Ministry of Truth Declaration: Combat is Assistance

American troops on an Iraqi Army base in Baghdad laid down heavy “assistance” fire with their “assistance” M4’s last week. Despite Barack Obama’s stone-faced declaration that US military forces in Iraq are not actually “combat” troops, our combat troops did what they do best–engaged in combat with the enemy.Linguistic parlor games are probably amusing in the Harvard Law Review lounge. Young Barack (Have you heard? He’s the most intelligent editor ever!) likely engaged in heavy rhetorical combat with his peers and betters in the academy. His University of Chicago law classes are said to have been heavy on verbal class warfare, and tongue-lashing of American oppressors.

While it may have earned him brownie points at Columbia, in Chicago and at Cambridge, the young President’s latest rhetorical sophistry is a deadly piece of self-delusion. His word games blatantly disrespect the real combat troops who are in Iraq, engaging in, or under constant threat of, combat. Under his putative command, these troops saw their unit names change overnight, magically creating Assist troops out of combat troops.

According to a reliable source, currently serving in Baghdad, soldiers there joke that the M1A1 is now the Main “Assist” Tank. Its 120mm gun is notorious for the assistance it provides. While grunts have always been cynical and are champion complainers, the blatant word games played by their commander-in-chief are sticking in the dog-faces’ craws.

The source is currently engaged in infantry-to-infantry training of the Iraqi Army. He reports that from the perspective on the ground in Iraq, it appears they are re-living Vietnam, but this time in reverse. American involvement in Vietnam began with an advise and assist mission, and worked up to massive combat, prior to an ignominious, politically charged withdrawal. Now the Army is reliving that process backwards. From a massive combat mission, with no holds barred, to advise and assist, followed by an ignominious, politically charged withdrawal–it’s déjà vu from ’72.

With no workable government in sight, separatist sentiments growing in at least three enclaves, and weak-kneed counter-factual political pronouncements from the clique in Washington, the future is none too bright for Iraq. In the meantime, the future is clouded and dangerous for our “Assist” troops in Iraq.

Would that we had a real commander-in-chief who could call on experience outside of the faculty lounge, the grad student gab-fest, or a campaign rally to inform his decisions. Lives are at stake. American honor is on the line. Yet liberal Newspeak emanates from the White House. What next? War is Peace? Ignorance is Strength? Where’s the Ministry of Truth when you really need it?