In a sharp criticism of our war against ISIS, U.S. congressman and former Navy SEAL Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) told The Hill in an article published on Sunday that while Putin drops bombs on ISIS, the United States "drops leaflets."
Rep. Zinke was discussing his role in Wreaths Across America, a program to put Christmas wreaths on the graves of service members, and spoke briefly about foreign policy. His is not an uninformed position, nor one safe from risk to his own family.
He is a retired Navy SEAL commander and an Iraq War veteran, with more than 23 years of service and a half-dozen deployments under his belt. As a former unit commander, he feels a strong sense of duty to honor those who have served.
Zinke's own son-in-law — also a Navy SEAL — just deployed overseas for his ninth or tenth deployment, and his daughter is a reserve Navy diver. He feels it's necessary to support not only the troops, but their families as well.
Seeing the rows upon rows of gravestones at Section 60 — for those who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan — he thought of the young men and women who've sacrificed their lives, their future families and their future children.
"We often fight wars with our young," Zinke said. "That's the sacrifice."
It is not a solitary criticism. Many voices, particularly among the community of veterans and retirees, speak of the ineffectiveness of Obama's campaign in Syria and Iraq. One familiar criticism to anyone familiar with the military is the restrictive rules.
Zinke does not necessarily recommend sending more U.S. ground troops to Iraq or Syria, as some other critics have suggested, but would loosen what he says are overly restrictive rules of engagement in the war for the 3,500-plus U.S. troops in Iraq who are now fighting it.
He said ISIS is aware of the U.S.'s rules of engagement, and their fighters know how to avoid getting hit. That combined with having to get Iraq's permission before engaging targets is making it easier for ISIS fighters to get away.
Overly restrictive rules of engagement have been a source of criticism in Afghanistan and Iraq in the past as well.
The Congressman had more to say that is worth reading in the article at The Hill. But the closing line is the one with the most bite. It highlights the difference between someone playing to win, and someone just trying to get a participation trophy.
"Putin drops bombs. We drop leaflets."
