Another Country Heard From: Australia and the SAS

Never heard of the SAS? That's not surprising, if you're an American.

The Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) is a little like America's Special Forces, sort of. "Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SAS): Strengthening the Alliance" American Interests (February 26, 2008) gives a very good look at this military outfit.

I think it's a good idea to remember how much depended on Australia, and dozens of other nations, back when America was "going it alone" in Iraq.

U.N. Security Council Okays Another Year in Iraq

The headline is "UN Security Council Votes to Extend U.S.-Led Force in Iraq for 1 Year," and the lead paragraph is "The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend the U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq for one year, a move that Iraq's prime minister said would be his nation's "final request" for help."

This vote gives the multinational force of 160,000 troops authority to operate in Iraq through 2008.

And I expect to hear more about America "going it alone" in the presidential campaign. I've written about this sort of thing before:

• "Here Come the Weird Words: Election's Coming Up!"
  (December 14, 2007)
• "Watch for Weird Words: Election's Coming Up!"
  (August 9, 2007)

Here Come the Weird Words: Election's Coming Up!

Although I've got well-defined opinions about how, and why, American foreign and domestic policy should be run, "Another War-on-Terror Blog" isn't a political blog.

However, since politicians are the ones who decide whether or not America acts sensibly, there are times when I'll write about politics and politicians.

This is one of those times.

One of the people who want to be president got in the news. Mike Huckabee's "America's Priorities in the War on Terror" was published in the January-February issue of "Foreign Affairs."

And, the Associated Press distributed a news article on Huckabee and his article.

The headline:

"(AP) Huckabee Sees WH 'Bunker Mentality'"

Lead paragraph and quotes:

"Mike Huckabee, who has joked about his lack of foreign policy experience, is criticizing the Bush administration's efforts, denouncing a go-it-alone 'arrogant bunker mentality' and questioning decisions on Iraq."

" 'Much like a top high school student, if [the United States] is modest about its abilities and achievements, if it is generous in helping others, it is loved. But if it attempts to dominate others, it is despised,' he writes in the January/February issue of Foreign Affairs."

"... 'The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad. My administration will recognize that the United States' main fight today does not pit us against the world but pits the world against the terrorists.' "

Let's take a look at Huckabee's article.

Here's my summary of the main points on the first page - and my comments:

• The Bush administration should have done more to "explain Islamic jihadism to the American people."
  Fair enough - but think about what would happen to a politician who started talking openly about Islam, Middle Eastern Culture, and unpleasant realities like the burqa and honor killings
• America should find an alternative to terrorism that Middle Eastern leaders and people will accept.
  A fine goal - although I suspect that attempts to change the sincerely-held beliefs over there would be attacked as cultural imperialism, or something of the sort.
• If America uses force, this country should use overwhelming force.
  That makes sense to me - but then, I'm one of those people who believe that tyrannical dictators, serial killers, and other people who live by alternative ethical standards, aren't nice, and don't respond well to perceived weakness.

If you're an American, and plan to vote next November, I suggest that you read the rest of his article.

Particularly since "going it alone" doesn't appear anywhere in Huckabee's article.

(It's almost a dead certainty that "going it alone" is going to surface again, before the election's over. I posted a reality check on the "unilateral" actions of America a few months ago. As I recall, America was out of control and "going it alone," because the French government didn't approve of American foreign policy.)

Now that "going it alone" has risen to the surface, much in the manner of a drowned muskrat, it probably won't be long before "quagmire" pops up, too.

What's the point of all this?

For whatever reason, news articles often aren't particularly complete discussions of the events and issues they touch on. And sometimes, they aren't particularly accurate: or use words like "going it alone" or "communist sympathizer" to affect the reader's reactions.

Reading the news is an important part of a citizen's duty in countries where people vote. But it's not enough.

Analyzing what news outlets decide to publish is important, too. That, and going to the original sources of information when possible.

I wrote about more about words, reality, and politics in "Watch for Weird Words: Election's Coming Up!" (August 9, 2007).

Military Draft? Another Word to Watch For

I think we can count on hearing more about this in the next few months. The Pacific Free Press ran an article that's so new, it's dated August 11, 2007, headlined "Is there a Draft in the Air?"

The lead paragraph shows an image labeled "Draft Dodger Safe House," with a woman whose skirt bears the Canadian maple leaf holding the hand of an adorable little boy with a star-spangled banner shirt.

The article recalls that last year "Charles Rangel proposed just such a draft in the belief, he said, that middle class, largely white Americans who support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may be less enthusiastic were it their kids shipping out."

What actually happened was that Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, the new "war czar," or "War Adviser," was on Public Radio's "All Things Considered." General Lute stated that reinstating the draft was an option that had been 'on the table' all along, and said that, "I think it makes sense to certainly consider it," which made sense in the context of long tours of duty in the U.S. armed forces.

If the U.S. military were to reject the idea of reinstating the draft, there should be op-ed pieces suggesting incompetence. My understanding is that it is the Pentagon's job, in part, to provide the civilian leadership of America with options.

Another point is that the "All Things Considered" interview also showed General Lute saying, "Today, the current means of the all-volunteer force is serving us exceptionally well."

It is possible that the draft, abolished by President Nixon in 1973, will be brought back. I doubt that this will happen with the current administration. What happens after the 2008 elections is another matter.

Meanwhile, I'm going to keep urging voters to think first, then vote.

Think, not feel.

I contrasted "war czar" and "war adviser" earlier. Both terms were used to describe General Lute. In my opinion, "war czar" was intended to portray the general as part of an autocratic regime, to be feared by the masses. That may be over-stating it, but not by all that much.

As I've said before, watch for emotionally-charged words and phrases: then think!

Watch for Weird Words: Election's Coming Up!

Given Vice President Cheney's statements in 2001 and 2004 that he would never run for president, this will probably be the first presidential election since 1928 without an incumbent running in the primaries for president, and the first since 1952 without an incumbent in the general election.

That may explain why so many ambitious politicos in both major parties are swarming around their party's nomination so early, and so excitedly.

I try to keep this blog as non-political as possible, but until the election is over, I'm likely to bring up issues that I believe are both important, and touch on the war on terror.

With so many passionately-held beliefs in play, odd things are likely to be said, and believed.

It's already happened. America was "going it alone" and being "unilateral" for quite a while, until someone bothered to see how many nations were involved in the coalition involved in Iraq as of August, 2006:

• Albania
• Armenia
• Australia
• Azerbaijan
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• El Salvador
• Estonia
• Fiji (though UNAMI)
• Georgia
• Hungary (through NATO or UNAMI, and may never have sent troops before 'withdrawing' them in 2004)
• Iceland (through NATO, a training mission)
• Japan
• Kazakhstan
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Macedonia
• Moldova
• Mongolia
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Singapore
• Slovenia (through NATO, a training mission)
• South Korea
• Turkey (through NATO, a training mission)
• the Ukraine
• the United Kingdom

As more Americans became aware of how many nations were involved in America's "unilateral" action, the 'u-word' faded from use.

"Quagmire" was very, very popular a few years ago, and still is in occasional use

• U.S. Sinking in Iraq Quagmire (2003)
• QUAGMIRE in IRAQ (cartoons, mostly 2003)
• Descending into the Quagmire / The Occupation of Iraq (2003)
• Iraq Quagmire Continues (2005)
• The Iraq Quagmire (2005)
• TURKEY: Into the Iraq Quagmire? (2007)
• QUAGMIRE! QUAGMIRE! (2007)
• and many more

I was waiting for some politico or pundit to cry out against so many draftees dying in the rice paddies of Iraq. I've used that crack before. Twice before, in fact. Better give it a rest.

I hope that people with think with their brain instead of their endocrine system, and will make decisions based on fact, not on catchwords.