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But I want to know what took him so long so I wrote my Senator. I doubt i'll hear from Sen. Lugar unless it's a form letter.
Sen. Lugar,
I have read and watched your June 25, 2007 speech. I am amazed by your thoughtful assessment of our government’s position and policies in Iraq. Your judgment and documentation of the four primary objectives for the U.S. is enlightened.
What is unfortunate in my opinion is the timing. I see nothing in the text of your four primary objectives that could not and should not have been said on the floor in Oct. 2002, before the vote on the Iraq war resolution. Yet I see no mention by you during the debate of any of these objectives in the Congressional record.
In fact, the actions of this Administration and our government have undermined all four of your concerns.
First, it is our invasion and occupation that has caused Iraq to be “used as a safe haven or training ground for terrorists”
Second, it is our invasion and occupation that has caused “the disorder and sectarian violence in Iraq from upsetting wider regional stability.” You admit freely that our government’s actions are responsible for the turmoil and its consequences. You are not surprised by the behavior of the Iraqis or the government they elected.
“Few Iraqis have demonstrated that they want to be Iraqis. We may bemoan this, but it is not a surprising phenomenon. The behavior of most Iraqis is governed by calculations related to their history, their personal safety, their basic economic existence, and their tribal or sectarian loyalties. These are primal forces that have constrained the vision of most ordinary Iraqis to the limits of their neighborhoods and villages.
In this context, the possibility that the United States can set meaningful benchmarks that would provide an indication of impending success or failure is remote. Perhaps some benchmarks or agreements will be initially achieved, but most can be undermined or reversed by a contrary edict of the Iraqi government, a decision by a faction to ignore agreements, or the next terrorist attack or waive of sectarian killings. American manpower cannot keep the lid on indefinitely. The anticipation that our training operations could produce an effective Iraqi army loyal to a cohesive central government is still just a hopeful plan for the future.”
“The United States has violated some basic national security precepts during our military engagement in Iraq. We have overestimated what the military can achieve, we have set goals that are unrealistic, and we have inadequately factored in the broader regional consequences of our actions. Perhaps most critically, our focus on Iraq has diverted us from opportunities to change the world in directions that strengthen our national security. “
As a member of the Senate leadership, as a Committee Chairman and as my Senator, you had a responsibility to me and to the citizens of this country to give us your true assessment of what the consequences of the invasion of Iraq would be before you allowed our country to go down this path. I just wonder where you were before all this happened. Why didn’t I hear any of this from you in 2002? From your own statement this is not hindsight, in fact you and many other Senators had enough knowledge of the subject to draw these conclusions without one American death. Your attempt to amend the Iraq War Resolution is commendable; your vote against the Levin Amendment and for the Iraq War Resolution is not.
Third, it is our invasion and occupation that “opened up opportunities for Iran to seek much greater influence in Iraq and in the broader Middle East.” Again this development is not surprising and was predictable.
“A first step is working with like-minded nations to establish a consistent diplomatic forum related to Iraq that is open to all parties in the Middle East. The purpose of the forum would be to improve transparency of national interests so that neighboring states and other actors avoid miscalculations. I believe it would be in the self-interest of every nation in the region to attend such meetings, as well as the United States, EU representatives, or other interested parties. Such a forum could facilitate more regular contact with Syria and Iran with less drama and rhetoric that has accompanied some meetings. The existence of a predictable and regular forum in the region would be especially important for dealing with refugee problems, regulating borders, exploring development initiatives, and preventing conflict between the Kurds and Turks.”
Where was this wisdom in Oct, 2002? Where was the consideration before the invasion of “how it would impact the regional influence of Iran.”? Why have you waited 4 ½ years to voice this advice to the President publicly? Why didn’t you insist on this kind of “diplomatic forum” before 100s of 1000s of peopled died?
Fourth, it is our invasion and occupation that has caused the “loss of confidence in the United States”. And let’s not forget the “inaccurate” statements by the Administration and Congress to the American people and to the World.
“We cannot allow fatigue and frustration with our Iraq policy to lead to the abandonment of the tools and relationships we need to defend our vital interests in the Middle East.
If we are to seize opportunities to preserve these interests, the Administration and Congress must suspend what has become almost knee-jerk political combat over Iraq. “
The only tool the Administration used was “Shock and Awe” and they squandered the good will the world had toward the U.S. after 9/11.
Add the “War on Terror” to the government’s “knee-jerk political combat”. Add the Bush Administration’s lack of leadership to address “the Arab-Israeli conflict and U.S. dependence on Persian Gulf oil.” Add the Administrations willingness to ignore the Geneva Conventions, FISA, and the Constitution. Add the collusion of Congress and you have some reasons for “loss of U.S. credibility in the region and throughout the world”. But to that you must add its citizens. For “we the people” do not hold our heads as high as before. We are fatigued and frustrated with our government’s policies.
And many of us are ashamed.
I will subscribe to the Lugar Letter in hopes that in the future you will at least use this forum to express your positions and reasoning for your future votes as our Senator.
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