The exigency of purpose that comes with the choice to go to war with Iran is not only important to the people of the United States but also to the international community, especially our allies. That demand has not been met as the bar is very high given the fact that America has gone to war and gone to war practically alone.
People acquainted with our history know about the post-World War II events that have shaped the turmoil in the Middle East. What most do not appreciate about this region however, is that it has been a crossroad of conquest and violence since before biblical times.
What complicates today’s setting is a fundamentalist religious fervor together with the oil deposits in the territory that power so much of the world. Both of these elements have been the cause of large military conflicts in the past.
It is difficult if not an impossible lift to establish peace and stability in the area. The United States found out the hard way about that political reality as a result of experiences in the short term Gulf War (1990-1991) and the attempted regime change “forever wars” of the Afghanistan War (2001-2021) and Iraq Invasion and its aftermath (2003-current).
Both types of wars taught us that acting on extreme political solutions like military intervention, especially in that place, can defy solutions if the affected parties refuse to change. The 100 hour Gulf War was carried out brilliantly but did little alter the dynamics in the sector and, in part, cause the Iraq invasion 13 years later.
The 20 year war in Afghanistan began as a search and destroy mission against Osama Bin Laden, the author of the 9/11 attack on America. Then the purpose turned to regime change and, like the previous try by the Soviet Union, it failed.
A key ingredient of US involvement in Middle Eastern wars was to build a coalition of the willing before undertaking major military activity. President Trump decided not to do that.
In a sense, going against Iran without his allies besides Israel, Trump has made the matter look private and personal. Also, knowing his transactional approach to things, his interest in Venezuelan Oil comes to mind when looking at the vast production of Iranian light crude.
The President, largely alone, has managed to take the United States into a military campaign that is destroying much of Iran’s infrastructure and yet, he is finding out that America needs its allies to get the oil out of the Gulf. So, without an international coalition his options are limited.
One of those options is to deploy 2 marine brigades currently at sea and on the way, on Iranian soil. It is clear that the American people will not accept that.
Trump is stuck by his own doing. He has insulted his NATO friends so much that now that he is demanding their help they only want to talk about it.
Reports indicate that President Trump has been so explicit in threatening the takeover of Greenland that Norway has responded by sending blood supplies for the wounded in the event of war and plans to blow up all of the runways to prevent American landings. To think that all of this started because the President did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
We live in a world where economic and military competition requires international rules and coalitions of those that think alike to influence them. Our leadership evidently forgot that we did that best.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
