After the invasion of Iraq, I was asked by the Pentagon to assist in developing viable Iraqi security forces. I spent nearly three years in Iraq living and fighting alongside Iraqi security forces in places like Fallujah, Mosul and Ramadi. Their lack of effectiveness — except in the case of the Kurds — was and continues to be caused by a serious lack of effective professional leadership, not a lack of equipment or training.
The Iraqi military has never been a particularly professional force. They folded quickly during the first Gulf War and again in 2003. We made things worse in 2003 when we failed to judiciously reconstitute the Iraqi military. Our mindset was that we had just destroyed the Iraqi army, why would we want to reconstitute it? Furthermore, we might have risked alienating Iraqis opposed to Saddam, especially the Shias.
The fact is that some of these former Iraq military and police leaders, although not great, were the best people available to help stabilize Iraq in the aftermath of the invasion. Those same disenfranchised military leaders formed the core of the insurgency that developed and some are now a key part of the Islamic State. Instead, we tried to build a new military from scratch, which was largely a failure. It takes decades of coherent institutional effort to build a professional military force.
Fighting along side the Iraqis gave me some unique insights. The troops themselves are not cowards, but they are understandably afraid of being killed or being captured and then beheaded. They know that many of their leaders are weak and will not perform in combat. My experience has taught me that military units are a direct reflection of their leadership. When we were fighting alongside the Iraqis and bolstering their leadership, they would fight. If they knew a U.S. force on the ground was backing them up, they would fight harder.
At the time President Obama made his much-maligned comment that the Islamic State was a “JV team,” he was probably right. But that is only true when they are compared to a professional military like ours. It is not a JV team when compared to the Iraqi security forces and most other forces in the region.
I do not like the idea of sending our military to fight unless it is truly necessary to ensure our security. But the current situation with regard to the Islamic State threatens not only Americans serving in Iraq, but also our security at home. We must take decisive action to destroy this dangerous enemy quickly.
We cannot accomplish that with just airstrikes, drones, equipment and training. As politically unpalatable as it may be, we need to put “boots on the ground” alongside our allies and others who are fighting the Islamic State. Yes, I mean real combat forces, not a few advisors and spotters.
We are well beyond what even air power and special operators, as superb as they are, can do to win quickly and decisively. If we lead with sufficient combat forces, including some heavy units, the Islamic State can be militarily defeated in Iraq within weeks.
The strategic challenge is to deal effectively with the aftermath of that initial military success. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past, where we took down Saddam without an effective follow-up strategy. It is critical that we put together a true coalition of Arab countries to fight alongside us and then, most importantly, act in concert with Iraqi forces to act as peacekeepers in Sunni areas to avoid a resurgence of the Islamic State.
Iran’s rising influence and presence in Iraq is a major complicating factor here, and it also forces our hand. If we do not play a decisive role, along with a coalition that includes Sunni Arab countries who can help keep the peace in largely Sunni areas like Anbar and Nineveh Provinces, this will ensure Iran’s control of Iraq’s Shia government while leaving fertile ground for the Islamic State in Sunni areas. That would be the worst of both worlds.
James Steele is a highly decorated retired Army officer who fought alongside Iraqi security forces for nearly three years after the invasion of Iraq. He was awarded the Department of Defense Medal of Valor for his actions under fire in Iraq. His many military awards include, among others, the Silver Star, three Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions for editorials, available at this link.
