I'm not one to question the glimpses of optimism coming from Iraq. They are there, must typically in the oft-spotlighted success spots, like Fallujah. Here, for the sake of fairness, is a report that really seems to show solid success in that singular city.
Remember Fallujah? Of course not - as it doesn't fit the liberal template for Iraq stories, it doesn't exist anymore...except in the real world, where non-liberals live. At any rate, Bill Ardolino notes the very large changes in the Fallujah [...]
Venture in a bit closer to Baghdad, and the picture changes dramatically -
U.S. troops struggle to ‘know thine enemy’
One of the more painful dynamics on the ground in Iraq is that U.S. troops frequently have no way of knowing whether the Iraqi carrying an AK-47 is an insurgent, a terrorist, a member of a hostile militia, or a member of an aligned militia. The results are frequently deadly. When U.S. sentries fatally shot three [...]
Here's my take - neither report is representative of the entire country. It can't be. And that is the main issue. It's a huge country, with a widely disparate population. What works in one spot, may not work in another and for a variety of reasons. That's what presents a massive problem to U.S. Troops and the friendly Iraqi forces.
Case in Point - Reconciliation in Iraq? Never Mind
Tags: Iraq War, Fallujah Police, Blackwater
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1. You hit upon something that most casual (and a few non-casual) observers of Iraq miss: "neither report is representative of the entire country." It's a big, complex country, and areas progress or fail differently. That said ...
ReplyDelete2. Fallujah looked pretty grim back in January, and I could hardly believe the changes. Some of the factors in Fallujah - the "Awakening" of tribes and citizenry - are being duplicated in less homogenous areas.
Thus, while other areas may be more complex and look fairly grim, there's still a possibility to duplicate such success in different areas. In any event, it will take committment and effort, which are questionable in the long-term, to say the least. Just FYI.
Regards,
Bill from INDC