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Leatherneck Exclusive Interview
The 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James T. Conway, recently sat down with Leatherneck to update our readers on the current status of the Corps and his focus of effort in the coming months.
Just six months into his new duties, his two combat tours as the Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force have served the Corps very well. Gen Conway entered the office with a series of objectives, which he clearly presented to all Marines in his "34th Commandant of the Marine Corps Commandant's Planning Guidance" (published in the January 2007 Leatherneck), and he's moving rapidly within the Marine Corps as well as in the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill, gaining support for his programs.
Leatherneck: Do you think the term "the long war" adequately describes the struggle this nation faces in the war against terrorism?
General James T. Conway: I like it a lot. "The long war" characterizes what we're truly going to face. I believe Afghanistan and Iraq are not wars. They are the first battles of what's going to be a very long war. Like any war, if you win the first battles, the war is shorter. If you lose, the war is longer and more difficult. We need to gauge our actions with a long view, not toward what's happening today, or next week or in November 2008. This is a generational struggle. Looking at previous jihads, that's been the norm.
Leatherneck: How are we faring in these first battles?
Gen Conway: I won't use the term win, because Iraq and Afghanistan are sovereign nations and they will win or lose. We will succeed or fail. For us to succeed, the U.S. government, not just the U.S. military, needs to ensure the moderates prosper in the region so they can get control of the extremists.
Leatherneck: You've had more experience fighting in the Middle East with knowledge of the "big picture" than any Marine. Tell us about the enemy our nation is facing.
Gen Conway: The al-Qaida is the core element and the real problem maker. These bad guys started the war with us back on 9/11 with a 4-to-5 phase strategy. We've intercepted it and it's on Web sites. While no longer a...