[SevenMinusOne]

I appreciate this info though I completely disagree with it. It is difficult for me to see the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as anything short of monumental successes. I actually think the Taliban and Saddam were bad. I recognize that individuals still sympathize with such views but it seems that conditions favor the US in a massive way. We have pacified Afghanistan in a way the Soviets never could even after a decade of effort. Iraq has three elections and a US trained military force larger than our current 140,000 plus ground forces. All of this is done in less than 3 years. Is there a US war that has been more successful than these two? I question whether WWII was as successful. Death rates of civilians, combatants, etc. are all positive relative to previous wars and better in terms of pre-post war condition comparisons. I think it is the nay sayers who live in a bubble.

You have it exactly right - There is no question we are winning the WOT / Iraq - None, from anyone who is willing to be intellectually honest about the subject.

[gleeaikin]

"It is diffidult for me to see the wars in Afgh. and Iraq as anything short of monumental successes."

While I am extremely happy that Uday and Qusay will never plague us, and that the Taliban were kicked out of Afg., this does not keep me from being worried that things are not going as well as one might like. To mention 3 specific things in Afgh. (and these threads are more about Afg. than Iraq) we have the major production and export of heroin, the threat to kill a muslim who converted to Christianity, and the questionable death of Tillman. The first two point to the major problem that long range change has to occur in the heads of the Afghanis. The Tillman death may relate to the problem pointed out in "Front Line View on Iraq/Afghanistan War Situation, No. 2" in which the lack of attention to actual military skills as opposed to good appearance is highlighted.