Most importantly we have spent time, time that we don’t have but time that the Iranian need to get nukes. And when that happens all the nice roads and schools we have built will mean nothing more than a mushroom.
But you can’t win a counter-insurgency by turning the populace against you. Did you read the whole article? The surge is working because there are boots on the ground, interacting with the people. Tips to the coalition are up by 80%.