America Occupies Iraq
May 7, 2006Here’re Ben’s latest thoughts on the war:
I have heard many liberal commentators say we are losing the war in Iraq. They are clearly confused. We occupy the country. Those opposed to us have no known bases. If they did have bases we would blow them up into tiny bits. Those who oppose us have nowhere near the ability to expel us, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t like to hurt us.
Guerilla/terrorist tactics are very similar to that of a cat taking a swipe at you with its claws out. It hurts. but it’s not going to kill you. In a fight to the death between a human and a cat the cat would lose. Cats do not fight to the death (nor to the pain). In a fight with a cat I would probably get a few scratches and then the sight of a cat running away. Then any idiot friends who I related the story to would probably say that I lost the fight.
Define victory.
If victory in Iraq is occupation, you’re right. If victory is turning over a stable country to a democratically-elected government, it may be fair to say we’re losing.
Your analogy breaks down when guerrillas succeed in driving a superior army from an occupation. That would be Ben running away from the cat because he is tired of being scratched.
Interesting point. If that is true then it nullifies the part where I said “Those who oppose us have nowhere near the ability to expel us”
I wonder what percentage of wars have been won by the superior fighting force. There seem to be so many other factors. Iraq is another story because I don’t know that we had well defined objectives going in.