Max Boot Compares Walled Baghdad Neighborhoods To American Gated Communties

Max Boot Compares Walled Baghdad Neighborhoods To American Gated Communties

Today, Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Max Boot continued to cheerlead for the “success” of the surge in Iraq in an online debate. Boot insisted that Iraq has met two-thirds of the original 18 benchmarks, that the government’s offensive in Basra was successful, and that the so-called Sons of Iraq will always remain loyal to the Shiite-controlled Iraqi state.

Boot concluded by conceding that there are walls separating Sunni neighborhoods from Shia, but dismissed the fact by stating simply that “there are walls around many gated communities in the U.S. too”:

"It’s true that there are walls around Dora and other Baghdad neighborhoods. … But then there are walls around many gated communities in the U.S. too. The walls per se are not evidence of reconciliation, I’ll grant you that. But nor are they evidence that reconciliation is impossible. They are one of the important security measures implemented in the past year that is reducing violence and making possible political progress—which is real, whether you admit it or not."

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http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/07/boot-gated-communities/

Which of those communities do the "gated communities" of Baghdad most resemble?

strategy that has worked well in other parts of Iraq. The military knows it is not good for PR but the fact is it works and the Iraqis in the end feel safer once these walls go up and coalition troops move and take up residence in their neighborhood. This has worked in places like Ramadi and Fallujah.

Counter insurgency operations (COIN) have three phases: 1. Clear 2. Hold 3. Rebuild.

In an urban area, the walls surrounding neighborhoods allow US and Iraqi forces to hold the area start rebuilding the area after clearing it. Without the walled barriers, most of the soldier's time would be spent re-clearing the same areas if there were no barrier or check points to movement in and out of neighborhoods. Once the area is cleared, soldier (Iraqi and US) sent up check points that control the flow of traffic in and out of the neighborhood.

By controlling the where people can come in and out of neighborhoods, it allows the US and Iraqis to work with the locals to ensure that anyone coming in or out of a neighborhood is suppose to be there. It also gives most residents a sense of security because they don't have to worry about reprisals if there are soldiers patrolling the neighborhood at all hours. The evidence also shows that residents are much more willing to finger insurgents and work with soldiers when they are living in the same neighborhood.

Of course the brilliant people who came up with that idea were hanged.

Don

You are comparing the actions of US soldiers in Iraq today to what the Nazis did to the Jews?

There is little doubt of that.

The soldiers and mercenaries volunteering to carry out those orders will have to live with that.

Don