“The tactics that were employed would not have been successful without the additional troops. Why would the Army increase troop strength/presence in country if they were not needed? Your theory lacks logic.”
They wouldn’t have needed the extra troops if the tactics were used. They had to add them by the time the surge took place to regain control.
We're going in circles here buddy. Gen Petreaus called for an increase in troop levels to support his surge and it worked. He didn't merely call for a change in Rumsfeld's tactics. There's no getting around the fact that without the additional troops Petreaus requested that Rumsfeld said weren't needed America wouldn't be as successful as we've been in Iraq.