Congressman Jim Moran

What we have been witnessing in Iraq are the results wrought by tin ears in the White House and Pentagon. They have made things harder, more dangerous, and more costly for everyone involved. The window for a truly successful operation and sustainable, democratic Iraq is quickly slipping from our grasp. The fact that nearly two years after the start of the war our troops still don’t have the protection they need is appalling and inexcusable.

 The Bush Administration has consistently reassured the American people that our troops in Iraq have been getting everything they need to carry out their mission. But as events continue to unfold, we are learning that this has not been the case. Our servicemen and women face daily attacks by insurgents but still do not have access to up-armored humvees and other armored vehicles. In fact, only slightly more than half of all the vehicles that our soldiers are driving in theater are protected by armor. A year ago these armor shortages were identified. But opportunities to increase production of armor were not seized. How can this be? How can the Bush Administration continue to mislead in the face of sheer fact that their poor planning has lead to this sorry state of affairs.

 This is an issue that came to a head during a town hall style meeting in Kuwait led by Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. In response to a soldier’s question about why some personnel carriers were not getting protective armor plating, Rumsfeld remarked that “you go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.” A truly galling response. From day one in this conflict, the American people have been told that the White House and Pentagon would be listening to the commanders in the field to give the troops everything they needed. It was one of the promises in this war of choice that has kept the American people onboard. If the Army we have was this ill-equipped, then we should not have gone to war in the first place.  

In fact, the Secretary went to war with just a portion of the “army we have.” Our forces were hundreds of thousands of troops short of what was needed. Many in Congress and the leading uniformed generals urged the administration to go to war with an overwhelmingly large ground force. This advice was ignored. During a Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, I specifically asked Secretary Rumsfeld why we were not sending in a larger ground force in Iraq. I referred to statements made by then Army Chief of Staff, General Shinseki, a former field general with decades of experience, who said we needed “several 100,000 troops,” (between 200 and 300 thousand) on the ground to win the peace. Shinseki was forced to retire because he had dared to differ with the military and White House’s talking points. When I asked Secretary Rumsfeld about these calls for more soldiers, he tried to dismiss the question and argued the semantics of General Shinseki’s words, rather than their merit.  

Funding for the Iraq war has also gone about in a haphazard, politically motivated, less accountable manner. Currently, the administration is preparing to submit a supplemental request to Congress to fund the operations in Iraq. It is thought to range anywhere from $75-90 billion. In addition to the $150 billion spent already, we will have spent, by the end of 2005, in excess of $225 billion, with no end in sight. None of these funds have been covered in the budget. None of these funds were passed through the annual defense appropriations bills. It seems the White House and Majority in Congress are clinging to an image of a Republican Party who once stood for fiscal responsibility. Including the war funding in the yearly budget would blow this fading aura to bits.  

All of these developments are symptomatic of a single ailment, the lack of a concrete, post-invasion plan for Iraq. Judging from similar historical models, we knew how tough it could be to play the role of occupier in a foreign land where the indigent people are not united under a common cause or belief. I am afraid the major miscalculations made before the war even began may have rendered the situation untenable. The time has come for a sea change in the Pentagon. Only honesty, humility and a willingness to forthrightly address these major miscalculations can set things right.