Hybrid Peace Corps/Marine Corps can win in Iraq?

Normally I rely on science and statistics to formulate my opinions. Now I gravely risk using my gut…and scattered snippets in the media … to predict a possible (if not likely) success in Iraq as a result of the Bush Administrations new ‘troop Surge’. Technically, it won’t be ‘the surge’ that makes the difference. Instead it will be how both the old and the new troops conduct their new operations more like the ‘Peace Corps’ than the Marine Corps.

Today Senator McCain stated in congressional testimony that there are 3 essential elements of effective counterterrorism now being applied by US troops in Iraq: Protecting civilians, waging economic development, and increasing political opportunities. Having an additional 30,000 troops on hand could be helpful if they have been properly trained and are adequately managed to truly operate as police and loan officers, teachers and health providers instead of ‘shock and awe’/ ‘search and destroy’ units.

It is just such police & nation building actions that will win over the Iraqi people. Striving to achieve US ‘military’ objectives against insurgents and terrorists just wasn’t working. In fact, it only made matters worse. Waging an effective counterterrorism occupation is far different than waging a war.

Now, most Iraqi’s hate the terrorists and insurgents as much or more than they hate the US occupation. They are experiencing first hand the lethal and destructive will of a few Islamist groups vs the more constructive will (but often destructive means) of the US military. Most Muslims in Iraq do not want a permanent war or even a civil war. The willingness of Al Qaida, Iran Shit’tes or Iraqi Sunnis to perpetuate a war will eventually work to turn most Iraqi’s against them.

What most liberals opposing the surge fail or refuse to accept is that the Bush Administration’s new approach to winning hearts and minds in Iraq is essentially a liberal foreign policy. Nation building, protecting innocent citizens, improving economic development, building schools, health clinics and helping political groups are all high on most liberal policy agendas. We just don’t want the military doing it. Unfortunately, Bush’s neocons have screwed it up so bad…that this is one place in the world where a hybrid Peace Corps/Marine Corps is now needed.

It’s been said that “You can always count on politicians to do the right thing. But only after exhausting every other possibility” at least twice. The Bush administration has repeated this failing scenario several times. But perhaps they are now, finally on the right track. I am one liberal that wants to give the ‘surge’ a chance. After hearing McCain, and Petreaus, and some isolated media stories about a growing Iraqi hatred for insecurity I’m at least open to the possibility of success. But I’m still not betting on it.