Monday, April 16, 2007

"Surge" too little too late?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had a news conference today with retired Lt. Gen. Robert G. Gard Jr. and retired Brig. General John H. Johns. Sen. Reid's repeated his point on the ongoing conflict with the President over the war funding bill.

The Generals spoke in opposition to the current "surge" strategy. One point made was that the current strategy might have worked if it had been implemented years ago, but now it is just too little too late. The troops are not trained to perform the mission they are not being asked to perform. U.S. ground forces are being seen as unwelcome occupying forces, and this is not likely to change.

Their input needs to be taken seriously.

It has been clear for a long time that the solution in Iraq is not military. Neither is it political, despite what the politicians in Washington like to think. The solution must involve the religious leaders of the various communities in Iraq.

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