Iraq and Vietnam

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

“We’ve asked this question in these columns before, but, with the withdrawal of the last combat brigade from Iraq in the news this week, we’re inclined to ask it again: When the 94thUnited States Congress betrayed Free Vietnam and cut off all funding for the war there, how many American combat troops were in the embattled Southeast Asian nation?”

* * *

That was the way we posed the question in August 2010, when President Obama ordered the final American withdrawal from Iraq. The answer was that there were no combat troops left in Vietnam when Congress cut off military aid for the free South Vietnamese regime. It turns out the anti-war movement wasn’t about saving American GIs. It was about handing Vietnam to the communists. Congress cut off military aid to Vietnam in the face of pleas from our allies for weapons, supplies, and air strikes. Congress’s refusal to do so precipitated the rout that ended with the Reds sweeping into Saigon and helicopters lifting our diplomatic personnel from the roof of the American embassy.

The image of those helicopters is being evoked this morning in an editorial — “The Iraq Debacle” — in the Wall Street Journal, which announced its preparedness, which we share, to support an American intervention to help defend the free Iraqi government. It is that or we face the danger of an oil rich caliphate emerging in Iraq to serve as a base from which terrorists can fan out against our allies and America. This time, though, the situation is different. In 1975, we had an American administration, led by President Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger, with a clear vision of the consequences of the catastrophe about to unfold. They — we — lost, but they tried desperately to save the day.

Where is the leadership today? Where is the historical understanding? Where is the clarity of vision? The administration today is paralyzed. As the administration in 2010 was pulling out of Iraq, the Weekly Standard reminded its readers yesterday, Vice President Biden, was rattling on about how he’d been to Iraq 17 times was “very optimistic” and “impressed” with how the Iraqis “have been deciding to use the political process rather than guns to settle their differences.” The New York Post this morning quotes Secretary of State Clinton as warning in 2011 that “no one” should “miscalculate about our continuing commitment to and with the Iraqis going forward.” Where is she now?

Neither, though are we seeing leadership from the Congress. This is a moment of truth not only for the administration but also for the Republicans. Is the libertarian wing of the party going to stand aside and watch as the army of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham marches on Baghdad? Are we going to leave the defense of Free Iraq to the Iranians? President George W. Bush understood the similarities between Iraq and Vietnam. “Then as now, people argued that the real problem was America’s presence and that if we would just withdraw, the killing would end,” he once said in a speech urging his countrymen to stick with the Battle of Iraq.

Well, the lesson of Vietnam was that the killing didn’t stop. It but began. Mr. Bush understood exactly. He delivered that speech in 2007, as an oblivious young community-organizer-turned-senator was gearing up for one of the most improbable presidential runs in history. It may be that the events unfolding now in Iraq produce a “new Obama” the way, say, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan suddenly awakened President Carter. The Georgian awoke too late. We’d like to think it’s not too late for Mr. Obama to make a move in Iraq, but it’s clear from the wires that events are moving fast. As they were at 39 years ago at Vietnam.


The New York Sun

© 2024 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use