TEN GRIM LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE IRAQ WAR

While your Commander is currently critical of the liberal editorial bent of Time Magazine, I must agree with a recent essay with the above title that states “Despite the upbeat talk of the Obama Administration, the eight-year war that ended this week has done plenty of long-term damage to both Iraq and the United States. And it has bequeathed lessons worth considering ahead of further conflicts.”

TEN GRIM LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE IRAQ WAR

1. The Iraq War Weakened the U.S. in the Middle East.
2. Military Power Doesn’t Equal Political Influence.
3. Iraq is a Model – Of What Arabs DON’T want.
4. Weapons of Mass Destruction – Asking the Wrong Questions.
5. Iraq’s Civil War Could Erupt Again, But Resolving its Conflicts is Beyond U.S. Capability.
6. Expect More From the Media.
7. American History Means Nothing Overseas.
8. The U.S. Has No Friends in Iraq.
9. When Arabs Vote, They Seldom Choose American’s Candidates.
10. Don’t Trust Politicians Promising Cheap and Easy Wars.

After I read those ten points I felt a sense of deep sadness, because I wonder how the families of the 4,474 brave service members and 13 Defense Department civilians who died in Iraq feel about America’s involvement in Iraq. I certainly do not have the answer to our participation, but I strongly urge our political leadership to think long and hard before ever ordering our precious youth into another war, unless we intend to end it in total victory.

COMMANDER GRANGER