The Funny Thing About Insurgencies

Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

In 2003 the United States military toppled the government of Saddam Hussein and his Ba'ath Party in Iraq. At the time it seemed to many to be a rational decision to remove all Ba'ath Party members from government and military positions. Since then, it has been argued by many, that this decision was the single biggest blunder in the aftermath of the invasion.

While I am not defending any of the tactics employed by the Ba'ath Party while in power, it is undeniable that they were able to do a much better job at keeping basic government functions operable while maintaining law and order than the coalition and later the new Iraqi government.

The United States shortsightedness led to a civil war which rages still today.

In Iraq, to be educated and work for the government meant being a Ba'ath Party member. Many were Ba'athist out of necessity rather than being true believers of Saddam. When these people were removed from government and military posts it created a vacuum that needed to be quickly filled by mostly uneducated and inexperienced Iraqis.

On the other hand, it drove the casual Ba'athist to join the growing insurgency even if it meant dealing with former religious and political enemies against their new common enemy- the United States.

As with all insurgencies, time is on their side. Only a true believer in his cause will fight for decades to see victory. The side that seeks a quick victory for a cause, even a noble one, is doomed to fail against a determined enemy. While the feats of the American military are laudable, it is clear that the American people and the assembled multi-national coalition did not see the value in a prolonged war in Iraq while the insurgents did.

History repeats itself at all levels for those that choose not to learn from other peoples' mistakes.

That's my two cents.