Iraq Archives
Development of Counter Insurgency
By Townie 76
There is a new blog section at Washington Post, the Political Bookworm, today there was a guest blog by Historian Mark Perry in which how the first steps were taken in turning insurgents to the US side. One of the actors in this drama was my Brother Rat, Colonel John "JC" Coleman USMC, then Chief of Staff of the I MEF Camp Pendleton California. Here is the blog, "Time to Talk to Terrorists." Rah Va MIl 76 76 76.
"Yet voters still came"
By Lt Col P
Iraq takes another step forward.
"Polls closed across Iraq on Sunday as the war-weary population awaits results from the national election that will decide the future of the country's still-fragile democracy.
"The election tested the mettle of the country's shaky security as insurgents killed 31 people across Iraq, unleashing a barrage of mortars intent on disrupting the historic day.
"About 19 million Iraqis were eligible to vote on a government that will oversee the withdrawal of U.S. forces. The election is critical in determining whether Iraq can overcome the jagged sectarian divisions that have defined it since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003."
Imperfect and marred by violence in places; however, that country (so far) refuses to quit. The Iraqis might march/lurch/step/stagger, but it's always forward. They are building that rarest of commodities in the Mideast-- a tradition of open elections that happen on time.
Imagine that.
Good for them. We wish them nothing but the best, because a functional stable prosperous Iraq with enduring representative government is good for the Iraqis, good for the Mideast, good for us and good for the world.
Book Review from WaPO
By Townie 76
From today's Washington Post, a book review of "'The Fourth Star' by David Cloud and Greg Jaffe"
Cloud and Jaffe have produced a worthwhile and fascinating account packed with many insights about officership, promotion and command in the army and civil-military relations. However, the authors note only in passing the larger political framework behind the military questions. The Bush administration made the decision to go to war in Iraq with a limited number of troops despite significant dissent within the army. The subsequent insurgency and civil war killed or wounded more than 30,000 American servicemen and women as the administration and Gens. Casey and Abizaid continued a failed policy. But changing political conditions can also affect generalship. By 2007 with the Democrats taking control of both houses of Congress, Bush was so weakened politically that Petraeus, the savvy new commander in Iraq, could significantly change policy in ways that his predecessors could not for lack of insight, will or political ability.
Bobby
By Townie 76
http://armylive.dodlive.mil/index.php/2009/12/bobby/
Saw this today on the Army web site, very moving.
Army Vet Goes ‘Beyond Duty’ in Sharing His War Experience
By Shannon P. Meehan
UPPER DARBY — Today marks the end of Army Capt. Shannon Meehan’s military career.
The decorated Iraq veteran, who served 15 months overseas in 2006 and 2007, spent Wednesday morning talking to students at his alma mater.
Meehan, a 2001 Upper Darby High School graduate and four-year varsity wrestler who was named All-Delco three times and finished with 120 career wins while leading the Royals to four Central League crowns, shared his experiences with 500 students in the auditorium.
The 27-year-old Secane resident recently published a book, “Beyond Duty,” about military service.
Read more >> http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2009/11/26/news/doc4b0df0d030b7f135423312.txt
Not A Good Sign
By Lt Col P
Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.The three, all members of the Navy's elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral's mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.
Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.
I am fucking speechless.
More Fallout from Hood
By Shannon P. Meehan
Brief forward (John): All, we're honored to have with us a new blogger -- Shannon Meehan. Shannon is -of course- a VMI man and an Army armor officer with combat experience in Iraq. He's also the author of Beyond Duty, a gritty war memoir that's well worth your time. Shannon has an insider edge on the Hood fallout, as he was treated in an office next to Hasan's (here's a link to a Dallas Morning News piece, hot off the wires, where Shannon is quoted extensively). Please join me in welcoming our newbie to the family -- all of us at OPFOR are very excited to have him.
Hasan’s violent action leaves one dumbfounded and near speechless over the tragedy that occurred at Ft Hood. But as we sift through the remains of that horrific day, my greatest concern moving forward is that his act could serve as a major step backward for the Army in its attempt to heal soldiers that are suffering and may need to seek the advice or counsel of the psychiatrists the Army provides.
Given that Hasan was a psychiatrist for the Army, his brutal actions are the greatest violation of trust between a doctor and patient. This may leave soldiers reluctant to be honest with their psychiatrists or counselors. Hasan’s primary job as a soldier and psychiatrist for the Army was to help soldiers heal, and his actions were in direct contrast with this. He has cast a cloud over all Army psychiatrists sincerely trying to build a legitimate trust with their patients. He has given pause to soldiers thinking about confessing their pains or seeking counsel. And that is something I feel is incredibly important, especially given my experiences with writing a memoir and confessing my own pains, and how that has helped me.
There is such an importance in soldiers being able to tell their stories, and they should tell their story. They should feel comfortable telling their story. What has happened here, I fear, will stop soldiers from reaching out, telling their story, and seeking any counsel they may need.
Victory: Accept No Substitutes
By Lt Col P
Check this out, a very interesting opinion piece from yesterday's WaPo about the nascent Iraq.
But my Iraqi friends were surprisingly upbeat about the future, even after Sunday's terrible bombings. "In every sector, Iraq is coming back to its normal mode," said one. "There is no way it will slip back," insisted the other. I wondered at their confidence on such a day, but that is part of the Iraqi toughness.Rather than talking about the bombings, we talked politics. My friends sharply criticized the incumbent prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki. But as we were debating, one turned to me with a smile: "Here we are talking about who will run the government after the elections. Could you do that in any other country in the Arab world?"
As night fell, Petraeus and his party flew to Camp Victory, near the airport. "Baghdad can be a cruel place," he told me. "You have to keep a grip on your hopes." But as the Black Hawk skimmed over the city, Baghdad seemed to be teeming again, despite the morning's events.
Amen on that. Because of steadfastness and a single-minded pursuit of victory, Iraq has the opportunity to rise above this, as awful as it is. Iraq can be the master of the situation, instead of the victim. Who knows what would have happened if we'd let the BFQs run the show?
Victory: Accept no substitutes.
Beyond Duty Released
By John
Few stories break the heart like Shannon Meehan and Roger Thompson's Iraq War memoir, Beyond Duty. Meehan, a 1st Cavalry Division tank commander and VMI graduate, may as well have titled it "heavy lies the crown," as Beyond Duty is the first book I've read that fully captures the crushing burden of combat leadership.
Meehan and Thompson (a professor of English at VMI), started writing the book after disaster struck -- Meehan, freshly promoted to acting company commander during an offensive into insurgent-infest Baquba, called in an airstrike which killed a house full of Iraqi civilians. Beyond Duty details that fateful day in the prologue, the rest of the story's arc rides wave after wave of hyper-realistic tension ultimately leading to Meehan's antagonizing decision -- send his men into the dragon's mouth and possible death, or safely negate a house full of unknown occupments with a precision guided airstrike.
I've read my share of Iraq and Afghanistan war memoirs, God knows there's plenty of them out there. This, however, is the first "under the helmet" account of the terrifying nature of MOUT operations that I've read. Further, Beyond Duty forces the audience to come to terms with the immense responsibility we place on kids who are often times fresh out of college. The decisions Meehan faced were terrifying, yet through those unforgiving experiences, the light of this wonderful generation of young men and women shone through. The tougher the fight became, the faster Meehan ascended into a strong, confident leader. The great tragedy of Beyond Duty --and indeed it is a tragic tale-- was that after an uninterrupted record of deeply admirable and virtuous leadership, one bad decision completely unraveled Meehan's confidence and demeanor. Indeed, the pain doesn't stop after the wound has healed.
Read Beyond Duty. Understand what we ask of these young men and women, the angry seas we ask them to navigate, the agonies of combat, and the crushing burdens of leadership.
Shannon and Roger will be on the Ed Morrissey Show at 4pm EST, Thursday 24 September. Our friends at WRKO Boston also have a must-listen interview up with Shannon and Roger, click through for the link.
Finally, I'm proud to say that Capt Shannon Meehan will be joining us here at OPFOR full time as a blogger. I expect that will happen when the buzz from Beyond Duty calms (and it's buzzing loudly, folks -- pass the word).
In Order to Ensure LTC JPP blood preassure remains elevated, George Will on Iraq
By Townie 76
If LTC JPP was exercised over Will on Afghanistan, this article by George Will in today's Washington Post will do nothing to calm him down.
