December 20, 2004

CUTTING THE GORDIAN KNOT IN IRAQ

In 333 BC, Alexander the Great, on his march through Anatolia, reached Gordium, the capital of Phrygia. There he was shown the chariot of the ancient founder of the city, Gordius, with its yoke lashed to the pole by means of an intricate knot with its end hidden. According to tradition, this knot was to be untied only by the future conqueror of Asia. In the popular account, Alexander sliced through the knot with his sword. The phrase “cutting the Gordian knot” has thus come to denote a bold solution to a complicated problem.

It sometimes happens in the course of history that events overtake our original goals. Horsefeathers believes that this has happened in Iraq. America has given the gift of freedom to two thirds of Iraq. And it is clear that the other third does not want what we have to give.

Instead of getting into an increasingly tangled web of cultural and tribal warfare, the time has come to cut the Gordian knot, to simplify our policy. There are those in Iraq who wish to work with America and those who don’t. We should accept the political realities and allow modern Iraq to become three separate states as they would have become before Britain and France started meddling in the Middle East after World War I.

If the Shias and the Kurds were to assume the responsibility for their own protection on the ground, the likelihood is that their motivation for developing their own effective militia would be greatly increased. If they wished, we could go on arming and training them. This would reduce U.S. casualties and at the same time fulfill the promise we made not to abandon them.

Apparently Kurdish Iraq and Shiite Iraq are willing to take one or two steps in the direction of Western political values and would work with us. That in itself would be a remarkable accomplishment. Leave the Sunni triangle and Baghdad to the Sunnis and if it becomes a terrorist hangout, all the better. We can use it as a constant target for special ops and air strikes from bases in Kurdish or Shiite areas. And, in the bargain, develop an extensive intelligence network made up of Arab speaking agents who would like to get rich working for Uncle Sam.