Another War America Won't Win

The U.S. has not had a major military victory since World War II. The Korean "police action" ended in a stalemate; the Viet Nam conflict was a decisive defeat. America's soldiers were driven out of Lebanon and Somalia, and in the First Gulf War the "victory" was incomplete, leading directly to the current Iraq quagmire. The U.S.'s greatest military success in the last 50 years was its victory in the tiny island nation of Grenada.

From the time of Alexander the Great, no military power has been able to conquer the Afghan tribes in their rugged homeland. Before the American invasion, neither the mighty British Empire nor the powerful Soviet Union were able to overcome the challenge of Afghanistan's impassable mountain terrain, inhospitable weather and geographic isolation, which makes it very difficult for an invading army to supply its troops and sustain an occupation. Now, like nations before them, the U.S. finds itself mired in a conflict with no easy way out.

What about Iraq? More than a year ago, Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez, retired commander of coalition troops, gave an assessment that still rings true today. He described the U.S. mission in Iraq as a "nightmare with no end in sight." Sanchez blamed the mess on a misguided, disunited and uncoordinated Washington establishment. Without naming individuals, he criticized the State Department, the National Security Council, Congress, senior military leadership and White House policies. Sanchez admitted making his own mistakes, and said he did not always fully appreciate the side-effects of the military's actions. "There is nothing going on in Washington that would give us hope" that change will occur, Sanchez said. "The American military finds itself in an intractable situation… America has no choice but to continue our efforts in Iraq."

President Obama, who campaigned on a platform of pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq, now says he will need to leave 50,000 troops in the country to "protect American interests" as advisors and trainers for the Iraqi armed forces. But who will protect these 50,000 non-combatant soldiers once American infantry brigades are withdrawn?

When the U.S. lost the Viet Nam war, it was commonly said that America had the ability to win decisively, but lacked the will and unity to do so. Today, in the midst of economic crisis, the U.S. may not even have the resources to win, even if the will and unity were there. Scarcely two decades ago, the U.S. aided Afghan insurgents in their defeat of the Soviet Union's invasion of their country—a defeat which hastened the downfall of the Soviet Empire. Now, American troops have traded places with their Soviet predecessors, and face the potential of a similar fate.

Albert Einstein famously quipped, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result." The governments of this world again and again try to project their military power while ignoring the power of God and His laws. His warning to ancient Israel applies to us today: "And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will break the pride of your power" (Leviticus 26:18-19).

Because, as a nation, the U.S. has turned away from the true worship of God, His word warns of impending humiliation and defeat. Leaving a non-combat force in the mist of one of the most potentially hostile areas in the world is an invitation for a military disaster, unequalled since Pearl Harbor! "If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword" (Revelation 13:9-10). Long ago, God foretold what would happen to the U.S. in its waning days; to learn more, read our informative booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.