Update (Iraq)
by cleaves Sunday, Jan 16 2005, 9:49am
international / imperialism / opinion/analysis

At present, the whole world stands in "shock and awe" of the ineptitude of the US military and the whole debacle that is the Iraq intervention. Every military cadet is taught the strategies of all the great military battles of history. Napoleon, who brought the greatest ‘military machine’ (of the period) to bear on Russia was defeated by an enemy that would not capitulate – an enemy that deployed guerilla tactics and drew the world’s most powerful army into a quagmire (from which it could not recover.) The imperialism of Bonaparte was crushed soon after.

Has the US military hierarchy forgotten basic military strategy or are they taking the same drugs they are forced to administer to the troops? One can only speculate, no one could be that stupid, or could they? Do not forget that Israel duped the US into an unnecessary military intervention in the first instance.

The present war is a textbook guerilla campaign and it would seem the US has lost sight of the ‘ball.’ US ‘strategists’ were led into a classic feign in Fallujah; the opposition gained a huge political advantage and derived immense (local) credibility by kidnapping family members of the Iraqi (puppet) Prime Minister under the noses of the world's most 'powerful' military. The US is being out-foxed and out-manoeuvred at every turn while the whole world watches!

Napoleon wasn't defeated by the weather, as is commonly believed – it was a failure to maintain supply – the necessary material required to wage the campaign in all circumstances (weather included.)

The weakest aspect of supply in the present tragi-comedy that is US warfare, is International Capital – money! And the international investors are becoming nervous – there are far more accessible and profitable oil supplies to be obtained elsewhere. Iraqi oil will never be ‘secured’ by the present (imperialist) approach; it is time for the US to realise what is obvious to the rest of the world. The US would do well to awaken from its dream (of supremacy) before it is too late. [Have they forgotten their own tactics against the USSR in Afghanistan?]

No Goliath is immune from economic ruin. Pursuing the present course would result in the inevitable withdrawal of International Finance and the subsequent relegation of America to the ‘back seat’ of world power. This is not conjecture, each day that passes exposes another area of vulnerability in the US military. The most obvious at this stage is a lack of skill in every aspect of modern ground warfare.

I leave you with a (broadcasted) quote taken from a US fighting ‘man’ in Fallujah:

"…adrenalin rush, this is fun!"

Describing the horror of war in this manner only indicates that the 'plot' is lost.