Ledeen teaches me more about the ME and the WOT than any other commentator. But often his policy prescriptions do not follow directly from his arguments (e.g., "faster, please" is typically a huge logical leap from whatever he has written) and those arguments often have huge, unstated assumptions that are key to his reasoning.
In this case, Ledeen assumes that the Iraqis can not stand up for themselves. Of course, that would be dangerous. Of course, freedom requires extraordinary personal sacrifices, and often one's own life. Of course, it would be asking more than would be reasonable for Maliki and others to give up their lives for freedom. Of course. But if they want freedom; if they love it; then there is no other choice.
Part of the solution in Iraq is for the US to stand firm, as Ledeen asserts. More important, though, is that the Iraqis love and desire freedom so much that nothing else matters in the end, including their own lives and the lives of the family and friends that they hold most dear. The United States can help the Iraqis win this war. They can not win it for them. Ledeen totally and completely misses this.
Clarity, in a sea of confusion. Ledeen really nails it. The question is, why have we not been fighting to win in the WOT? The people who say that all America has done since terrorists first killed Americans, is create enemies. They are closer to the truth than some who say we are winning. Heck, even Reagan ran when Americans were slaughtered.
I don't think there's much chance Baker-Hamilton will see the light and so probably the bloodbath cometh.
Excellent, thanks for posting. Some management guru once said something about resolving a problem by expanding its boundaries to the larger picture. Very good application here of that technique.
I agree that the key to victory is not more troops in Iraq, but an active involvement in destabilizing and overthrowing the regimes in Iran and Syria. We should do more than give lip service to groups wanting to overthrow the dictators in Tehran and Damascus, but give them money and arms to wage a serious war.