The Miller Center hosted a talk by Lieut. General R. Steven Whitcomb, who commands the Third Army, U.S. Army based in Kuwait. The address was part of a week-long forum series on the intricacies of the conflict in the Middle East.
Whitcomb worked with CENTCOM (Center Command)---the military organization that oversees the area from Kenya to Kazakhstan--during Operation Iraqi Freedom and in his talk provided insight into why he thinks this conflict is going to be part of a "long war."
Assistant Director of the Miller Center George Gilliam introduced Whitcomb saying that he was here as an authority and a university alumnus for only a week, but he fit in well with the week-long forum series.
Whitcomb contrasted the current war on terrorism with previous wars and world conflicts.
Enemies from the World Wars and the Cold War came from government-run countries, and despite the ravages of international war there used to be some standards of conduct.
However, this is not the case anymore, Whitcomb said.
Today, terrorist organizations that are very financially stable can behave like governments, Whitcomb said.
The modern terrorist threat is one that is educated, extremely "media savvy," and is built on disenfranchised citizens, he added.
There are many ways of tackling the issues that afflict the Middle East, and many don't involve the military, he said. The war "is not just a military fight."
People have become accustomed to seeing military figures as the only authorities on conflicts in the region, but many others are also making valuable contributions, Whitcomb said. Whitcomb emphasized the role of individuals working to curb the flow of terrorist finances, saying that much work still needs to be done to limit the financing and money laundering that is funding terrorist organizations.
"To fix a country requires all our agencies and the international community," Whitcomb said.
Another characteristic of the war on terrorism, Whitcomb pointed out, is that it is not fought with the same directness as past wars.
The terrorist enemies know that they cannot defeat us on the battlefield, so they will "attempt to break our will," Whitcomb said.
The U.S. maintaining a resolve to endure the war is of the utmost importance to winning, Whitcomb said.
"This is going to be a long fight that we can't afford to lose," Whitcomb said. "We've done a good job planting the seeds" but there is still work to be done, he said.
It is important to establish governments that recognize and respect the freedom of their people, Whitcomb said.
However, he said, there will be no single moment in which victory is achieved. It is a gradual process in which the people will slowly be able to "exercise confidence in their governments."
Whitcomb pointed out that all of this is working toward building a safer world for everyone, including the people that live in the CENTCOM region.
Whitcomb said coming to the Miller Center was important because people so rarely have the opportunity to engage in substantive dialogue about important issues.
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