Excursions on the Middle East, politics, the Levant, Islam in politics, civil society, and courage in the face of unbridled, otherwise unchecked power.
My gut feeling is to say that this is spectacular news, because it means that the war may soon be over. However, my more intellectual side is saying this may have some dire consequences for the future. These people are guerilla terrorists with no regard for Geneva convention or what we call "civilized" warfare—and they've proven that they have a will to fight that appears stronger than our political will to win in Iraq. They seem to fight because they want us to leave—my worry is that if and when we do leave, what will become of the fledgling democracy that we've worked so hard and paid so much (in lives and money) to set up?
Fair enough, but the insurgency has not relented, the Army is stretched very thin and there is little prospect of the U.S. prevailing soon. Rumsfeld spoke just of few days ago of 12 more years of counter-insurgency. Under the circumstances, doesn't it make sense to try and co-opt the more nationalist segment of the insurgency?
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My gut feeling is to say that this is spectacular news, because it means that the war may soon be over. However, my more intellectual side is saying this may have some dire consequences for the future. These people are guerilla terrorists with no regard for Geneva convention or what we call "civilized" warfare—and they've proven that they have a will to fight that appears stronger than our political will to win in Iraq. They seem to fight because they want us to leave—my worry is that if and when we do leave, what will become of the fledgling democracy that we've worked so hard and paid so much (in lives and money) to set up?
Fair enough, but the insurgency has not relented, the Army is stretched very thin and there is little prospect of the U.S. prevailing soon. Rumsfeld spoke just of few days ago of 12 more years of counter-insurgency. Under the circumstances, doesn't it make sense to try and co-opt the more nationalist segment of the insurgency?
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