Did the surge work in Iraq..a different viewpoint

[Centrix Vigilis]

An entirely different analysis...from the accepted.


Good reading.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...ge_didn_t_work

[Combat Engineer]

Originally Posted by Centrix Vigilis

An entirely different analysis...from the accepted.


Good reading.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...ge_didn_t_work

Interesting article! Thanks.

Here is a link to the article mention in the FP piece:

http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/jou...732-thiel1.pdf

[Trailboss49]

This dolt really has no idea what he is talking about. The Sons of Iraq WAS part of the Surge. You can't just take pieces out of the jigsaw puzzle as you see fit.

Let's see now, I guess dropping the A bombs on Japan had nothing to do with them surrendering. Makes just as much sense.

[Combat Engineer]

Originally Posted by Trailboss49

This dolt really has no idea what he is talking about. The Sons of Iraq WAS part of the Surge. You can't just take pieces out of the jigsaw puzzle as you see fit.

Let's see now, I guess dropping the A bombs on Japan had nothing to do with them surrendering. Makes just as much sense.

The Sons of Iraq program started in Aug of 06, Six months before the surge was announced.

[Trailboss49]

The fact is that the Sons of Iraq did not become an important factor until they were combined with the deployment of large numbers of US Field Troops. The Sons of Iraq were always a part of the basic planning of the Surge. Whether they began organizing prior to the additional troops does not mean they were not an integral part of the plan.

[ronrem]

I think one could say the surge helped but a lot of it was that a lot of the old Fedayin hardliners were dead or isolated and most of the population was tired of the turmoil and were ready to have normal lives instead.

Afghanistan is a lot more backward...by about a hundred years or more,and has been just a step from anarchy. Meanwhile the Taliban can retreat across the border or to mountain caves.
There, a surge mainly means more guns around to find and kill more bad guys. The state of the economy,and how backwards that country is,means the US won't stick around another decade or two to try to make Afghanistan normal. Afghans got enough to defeat the Taliban now,if they have the will.

The US mostly sees the job as as good as it's gonna get, and is about done with it.

[user999]

As long as you hear explosions in Iraq, no, it didn't work

[Trailboss49]

Originally Posted by user999

As long as you hear explosions in Iraq, no, it didn't work

Oh my, must be a historical genius. The idea of the Surge was to combat the rivaling terroristic groups who were fighting the Coalition as well as themselves. Yeah, the Surge obviously did work since the groups were eliminated, decimated or hid. What was uncontrolable before got to where even the Iraqi army could handle most countrysides.

The bombings in Iraq have to do with internal strife between political/religious groups, Al Queda and Iran sending in resources to keep Iraq weak.