McCain “I want to win in Iraq”

John McCain is a perfect example of when single minded focus on one single issue can become tunnel vision. Senator McCain is now so vested in the outcome of the Iraq war, that he is losing focus on the war that needs to be fought against Al Qaeda. This war is small and highly mobile. It involves part old fashioned sleuthing, part law enforcement and when need be special operations. The war, McCain wants to win is not the same as the one that America needs to win. He accuses anybody and everybody who wants the Iraqi security forces to take on more responsibility, and the Shite dominated Iraqi government to reconcile with the Sunnis, as unpatriotic and wishing for American defeat.

The over simplification of the challenges during the year and half of campaigning has made McCain forget what Islamic terrorism is? Now everything happening in the Middle East or any other part of the world if Muslims are involved gets clubbed under the umbrella of Islamic terrorism.What Sen. McCain has forgotten  is that if America’s war is against Al Qaeda and Islamic insurgents who want to attack us, then we must fight them where they are, in Afghanistan. Iraq has already realized that supporting Al Qaeda is not in their interest, that they do not share the same ideology as them. Their marriage was a marriage of convenience until it dissolved when they turned against them and defeated them with the American support. Now America needs to put pressure on the Iraqis to reconcile and wean them off their dependence on Americans for everything.

America’s distraction in Iraq has only allowed Al Qaeda and the Taliban to regroup and become more powerful in the mountains along Pak-Afghan border. The rag tag groups of these insurgents are becoming increasingly emboldened and attacking NATO forces with increasing ferocity. The recent tensions with Russia also, increase the possibility of the Russian secret agencies wanting to arm the Taliban and other groups in order to create more problems for the NATO and American forces.

Senator McCain should be commended for pushing for the troop surge in Iraq which has led to US military successes in Iraq, but correcting a wrong should not be considered as some brilliant move especially when a lot of other, very brave Americans in the military lost their careers for saying that we did not go their with enough troops to begin with. Senator McCain wants to keep the American troops in Iraq until we win and are able to come back with honour. What he has repeatedly failed to show, is what our victory in Iraq means and what would it look like? Without the Iraqis reconciling, American forces would never be able to leave the country as any kind of security and power vacuum would only act as a fertile ground for the growth of Al Qaeda. Recently there were reports from Anbar province after the handover to the Shite dominated security forces of increasing hostility between the Shite security forces and the Sunni militia which was responsible for defeating the Al Qaeda in that area. The Shite dominated government security forces do not trust the Sunnis and vice versa.

Its time for the Iraqis to shed their own blood and treasure for their own country and time for Senator McCain to support a deadline.