The Free Press -- Independent News Media

Thu Nov 20 2008

Departments
War in Iraq

Getting Out of Iraq Will Be Tougher than Getting Out of Vietnam
by Kevin Zeese and Linda Schade
May 3, 2005

First Step: Getting Legislators to Sign Onto A Resolution Demonstrating the U.S. Intends to Leave

Daniel Ellsberg, of Pentagon Papers Fame, gave the worst news of the day to those examining lessons from Vietnam thirty years after the end of the war – we're going to be in Iraq a long time. It will be tougher to get out of Iraq, than it was to get out of Vietnam. Why? The major difference between Vietnam and Iraq is Iraq has oil, Vietnam doesn't and we need oil.

It is much easier to start a war than it is to end one.

Ellsberg was speaking at a forum organized by the Institute for Policy Studies held Thursday, April 28 at the Rayburn House Office Building. He pointed out that in 1968 the anti-Vietnam War protests were at full force and the U.S. did not get out until seven years later, 1975. President Nixon even ran for office promising he had a secret plan to end the war – and we did not get out for years after that. If it had not been for Watergate, says Ellsberg, we might not have gotten out.

According to Ellsberg, throughout our time in Vietnam US officials were saying that the US would only be in Vietnam temporarily, while in fact they were planning on staying for a long time – permanently. This parallels claims by the U.S. government today. The government claims we're just staying in Iraq a short time until the country is stabilized. But the Department of Defense has been planning 14 permanent military bases in Iraq and in the last month both Houses of Congress approved funds for building the permanent military bases in the country.

Ellsberg also pointed out that throughout the Vietnam war people argued we had to stay or there would be more chaos and death. In the end at least three million Vietnamese died in the war. Chaos was not prevented. Today, we claim to be a stabilizing force, but insurgent attacks have become more sophisticated, they've reached out to mainstream Iraqis and there are daily deaths of Iraqis and Americans. Chaos is not being prevented. As many of the other speakers pointed out – the chaos is actually caused by the occupation, not prevented by it.

When the United States left Vietnam it was not a smooth exit – it was a rushed, chaotic exit. As soon as we left the Communists came in and renamed Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City. This is akin to the concern Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) expressed during the forum. He is worried that if the U.S. announces a definite date of withdrawal than those who we do not want to be in power in Iraq will prepare to take over the government when we leave. Therefore, while he is calling for an exit plan and opposes the war and occupation. He wants an exit plan the results leaving Iraq in worse shape than it is now, and worse shape than it was under Saddam Hussein. Rep. Conyers is not happy about having to clean up the mess made by the Bush Administration.

In addition to Rep. Conyers, two other progressive members spoke, in fact they are the co-chairs of the Progressive Caucus, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). The one thing all three Members agreed on was that it is going to take an up-from-the-ground effort by the people to end the Iraq occupation.

Phyllis Bennis, a Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, pointed out that a major difference between the Iraq War and the Vietnam War is that already – only two years into the Iraq War – a majority of the public opposes the war. It took many years to get that far in the Vietnam era. The anti-war movement needs to turn majority support for getting out of Iraq into the policy of the United States.

Patric Resta, a National Guardsman who spent time in Iraq and now works with Iraq Veterans Against the War, highlighted the poor planning of the administration. In particular the lack of basic equipment. One example, soldiers at check points not even having flash lights in order to signal people to pull over. He pledged to work every day to end the war until the U.S. is out of Iraq. No doubt Iraq Veterans and their families may be among the most important of anti-war advocates.

Jon Volk of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, put forward a practical first step. He suggests people ask their representatives whether there was an intent for the United States to leave Iraq or was the intent to stay there for the long-term? This is a critical first question. If the intent is to leave, then he urges people to get their representatives to sign-onto Rep. Woolsey's resolution, House Resolution 35. (See: http://democracyrising.us/content/view/177/165/). The resolution makes the case for the need to get out of Iraq but does not set a date for doing so. So far, there are only 33 co-sponsors to the resolution – not even the full Progressive Caucus, nor the full Congressional Black Caucus have signed on.

Rep. Conyers ended on a high note – the people did it during the Vietnam War, the people will do it again.

Further Information:

Resolution Calling for Withdrawal, HR 35 http://democracyrising.us/content/view/177/165/

Institute for Policy Studies http://ips-dc.org/

Iraq Veterans Against the War, http://www.ivaw.net/

---
Kevin Zeese is a director of Democracy Rising. You can comment on this column on his blog spot at DemocracyRising.US.

Email this article to a friend

Don't forget to check out articles from 2007 and 2008

War in Iraq

"White phosphorous: the U.S. used it; the U.S. says it's illegal"
December 28, 2005
David Swanson

"Behind the steel curtain: the real face of the occupation"
December 20, 2005
Sabah Ali

"Waiting is the hardest part"
December 20, 2005
Greg Rollins, CPT

"Scotland: stop the war!"
December 10, 2005
David Swanson

"Not even to save our lives"
December 9, 2005
Mike Ferner

"Inconvenient journalists"
December 1, 2005
Robert C. Koehler, Tribune Media Services

"How pre-war Iraq intel was cooked"
November 24, 2005
Jason Leopold

"Chalabi pushes Iran card in last ditch self-promotion offensive"
November 16, 2005
The Insitute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution

"Staying a wrong course"
October 17, 2005
Stephen Crockett

"US war photos"
October 16, 2005
Richard S. Ehrlich

"Banging at the gates of empire -- Washington, DC; September 24-26"
October 6, 2005
Peter Chabarek

"What Else Shall We Do?"
October 2, 2005
Mike Ferner

"Will we use the power we have on September 24?"
September 21, 2005
Mike Ferner

"The war in Iraq is increasingly unpopular and must end -- An interview with Dennis Kucinich"
September 8, 2005
Kevin Zeese, DemocracyRising.US

"What eating Cindy Sheehan?"
September 8, 2005
Jason Leopold

"Waiting for the outside world"
September 4, 2005
Mike Ferner

"Families ask that fallen soldiers be honored Sunday by a tolling of bells"
August 27, 2005
Faithful America, National Council of Churches

"Making the Iraq War and Occupation Personal"
August 25, 2005
Ralph Nader

"President Bush Knows the True Reasons He Started A War in Iraq, But He's Not Going to Tell"
August 25, 2005
Jason Leopold

"Armstrong bikes with president over Sheehan grave"
August 25, 2005
Greg Palast

"Sheehan breakthroughs, unbridgeable divides, and taboos unbroken"
August 22, 2005
David Swanson

"The people must demand peace: An interview with Tom Hayden"
August 22, 2005
Kevin Zeese

"Will celebrity-addicted America miss the point? "
August 18, 2005
Mike Ferner

"Jefferson would have stood with Cindy Sheehan "
August 16, 2005
Thom Hartmann

"Why is violence escalating in Iraq?"
August 1, 2005
Eric Straatsma, Peace Think Tank

"How the United States Marked the 3rd Anniversary of the Downing Street Memo"
July 23, 2005
David Swanson, www.afterdowningstreet.org

"Someone Tell Bush That Iraq Wasn’t Responsible for 9/11 Before another War Breaks Out"
June 21, 2005
Jason Leopold

"More damning than Downing Street"
June 21, 2005
Paul Rogat Loeb

"Messengers of Truth: Untangling a Knot of Lies"
June 18, 2005
Kevin Zeese

"How Much Proof Needed Before the Truth Comes Out? "
June 17, 2005
Kevin Zeese

"Silent Death in Iraq "
June 13, 2005
Ghazwan Al-Mukhtar

"Media Black Out Downing Street Minutes"
June 8, 2005
David Swanson, www.afterdowningstreet.org

"Getting Out of Iraq Will Be Tougher than Getting Out of Vietnam"
May 3, 2005
Kevin Zeese and Linda Schade

"No Troops, No Wars"
March 24, 2005
Yoshie Furuhashi

"Iraq’s Election Will Not Guarantee Democracy"
February 5, 2005
Gene C. Gerard

"The U.S. Supreme Court is AWOL on Iraq"
January 29, 2005
Gene C. Gerard

Read Articles by Year:
2007 2006 2005 2004
2003 2002 2001 2000