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Highlands Today

Aussie Colonel Has Clearest View On Iraq War

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By None Selected

Published: October 7, 2007

Perhaps the most articulate, thoughtful accounting of what's going on in Iraq right now is coming not from the president, Congress or even Gen. David Petraeus, who is in charge of the war. However, it's coming from someone close to the general, and from someone who isn't even an American.

Lt. Col. David Kilcullen is an Australian army officer with a Ph.D. in anthropology. He advises Petraeus, or did until recently, on counterinsurgency. His expertise on the subject is undeniable. He's studied insurgencies throughout history, and the one in Iraq is no different than others, he explains.

Kilcullen was a recent guest on PBS's show "Charlie Rose." For an hour he discussed with Rose the insurgency, the war and what the "surge" is all about. His interview was the most clear-voiced, best-explained account of what's happening, what's needed, what happened and where we are going from here offered in recent memory.

Rose asked questions about his opinion of getting into the war in the first place. Kilcullen made the point that it doesn't matter what anyone thinks at this point about that. It's spirited debate for historians to consider. All that matters now is how we get out of this and try to keep a humanitarian disaster from happening.

Even the fervent anti-war types should take note of what Kilcullen said, because he didn't make a case for war, but he did explain how insurgency and the fractured government of Iraq must be dealt with.
Basically, and certainly not with the clarity or depth he explained, Kilcullen said that insurgencies throughout history have taken about 10 years to put down to the point that local governments can manage them. Insurgents are successfully beaten about 80 percent of the time, when handled correctly, he said.

What's required, he said, is not more U.S. troops. The idea of the surge was to not just fight the bad guys but to give security to the people living there. By separating the bad guys from the community, the bad guys are isolated. When we just fight them and they hide in the community, they continue to commit atrocities and mayhem results.

Kilcullen said the key is not 50,000 more U.S. troops, but by convincing 50,000 Iraqis that the only way they will ever have stability is to not side with insurgents. So when you get 50,000 Iraqis to understand that, you also take 50,000 supporters away from the bad guys. That's happening in several places throughout the country.

Of course a political solution must be found so Iraqis can deal with a much smaller insurgency problem. They don't just go away. But if we can minimize them, give Iraqis a feeling of normalcy rather than terror, some good things can happen. It won't be easy, but it's our only hope short of pulling out and watching an monumental bloodbath occur.

Plenty of people might disagree, but Kilcullen has history and incredible intellect on his side. It's just too bad no American has been able to provide such a clear explanation of what's going on.

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