You can call it what you want to call it but what is happening right now in the country of Iraq is a civil war. Fancy words like “insurgency” aren’t fooling anyone. You’ve got two sides fighting over the fate of a country. That is a civil war.
Last week, Saddam Hussein and six others faced new charges concerning the organized and premeditated genocide committed against Iraqi Kurds during the war with Iran in the late 1980s. Saddam now stands accused of killing more than 100,000 people in the Anfal campaign.
The new trial will be held alongside the current trial in which Saddam has been charged with the murder of 148 Shiites in retaliation for an assassination attempt. Iraqi authorities have chosen to try Saddam separately for each of the various crimes he is charged with over the course of the next several months.
Why are all of these people still alive? The longer Saddam’s trial lasts, the longer we risk losing him to a rescue attempt by his loyalists. Any one of his former aides would also serve as a powerful figurehead if rescued. For goodness sake, get this trial over with and bring a close to the old regime.
The latest U.S. intelligence estimates put the present number of hardcore guerrilla fighters involved in insurgent activity between 12,000 and 20,000. That’s quite a bit more than the estimate of 5,000 given in 2003. Earlier this year, General Mohammed Abdullah Shahwani, director of the Iraqi intelligence service, said he believed there could be as many as 200,000 insurgents, including 40,000 hardcore fighters. Remember, these are only estimates. The numbers could be higher.
Meanwhile, America only has between 130,000 and 150,000 troops deployed in Iraq, counting all categories of troops. How on Earth would we hope to stop the insurgents if they made a genuine and well-organized effort to rescue Saddam?
Justice should be swift. When you catch a rattlesnake, you don’t catch it by the tail and squeeze. You grab it by the nap of the neck and you crush its head as quickly as possible. You don’t cut an inch off of its tail every week. You crush its head immediately.
Instead of worrying about making a show of Saddam’s guilt to convince the world that his execution is just, get it over with. The people know he’s guilty. The blood of his victims still cries out from the ground. Convict Saddam and carry out his sentence. Let the history books do the educating.
Retired four-star General Anthony Zinni warned the White House before the invasion that 180,000 troops would not be enough. Zinni was commander-in-chief of the United States Central Command from 1997 to 2000. He was in charge of all American troops in the Middle East.
These days, Zinni is a harsh critic of the way the war has been handled by the Bush administration. In a recent interview on “60 Minutes”, Zinni said, “I think there was dereliction in insufficient forces being put on the ground and fully understanding the military dimensions of the plan. I think there was dereliction in lack of planning. … The president is owed the finest strategic thinking. He is owed the finest operational planning. He is owed the finest tactical execution on the ground… He got the latter. He didn’t get the first two."
Former General and National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft, former Central Commander Norman Schwarzkopf, former NATO Commander Wesley Clark, and former Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki have also voiced their concerns over how the war is being handled.
In Vietnam, we learned that a body count does not indicate progress. Troops must capture strategic geographic areas, gain control over roadways and cut off the enemy’s supplies. Currently, Iraq’s borders are not secure, roadside bombs are commonplace and the insurgency has control of major cities.
End this war and end it swiftly! Send enough troops over and move fast enough to gain a decisive victory. Execute Saddam and his aides for their war crimes, establish a central government, crush the insurgency, and get out.
According to legend, near the year 514 B.C., a very accomplished Chinese General named Sun-Tzu was interviewed by the king of Wu. Asked to give a demonstration of his leadership skills, the general created two companies from the king’s 300 concubines and he appointed two of the king’s favorites as company commanders. The general demonstrated a set of drill movements for the concubines to carry out. The concubines laughed at his order. He patiently repeated his order. Again, the concubines laughed.
The general remarked, “If the instructions are not clear, if the orders are not obeyed, it is the fault of the general. But if the instructions are clear and the soldiers still do not obey, it is the fault of the officers.”
Summoning the king’s executioner, he had the two concubine commanders beheaded, despite the king’s protests. New commanders were appointed from the ranks, and Sun-Tzu repeated his order. The concubines performed the required drill movements perfectly.
When asked why he executed the king’s favorites despite the king’s protests , the general replied, “Once a general is directing his troops, he should reject further interference from his sovereign.”
Today, Sun-Tzu is revered all over the world as a strategic genius. In his book “The Art of War”, he wrote, “The sovereign should never interfere with the capable general.” Once troops have been deployed, our presidents, civilian protestors and media organizations should stand aside and allow our military leaders to establish their own policies.
Give our generals the manpower they need and allow them the freedom to operate in the way they understand to be the most efficient. For goodness sake, let them win. Then, let them come home.
Pete Chalos, a longtime teacher, coach and public servant in Vigo County, was mayor of Terre Haute for 16 years. Send e-mail to pchalos@netscape.com.
Pete Chalos
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April 12, 2006
Pete Chalos: In Iraq, we must get job done, then get out
- Pete Chalos
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- Pete Chalos: Fluoridation removal should be on local agenda Last year, 11 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employee unions, representing over 7,000 environmental and public health professionals, called for a moratorium on drinking water fluoridation programs across the country. I wrote a two-part commentary exploring the evidence that inspired the letter these professionals sent to the U.S. Congress.
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Pete Chalos: Traditional family unit has served America well
Much has been said concerning the institution of marriage this past few years. Elements of our society have been trying their best to redefine marriage. Every American tradition associated with raising a family has been questioned by some group or another. Some feel the rules concerning marriage and family have changed because our society has taken progressive leaps beyond any society the world has ever known. Others feel we are losing touch with the time-tested wisdom of our fathers and the tradition this great nation was founded upon.
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Pete Chalos: Never too soon to pay attention to 2008 election
The next presidential election is already a hot topic of discussion in the press and we aren’t even close to the election year yet. Everyone is interested in finding out which candidate will have an edge come 2008.
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Pete Chalos: Community needs leadership from best and brightest
What does it take to win an election? Last week, we saw the climax of months of hard work and well-organized campaigning. Some candidates had been preparing to run for several months or even a few years. Spouses, children, family, friends and colleagues had been organizing, recruiting and promoting before most voters were even aware an election was coming up. It takes a lot of time and effort and a great deal of commitment to win an election.
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Pete Chalos: A community must invest in itself to improve itself
This month, the Terre Haute City Council voted in favor of the proposed tax increment finance (TIF) district on Indiana 46, passing it 6-3. Council members Jim Chalos, Rich Dunkin, Chuck Miles, Todd Nation, Shelva Warner and Cliff Lambert voted for the resolution.
This evening, the Vigo County Redevelopment Commission is going to conduct a public hearing concerning the details of the resolution, outlining the specifics. Upon their confirmation, the resolution will go back to the Terre Haute City Council for adoption on May 11. -
Pete Chalos: In Iraq, we must get job done, then get out
You can call it what you want to call it but what is happening right now in the country of Iraq is a civil war. Fancy words like “insurgency” aren’t fooling anyone. You’ve got two sides fighting over the fate of a country. That is a civil war.
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Pete Chalos: America must maintain high standards of immigration
My father John Chalos arrived from Greece at Ellis Island in 1910 for the purpose of working in Seattle. He ended up losing his ticket while the train was stopped in Terre Haute.
- Pete Chalos: Your vote counts in numerous and hidden ways
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Pete Chalos: State has moved too quickly on Major Moves initiative
The reason the government builds fire stations, roads, sidewalks and parks is to accommodate the general public. No single private citizen can afford to build all of these facilities on his own so we all chip in and pay taxes. As a result, we all end up benefiting from the use of the facilities. Government facilities are built for the public and they belong to the public. That’s the basic premise of a tax-supported Democratic society. Government by the people and for the people.
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Pete Chalos: City’s leaders, citizens must be willing to support progress
We live in an extremely competitive society. From early childhood, we are taught the difference between winning and losing. In some families, more time is spent learning the difference between winning and losing than the difference between right and wrong.
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Pete Chalos: The future of elderly care in America
This past month, my family and I have been reviewing all available options for the future care of me and my wife Ulla. At 78 years old, I am finding that I can no longer take care of myself and my wife the way I once could. In truth, it’s been quite a while since I’ve been able to do so on my own, but learning to accept and admit it has been a difficult process.
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Pete Chalos: China poised to become next big economic, military power
“If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition onto the target zone on China’s territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons. … If the Americans are determined to interfere, we will be determined to respond. … We Chinese will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian. Of course, the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese.”
This statement was made a few months ago to members of the press by General Zhu Chenghu of the People’s Liberation Army, also a professor at China’s National Defense University, concerning U.S. opposition to China’s threats to invade Taiwan. -
Pete Chalos: Women’s basketball flourishing in the Valley
This month, the ISU women’s basketball team recorded its 18th straight win. The victory also marked the milestone 100th career win for ISU women’s head coach Jim Wiedie. He and Edith Godleski are the only two women’s basketball coaches to achieve that mark in ISU history. Local golf enthusiasts may remember Edith from her impressive record in local golf tournaments.
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Pete Chalos: Lack of opportunity raises concerns for future
Over the years, I have been invited to speak to numerous service groups, church groups and political organizations within the community of Terre Haute. After sharing a few of my own thoughts and ideas, I always take the opportunity to answer questions from the crowd. I look forward to these question and answer sessions. In fact, it’s my favorite part of the meeting.
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Pete Chalos: Diligent oversight of utilities an important mission
At the end of January, ExxonMobil Corp. revealed record-breaking profits, the highest quarterly profits ever reported by a public company in the history of America. Exxon’s annual profit was $36.13 billion. That’s a 42 percent rise since last year.
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Pete Chalos: Major Moves plan could be major disaster for Indiana
The governor is at it again. First, he closed down license branches in rural areas, forcing many Indiana citizens to take a day off from work and drive long distances in order to get anything done concerning their license or picture identification (which he made a requirement for voter registration). Then he established an Inspector General to act as his own personal prosecutor (along with a staff of lawyers in every Indiana county). Then he crammed his plan for daylight-saving time down our throats.
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Pete Chalos: Use baseball classic to unite us, not further divide us
No sound is more exciting than the crack of a baseball bat hitting the ball. It’s quite an experience to watch your favorite team score that winning run in the bottom of the ninth or pull off a double-play to ensure their victory. The crowd roars and stands to its feet.
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Pete Chalos: This nation needs purpose, trusted leaders to show the way
Just like individuals, nations need goals. In the 29th chapter of the book of Proverbs it is written, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” In the absence of a unified sense of purpose, progress is replaced with unrest. Like any nation, America needs a national vision, a national direction and national goals.
- Don’t get duped, be skeptical and ask smart questions
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