Petraeus' Anaconda Strategy

Real Clear Politics ^ | April 8th, 2008 | Austin Bay

[The_Republican]

The Anaconda Chart is a complex graphic that depicts an intricate, multi-dimensional war. It's tough to describe even with a copy in front of you. However, the strategic concept behind Petraeus' chart (titled "Anaconda Strategy versus al-Qaida in Iraq") is dirt simple: Squeeze and keep squeezing.

A commercial artist would certainly describe the chart as "too busy," but war isn't an exercise in aesthetics. The Anaconda Strategy identifies six routes of attack on al-Qaida in Iraq:

1) Kinetics (which includes combat);

2) Politics (which includes countering ethno-sectarian pressures and Iraqi political reconciliation);

3) Intelligence (operations from air recon to intel assessment);

4) Detainee Ops (which includes counter-insurgency in detention facilities);

5) Non-Kinetics (education, jobs programs); and

6) Interagency.

Since Petraeus' and Ambassador Ryan Crocker's September 2007 testimony, "the Anaconda" (the incremental synergy of this complex war-fighting and nation-building process) has dramatically squeezed al-Qaida. No, it hasn't crushed it -- but the organization is physically damaged. Moreover, with the "Sunni Awakening" and similar programs, al-Qaida has suffered extraordinary political and information defeats as Sunnis publicly turned on the jihadis.

Is this victory in Iraq? No. But it suggests we've won a major battle with potentially global significance, the kind that in the long term squeezes al-Qaida's ideological appeal in all corners of the planet.

Shia gangs and Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Militia also receive the same multidimensional squeeze. Remember, last week the herd-media quickly declared the Iraqi Army's recent counter-militia operations in Basra, east Baghdad and southern Iraq a huge failure, "the Basra Blunder" according to one headline. Both Petreus and Crocker were pestered with questions about the Iraqi Army's operational mistakes and inadequacies.

[The_Republican]

Must Read!

[karnage]

Awesome pic!

[leadhead]

The best part of the testimony these guys gave is buried in the longer answers that went over the heads of the Congress Critters and the MSM.

There is a big plan in there to get rid of the Iran influence over the next couple months. First, by trapping the Special Operations dudes and preventing them from slipping in and out of Iraq. Second, by massing Iraqi and US troops at the border to see what Iran's real (not what the Iranians believe they can do) intentions are.

If there's an uproar in Congress, they can point to yesterday's testimony and say:"Told ya".

The 45 day "suspension" of the draw down is the big hint.

[Puzzleman]

Here is a link to the charts that Petraeus used in his presentation.

[tom paine 2]

bump

[prairiebreeze]

Good read!

[Christian4Bush]

bump for later

[The_Republican]

Oh awesome! Thanks for great info link!!!