Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq. Although he later said he was not sure how he would have voted had he been in the Senate, he made this comment as he prepared to keynote the Democratic National Convention in 2004, the purpose of which was to nominate John Kerry, who had voted for the war. It’s understandable, though not Obama’s proudest moment if he has been the consistent Iraq War opponent he would now have us believe. It’s fair to say that from a policy perspective, the Iraq War and everything it involves is at the center of Obama’s candidacy. He turns to it often. A question about the deficit? Obama says we’re overspending on Iraq? And how will the government afford his many new programs? By ending the war in Iraq. Putin’s behavior in Russia? George W. Bush has been distracted by Iraq. One of the chief arguments he makes against the Iraq War — beginning it and continuing it — is that our operations there have damaged our effort in Afghanistan. At the Democratic debate last week in Texas, he complained that the Iraq War had distracted the U.S. from Afghanistan and sought to give that vague complaint some definition by citing a story of equipment and troop shortfalls one soldier had shared with his staff. Then, last night Obama argued that our European allies are not pulling their weight in Afghanistan because, well, something having to do with Iraq. In fact, the reason the Europeans aren’t doing more in Afghanistan is that they are European. Okay, somewhat unfair. But not entirely. Here is an email I received last night from someone involved in U.S. policy on Afghanistan. He explains the European fecklessness in Afghanistan this way.
The two main issues are lack of capability and lack of political will. They have not invested in real military capability that is required – not right equipment, not enough troops to send abroad. This is really criminal for a continent of 300 Million plus. The years of low defense spending has caught up with them. There was a recent story about the Brits and their inability to send 6 or 8 helicopters to Afghanistan (and they had been planning this for 4 years!!) The Euros can’t even coordinate assistance and reconstruction effectively there, things they are putatively good at doing. Political leaders made the commitment to take on the mission but they are scared to death about casualties and have not/will not explain to their publics why this is an important effort. No one was prepared for a long haul and the leaders have not/will not prepare their populations for possible combat missions. There are a few fighting allies (UK, Canada, Aussies – who aren’t even in NATO, the Dutch and Danes) but not many others. This could really destroy NATO or at least make it a pretty hollow organization. It is unbelievable that allies are routinely not fulfilling military requirements outlined by the Supreme Allied Commander (SACEUR). Many centrist and left of center governments just don’t like war or accept the idea that NATO/the West need to confront extremists. They definitely have a pre-9/11 mindset. And none of this has anything to do with our activities in Iraq. Afghanistan was always the “good war,” with Iraq the “bad war.” But now that the Euros are actually being asked to fight and do something, it is also becoming a bad war — again, mainly because it is a war!
