Posted by
arandomguy on Wednesday, November 01, 2006 11:27:22 AM
The US is following the order by Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Maliki to end the blockade of Sadr City, a blockade that has been in place over the last week, after attacks picked up, and a violent Shia militia took over the city.
I have mixed opinions about this. First, it angers me that the US military is taking orders from people who have no business or authority ordering our troops around. Our commanders and our president have the authority to give orders - not the Iraqi's. So, if we lifted the blockade, it should be because our commanders determined it was the best strategic action, not because the Iraqi government doesn't like it.
We cannot fight a war if we take orders from our politicians, let alone foreign politicians. HOWEVER, that said, it is also an interesting act on behalf of the Iraqi government. They need to exercise as much autonomy as possible, because this is how they will develop into a functioning government. They need to exert their authority on their own soil, because otherwise the country will descend into civil war when the US leaves (which we will do eventually).
So, though the US needs to exert the amount of authority we need to in order to defeat the islamofascists and win the war, we must also be careful not to totally circumvent the authority of the Iraqi government, especially since the militia in Sadr city were instrumental in his election.
It is a difficult situation, and one that needs to be handled delicately, lest it break out into an international fight. The US cannot afford to upset the Iraqi government, but we also cannot afford to make decisions against our best strategic interest. What this illustrates above all, is the importance of electing Republicans. Republicans, for all their weaknesses, generally understand the threat we face, and I would trust them to make the right decisions in this delicate situation.
The Democrats - as proven by John Kerry on Monday - would totally screw up the entire situation, and destroy all the hard work we've been doing in the last several years.