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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KLP who wrote (215602)	8/14/2007 6:27:18 AM
From: unclewest	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 794025

I received a message asking me if there is anyway to describe a future victory in Iraq. And of course there is. It comes straight out of Special Forces Field Manuals written 40-45 years ago. Victory in Iraq will occur when the Iraqi people acknowledge the legitimacy of their elected government. Victory in Iraq will be obvious when the Iraqi people stop supporting the insurgents and take active measures to eliminate them. 98% of our military is not designed for nor does it operate in a manner that will provide us that kind of victory. There is a role for our military, but it is a minor role. Most Americans hopes and fears rest on Petraeus, the surge, and our Armed Forces. That is false hope imo. The focus is misplaced. Our military will never be more than 15-20% of the solution in Iraq. Our Army cannot win this alone. I said the other day that the surge is merely a temporary solution to a long term problem. What comes after the surge will be determinant. Actions after the surge will be the keystone if the victory described above is achieved, and OUR military will have little to do with those subsequent actions. Unfortunately, as long as we remain focused on the military piece, the real and only victory available will continue to elude us. Our entire government needs a class on thinking outside the box. But to know they are thinking outside the box, they will first need a lesson on how to determine what is inside the box. uw