opa-opines.net

Little time has passed since the election and powerful issues are begging for attention.

The war is marching into a unique stage. Recently Iraq agreed to a “status of forces” compromise that will quickly move US troops out of combat and into enclaves, subject to the will of the Iraqi government. Afghanistan, noting the agreed withdrawal in Iraq, wants to negotiate the withdrawal of American forces. This is huge change in the war picture.

Iraq is an immediate problem for the new administration. The proposed status of forces agreement contains several unacceptable conditions: Iraqi government approval for operations outside U.S. enclaves; searching incoming supply packages and checking personal mail; and making American civilian contractors subject to Iraqi law. I can see the Iraqi politician’s point of view concerning US military activities, but a politically restricted army is very vulnerable. Bush, who has spoken against any time line for disengaging from Iraq, has suddenly taken an unfortunate reversal.

Inspecting a soldier’s personal mail violates his privacy rights. In previous wars it was common for our intelligence agencies to censor private mail to avoid a soldier unconsciencely compromising security by revealing operational data. Our soldiers complained, but accepted the practice since they knew the importance of security. Having a foreign government censor the mail is without justification.

Making civil contractors subject to Iraq law is a mistake. Because if our military restructuring since 1990s, we are dependent on civilian contractors for supply, providing meals, and transportation. Security of our diplomatic agencies has been outsourced to civilian contractors. If a terrorist attacks our Ambassadors. We cannot adequately protect such civilians without freedom of action – without fear of being arrested for using forceful techniques.

If our new administration is stuck with such an agreement, I believe we should quickly remove our forces from these countries.