CentCom: Iraq slipping towards chaos

[Pandaren]

NYTimes report

I invite everyone to take a look at the slide entitled "Iraq: I&W of Civil Conflict." It is clear that this war is not about terrorism, and is more about sectarian violence. CentCom notes that the Iraqi government and police are significantly ineffective. Iraqis are busy murdering each other, and occupation forces are caught in the middle.

I say it's time to either get 300,000 more troops on the ground, or get out entirely.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: Pandaren
NYTimes report

I invite everyone to take a look at the slide entitled "Iraq: I&W of Civil Conflict." It is clear that this war is not about terrorism, and is more about sectarian violence. CentCom notes that the Iraqi government and police are significantly ineffective. Iraqis are busy murdering each other, and occupation forces are caught in the middle.

I say it's time to either get 300,000 more troops on the ground, or get out entirely.

It would need to be more like 500,000 and I still don't think it would work.
The assumption is that if there were enough troops to limit the insurgent attacks the people of Iraq would then support the government and would continue defendeing the government after we leave.
I think this is false. First, even 500,000 troops won't stop the violence. You could put a patrol at every street corner in Baghdad and suicide bombers and IED's would still work fine.
Second, the more the US presence is felt by the average Iraqi, the more strongly the Iraqis will want the foreigners out of their country.
I say we secure the north Kurdish areas, and the southern oilfields, and let the Iraqis work out their own problems.