A little while ago, I read an article about a survey documenting Americans’ emotions surrounding the war in Iraq (“Americans Underestimate Iraqi Death Toll,” Feb. 24, Associated Press). According to the survey, the following is the dominant emotion we are feeling about that war:
- worried: 81 percent
- compassionate: 74 percent
- angry: 62 percent
- tired: 61 percent
- hopeful: 51 percent
- proud: 38 percent
- numb: 27 percent
In our temple family, I can only imagine the range of emotions we may feel, since what we feel can change from day to day, week to week.
What do I feel predominantly? I feel an emotion not mentioned in the survey: frustrated. What do I feel secondarily? Anger. Almost every person who loses a life has a face: I see my mother or father, my brothers or sister, my daughter or son. Granted, I do not feel this way when I read about a dead terrorist who has targeted an American Humvee or a suicide bomber who has detonated his explosives in a market place. But I am frustrated and angry when I hear of the death of an American soldier or an innocent Suni, Shiite or Kurd.
The situation in Iraq is going from bad to worse – spiraling out of control. And I no longer understand why we are placing so many Americans in harm’s way.
One argument states that we need American soldiers on the front line there to keep the conflict from spilling out of Iraq. But what about the other countries in the region? Iran, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Saudi Arabia do not want war spreading to their borders. Their governments will do what they must to contain the conflict (even if they are fomenting the conflict within Iraq right now).
We must do something to re-deploy our troops in some fashion to lessen the risk they face day-to-day. But when I say “re-deploy,” I do not mean remove them completely from Iraq or from the region. In the past days, more Americans have died, and more Iraqis have been murdered by senseless acts of violence. Could we not reconfigure our forces to decrease the likelihood we will lose more soldiers and at the same time prevent the war from spreading?
Another argument is that we need to contain Al Qaeda over there, as opposed to letting them come over here. Our enemy has proven that it can strike multiple targets in multiple nations. Whether our soldiers are concentrated in Iraq or not, Al-Qaeda terrorists are planning to take what they have learned in Iraq (and in Afghanistan) to lash out in places throughout the world. Tragically, this violence is inevitable.
Another argument is that we need our soldiers on the front line to keep terrorists from getting control of Iraq’s oil resources. It’s time the Iraqis take greater initiative to control their own oil. Decisions are currently being made by the Iraqi government to allow foreign contractors (Chinese, Indian, Russian and American) to enter Iraq and develop its oil resources. More nations than the United States have an interest and a need to gain access to Iraq’s oil. As a result, if need be, let them bring in their own security details to do what must be done.
It is an understatement to say that the bloodshed in Iraq is the result of a multi-pronged, multi-layered, intra-religious, centuries-old conflict. I do not see how having our troops on the front line is making the situation any better. We are just the latest nation to step into this quagmire.
Do I sound frustrated? You bet.
Do I sound angry? When I picture my son’s or daughter’s face when I hear of another American or innocent Iraqi murdered? You bet.
Another finding in the Associated Press article was that Americans hold a clear difference between who is right to criticize the war in Iraq: For those who knew someone killed, about one-half said it is right to criticize the war; for those who did not know anyone killed, two-thirds said it is right to criticize the war.
For what it is worth, I am in the two-thirds. I believe that in a general sense, when American soldiers are losing their lives, regardless of the reason, I believe I have a right and responsibility to question why.
I would like to know how you feel about the war in Iraq … and why.
March 7, 2007 at 4:05 am |
Dear Rabbi, You are a man of Peace and alas, lefetime events and bitter experience have made me a man of war. I wish I still had the idealism and the warm feeling that reason guides the actions of all people–that if we give them good well they will respond with good will. Recent history from the Nazis to Radical Islam has taught me otherwise. As a wag once said, “It’s hard to not being paranoid when they are out to kill you!” I subscribe to that.
As a person who has seen friends, who breakfasted with me, never come back from combat, I grieve for the life of any and all of our young peoiple who have died or become maimed in defending our lives, freedom and way of life. I truly regret that the lives of some of our best and brightest have been prematurely ended. But the world we live in is a harsh place.
You look into the faces of your dear children, think of what their lives would be if our fanatic enemies are allowed to win in Iraq. Do you really believe that if we withdraw before beating them that they will “live and let live” with the rest of the Middle East region and then expand like a cancer throughout the world? I don’t!
Did you listen to President Bush’s address to the American Legion this morning? (I listened to the entire speech. The first part, dealing with the mess at Walter Read has received much media reporting; in the latter part of the President’s speech, he expicitly and clearly delineated what is at stake in Iraq, but I’ll bet there will not be much reporting on that more vital subject.) In brief, he told about some Alk Queda plots which were thrwarted: a plan to send another airliner into a West Coast building; a cell in the US making Anthrax; and more. The gist of his strategy is to take the fight to the enemy on our terms not vice versa. As a student of military history, I can tell you that “the initative” in battle is absolutely essential.
Rabbi, my mantra is this: We are in a World War fight to the finish with a cruel and implacable enemy who has every intention to destroy us and all we hold dear.
Do you want your dear children subject to the tender mercies of their litytle Muslim counterparts who are taught from the beginning to hate and kill Americans and Jews? I don’t think so.
I looked into the sleeping faces of my dear children the night I went off to war in Korea. We were suffering fairly high losses in the mission I would be doing. I did not know if I would ever see them again and it almost broke my heart. But, I knew that the price of liberty was not free and I was prepared to pay that price. The cost is sometimes very high, but the cost of not preserving what we as a Nation stand for is far far greater.
I sincerely hope and pray that your children and my great grandchildren are never called upon to defend our country but I also hope and pray that if they do, they have a free and safe America to defend and that they will have the fortitude to do so.
May G-d always bless America.
March 7, 2007 at 11:42 pm |
I want to thank my good friend “Stan the Hun” for posting a comment. I look forward to others doing the same in order to facilitate an exchange of ideas.
Let me briefly respond. I feel that I have been misunderstood. In no way am I advocating a “live and let live” opinion against our enemies. In addition, I am not recommending a complete withdrawal. We need to maintain a military presence in the region, for a variety of reasons. What I am calling for is a way to contain our enemies as much as possible in that region and setting up improved relations with other countries in the region to do the same.
This is not about refusing to fight, but determining how to “fight smart.”
I have learned that we won WWII by learning how to change course on the fly and adapt on the battle field. (And Stan, I can only imagined what you experienced first-hand in that horrific war.) I do not believe that this is happening under the present leadership. We seem to be fighting a war on the terrorists’ terms, not on our terms.
August 4, 2008 at 2:17 am |
I agreed with you