Letter to Senator Dodd

Senator Dodd,

It is probably true that a politician’s position concerning the Iraq war, regardless of how complex, is the position that will ultimately define that politician. The American public has yet heard a great idea concerning changing the Administration’s Iraq policy. A timetable to withdraw is obviously not an option, but there are options. One that has not been debated, if explored, is the possibility of focusing on the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency aspects of the war. We know the Administration has not focused on this option as a solution in Iraq because it has relied, without fail, on conventional forces to be poster boards for the enemy’s target practice. Furthermore, if the Administration were determined to win a war against terrorists and insurgents in Iraq, then it would use the appropriate resources to do so. Special Operations, including the Special Forces and the Central Intelligence Agency, have extensive knowledge and experience implementing specialized warfare techniques needed to gain the overwhelming advantage over terrorists and insurgents. When civilian casualties in Iraq are above one hundred a day, it is clear that the Administration’s current Iraq policy is reprehensible. We must learn the counter-insurgency lessons of places like Vietnam and Algeria and use the right forces, that thoroughly know these lessons, to fight the Iraq war. Thank you for your time and patience, Senator Dodd.