If sailing our fleet into the Persian Gulf was stupid, keeping them there is positively idiotic. Just because we are a superpower does not mean that we must perpetuate our mistakes.
Jumping into the middle of the Iran-Iraqi war is just one more example of our government’s habit of wandering into a barroom brawl and trying to fight while carefully holding one pinky up in the air.
Putting U.S. flags on Kuwaiti oil tankers makes about as much sense as making Poland our 5lst state. This whole scheme is reminiscent of the great victory of our Marines in Beirut in l983. In Beirut, having our Marines standing tall – albeit with unloaded guns and a dozen other restrictions on their self-defense – was supposed to bring peace to Lebanon. As long as only a few Marines were killed each week, the absurdity was tolerable. But, after a truck bomb blew up the Marine barracks and killed over 200 Americans, the U.S. withdrew.
Kuwait is one of the richest nation in the world, and could afford to almost buy the the U.S. Seventh Fleet and provide its own protection. This is like the government providing free limo service to all the millionaires in New York City.
Why intervene in a fight between two anti-American governments? As one Washington foreign policy expert said, “The ideal situation for Americans would be for the last Iraqi to kill the last Iranian.” [cringe 2020]
If the re-flagging is a “success,” we have spent several hundred millions dollars (bare minimum) in order to bolster Kuwaiti oil profits. And if the re-flagging is a failure, we end up in a pointless war with a nation that just bought many nice American missiles.
If we fight Iran and win, the Iranians will go running to the Soviets – and Soviet influence in the Persian gulf will soar. And if we lose…. we lose.
It is said that if we leave the Gulf without blowing up a few Iranians, Mideast governments will not think well of us. Every government in the Mideast has frequently disregarded or subverted U.S. interests. Why should we sacrifice our vital interests for their erratic opinions?
Iran is more of a pesky mosquito than a vital threat to the U.S. If the Iranians actually shut down the Strait of Hormuz, then the U.S. and other western powers can conduct a surgical bombing run. Until then, the best thing to do is to let Iran and Iraq continue to reap the rewards of their own knavishness.
The key question is: how does this escapade affect our ability for national defense? The preeminent threat to national security continues to be the Soviet Union. Would getting enmired in a conflict with millions of religious fanatics increase or decrease the Pentagon’s ability to defend against a Russian attack?
This is not our war, and there is no profit in U.S. intervention. The U.S. fleet should declare victory and withdraw.++++
