Commentary: Is Iraq George Bush’s Vietnam

As the Iraq War drags on, it’s beginning to look a lot like Vietnam. However, when listening to George Bush’s press conferences or photo opportunities we would assume that the situation is going quite well despite the calamities. Currently almost 2000 US troops have been killed and many estimates say around 100,000 Iraqis may have been killed and 200 billion dollars spent. The United States of America is the most powerful country in the world, yet it cannot claim victory in a war against a developing country. The weapons of mass destruction claims & mushroom cloud warnings from the administration gave public support for the Iraqi cause, and those who questioned the policies were simply anti-American. The American public was even further comforted by the media perception of the quick end. You may be asking yourself: what quick end? According to the Bush administration the mission was accomplished on May 1st 2003, the same day President Bush dressed up as a military pilot and landed on the USS Abraham Lincoln and declared all major combat over. Since the accomplishment of that mission, 1813 soldiers have died. The mindset going into the war was detrimental to the American cause. Before the war, the administration claimed the Iraqis wanted to be liberated, that they would welcome us with open arms and “throw flowers at our feet.” This naivet led the public to believe that it was possible to enter into a country and change their whole way of life without confrontation. Democracy cannot just be implemented overnight, especially in an Islamic country. In the country of Iraq, fundamentalists want Shariah law (Islamic Theocracy) and they see democracy as a threat to their core values. democracy is a western idea that contains secularization of society, which is contrary to Islamic beliefs and a driving force that brings many to participate in the guerilla warfare. But one of the most important questions is: why can the world’s sole superpower not win this war? The main reason is that urban/guerilla warfare is the battle. To win a war you must have a clear distinct enemy, which is not possible in this type of warfare. Urban warfare has become the norm with insurgents staying close to U.S. troops, often engaging civilians to support or shield their operations. As a result, the uncertain battleground of Iraq poses enormous challenges for American soldiers, seeking to separate combatants from civilians without alienating most Iraqis. We face in Iraq, like we did in Vietnam, an enemy who refuses to play by our rules and who is clearly willing to die for his beliefs. To win a war you must also win the hearts and minds of the people at home. To begin with, the public overwhelmingly supported the cause of the invasion. However, today the approval rating sinks as the days move forward, and deaths increase and little progress seems to be made. Just as in Vietnam, the deaths and attacks increase while the approval rating drops. If this trend continues, wide scale disapproval could eventually lead to a pull-out amidst failure, just as it did in Vietnam. The parallels between the two conflicts are actually quite eerie, but as Americans we should hope for success for the sake of Iraqi and American lives. When will it end, how will it end, is a successful end possible? We cannot say for sure, but on this path, it seems highly unlikely. More than rhetoric and broken promises are needed now. The American public can only hear so much about how “freedom is on the march.