Should we win dirty?
While surrender is not an option, Mort Kondracke’s “Plan B” may be the way to go. As he points out:
“Ever since the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Sunnis - representing 20 percent of the population - have been the core of armed resistance to the U.S. and the Iraqi government. The insurgency consists mainly of ex-Saddam supporters and Sunni nationalists, both eager to return to power, and of jihadists anxious to sow chaos, humiliate the United States and create a safe zone for al-Qaida operations throughout the Middle East.”
Kondracke suggests backing the Shiites and Kurds who make up 60% and 20% of Iraq’s population, respectively. The problem is that this will likely lead to ethnic cleansing. Saddam himself was a Sunni - as were his supporters – but ethnic cleansing is not an option. I don’t care what method is used to wipe out the terrorist insurgents but innocent Sunnis cannot be tortured and killed. There are no guarantees in war, but if US forces can somehow protect innocent Sunnis then Kondracke’s plan may bring victory faster, and with less US casualties, than the current strategy.
It is not the best option, but it may be the winning option.
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