Introduction
The agriculture and economy in Afghanistan was being destroyed and its people were starving due to lack of food and an effective economy. This was backed by a lack of education and rule of the Islami law of ‘shriyat’ imposed by the Taliban rule. There was mass production of opium and this crop was exchanged with other countries in return for weapons while the people in absence of food died of starvation or joined the Taliban. Then the incident of 9/11 took place. A mass military operation was mobilized. It concentrated on amending the country’s infrastructures, re-establishing law and order in the country and helping the people in creating a proper government. This was called Operation Enduring Freedom. On the other hand, Iraqi operation had the biggest special operation forces since the great Vietnam War in the last century. A significant number of special operation forces were present in northern Iraq, where they worked alongside the Kurdish fighters to end the reign of Saddam Hussein. This was Operation Iraqi Freedom. In southern Iraq, these special operation forces helped the conventional forces in their work. However, it was to be seen whether the US army was unprepared for both the occasions.
It has been said for some time that the US military department is not yet ready in case there is a disastrous assault on the country. Some reports say that they do not even have the proper training or equipment required to handle such situations. Very few army units are completely combat-ready, and are prepared to go into warfare. The army commanders have been criticized as it has been said that they have not properly developed thorough response plans to be used when their homeland is under attack. (Hiro, 2004) It has been argued that the Pentagon should make the National Guards and the Reserves a fundamental part of the US military department. They have been under-funded and over-tasked for a long time and need the resources to train using modern day equipments so that they can carry out serious missions. It has been recommended that the US defense department should utilize USA’s citizen soldiers in order to make a complete operational force, which is fully equipped, trained and very ready to fight for the nation in case of a crisis and as a result help the active troops in the mission. (Baum, 2004) Nevertheless, the central allegation is that the U.S. Military is Unprepared at the Outbreak of Hostilities. However, a close look at the development would definitely show that the allegation is the result of blowing the issue out of proportion and there should be no reason the US force, or the NCOs, be held responsible. But this cannot overshadow the fact that the army was unprepared for the operations. The two operations, Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom would prove this allegation right.
Operation Enduring Freedom
After September 11, 2001, subsequent to the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon bracing up its defenses against international terrorism became America’s central concern. It declared war on Afghanistan to flush out Al Qaeda and achieved a quasi success in the process. Once these immediate threats were defused, the nation was faced with a few alternatives in relation to its foreign policy, which it needed to choose to best extenuate the threats of further terrorist attacks against the nation.
However, it should be noted that this operation was made in a hurry and as a result, the troops were not trained in the context of local custom, hostile forces, logistics and cultural education. It was a drastic and immediate measure and logically, in this case, there was bound to be lack of preparation and thus the troops were found to be unprepared.
Some analysts argue that democracy in the Middle East will elevate Islamists, including radicals, who will use democratic institutions to gain power but then implement their autocratic agenda. Democracy can also lead to instability. In short, things may get worse before they get better, which may be bad news for the US. Many however believe that in the long run increased democratic governance or the break up of static autocracies will lead to a better outcome than the status quo even if the emerging governments initially oppose U.S. policies. Some furthermore argue that any type of somewhat democratic government would find more common ground with the U.S. than the existing ones even if rapprochement was gradual and difficult. As for the troops, this region and custom that is non-democratic in nature completely alien in approach and acclimatization needs time. However, time was a luxury that was definitely not available in this context.
History helps us to identify ourselves, recognize who we are and be acquainted with the origin where we come from. We over and over again shrink back from hearing about our chronological times of yore for the reason that so much of it is excruciating. The Jihadist networks are dejected perception that perplexes disapproval of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who have faith in it. These Jihadist networks have given rise to a new term called Islamophobe, a myth or a kind of racism obfuscates bias in opposition to Muslims with disparagement of Islam and that it is used to quieten detractors and Muslim reformers. Terrorism, especially Islamic terrorism lately has been regarded as the most outrageous menace of the civilized and modern world with the instrumentation of the different organized terrorist institutions or Jihadist networks spread all over the globe. The Islamic fundamentalist groups or organizations like Al-Qaeda are operating at merciless precision against the whole of western civilization. These are new concepts and these are not taught in military trainings. In this context, the troops are surely unprepared but the main reason behind this was lack of training time.
However, the NCO (non-commissioned officer) has always played a major role in the history of the Armed forces. They have led the soldiers in various battles and have trained them in times of peace. In the Operation Enduring Freedom, when the Taliban rule had taken over the people of Afghanistan and they were dying of hunger and suffering from illiteracy, the NCOs assisted in providing charitable food and various other resources to the people of the region. They also helped in various civic projects, like repairing and building new roads, hospitals, orphanages and schools for the people. They also helped improve the life of the people there by providing them with clean dinking water and helped in carrying and distributing the relief supplies among the people. (Rotberg, 2003)
Thus, it can be stated that the incidents took place in a sudden burst and the army or the political authorities were unable to predict this. It can be stated that if anyone or any authority was to be blamed it should be targeted towards intelligence departments and not the army. It is true, that the army did a commendable job given the situation and they should not take any blame for the outcome. Thus, it is obvious that the allegation that the U.S. Military is Unprepared at the Outbreak of Hostilities holds little truth.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom was launched with a goal, which was the removal of Saddam Hussein and destroying his ability to use any weapon of annihilation or mass destruction (WMD) and stop them from falling into the hands of the terrorists. Before the Iraqi war these WMD was taken as a major and forthcoming threat for the security of USA and its associate countries. (Baum, 2004) In the first quarter of 2003, US and UK soldiers consisting of over 40 cruise strikes, missiles and various other aircrafts, started to carry out different military operations within the state of Iraq in order to remove weapons located in Iraq. They were also ordered to overthrow the Iraqi regime from its power. President Bush announced to the people of US that military operations had began in Iraq in order to disarm it, set its people free and protect the world from the various dangers posed on it. (Halberstam, 2002) Thus, it can never be established that the U.S. Military is Unprepared at the Outbreak of Hostilities.
The various objectives of Operation Iraqi Freedom were to end the dreadful rule of Saddam Hussein. Secondly, to completely discover, separate and finally remove weapons of annihilation from Iraq. Its third objective was to locate arrest and finally chase away the terrorists from Iraq. Its forth objective was to obtain information associated with the various terrorist networks in the country and about the global network providing weapons of annihilation. Its fifth objective was to stop the various sanctions provided and offer charitable support needed by the citizens of Iraq. Its last objective was to develop certain conditions, which would help the formation of a self-representative government in Iraq. (Chan, 2006) All the objectives were fulfilled other than the WMD search as there was none in reality. Thus, again it is proved that the U.S. Military is not Unprepared at the Outbreak of Hostilities and in fact they are quite successful in this case.
However, this operation had the biggest special operation forces since the great Vietnam War in the last century. Although the majority of the forces were from the US, Australia and the UK also provided their forces. A significant number of special operation forces were present in northern Iraq, where they worked alongside the Kurdish fighters to end the reign of Saddam Hussein. These special operation forces attacked a number of areas, as if command headquarters, airfields and places where weapons of annihilation were kept. In southern Iraq, these special operation forces helped the conventional forces in their work. (Chesterman, 2004) All these operations and missions needed a high amount of preparation and their successes prove beyond arguments that the amount of preparations present in their action. As it is often said, their actions proved for themselves.
However, another major development of this mission is most likely going to be the end of US-Iraqi Status of Forces-like Agreement (SOFA). Its purpose is to launch a legal basis so that US military forces can be present in Iraq after the existing UN authorization ends this year. The restraints, which have been laid down by SOFA will have an effect on the manner in which US military operations are carried on in Iraq. Its short-term objectives are to determine how much help does Iraq require from the US in personal assistance and funds, the best way to assemble on present security issues, help the government in its working and also to promote its independence, continuously modify the formation of the Iraqi Security Forces, help in their training and establish standards so that the number of US troops in Iraq can be lessened. (Mazarr, 2007) This proves the success and effectiveness of the US army’s presence and their preparation for all situations and the major kudos goes to the NCOs present in the peacekeeping and actions.
Its long-term objectives include considering the policies and strategies of Iraq so as to clarify the long term US objectives related to Iraq and help to shape a better and more conventional mutual relationship in the future with Iraq. It also aims towards defining the US policies of Iranian involvement in the country and evaluating the significance of the Operation Iraqi Freedom so that the information gathered from the mission is helpful to the US military in the future and for the US government. However, it is well established that the U.S. Military is unprepared at the Outbreak of Hostilities.
Conclusion
The final element in the entire preparation is standing in the battleground and fighting for the country. This requires a person to be strategically, physically and mentally ready for a combat mission. A good leader is also needed whose job is to organize the various operations related to the combat. The two main reasons due to which the US military is unprepared are lack of proper ammunition and terrible leadership. Lack of proper training coupled with inadequate and scarce ammunition has created a situation where the soldiers are unable to fight properly and thus eventually loose their life while defending their country.
The USA has been in a number of crises and has come out of it very well. Not everything can be planned and we need to keep a positive view for the things happening around us. After the 9/11 attacks, the military and the emergency services did a magnificent task at handling the situation and keeping the environment calm. Civilians are not fully aware of the military logistics and we assume that the military is completely intact and when deployed can make anything possible. However, this is not so as they do not have a magic wand to cure everything unjust in this world and the unpreparedness is an element that should be looked after by the strategic brains. Nevertheless, the bottom-line of this argument holds its position and it should be mentioned again that the U.S. Military is unprepared at the Outbreak of Hostilities and it is well adjustable in any situation to handle any, location, and state of affairs or pressure. The instances they are found unprepared are the times when the logistics and cultural aspects of the foreign regions are completely alien. Thus, the arguments about being unprepared are true though, once circumstances were taken into consideration, then it would appear the troops performed quite well and a good amount of courage had to be presented for not always being prepared for hostilities.
References
Baum, Matthew A; 2004; How Public Opinion Constrains the Use of Force: The Case of Operation Enduring Freedom; Presidential Studies Quarterly; 34(2), 187-226
Chan, Steve & William Safran; 2006; Public Opinion as a Constraint against War: Democracies’ Responses to Operation Iraqi Freedom; Foreign Policy Analysis; 2(2), 137-156
Chesterman, Simon; 2004; Occupation as Liberation: International Humanitarian Law and Regime Change; Ethics & International Affairs; 18 (3), 51-64
Halberstam, David; 2002; War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals; Simon & Schuster
Robinson, Piers; 2004; Operations and the Illusion of a News Media Driven Intervention; Political Studies; 49(5), 941-956
Hiro, Dilip; 2004; Secrets and Lies: Operation Iraqi Freedom and After; Thunder’s Mouth Press/Nation Books
Mazarr, Michael J; 2007; The Iraq War and Agenda Setting; Foreign Policy Analysis; 3(1), 1-23
Rotberg, Robert; 2003; State Failure and State Weakness in a Time of Terror; Brookings Institution Press