And internally, it again raises the problem that rather than seeing an international force, Iraqis always see U.S. troops. And that raises all kinds of questions about whether the U.S. will leave. |
And to be perfectly blunt, I think only fools would bet the lives of other men's sons and daughters on their own arrogance and call this force a cakewalk or a speed bump or something that you can dismiss. |
By any historical standards the casualties are incredibly low. But America has changed. On the one hand, Americans don't have the stakes where their sons and daughters were subject to the draft. On the other, we have a media and a people that have been educated to believe in a precision, almost bloodless form of war. |
Even if the constitution clearly wins acceptance by most Shiites and Kurds and some Sunnis, this is only the start of a process, not the end. Even the best outcome of the vote is the prelude to months and years of additional effort. |
Everything has become sectarian and ethnic. |
Everything I know about counterterrorism is, you deal with specific cells, |
Everything I know about counterterrorism is, you deal with specific cells. |
Having a country stay in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that effectively is proceeding to defy it doesn't necessarily strengthen the treaty. |
He has studied military tactics and counterinsurgency operations, but I don't think this is someone who sees himself as a commander. This is someone who sees himself as a stimulator. |
I am somewhat surprised when I hear statements from people at the political level that the insurgency is somehow declining when the command inside Iraq says just the opposite, |
I think everybody would agree they're under-equipped. |
I think he knows Iraq isn't Afghanistan and that his profile has to be different. |
I think the great problem we face here is also understanding just how serious anger is against us in the Islamic and Arab world, and the reasons that anger occurs. It is, unfortunately, our alliance with Israel. It is our presence in Iraq.... And if you look at polls of popular reactions in ... Islamic countries or countries with strong Islamic movements, you find a broad-based support for extremism. |
I would call it a show of words. |
If the polls weren't negative, these demonstrations would not matter. They are and that helps make them a media magnet. Looking back at Vietnam, however, it's demonstrations in thousands and tens of thousands that ultimately matter. |