I have to weigh in and say that while risky, the strategy applied in Anbar was and is still brilliant, and also was the ONLY choice. And, the Marines have implemented it with near perfection. Further, I am convinced that had the Brits not intervened in 2004 to fly Sistani back from being treated for health problems to lobby on behalf of Sadr, with Paul Bremer buckling under the political pressure, the Marines would not have been forced to release Sadr, who was in the custody of 3/2 Marines at that time, and the reconcilation situation in Iraq would not be as bad off as it is today.

http://www.captainsjournal.com/2007/...se-of-the-jam/

Concluding, the Shi'a factions are the biggest long to term threat to peace and stability in Iraq. Our leaving Sadr unmolested and the British failure in the Basra province has set up a wing of Iran in Iraq, just like the Hezbollah in Lebanon. The most significant strategic blunder in all of OIF was leaving Sadr alive (along with perhaps failing to excise Badr from the government). We unwittingly set up OIF to fail by believing that a terrorist like Sadr could be entrusted with government of people.