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February 01, 2006

John Keegan on the Iraq policy

John Keegan is England's foremost military historian and, for many years, was the Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. His book -- The Second World War -- is arguably the best single volume book on World War II and his book The Face of Battle is essential reading for anyone seeking an understanding of the history of warfare. In short, when John Keegan writes about war, it is wise to take note.

In this London Telegraph op-ed, Mr. Keegan provides an overview of what the U.S. and Britain have accomplished in Iraq, and then makes a persuasive case for following through with what is an increasingly unpopular role in that country:

Critics should remember that, in nine tenths of Iraq, peace reigns. Thousands of Iraqi towns and villages are untroubled by insurrection and continue to regard the British and Americans as liberators. They cannot be abandoned to terrorists, fanatics and friends of the defunct dictatorship. To urge that we should go on as we are is an unpopular line of argument. That it is unpopular does not, however, mean it is wrong.

There is a final consideration. The Middle East is exceedingly complex, and one of its complexities is formed by Iran's determination to become a nuclear power. To withdraw the Western forces from Iraq now would in effect be to encourage Iran to persist in its nuclear challenge. Even if, as the Foreign Secretary insists, military action against Iran is unthinkable, it is at least prudent to retain the capacity for military action in the region.

Read the entire piece.

Posted by Tom at February 1, 2006 06:38 AM

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