Below is a draft of a letter I will send to my Republican Congressman. There is nothing in it that I don’t believe would not be just as useful with a Democratic Congressman, a Senator or a local newspaper.
I share this draft with you and invite comments. I may not use what you contribute but that does not mean I don’t think what you have to say is valid. I invite you to write your own letter. Please feel free to use what I have to say if it helps you find your own words.
I am a voter in your District and I expect you to consider the troop "surge" into Iraq on military terms and not just political terms.
It is impossible to conceive of how it can be correct to send overused or underprepared troops unless either victory or defeat is imminent. The rising level of violence, the effectiveness of the attacks and the growing American casualties show that we are not about to achieve military victory. On the other hand, our military is not in danger of being defeated where it stands. A growth in our troop commitment under the present conditions is simply not logical militarily.
It is impossible to conceive of how it can be correct to place our armed forces in between opponents who are prepared to attack us first before continuing their civil war. The two major sectarian groups in Iraq both have forces that attack our troops. We do not have a large, consistently effective and stable ally in this fight. Our troops believe they are training and equipping the very people who are attacking them.
It is impossible to conceive of how it can be correct to place our armed forces in between opponents who are becoming stronger through financial and material support from outside countries unless we are prepared to try to destroy one or the other. There is no successful military precedent to place an army in between enemy forces unless such an operation is planned. Such an attempt would invite increased support for the attacked side, possible direct intervention from the outside countries and increased American casualties as the war expands.
It is impossible to conceive of how it can be correct to increase our troops and commitment in Iraq at a time when our military is unprepared to meet another threat. Our armed forces are not the size they were to fight World War II, Korea and Vietnam. We do not have the reserves of soldiers and equipment presently prepared to defend us outside of the Iraq conflict. It is debatable whether we are currently vulnerable. If we heighten our commitment to the Iraq War, we will surely be so. It is unconceivable for our government to allow this to happen.
It is impossible to conceive of how it can be correct to continue this war without a consistently effective supply apparatus here at home. Our troops need equipment, armaments, spare parts and upgrades in Iraq. Our troops still at home need to be fully refitted before they can be effectively deployed. Military doctrine in the United States since our own civil war has been based upon arming our troops beyond their immediate needs and at a consistently higher level than their opponents. The fact that the United States is currently unable to meet the needs of its military in combat is a sign of either incompetence or corruption. As a voter in your District, I expect you to take a leadership role in remedying this situation before any possible growth in our troop commitment. I expect you to investigate, and inform the public, why this situation was allowed to occur.