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The Surge Fails:09/25/2007
It's official, the surge has failed.
It's been a couple of weeks since like millions of others, I watched general Petraeus's testimony before Congress. I was stunned to say the least and had to stop, step back and think about not only what was said but what it meant.
Much was of course predicable. Did anyone really expect for the General to say the surge had failed? Of course not. General Petraeus made perhaps the best case possible given his own views and marching orders. Indeed we were shown chart after chart of how things were getting better, though one might question exactly how the figures were arrived at.
And yes, it can be said that the additional troops have managed to temporally slow the wildfire of sectarian killings, maybe.
But what stunned me was an exchange in which Senator John Warner, the prominent, well respected Virginia Republican asked a question that put truly put the absurdity of the Iraq war in the context that truly matters.
Senator Warner asked: "Do you feel that [Iraq war] is making America safer"?
Petraeus replied: "I believe this is indeed the best course of action to achieve our objectives in Iraq."
That was a bit of a dodge and the senator to his credit, not only spotted it but repeated the question: "Does the [Iraq war] make America safer?"
Petraeus replied, "I don't know, actually. I have not sat down and sorted in my own mind."
The General went on to explain he hadn't taken time to step back and take in the whole picture except to note the effect it was having on military readiness.
Wow... that was a surprise, what a breath taking statement. What instantly came to mind was the old country proverb that runs "When your up to your ass in alligators, it's difficult to remember your initial objective was to drain the swamp." As I mused the questions grew. Was this the question nobody thought to ask him in preparing for a major congressional appearance? You realize him and a aide or two stopped to review what the facts were and ponder what questions might be thrown his way.
Is it possible he just couldn't say the truth, the answer is in fact, no? I don't know the man personally but given his expression and speech I'd have to say no, he answered off the cuff and said what he thought.
No the horrible truth is the General's answer was honest.
I realize General Petraeus has a incredible amount of responsibility placed upon him. Yet how did the General not stop, in these months even for a moment and ask himself this most fundamental question?
The rational of the Iraq invasion has evolved over time. Like some mutating cancer it grew from scary stories of mushroom clouds and ties to the 9/11 attack to where we are today. Todays talking point the supporters of this fiasco cry is that "we fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here. If the General doesn't know this, if he can't say yes to this simple, fundamental question then all the charts and colorful graphs while interesting, doesn't make us safer.
And one final question yet to be answered, what is as the General put it our "objectives in Iraq"?