[queequeger]

The nature of the efforts in Iraq are as follows:

It simply isn't possible to secure the country with the levels of troops that are deployed and the amount of money we devote to humanitarian aid, i.e. 'rebuilding.' If we had started things on the right foot instead of ignoring every lesson we've ever learned or heard about nation building, it would be a different story, but it's too late for a war that can be won with 160,000 troops (or whatever the exact number is).

"The good things" that the press "isn't reporting" are things that have little or no effect on the ultimate goal. Even today, with all of our lessons learned, our attempts at rebuilding are haphazard and aimless. What does an Iraqi care about a new school if their child can't attend it safely? The first and only thing we can worry about right now is nation-side security (i.e. the borders, and every major city in the country, not just Baghdad).

All the money we've pumped into things like the power grids and public works amount to nothing because they were given to contractors who were unable to do the jobs. Someone in the pentagon had a friend of a friend of a friend who had some company in Lubbock, TX (or take your pick) who jumped in over their heads, instead of being willing to source our efforts to European, Middle Eastern, or god help us Asian contractors.

I disagree wholeheartedly with the invasion of Iraq. It was a war for money and power, regardless of the ostensible reasons. However I also disagree with a withdrawal. Not for any prideful reasons ('We won't accept defeat!' usually ranks about as high as 'I swear I satisfy my wife' with me), or any security reasons, because frankly terrorism will not end our way of life, or even kill that many people people in the grand scheme of things. If/when we do withdraw from Iraq (which might not be a certainty), there will be some serious chaos and death, and this is why I can't get behind a 'leave Iraq now' policy. Treating Iraqis as dispensable while our troops are not... just wrong.

And one more thing, I swear to god, please, please, please stop assigning value to AQI. They are a near insignificant group when looking at the whole insurgency. They make up about 10% of the problem and we devote well over half of our resources on them. The instant we leave, the Iraqis will kick their sorry asses out, probably killing a large number of them, and they'll never be heard from again. Maybe if we worried a little more about the militias that saturate the entire country we'd get somewhere.