Commentary - "Situation in Iraq, Grave & Deteriorating"
Posted on Thursday, December 7, 2006
By Donald R. Hamilton
"The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating."
Thus
begins the Executive Summary of the Iraq Study Group's report. These words
mean the war is lost, lost at least in the sense that it will not be able to
attain our original goal: a democratic, prosperous Iraq at peace with
itself and its neighbors. What are we to do?
Recognize our successes.
Figuring out what went wrong is
important, but losing in Iraq does not mean terrorists have defeated us or our
friends around the world. Nor will they defeat us if we keep our wits and
our courage while pressing home our global successes. But if Iraq has gone
much worse than anyone might have imagined when Saddam's statue fell, the
broader picture is much brighter.
The horror and scope of 9/11 have not been repeated anywhere in the world. Think about that. Not only have we avoided a major attack in the U.S., other attacks around the world have been much, much smaller than 9/11. After more than five years and a continuing attraction to mass-casualty terrorism, Al Qaeda has not been able to accomplish another 9/11. Even taking into account attacks in Amman, Bali, Beslan, Istanbul, London and Madrid, the total deaths from terrorist attacks outside Iraq since 2001 have not equaled that horrible September day.
With our friends, we have mangled Al Qaeda's operational ability. Working with many countries, we have driven Al Qaeda from privileged sanctuary in Afghanistan and prevented them from regrouping elsewhere. We have killed or captured many of their trusted operatives and leaders. We have disrupted their communications and movements. They can no longer send instructions, money or people around the world without elaborate and cumbersome precautions. Osama bin Laden dares not touch a telephone or radio and must use home video to prove he is alive.
Even as Iraq has deteriorated, we have accomplished much elsewhere. In the midst of prodigious military efforts in Iraq, we have used diplomatic and intelligence assets to worldwide effect. The much-maligned Department of Homeland Security has helped us focus along and within our borders. The FBI and state and local law enforcement have reoriented themselves to emphasize preemption over reaction.
Nurture our friendships.
Through all this, our friends
around the world have helped. Opposition by countries like France and
Germany to our Iraq policy has not prevented cooperation elsewhere.
Intelligence sharing on global terrorism has never been stronger, but we must
continue to cooperate and adapt against those determined and resolute.
This week's Pearl Harbor anniversary should remind us of our
priorities.
Failures in Iraq have set the stage for bitter
recriminations here in the U.S. As after Pearl Harbor, we need to postpone
the autopsy. Our enemies remain dangerous. Right now, we have better
things to do than to point fingers at one another.
Donald R. Hamilton is Executive Director of the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT) in Oklahoma City. He spent a year in Iraq as senior counselor to Coalition Provisional Authority Administrator L. Paul Bremer.
