Across the Board Questions about U.S. Military Intervention In Iraq

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
July 8, 2014

Retired Military and Ex-Iraq War Vets

Ret. General Barry McCaffrey: “At the end of the day…if your army won’t fight, it’s because they don’t trust their incompetent, corrupt generals, they don’t trust each other. This is an enduring civil war between the Shia, the Sunni, and the Kurds. So I don’t think we’ve got any options and we’d be ill-advised to start bombing where we really can’t sort out the combatants or understand where the civilian population is.” [6/12/14]

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Barbero: “As we have learned in the last decade of fighting insurgents, they obviate our superior firepower by dispersing into small, highly mobile targets and by living and operating among the population. And we have also learned that the decisive way to defeat an insurgency is to attack its entire network: its leaders, financiers, suppliers and key operators. We can hope that this is what the President meant when he said ‘we will be prepared to take targeted and precise military action.’” [6/30/14]

Lt. General (USA, Ret.) Robert G. Gard, Jr.: “The collapse of the Iraqi army was not due to a shortage of trained Iraqi troops or their inferiority in firepower or equipment. The cause was their lack of confidence in, and commitment to, Iraqi national institutions and leadership, both military commanders and political authorities. This intangible but essential element in combat effectiveness depends upon legitimate governance, not admonitions from foreign military advisors. US military intervention would be counter-productive.” [7/6/14]

Matthew Hoh, Iraq War Veteran: “American military involvement will serve as an accelerant to and a prolonger of this Iraqi civil war. American bombs, bullets and dollars will further strengthen the bond between Sunnis and extremist groups like ISIS, increasing Sunni desperation by intensifying their backs to the wall dilemma and justifying the propaganda and rhetoric of ISIS: a narrative of a Western campaign of international subjugation enacted through Shia, Kurdish and Iraqi ethnic minority puppets. Further, such American support will strengthen the resolve of the al-Maliki government not to reform and not to address Sunni grievances.” [6/20/14]

Peter R. Mansoor, retired United States Army officer and a military historian: “ICL has blended into the civilian population in these cities they’ve taken. And trying to hit them there would invariably lead to a lot of civilian death. And then a lot of anti-American feeling by the citizens on the ground. Also, we would be supporting Nouri al-Malaki and his government in what is shaping up to be a civil war – Sunni versus Shia. And that’s not the way you win this conflict.” [6/15/14]

John H. Johns, Brig Gen., U.S. Army (Ret.): “Substitute Vietnamese names for Iraqi names and we resurrect the many rationalizations we conjure up to explain why our policies did not work in either place. Will we never learn that counterinsurgency with U.S. military power is ‘Mission Impossible?’ When you find that you have dug yourself into the wrong hole, stop digging.” [7/7/14]

Dick Klass, Colonel USAF, retired, Vietnam Veteran: “The first rule of Real Politik is to exploit the inevitable and not be exploited by it — in other words, never stand between a dog and a fire hydrant. The breakup of the artificial state of Iraq is inevitable. We need to acknowledge that. Wasting more lives and treasure trying to put it back together is a sure way to get a very wet pants leg.” [7/6/14]

Gen. David Petraeus (former CIA director): “If there is to be support for Iraq, it has to be support for a government of Iraq. That is, a government of all the people, and that is representative of and responsive to all elements of Iraq. This cannot be the United States being the air force for Shia militias or a Shia on Sunni Arab fight. It has to be a fight of all of Iraq against extremists.” [7/18/14]

Republicans

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): “Whatever the history of U.S. intervention in Iraq, our priorities now should be to protect our people and defend our national security interests, not to try to resolve an intractable religious divide some 1,500 years in the making.” [6/19/14]

Rep Buck McKeon (R-CA): “They had an opportunity-they had a chance. We lost a lot of blood and a lot of treasure there, and gave them an opportunity and they wouldn’t sign an agreement, they didn’t want us there. Now they want us there. We’re cutting our military. It’s not good to start new adventures around the world. They all cost money right? They all put people at risk…Why do we want to risk our people?”  [6/17/14]

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): “I hate that Mosul is falling, but I also think that for 10 years we have supplied the Iraqis and they can’t stand up and do anything to defend their country, and it is all up to us?” [6/13/14]

Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Iraq War veteran: “Going out across the desert I remember the feelings that you have, wondering if you’re going to make it out alive. Right now I wonder what that was all about. What was the point of all of that? I don’t think there’s any appetite from the American people to go back and do our work twice.” [6/12/14]

Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC): “I’ve done a lot of thinking about this, and even though Saddam was an evil man, he had order in the country. There is no order now. It is total—it’s just a total collapse over there now, with different factions warring against each other. I don’t believe anything we would do other than diplomatic efforts would bring any resolution.” [6/19/14]

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO): “The only feasible solution is a political reconciliation… Mr. President, the time is now to put pressure on the Iraqi government to change. That is our only hope. Sending a contingent of U.S. military personnel, no matter how small, will be counterproductive to that goal. Our presence will send the wrong message to the Malaki government that we will support them despite what they have done and continue to do to destroy the country by alienating the minority populations of Iraq.” [6/23/14]

Doug Collins (R-GA), Iraq War veteran: “Aside from an intervention, which I don’t think is on anybody’s mind, Iraq is going to have defend for itself.” [6/12/14]

Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Iraq War veteran: “It seems to me that the Iraqis laid down a lot of the arms that we gave to them. So that doesn’t seem to be the solution.” [6/12/14]

Former Government Officials

Chas Freeman, former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: “I don’t think there’s a military solution. If we funnel in more weapons we’re just likely to see more of them turned against us by the people we’re trying to combat.” [6/18/14]

Peter Galbraith, former Ambassador: “There is nothing US troops or weapons can accomplish in Iraq. Iraq has broken up and cannot and should not be put back together. Kurdistan, the one peaceful and pro-American part of the country will vote almost unanimously for independence in a referendum to be held in the coming months. The Iraqi army has dissolved with Shiite militias (some masquerading as Iraqi troops) defending Baghdad and the South, under the overall command of an Iranian General. The US is the main supplier of ISIS’s weaponry (via the Iraqi Army)  and providing more arms to an Iraqi Army that won’t fight doesn’t make sense. Arming Shiite militias makes even less sense.” [7/6/14]

Linda Robinson, former advisor to US Military’s Central Command: “I don’t think there is a good, obvious solution, no matter what our willingness. Any step we might take, like airstrikes, could just make things worse.” [7/1/14]

Bruce Riedel, 30-year CIA veteran: “There’s plenty of room for finger-pointing for the debacle in Iraq. If it’s a problem that the Iraqi military is broken at its core, then there’s no point in sending more Humvees and Apaches.” [6/12/14]

Gordon Adams, Former Senior White House Budget Official: “What is happening in Iraq right now is both a cautionary tale and an unfolding tragedy. The caution is about the blithe American assumption that the United States is omnipotent, that with enough money, good will, expertise, equipment, and training Americans can build foreign forces and bring security to troubled areas around the world. The tragedy is that what the U.S. does and has done leads down the road to failure.” [6/13/14]

Democratic Politicians

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV): “This is an Iraqi civil war and it is time for Iraqis to resolve it themselves. After a decade of war, I believe the American people have had enough. Families have had enough. I do not support putting our men and women in the midst of an Iraqi civil war. It is not in the national security interest of the United States. It is not worth the blood of American service members. It is not even worth the monetary cost to the American taxpayer.” [6/18/14]

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): “I don’t think there’s any appetite in our country for us to become engaged in anymore military activity in Iraq. Why is there not? It doesn’t matter why; it is a fact. The American people have been exhausted with wars…here we are. War begets war. It’s just not a good idea. And what’s next? That’s what the American people want to know, what’s next? …I think the American people do not have an appetite for sacrificing our troops, our precious treasure first and foremost, to be engaged in a conflict there.” [6/12/14]

Sen. John Walsh (D-MT), Iraq War Veteran: “I am “deeply troubled” by President Barack Obama’s decision to send 300 U.S. military advisers to help the Iraqi government, “because it looks like the slippery slope we’ve been down before.” [6/19/14]

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI): “We got into Iraq without adequate consideration for the consequences. What is required now is thoughtful consideration of our options, none of which, typically for the Middle East, is obvious or easy. It’s important to keep in mind that a major source of Iraq’s problems has been the refusal of the Maliki government, despite persistent U.S. encouragement, to reach out to its Sunni citizens to forge a unified and inclusive Iraq. No action on our part can resolve that disunity. It’s unclear how air strikes on our part can succeed unless the Iraqi army is willing to fight, and that’s uncertain given the fact that several Iraqi army divisions have melted away. While all options should be considered, the problem in Iraq has not been so much a lack of direct U.S. military involvement, but a lack of reconciliation on the part of Iraqi leaders.” [6/12/14]

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Iraq War veteran: “It makes no sense for us to consider going back there and getting involved in what truly is a religious civil war. What real difference would (air strikes) make on the ground? And secondly, is it in the best interests of the United States to do that? I would say that those questions are not being answered in a compelling way that would cause me to support that.” [6/13/14]

Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA): “Before we put an American in harm’s way, tell us why. No one wants to see the region descend into further chaos. There’s a lot of concern about getting embroiled in another Vietnam and … about sending American troops once again to fight someone else’s war.” [6/24/14]

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV): “If money or military might would change that part of the world… we would have done it by now. Enough is enough.” [6/18/14]

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA): “I believe the president must come to Congress for authority to initiate any U.S. military action in Iraq. We should do many things immediately — robust diplomatic engagement, humanitarian aid, strong security assistance for our partners that face a regional threat from ISIS . . . The nation should not send U.S. service members into harm’s way unless there is a consensus among the civilian leadership — executive and legislative — that the mission is worth it.” [6/24/14]

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): “What is happening in Iraq now is awful, but it is a consequence of our invasion, not our withdrawal.The blame for what’s happening right now is squarely at Maliki’s feet. This is not a responsibility of the United States.” [6/13/14]

Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA): “Moving forward, we should continue to evaluate additional steps to help combat ISIS as we see what the Iraqis are willing to do politically, but we must also firmly guard against mission creep.” [6/19/14]

Rep. C.A. Ruppersberger (D-MD): “The U.S. can no longer be the sheriff for the whole world. We can’t be everywhere, and we can’t always use military boots on the ground. We have to plan with people who have boots on the ground.” [6/12/14]

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA): “We must not let history repeat itself in Iraq. The reality is there is no military solution in Iraq. This is a sectarian war with long standing roots that were flamed when we invaded Iraq in 2003. Any lasting solution must be political and take into account respect for the entire Iraqi population.” [6/20/14]

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): “I would need to see changes in the Iraq governance. Otherwise I don’t think strikes are going to have any impact and could be very well counterproductive.” [6/26/14]

Most quotes taken from Win Without War compendium, http://winwithoutwar.org/quotes-iraq/