It is high time for a re-think in Iraq. As the Phalanx has said from the onset, President Bush’s invasion of Iraq was probably not the best course of action for dealing with Iraq. While there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein was a threat and most certainly did posses chemical and biological weapons. That did not necessarily warrant a massive US invasion. Nor is a re-think justified on the grounds that the war in Iraq is the cause of increased terrorism, as noted in earlier posts, the war on terror has been long a deadly, pre-dated both Bush, Saddam Hussein and Iraq. The US, however, could have saved a great deal of time and resources had it adopted a more clandestine approach, similar to Israel’s Operation Wrath of God.

The die, however has long since been cast and the deed is now done. Iraq’s murderous terror supporting, WMD producing, tyrannical regime has been toppled and that nation is well on the road to “democracy” or so it would appear. Given this reality it is high time that the US relinquish control of that nation’s security to the Iraqis.

If ever there was proof that America has become over extended in Iraq, one needn’t look any further than Jo Anne Moeller. Moeller is a 57 year old widow and mother of two living in Atlanta, she is also a reservist. Recently she was informed that she was soon to be deployed to Iraq. No one is questioning Moeller’s abilities as a soldier and to be clear the Phalanx has nothing wrong with women, gays or anyone else serving in the military, but when the US government must rely on 57 year old reservists of any gender, its time for a re-think. One could understand if this were Russia in the midst of Operation Barbarossa where every able bodied person was needed on the front, but this isn’t Stalinist Russia and this isn’t WWII.

Its time the Iraqi government take responsibility for their security, and by the same token the same can be said for the ingrates in South Korea, the fat cats in Germany, the pacifists in Japan and countless other examples where Americans are the first line of defense in support of another nation’s security.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/0623metdeploy.html