[Dean's World] Dave Price: Of Surges and Slogs

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Posted by Dave Price:
Of Surges and Slogs
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1171571830.shtml


   The intrepid Bill Ardolino has another [1]dispatch from Fallujah.

     "We've been here for 6 months. And we have seen a lot of success in
     all the areas. It's slow, but it's a mindset. We're not going to
     correct this - or I should say 'improve this' - right away; it's
     going to take some time, and there are all kinds of issues, from
     incompetence to general mismanagement to stealing. We need to
     overcome those for it to be successful. And again, I have seen a
     lot of successes and I think we'll continue to improve."

   Meanwhile, [2]the surge continues, and you couldnât ask for a better
   example of why bloggersâ coverage is so much better than the MSMâs.
   The AP's editorializing is just atrocious:

     After nightfall â and the daily citywide curfew â U.S. warplanes
     flew low over Baghdad in an apparent attempt to show the security
     push is gathering momentum.

   Right, because thereâs never a military reason for U.S. warplanes to
   fly over Baghdad, ergo it must be a publicity stunt.
   Like [3]some others, Iâm agnostic about the surge itself. I think it
   may help accomplish the mission sooner, but I tend toward the
   [4]professional soldiersâ view of the mission as being one of years or
   decades, rather than months â to âwinâ in Iraq (i.e., have a stable,
   free democracy with relatively little violence) weâre going to have to
   âgo long.â I worry that expectations are being set for the surge to
   become a âwin or go homeâ situation, especially with phrases like
   âlast-ditchâ and âfinal effortâ being thrown around. As Bill's
   interview tends to indicate, people should be aware that victory will
   almost certainly require a long, hard slog -- and it's unlikely we can
   get there [5]pretending we're not at war with those killing our
   soldiers.

References

   1. http://www.indcjournal.com/archives/002943.php
   2. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070215/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_070215191018;_ylt=AiPXoxb.meXq2ceoiU36ZwVX6GMA
   3. http://instapundit.com/mt2/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=agnostic+surge
   4. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,230702,00.html
   5. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/02/tapping_ahmadinejads_egg.html