Chaney Advances Flawed Logic

03/13/2007

Paul Munnis


When it comes to setting a date certain for withdrawal from Iraq VP Dick Chaney says all the opponent must do is to wait us out until we leave. If that’s true then its wonderful news and we should all welcome such news with happiness?

In terms of waiting us out the enemy needs to decide whether to keep fighting us or not while they are doing this waiting.

If they choose to stop the fighting that is the same as a cease fire and we can accomplish wonderful things making it much more difficult to resume fighting when we leave. For one thing we can get the Iraqi government stabilized and an Iraqi Army formed, equipped, and ready to take over the job. We would meet or exceed the benchmarks too thus hastening our withdrawal.

If they choose to keep fighting then it is the same as there being no effect and no change and thus Chaney was dead wrong.

If they intensify their fight then that is good news too for it hastens a key ingredient in counter-insurgency operations - attrition of enemy fighters and their resources. In that case America would be waiting them out instead of them waiting us out.

So if Chaney is correct then that is wonderful news that we should all embrace.

If he is wrong then why should we pay any attention to him?