Dear Senator Obama:

In advance, please forgive the directness of my remarks.  Congratulations on the overwhelming victory of the Democratic Party yesterday, one for which you worked tirelessly.  OK, celebration time is over.  Now back to work.

The Democratic Party’s message in this election has basically been: “Had enough?”  The implied message is that we (the party) stand for change.  The biggest single issue in the election was Iraq.  The only feeble message all Democratic politicians seem to agree on is (a) Rumsfeld must go and (b) we need a new policy in Iraq.  Unfortunately for Democratic political strategist, Rumsfeld is out the door.  Won’t have him to kick around any more.  That means a forceful Iraq policy is necessary and Democrats not named Murtha have no stated policy for Iraq.  Unfortunately Senator, your name is not Murtha.

Sen. Clinton’s position on Iraq has been remarkably similar to Sen. Lieberman’s during her time in the Senate.  As she attempts to position herself as a moderate, it is unlikely she shall take the lead in calling for withdrawal of the bulk of our troops from Iraq.  One can count on her to speak forcefully in generalities (puff and smoke) but to be completely lacking in substance on the Iraq issue.  She will not lead but, rather, seek cover in the middle.  Now is the time for you to lead and our country needs your leadership. 

Pres. Bush has abandoned his tired “stay the course” rhetoric (now claiming he never used it) having replacing it with “finish the job” or “complete the mission”.  Don’t shy away from confronting this rubbish head on.  Our mission in Iraq is, and always has been, to remove Saddam Hussein and the Baath Party from power.  What becomes of Iraq is the job of the democratically elected government of Iraq.  Only the Iraqi people can determine the future of Iraq, not America. All we can do from this point forward is assist that government in its chosen course of action.  “Complete the mission” is just a reformulation of the doctrine of Gen. Westmoreland as commander in Vietnam (and later as Army COS). Gen. Westmoreland was commander in Vietnam from 1954-1968.  He continually asked for more ground troops to “complete the mission” reaching its zenith of 500,000 troops deployed. Link.  The casualty rates of US personnel only increased as more troops were sent.  The Westmoreland doctrine failed.  John McCain served under Gen. Westmoreland in Vietnam.  The Bush Administration (mirrored by the policy of John McCain) wish for us to repeat the terrible errors of Vietnam: i.e., you don’t fight a war of attrition in a land of a hostile native population.

Look at all the polls.  The Iraqi people overwhelming want the US out of Iraq. FN1 link and Link.  They want our financial support but they want our combat troops gone.  We as a country cannot defy the will of the Iraqi people.  Strategy: (a) set timeline for withdrawal of the bulk of US combat troops from Iraq, (b) set in place sufficient US troops to secure Iraqi borders with Syria (west), Iran (south) and Turkey (north) and (c) provide the Iraqi government with sufficient funds to supply its military and police.  The rest is up to them.

Please, no more statements as before: “we must win the war in Iraq”.  It’s not our war.  There’s nothing to “win”.  It’s their country and their war.  No peace will come to Iraq through US military aggression. As the CIA concluded, the war in Iraq has made the US less safe, not more so. Link.

Best wishes,
Joe Raymond
St. Louis, MO