Always fighting the last war…

This week’s visit to Pravda gives us this analysis David Galland of Defense Watch called Insurgency 101, Misunderstood, or some of the things I have been saying about why our current strategy in Iraq is doomed. In short– what matters not are Rummy’s “metrics” to show a dim-witted President (and largely apathetic public) that “we are winning” because we have captured… 2/3. 3/4, 99% or whatever of “insurgent leadership” (excepting, oh, Zarqawi, or bin Laden, or, you know, anyone whose names the public knows). What matters is winning hearts and minds.
The fact is, having done such a piss-poor job of protecting the Iraqi people from the insurgency to date (blowing a window of opportunity to do so by again pursuing Saddam and the playing cards, instead of shoring up the place… again–“the metrics”), our only option now is to turn over this fiasco to the Iraqis ASAP– and get out. The elections, of course, where, thanks to the success of our efforts, will be unavailable in large swathes of the country, will be no panacea.
But they may be the best excuse we have to quickly assemble an Iraqi government with some legitimacy, and get it to deal with the mess we have created vis a vis the insurgents. Otherwise, more of the same will only end when we decide to end it (commencing around 4 years and 5 days from now I would guess). Yes, John Kerry should not have been talking nonsense like “our allies”, or “I will train Iraqis faster” and should have been in the context of “I will bring the boys and girls home…” PERIOD. Water under the bridge now. Bush will commence the drawdown right after the elections. (If not, I’ll be somewhat disappointed, though not that surprised; obstinance at the expense of others seems imprinted in the Bush personality.)
For more fun from our Mesopotamean theme park, check out my comment “Scapegoats of the Empire” over at The American Street.
Salaam Alechim, everybody…

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