Wasn’t it Shineski or someone like that who got fired for bluntly telling Congress that we needed at least 300,000 troops to do the job right? I’m all for toppling some of these governments, but if we’re going to actually stay there, we need to have enough troops and rules of engagement that send a clear message to the native population: you will comply, resistance is futile.

But not “fired,” specifically.

So what is reality? I spent 4 months in Balad, north of Baghdad and 4 months in Baghdad (a block or so south of Sadar City) The reality is that we are defining victory and stability in impossible terms. The mission is not to make sure that everyone lives happy peaceful utopian lives. If that was the case then we have failed in D.C., Chicago, L.A. and many other large US cities. Victory can not be defined by fair, efficient and corruption free government. See cities above and add NOLA. Victory can not be defined as an instant Jeffersonian Democracy. Not going to happen in Iraq.

Victory must be defined as meeting the milestones needed for the Iraqi government to succeed. The original mission was the removal of the regime. That was done in less than 2 months. The follow on mission was to provide stability. The refugees returned to their neighborhoods and social services began to be established. The Iraqi people voted themselves a constitution and a government. The current mission is to train the Iraqis to take care of Iraq. That way we can get out of there and leave the country in their hands. If we deny victory and call it an impossibility every time a car bomb goes off, then victory really is impossible. All that AQIZ would have to do is call a press conference and self immolate one of their followers. Presto chango instant AQIZ victory.

The bar keeps on moving every time a goal is achieved. First it was the “quagmire” of the ground war. Then the “saving private ryan nightmare” of taking Baghdad. Then, we can not win the peace because the museum got looted. Or a car bomb went off by the pipelines, or an innocent gets beheaded on TV. Guess what. Look at Kurdistan today and you are seeing Iraq in 7-10 years. The kurds had 10 years running start on the rest of Iraq. And yes they struggled. And had a civil war. And received assistance from the west. And are now a prosperous vibrant region.

I’ve considered Ware’s reporting to be solid. He has enough expertise to be prominently featured in a Frontline episode on the insurgency. I’d also note that his comments on al Qaeda taking over the insurgency isn’t terribly compatible with the current leftist narrative. And his statements on how they want a Caliphate (in the Frontline link) most definitely go against the leftist narrative.

Wow. Very enlightening interview. I’ve just finished reading Bing West’s “No True Glory,” the story of Fallujah, and Ware’s interview fits right in. Different perspective, somewhat different topics, but they are both describing the same elephant.