For some reason, this wouldn't fit above. (Maybe there's a space limit on editorial rebuttals.) I thought it was relevant.

Quote Originally Posted by SWJ Blog
Unless there was some backdoor dialogue occurring that we are not privy too, it appears Sanchez did not have a problem with the U.S. strategy at that time
He wasn’t the only one.

"]PBS Dec 04

COL. THOMAS HAMMES: I think one of the problems has been our failure to properly man the training staffs. Gen. Petreus was sent in, in March 2004 with the idea of taking over training of all the security services.


Vice President Dick Cheney, at a campaign debate 2004, expressed confidence in the new Iraqi government and in Iraqi forces.
VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY: We also are actively, rapidly training Iraqis to take on the security responsibility. Those two steps are crucial to success in Iraq. They're well in hand, well under way, and I'm confident that in fact we'll get the job done.
Dec 24, 2004
LT. GEN. JOHN SATTLER: We feel right now that we have, as I mentioned, broken the back of the insurgency and we have taken away this safe haven.

"CPA Press Conference Nov 19 2003

Q Steve Komarow with USA Today. A lot of these targets have been show-of-force sort of things, empty buildings, that sort of thing. Can you give me a historical precedent where such shows of force have resulted in an insurrection like this being ended?

GEN. KIMMITT: I can show you plenty of historical examples that when you have defeated an enemy, and you've taken away his resources and you've taken away his will to fight, that insurgency has collapsed. That fight has collapsed.