 Intelligence: The Human Factor (Securing Our Nation) By Patrick Lang Editor: Larry C. Johnson |
by Larry C. Johnson
Does George Bush hum Sam Cooke’s lyrics from “Wonderful World” (i.e., “don’t know much about history“) when he comes up with ill-conceived and incorrect analogies? Take for example his latest foray into the history of World War II. For starters he prematurely marked the anniversary of the end of the Second World War with Japan. Japan surrendered on 2 September 1945.
President Bush spoke this earlier this week at the Naval Air Station in San Diego and said: “As we mark this anniversary, we are again a nation at war. Once again war came to our shores with a surprise attack that killed thousands in cold blood.”
Having played the 9-11 card he said that like the Second World War, the US now faces “a ruthless enemy” and “once again we will not rest until victory is America’s and our freedom is secure.”
Drawing on World War II for solace to excuse the debacle in Iraq was also employed in June of this year by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, who told members of the Senate and House that we faced setbacks in World War II and we should take that into account in our current war of terrorism. CONT. BELOW:
So, if World War II is the benchmark for our current effort than why have Bush and Rumsfeld botched things so badly? Consider these facts:
The United States and its allies in WWII defeated the Third Reich, Italy, and Japan in 1364 days (that covers the period from 7 December 1941 until 2 September 1945, when Japan signed the surrender documents). Of course that required a massive mobilization of our society to defeat these enemies, a dramatic expansion of the U.S. military forces, and a solid international coalition.
How goes it in the war on terror? For starters it is taking a lot longer. One thousand four hundred and forty nine days (1449) have elapsed since the attacks on 9-11 (today’s date, 31 August 2005). Why is it that our grandparents managed to defeat two major Armies in three combat theatres, but we still cannot find and finish Bin Laden?
Bush continues to insist things are going well. So how de we measure progress? If expanded insurgent activity in Iraq and regrouping Taliban and Al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan is progress then things are on track. If our continued failure to meet recruiting levels for the U.S. military counts as progress then we are moving ahead.
If the fact that international terrorism attacks have skyrocketed since 2003 (we have gone from 203 significant attacks in 2003 to almost 700 significant attacks in 2004) then we are winning.
Perhaps the time has come to call the Bush Administration on its persistent happy talk and delusional thinking (e.g., the insurgency is in its last throes). There is an enormous gulf between their public spin and the truth on the ground.
Bush’s comparison with World War II raises several uncomfortable questions:
Why was the United States able to defeat two of the most powerful military forces in the world simultaneously in 3 and 1/2 years but today cannot control, much less defeat, an Iraqi insurgency led in part by remnants of a third rate military power?
Why is Osama Bin Laden, the man who planned and authorized the 9-11 attacks still on the loose and planning more mayhem?
Why is our “coalition of the willing” coming apart at the seams?
One answer is that Bush talks tough but doesn’t take these threats seriously. In World War II we not only believed we were at war but we acted like it and organized ourselves to fight it. Not so today.
In the Second World War we had General George C. Marshall running the war effort.
Today, there is no one in charge.
Don Rumsfeld does his thing and the CIA does its things. In addition, very few Americans are being asked to make any sacrifice in this effort.
As we approach the fourth anniversary of the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001 it is time to ask ourselves why George Bush does not take the threat of terrorism as seriously as Franklin D. Roosevelt did the threats of Nazi and Japanese fascism. Instead of taking frequent vacations George Bush might want to spend some time actually dealing with this threat rather than offering empty speeches.
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