Iraq 'war' no longer a war: Matt Sanchez tallies successes of U.S. military effort

Iraq is like no other conflict in American history. It is arguably no longer a war, but a low-level insurgency. We are not fighting a country, but a transnational conspiracy that operates more like an international fast-food franchise than a military force. In this conflict, there will be no "D" Day or signing of a peace treaty.

What is victory? It is easy to take for granted the fact that there has not been another attack on American soil since 9/11 – how do you show progress when the goal is basically for nothing to happen? Few are gullible enough to believe that victory in Iraq would mean turning back the clock to a pre-Sept. 11 bliss of bloodless security.

Those who complain there was no al-Qaida in Iraq before 2003 lament how many terrorists have been created since the fall of Saddam, but how many had been created before Sept. 11, long before we ever went into Iraq? How many decided to join the jihad when they saw the falling of the World Trade Center broadcast throughout the world?

What’s more, we are discovering that the ideology and agenda of our enemy in Iraq isn’t very different from folks in the Church of Christ in Chicago. No wonder they don’t think we should be fighting over there, those folks are their ideological “soul mates”, if you will.

“Those who complain there was no al-Qaida in Iraq before 2003 lament how many terrorists have been created since the fall of Saddam, but how many had been created before Sept. 11, long before we ever went into Iraq? How many decided to join the jihad when they saw the falling of the World Trade Center broadcast throughout the world?”

Unalloyed brilliance, especially the last question.

I love your Mega Pings. They are ALWAYS worth reading.

"In the novel "One Bullet Away," author and former Marine Capt. Nathaniel Fick describes the enormous precautions taken to protect American troops from biological weapons, much like the biological weapons that were used against the Kurds. In the blistering heat of Iraq, putting on NBC gear (Neurological, Biological and Chemical) is like wearing a full-body fat-burning suit and a plastic bag over your head while only breathing through a straw. When you add the carbon that is smeared to provide an extra layer of protection, you discover a whole new level of discomfort. No one would take such precautions on a whim.

We believed WMD were in Iraq, and Americans overwhelmingly supported the cause. Now, we believe we were wrong, but do we believe the action in Iraq helps to protect us back home? Would we rather fight al-Qaida and radical terrorism in Baghdad or in Boise?"

First, I don't believe we were wrong about the WMD. I believe Saddam had everything in place to reconstitute it whenever he pleased.

You can't discount that he had some Russian jets sealed, and hidden, in the desert.

Who is to say what else is hidden there, or had been sent to Syria.

As an aside...you rock, JH2! Love your posts!

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