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Public D
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Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:28 pm |
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MikeInGB
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PD, that's a good find. I was pleased to see that he referenced Juan Cole whose blog has become a regular stop for me. This journalist's premise is consistent with what I've learned from friends close to the situation on the ground in Iraq. When I brought up the "success" of the surge recently I was greeted with eye rolls and astonishment of my ignorance. To boil it down very simply: Our enemies are not stupid. They know when to dial down the violence and when to ratchet it up. It usually coincides with our news cycles and public opinion polls but mostly they are working to get us out. If the perception in America is that the surge has worked and we will start bringing troops home then the primary actors play along. There is a definite ebb and flow to the insurgency but there is one constant: Eventually our army will leave but the Iraqi Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds will remain along with the Saudi and Iranian influences that dictate the way the game is currently played.
We would be much better off with a strategy that focused on smaller counterterrorism forces and get the regular army the hell out of there. We are needlessly wasting lives and treasure for a fundamentally flawed strategy. Let the Iraqi's have their power struggle and then manipulate the outcomes through covert action to tip the balance of power in a way that will provide the U.S. with the greatest competitive advantage in the region. Or at least create a cool relationship between Iraq and Iran so the Ayatollah doesn't double his sphere of influence. You know, kind of like we did when Saddam was in power. |
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Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:27 pm |
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