Thursday 30 June 2005

"President Bush provided a comprehensive description of the US strategy in Iraq last night (transcript). Here's my problem with the current strategy in Iraq. This insurgency isn't like previous ones. It is fundamentally different. Anybody that compares it to Vietnam, Malaysia, or the Philippines (at anything except the most general level) is wrong-headed. This insurgency is globally connected, radically decentralized, extremely innovative, and situated in a strategically important location (not a backwater). It will not respond to classic political overtures. It will only increase in intensity when direct military power is applied to it. It has already and will continue to project itself to hit targets both regional and global (through strategic strikes like Madrid and Kuwait). It is developing and using advanced methods of warfare that can and will be used by other groups all over the world (not directly connected to the insurgency, as we saw today in Israel). It is truly modern. We aren't winning this by gutting it out in Iraq with a conventional approach. We are stepping on the accelerator..." (Via John Robb's Weblog Bush's Strategy: .) 8:11:04 PM