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February 20, 2007
Are We Winning In Iraq?
Grim at BlackFive says that contrary to common lack of wisdom wisdom, we're winning this war - as long as we don't surrender and walk away. As an example, he points to Anbar and links to Belmont Club's piece that suggests the real lesson of Anbar is to let men on the ground do what they think is right.
First: apparently the Anbar tribes have quit "playing both sides" and come down on the side of the US. What does that suggest about who tribes think is going to win? And why do they think that? Another commenter at Small Wars Council shrewdly understands, from the apparent progress in Anbar, that the correct interpretation of "changing the rules of engagement" doesn't mean "taking the gloves off" but increasing the degrees of freedom that the commanders in the field are allowed to exercise.Catch Grimm's Falujah example and commentary here.
From what I hear from Iraq, lessons learned in Anbar, Fallujah, and elsewhere are being applied in Baghdad. This thing in Iraq is far from over, but patience is now needed on the part of us at home while giving our troops in Iraq the personnel and tools of war they need to finish the job we started. America is the most powerful fighting force in the world and can only be defeated by itself. The "Jihad Jack" John Murthas, "any plan but Bush's" Nancy Pelosis, and "kiss a terrorist for me" Harry Reids, along with their liberal friends, are the enemy of success in Iraq as much as the jihadists, insurgents, and Iranians. We need to make corrections, yes, but we need to maintain the will to win as well.
Are we winning in Iraq? We're not only the judge of whether or not we're winning, we are also the reason for winning or loosing there. It's up to us, not the enemy.
Post script: My son returns from Iraq in 3 days. This has been his fourth time there. He has already volunteered to go back, again, in 30 - 60 days. My son has always been a winner, so his plans to go back tell me a lot about our chances for winning in Iraq. Equally good news is that so many other sons are doing the same thing.
Posted by Richard at February 20, 2007 9:30 AM
