would be named the Battle of France. They faced certain annihilation, yet most certainly would have fought to their deaths if given the order.

Thankfully, Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay and Winston Churchill devised Operation Dynamo, an outrageous plan to use almost every sailing vessel in Great Britain to rescue these soldiers. While many boats and ships were sunk, and countless soldiers died, the operation saved over 300,000.

Those left behind were killed or captured.

Many British soldiers thought they would suffer public scorn for running away in one of the first major battles of what would become World War II, yet the English public considered the operation a glorious victory. Most Brits were certain the Germans would invade England next, and they were thankful for every soldier spared in Dunkirk.

What is little known about Operation Dynamo is that some soldiers immediately returned to the Battle of France to re-engage the Germans. Most were killed or captured and were unavailable to protect their homeland or assist in the decisive battles that ultimately won the war.

A smart military commander doesn’t use his troops as an ablative shield for political posturing or chest-thumping bravado. A smart military commander picks his battles, and carefully weights the potential gain against the potential losses.

Our government’s new plan for Iraq is the same old plan. There have been troop surges in ’04, ’05 and the summer of ’06. Yet December ’06 became one of the deadliest for U. S. soldiers in the conflict’s history.

It’s reported that 78 percent of Iraqis believe that the current troop presence provokes more violence than it prevents. They would know.

How will the Iraqi citizens respond to an escalation in U. S. troop strength?

“More forces, U.S. and coalition forces, create the impression of an occupation,” said Donald Rumsfeld.

A troop surge could very likely result in the expansion of insurgent violence against Americans.

As long as coalition forces are willing to do the heavy lifting for the Iraqi government, it’s unlikely they will step up and do what needs to be done. Our withdrawal could indeed spark a blood bath of sectarian violence, but it’s likely to happen regardless of when we leave. Leaving now saves American lives.

It’s possible that if we begin a withdrawal, the Iraqi government will finally assume responsibility for their security and do what needs to be done to maintain the peace.

The things that have to change in Iraq are out of our hands. Even pro-surge pundits admit that for our “course” to be successful, we must essentially heal the Sunni-Shiite rift. I would not be willing to gamble one American life against the odds of mending centuries of religious hate. Any commander who would isn’t worth a salute.

Iraq is different than Dunkirk in many ways, but the military value of a strategic retreat remains a viable option in almost any conflict. The Iraqi people have to learn to live with themselves, and U.S. troops aren’t likely to make that happen.

Over 3,000 American soldiers have been killed, and over 22,000 wounded in Iraq. Let’s bring the rest home. Now.

The Painful Pundit

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