Comments on: Iraq – Bush Visit – What if it Works?

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 22:50:17 +0000

Michael, you’re welcome … your blog is an interesting read.

Macswain, “success” might be too strong a word if we are looking for utopia, but in measuring it against the situation just a year ago, improvement, at least, is certainly welcome. I will agree that we pursued failed policies far too long … over three years … allowing the situation there to deteriorate. And when the immediate threat of the foreign terorrists is over, they may return to their old sectarian disputes. But its worth noting that progress has been made with a new strategy, and the province that “is lost” is, like the proverbial gospel singer, “now found.” (Or, whatever the corrollary is in Islam!)

By: Macswain

Macswain — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:48:00 +0000

Anbar’s a success? We spent hundreds of lives and billions of dollars to simply turn it back over to the tribal leaders/warlords that largely controlled it before the war. The attempt to make the Sunnis cow to some fantasized, nonsectarian central government has failed and we are withdrawing.

Now this may be the right thing to do at present. But don’t call it success. We could’ve reached this outcome without ever setting a foot in Anbar.

By: Michael Tedesco

Michael Tedesco — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 18:53:13 +0000

Thanks for the link Frank!