Commitment Motivates Iraqis, Not Threats of Withdrawal

You’ll hear politicians like Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Murtha and John Kerry say it is their threat of a military withdrawal that has Iraqis making political and national progress, but troops on the ground tell a different story: it is our professed commitment to Iraqis that gives them the security to cooperate with Coalition Forces. Here are two examples.

Maj. Gen. (MG) Rick Lynch, Commander of Multi-National Division-Center last week:

MG Lynch:  What we have found is, the local population as a result of seeing the patrol base come forward and two questions. The first question is, “Are you staying?” and when the local population is convinced that we’re going ot stay, the next question is, “How can we help?”

The story of how 1st Brigade of the 1st Armored Division helped usher in the Anbar Awakening (from Anbar Awakens: The Tipping Point by MAJ Niel Smith and COL Sean MacFarland):

“We also took a different IO (Information Operations) tack with the sheiks. Instead of telling them that we would leave soon and they must assume responsibility for their own security, we told them that we would stay as long as necessary to defeat the terrorists. That was the message they had been waiting to hear. As long as they perceived us as mere interlopers, they dared not throw in their lot with ours. When they began to think of us as reliable partners, their attitudes began to change. Still, we had to prove that we meant what we were saying.”

The next time you hear John Murtha, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama taking credit for the success of the surge because their threats to pull troops out if “Iraqis don’t step up to the plate” scared them into progress, DON’T BELIEVE THEM.

PREVIOUSLY:
The Message that Helped Win Anbar Province: We’ll Stay As Long as it Takes

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Comments

[Gawfer]

chirp..........chirp.........

Sure is quiet on this post.

Ah, Amy, why'd you have to go and post resonable thoughts and facts again?! Don't you know it's impossible for the weak minded to argue against such information??? Only fools would dare engage now...

[David M]

The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the - Web Reconnaissance for 04/08/2008 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.