A Better Strategy For Iraq

4 Nov. Washington Times Op-Ed piece - A Better Strategy For Iraq. Excerpt follows:

"It's a telling fact that the hot book among Iraq strategists this season is 'A Better War,' an upbeat account of American counterinsurgency policy in the last years of the Vietnam conflict. I noticed that the head of Central Command, Gen. John Abizaid, was reading it when I traveled with him in September. The influential State Department counselor Philip Zelikow read the book earlier this year. And I'm told it can be found on the bookshelves of senior military officers in Baghdad."

"Perhaps it's a measure of just how badly things are going in Iraq that the strategists are looking to Vietnam for models of success. But it's interesting that the Iraq team, like its predecessors in Vietnam 35 years ago, is getting serious about counterinsurgency doctrine after making costly initial mistakes..."

Regardless of the good parts of the Viet Nam conflict, I'd like to quote a Colonel on a different messageboard: "Counter insurgency isn't so much about lessons learned as it is mistakes revisited."

I think what he meant was that you deal with the problems, not just solutions, and that they tend to repeat themselves. Therefore you should keep them in mind.

(not saying the strategy suggested is a bad one)

Martin

11 Nov. Washington Post: Calls for Shift in Iraq Strategy Growing. Excerpt follows:

"A growing number of U.S. lawmakers and defense experts are urging a shift in U.S. military strategy in Iraq that would focus less on trying to secure the whole country and more on shoring up protection of major population centers."

"The arguments for change arise from concern that U.S. and Iraqi forces lack the numbers still to combat insurgents everywhere and that enemy fighters have continued to show a disturbing ability to cause significant casualties in major Iraqi cities that by now should have become safe zones..."