By Carl K. Savich

As more U.S. troops are killed and wounded in Iraq and the occupied country plunges into greater bloodshed and strife, the obvious question arises: Is Iraq another Vietnam? Both conflicts have strong similarities.Both wars were based on blatant and outright lies. Vietnam was based on the lie that the South Vietnamese people supported the right-wing dictators we put into power and the U.S. military occupation needed to keep those puppets in power. Iraq is based on the lie that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. None were ever found and none ever existed. Moreover, he was alleged to have a connection to Al-Qaeda. But no connection was ever found. Furthermore, we are told the Iraqi people support U.S. military occupation. But this November was the worst day for mU.S. forces in Iraq, a day when the most U.S. troops were killed by Iraqi insurgents.

Is it getting better or worse in Iraq?
Both conflicts are based on ideological underpinnings. Vietnam was based on the need to stop Communist expansion and to stop a domino effect, the Domino Theory. Iraq is based on the need to wage a "war on terrorism." Both had the opposite effects of those intended. U.S. intervention in Vietnam galvanized the Communist bloc and united the USSR, China, Vietnam, and the rest of the Communist world. The U.S. war in Vietnam made the Communist bloc stronger, not weaker. In Iraq, we have galvanized anti-U.S. sentiment in the Muslim world with a brutal occupation that includes the torture at Abu Ghraib, the destruction of Fallujah, and the military occupation of the country. Osama bin Laden has used the Iraqi war to justify his anti-U.S. stance and to recruit more jihad fighters.

The U.S. troop strength in Vietnam kept rising. It was never enough to defeat the Viet Cong. In Iraq, more and more U.S. reservists are being sent in and stays are being extended. There are not enough troops to defeat the Iraqi insurgency.

The return of flag-draped coffins during the Vietnam war generated anti-war sentiment. In the Iraqi war, the U.S. government has prohibited the showing of coffins by the media. In both wars, U.S. military casualties are a key focus of coverage or lack of coverage. But the decision not to allow media coverage of coffins is a direct "lesson" of the Vietnam war. Showing U.S. casualties will potentially create anti-war attitudes.

There was no long-term strategy in Vietnam, no light at the end of the tunnel. Is there an exit strategy in Iraq? We are told the January 2005 elections in Iraq will establish democracy there and be a turning point. But U.S. troops will remain. What, if anything, will actually change? There is the potential that the election will cause more problems. The bottom line is: U.S. forces will remain an occupation army in Iraq. When, if ever, will they leave? We are not told. There is no exit strategy in Iraq either.

Both Vietnam and Iraq are quagmires. They are not wars based in fact, but ideology, both based on arrogance. How can we best support U.S. troops in Iraq? We can best support our troops by telling the truth and not by telling lies and using deceptions that result in needless deaths. In a democracy, the truth is valued. Blind obedience and brainwashing are anathema in a democracy. We need to think. Ignorance does not help our troops.

.

All rights reserved, Погледи - 2005.

Design and maintenance - www.proxy.co.yu     web master