How will we know when (if) we have "won" in Iraq?
I'm asked this question all the time and I'm not sure how to respond. So, I'd like to ask the membership. How do we determine we have "won" in Iraq?
I tell them that it will be a gradual process and that we won't "win" in the classic military sense. That if we are successful the insurgency will lose it's momentum and slowly fizzle out. But I'm not able to come up with a satisfactory answer to the question, even for myself.
How do we know if we have "won?"
Clear and achievable objectives needed
The President's stated objective is to develop a secure, stable, and democratic Iraq, so anything less that would be short of a victory. I think most of us realize that if this is even achievable it is several years down the road. The same holds true for Afghanistan. Maybe we need to swallow our pride a little and get off the democracy kick, and simply put in an "effective" government that will deny these areas to terrorists and provide some level of security and economic viability for its people.
A lot of folks were very critical of Collin Powell and his Powell doctrine, but I think (hope) their opinions have softened. There are definite limits to what the military can accomplish, thus the the absolute importance of defining clear and achievable military objectives prior to committing military force. The failure to do so indicates that we committed our natural treasure on lofty ideas vice a well thought out strategy.
Look beyond Iraq at the Global War on terror and try to articulate what victory looks like. If you can't do that, is it possible to develop a strategy?