New Tactics, Poor Future Plan

A capricious thing happened recently in Iraq. Armed men who brutalized and terrorized people changed their strategy to suddenly help those whom they victimized. The U.S. press seemed to enjoy presenting the avant-garde step these insurgents took.

In recent days, the U.S. has taken a major and different step in fighting terrorists in Iraq, dealing tête-à-tête with them. In Baqubah where al-Qaeda announced its state for instance, Iraqi local insurgents turned against this terrorist group whom they befriended for more than three years.

This is a major step in making al-Qaeda understand that it is no longer popular among its former long-term friends from the Iraqi insurgency. This step has brought some positive news at least in a few places in Iraq where 400 to 500 fighters were encamped in groups of about a dozen at about 30 or 40 safe houses in western Baqubah fighting against al-Qaeda and providing the U.S. military by important tips about the hideouts of the terrorists and their weapon caches warehouses.

A recent Washington Post article sensed this positive side of this step. Yet what this article failed to question was “Is there any plan next?”

It has been known to every single person on earth that the current situation in Iraq has resulted because of the failure of the Bush administration in setting up a good plan after the invasion. The Republicans ruling the United States have been pretty stubborn in admitting that they listened to the wrong people prior to the invasion, thinking that the mere invasion will make the world happier and Iraq in a better shape. No real plans and no trust-worthy people were put in their agenda.

Today, the question is, this step is positive now, but what’s next? Are there any future plans? Are we back to the same circle of carrying out missions with no future plans? Even though this new step is good in fighting the worst kind of terrorists, but I still have a sense of malaise. I want these terrorists to be defeated, but the insurgents who turned against the terrorists are Machiavellian. I can’t simply trust them.

Let’s suppose al-Qaeda is defeated. Just suppose. Then let’s think about these US-backed former insurgents who took over. What do they ask in return? First, join the political process. Second, join the Iraqi security forces. Three, establish a new government with no orders from Bush.

The Post article mentioned that U.S. soldiers and commanders voiced wariness over the intentions of the former insurgents. "Some of them want to be reintegrated back in society, they want to push al-Qaeda out. Others want to be the next thug group that goes around and demands electricity payments. We're watching them closely," Capt. Mike Edwards, an intelligence officer with the 3rd Brigade told the newspaper. So this should lead the military to question what should be done next.

What will happen if these former armed insurgents become part of the government, parliament or the Iraqi security forces? As an Iraqi citizen, I never trust any murderer to be my representative. Once a murderer, always a murderer. Bringing such people to important positions will never solve the problem. We will be like replacing terrorist-sympathizer Adnan al-Dulaimi with this 21-years old insurgent the paper featured. Now, what if they joined the Iraqi security forces, which might never happen because it’s already controlled by he US-backed terrorist Shiite militia, Badr. But let’s suppose. They’ll took up arms, put on their military uniform and raid houses of Shiite civilians and massacre them like what the Shiite Badr and Mahdi militias did against Sunni civilians to avenge their people. The result will create more mayhem, bloodshed, and disasters.

Desultory military strategies might seem all right when executed, but they might not necessarily mean the same if we look for the future. They might be, if a good plan is set up. What is the good plan, I don’t know. I am neither a politician nor a military man. But all I know at the meantime is there should be a plan. Otherwise, all the efforts the US soldiers and Iraqi people are doing will be boondoggle.

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