Op-Eds

What should be Believed about Progress in Iraq? Prof John R Martin Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Reading the newspaper, watching the news or listening to it on the radio, one is led to believe that little or nothing is going right in Iraq. Headlines tell of the combat deaths of soldiers; Iraqis ungrateful and impatient for costly reconstruction efforts; and the failure to find Saddam, his weapons of mass destruction, or evidence of ties to al Qaeda. It seems that the 'quagmire' of 'another Vietnam' is just around the corner. At the opposite extreme are some of the reports coming from the Department of Defense. In an effort to counter the bad image generated from the news reports, they too often insist that all is going according to plan, and that the trends are in the right direction."

Keep the Reserves in the Fight COL James R Pullen Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This statement, attributed to GEN Creighton Abrams, Army Chief of Staff from October 12, 1972 to September 4, 1974, summarizes what has become known as the Abrams Doctrine. This has also been called the Laird-Abrams Doctrine, because it followed on the heels of the Total Force Policy announced in August 1970 by Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird. In the three decades since GEN Abrams’ tenure, the Army’s reserve components -- the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard -- transformed from neglected, demoralized and left-behind forces to ready units and soldiers that are acknowledged by Defense Department and Army leaders as essential to the Army’s ability to conduct operations."

The Need for a United Nations' Security Role in Iraq Dr W Andrew Terrill Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in Iraq, some unilateralists daydreamed about a decline or even collapse of the United Nations' role in helping provide for global security. Force had been used without the blessing of a second Security Council Resolution, and the new concept of a “coalition of the willing” seemed to offer promise in maximizing U.S. latitude for dealing with international problems. The UN had become unnecessary, and enemies of that institution saw the death throes of Saddam Hussein’s regime as fatal to the UN’s continued existence or at least relevance."

Why Saddam will not Choose Exile Dr W Andrew Terrill Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "During his rise to power, Saddam Hussein is reported to have taken his two young sons to Iraqi torture chambers to view acts of torment committed against the luckless individuals imprisoned there. One of these sons, Uday, grew up to be a psychopath, while the other, Qusay, became a cold disciplined killer like his father. Both learned from Saddam’s torturers to avoid the most horrible of all fates—helplessness before your enemies. It is a fate that Saddam himself will never accept."

Saddam's Strategy: No To Nuclear Weapons; Yes To Biologicals Dr W Andrew Terrill Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Advocates of war with Iraq currently contend that Saddam Hussein is actively and aggressively pursuing a nuclear weapons capability much as he did prior to Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. Very little evidence is presented to support this argument, but the logic associated with it generally maintains that Saddam has a capacity for developing illicit weapons in secret. The world was surprised by the post-DESERT STORM revelations of a massive hidden nuclear weapons program by Iraq. If Iraq fooled us once, could they not do so again?"