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I have been thinking about this for the last few days and I can't find one correlation between Iraq and Vietnam with one exception. The Iraqis and the VC both use guerilla tactics againt our troops. If I am missing something here please let me know. I will list the differences as I see them.
1. As tabs said, the VC were very well funded by the Soviets, the Iraqis have no outside support at all. They may have some assistance sneaking across the border from Iran, but they are not being resupplied by them.
2. The VC had Cambodia and the north to take refuge in, we didn't even bomb Hanoi until the very end.
3. We were in Vietnam to help repel an invading force and to help the south retain her "independence". We are trying to give the people of Iraq their independence back.
4. The action in vietnam was a "police action" and not a war. That was a huge mistake, without the declaration of war and no clear cut objectives in sight we were doomed to failure. We have an objective in Iraq. I don't know what the strategies are over there right now, as I am not given daily updates by Rumsfeld, but they are breaking new ground here, it is not going to be easy.
5. We had a very different fighting force in vietnam. It was made up of men who were drafted and a lot of them didn't really want to be there and the "green" guys had a life expectancy of days, not exactly great morale boosters. Our guys in Iraq are 100% volunteer, they know why they are there and they are getting the job done.
I think there were some mistakes made in this campaign, but I believe that we were justified in our action. I am tired of the way that we (I use that term figuratively) keep trying to put a "happy face" on war. It's dirty, it's nasty, it's bloody and at times absolutely necessary. Would we have the stomach today to have another D-Day? Would our commanders be able to send our troops into battle knowing that the casualties would be 75%? I don't know, but I hope so. We cannot "appease" the enemy any longer, we must fight him and win. Clinton did not have the heart for this, but Bush is at least trying. The media would have you believe that Iraq is now in shambles. This is simply put not the case. It isn't quite California yet, but it never will be. For those of you out there who still believe that we were wrong to do this, consider this: You and I live under the blanket we call freedom. We can openly debate this issue and any issue we choose without fear of recrimination or death. Blood was spilled for this right. I am eternally grateful to those who have come before me and paid the price for our freedom. Many suffered and died so that we can carry on the torch of freedom. Thanks to this, I do not know what it was like to live in Saddams Iraq. I don't understand the terrror that must be felt in never knowing If what I say or do will lead me to imprisonment, torture or death. I don't know what it's like to not be able to pursue an education. Or to not be able to worship the god of my choice in the way that I choose. I don't know what it's like to live in utter abject poverty while the madman who runs my country steals from me to make a point to the west. I am glad that I have never had to live in those conditions, and now with our help neither will the Iraqis. Those who fled in fear for their lives will be free to return to their families and their homeland. This is not a "pipe-dream" this is something that we have the power to do. Someone on this board once said that some countries are destined to live under totalitarian rule. I say, that's easy for you to say from the comfort of your chair and very wrong in my opinion. You may not like Bush, you may not vote for him next year. That is fine you have that right, but what he did, and what he is doing is good, although we may disagree on the strategy. This is not the reason we went to Iraq in the first place, but I think it's a damned good result. Teddy Roosevelt once said "given the choice between righteousness and peace, I will choose righteousness". I couldn't agree more. If we were to leave now, before we have finished, what we have done would be wasted and that would be a shame. That would be like Vietnam.
Pete
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