Cop The Truth: 15 Questions with Ranger and Special Operations legend, Col. Keith Nightingale

With everything going on in Iraq and the Global War on Terror (GWoT), I wanted to get the impressions of an expert whose opinion I trusted. So, I chose the finest officer and warrior (and my former commander) I've ever known, Colonel Keith Nightingale (Retired).

Background: Col. Nightingale is a retired Army Colonel who served two tours in Vietnam with Airborne and Ranger (American and Vietnamese) units. He commanded airborne battalions in both the 509th and the 82nd Airborne. He later commanded both the 1/75th Rangers and the Ranger Brigade. He was a member of the Iran rescue attempt in 1981 and served with several classified organizations. He was the assault force commander in both Grenada and Panama and managed the DOD Counter-drug support operations in Latin America. He has been a CNN analyst for several military actions, including the first Gulf War. He is currently the Corporate Vice President for International Business for a Fortune 500 company. And he picks great wine with dinner!

My interview with him is after the jump.

CopTheTruth (CTT): The president recently announced a troop surge to the tune of 20,000+ troops. Do you agree with his decision?

Col. Nightingale: I agree provided their application has been thought out (what will they be doing and why?) and their intent is to create the conditions for the Iraqi’s to fix their mess. Their use MUST come with clear quid pro quo’s from the GOI to take advantage of the conditions they (US forces) create. The Iraqi police and military must develop a secular-neutral agenda and the government must crackdown on the various militias. A revenue sharing agreement must be reached with the Sunni’s. If Maliki isn’t willing to do this, the surge is a waste of talent.

CTT: What is your definition/vision of victory in Iraq? Is victory even possible there anymore?

Col. Nightingale: Victory is our ability to leave Iraq and have a government that can reasonably secure its interior and permit a reasonable democracy and open commerce to persevere. This is possible-but only if the Iraqi government can enforce its authority over the various factions and internally compromise its agendas on behalf of Iraq as a whole.

CTT: Do you think the current rules of engagement (ROE's) in Iraq (for our troops) are appropriate for the current situation or should they be modified?

Col. Nightingale: The ROE is fine. Small unit leadership is, as always, the key. In every single instance of publicly known failures, there has been a sergeant in charge. Concurrently, for every successful application of the ROE, an NCO was in charge.

CTT: You were Gen. (then 2Lt.) Petraeus in the 509th in Italy. What do you think of him taking over in Iraq? Is he the right man for the job?

Col. Nightingale: Dave is the best man we have bar none. He has a very open mind, is creative and not hampered by preconceived models. He absolutely understands asymmetrical warfare which is what Iraq is all about. The issue is if the Iraqi’s can rise to the occasion and take advantage of the conditions he creates. In time, he will be the Chairman of the JCS and should be.

CTT: The president has set a deadline for the Iraqis to take over control of their country by November. Do you think that is reasonable and/or possible?

Col. Nightingale: November is realistically impossible but we will go through cosmetic formalities. By December, we should know if Gen Petraeus’ approach is working and if the Iraqi’s can work together. We will have a token pullout by then with major pullouts by June 2008. If the Iraqi’s can’t manage it by June 2008, they never will and we will retreat into some form of tri-partite federation.

CTT: What do you think will happen if the U.S. pulls out of Iraq before a stable government is in place? How will our allies like Britain and Australia react?

Col. Nightingale: The UK and Australia are staunch allies. If we bail without a good outcome in Iraq, it will be extremely embarrassing to all of us. We will not be able to count on them in the future which could be disasterous.

CTT: You were a war analyst for CNN. Do you think that the media has/is potrayed/ing the situation in Iraq fairly and accurately?

Col. Nightingale: No. The media is fixated on “if it bleeds, it leads” and pursuing editorial agendas. The BBC is very balanced, CNN and the NYT are not. McNeal-Lehrer Report is xlnt but you actually have to watch it and think-not strongpoints for our populace. 90% of Iraq is having a quality, productive experience, 10% is utter chaos. Guess what’s reported?

CTT: You served in Korea, what do you think of the current situation with the North Koreans?

Col. Nightingale: This is a strategic Kabuki dance and not a real threat. The Chinese will not allow NK to get us to a point of warfare.

CTT: What about Syria and Iran? Should we engage them in dialog? Encourage the Saudis and Israelis to deal with it by force? Use our own military force?

Col. Nightingale: Politically, absent a major overt provocation, the U.S. cannot strike either Syria or Iran. If either does something stupid, bets are off and we could-depending on who is President. We have to engage both and insure we mean business. However, the undercutting of the Administration in Iraq greatly reduces our leverage.

CTT: Do you think that the American people have the fortitude for a prolonged effort in the GWoT? Do you think that the average American understands what is at stake? Or how the Jihadists think and feel about us?

Col. Nightingale: No. I am pessimistic regarding our ability to do anything on a patient scale. This is a very long term engagement and absent a major disaster/explosion/imposition, we will lose interest. Our people understand intuitively what’s at stake but forget without having blood spilled or significant inconveniences.

CTT: You do a lot of traveling around the world. How do people in other countries see America/Americans and our efforts in the GWoT?

Col. Nightingale: The largest single issue I perceive in my Middle East travels is the Israel-Palestine issue. Until this is favorably resolved, no real progress will be achieved. Palestine must become a viable, independent nation before we can overcome our image in the region. Jimmy Carter was right but that’s not PC.

CTT: The Marines and Army have announced that they will significantly increase the size of their respective forces. Given the current situation in America, is that possible without a draft? Without lowering entrance requirements? Do you foresee a draft as inevitable?

Col. Nightingale: The suggested numbers are small enough that voluntarism can probably fill the void. On a personal basis, I strongly favor a universal draft where ever HS grad does 2 years of work for a National good-hospitals, forest service, Peace Corps, Military whatever. WE owe ourselves a lot, we should have a payback capability. I joined a draft army; it had a lot of positive benefits. I hate deferments and would support only very limited exemptions, college not being one.

CTT: Do you think that the suggestion that Special Operations Forces (SOF) forces take over the GWoT is the right one?

Col. Nightingale: GWOT is an all-encompassing issue. SOF must play a leading military part but certainly not alone. GWOT requires huge non-combat engagement-perception management, reconstruction, economic development, education, democratization, health care etc. as the foundations. When DOD is engaged, it is either because the plan has failed or force is necessary to establish developmental conditions. SOF is invaluable in strike ops as it is low profile, very surgical and can be well-focussed.

CTT: Do you agree/disagree with the opinion that we are already fully engaged in WWIII? Some epochal struggle that will effect the U.S./world for decades to come?

Col. Nightingale: Yes. GWOT is the warfare model for the foreseeable future. Our ability to fight successfully depends on the ability of our institutions to recognize this and move beyond their present force projection models. We must be able to competitively play in GWOT while retaining traditional capabilities to fight traditional nation-stated wars e.g. China.

CTT: What bit of advice would you give to the president as he considers the "big picture" of America's future as it pertains to terrorism?

Col. Nightingale: I believe the voters want a better strategy for Iraq, not a precipitate withdrawal as argued by the Dems. The “surge” provides that potential, but only if clearly utilized as a piece of assymetrical warfare and with milestones clearly outlined to the GOI. The GWOT is a long term proposition, the President must educate us and effectively communicate. We must be led as we will not blindly follow.

My sincere thanks to Col. Nightingale for taking the time to visit with me. It's not everyday that you get to visit with a true American hero.