20 Questions on Iraq

Three years ago I wrote a column posing 20 questions about the then-impending war in Iraq. Some of my questions remain unanswered, at least to my satisfaction, but invade we did.

As the war grinds on without a clear end in sight, and as votes on the constitution and a new parliament approach, more questions arise. I don't know the answers to them all, and you probably don't either, which is one reason that they are worth asking.

Just what is the situation on the ground over there, anyway? One hears such a mix of reports, stories of normal life and documented accounts of bloody terrorism, that it's hard to get a fix on day-to-day existence for the average person.

Credible information shows our military to be effective and motivated, and equally credible information shows our enemies to be persistent and uncowed, so is it clear that we are actually winning or losing this war?

How often will we have to secure and resecure the same real estate before it is actually secure?

What steps might we be willing to take in order to secure the Syrian border? What is the best policy going forward with our antagonists in Iran and our "friends" in Saudi Arabia?

Are we pursuing the proper methods of dealing with this kind of enemy? A recent article in Foreign Affairs by an expert on counter-insurgency warfare, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Andrew F. Krepinevich Jr., suggests that we are not. "Winning in Iraq will require a new approach," he writes -- and he has a plan in mind. Is Washington paying attention?

Do we have enough troops on the ground to carry out a winning strategy?

When will Iraqi forces be adequate in number and preparation to assume responsibility for their country?

When will we get a rigorous accounting of the money that has flowed into Iraq for reconstruction? Lots of money seems to be missing and lots of work is still undone.

Does the conviction of Lynndie England for abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison demonstrate American principle for pursuing justice in such a case, or demonstrate that the low-ranking soldier takes the fall for the brass, or both?

What is our exit strategy, in terms of timing and the criteria that must be met before we leave? Is there a point at which we would leave without achieving our stated goals? What is our ultimate obligation to the Iraqi people?

Would the United States accept the partition of Iraq along ethnic and religious lines?

Would our allies and Iraq's neighbors accept it?

Do we plan to maintain military bases in Iraq after turning things over to a local government?

If Iraq ends up as a hostile Islamist state, will we go back in and do it all over again?

If Iraq ends up as a successful democratic state, will we actively support it should hostilities break out with its neighbors?

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but what is the next phase in the War on Terror, or Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism, or whatever we are calling it these days?

And here is a question left over from the last column:

Why are questions about going to war seen by many people as unpatriotic instead of patriotic?

Edward Cone (www.edcone.com, efcone@mindspring.com) writes a column for the News & Record most Sundays.