Skelton Rips Iraq Policy

Missouri’s senior congressman says something special is happening with the Iraq war—and it’s not good. Congressman Ike Skelton tells the general in charge of the U-S Central Command in Iraq that the administration’s conduct of the war reminds him of a book about British military misdaventures in World War Two. The book is called “The Perils of Amateur Strategy.” General John Abizaid has gone before the House Armed Services Committee, which Skelton is likely to chair next year. Skelton has told him during the hearing that starting strategy was poor; followup strategy isn’t working; the coalition of the willing is crumbling; and the streets of Baghdad are more dangerous than they were three years ago. Skelton says the heroes are the military people who are working in the area. He says, however, this is the first time in modern history that the American public fully supports the people in uniform, but is showing declining support for the mission. Abizaid is optimnistic Iraq can become a stable country with an effective, loyal, non-sectarian security force and a unified government. He admits he hasn’t worked out yet how that will be done. But he thinks it will take more forces and resources. And he says there will be dangers to peace in the Middle East for decades even if the campaign in Iraq succeeds.