Stanza 171


171

"But since they cannot count on the police
Or army for security and peace
They welcome fighters willing to protect
Them from the threat of any hostile sect,
Whose armed militias justify attacks
As vengeance for some prior bloody acts.
But terrorists would not find shelter here
If our own forces work to engineer
Solutions to the problems people face.
And we must recognize we can not base
Our strategies on how we understand
The world. Our operations must be planned
So they're aligned with the Iraqi views.
The general believes that we confuse
The people here so that they think our goal
Is hostile to them. To regain control
The CINC requires that every officer
Complete a reading list that he is sure
Will shift their thinking. Paradoxically,
Fighting will not bring us victory.