...in a war of counter-insurgency the political solution must be contemporaneous with military operations that destroy and humiliate the insurgents. Only that way do the vast majority of indifferent citizens not only see greater prosperity and security by allying with the new government, but also nothing but death and destruction should they join the terrorists and militias. So while we restart the political process by insisting on greater Sunni participation, and hope we can fund more job-creating industry and commerce, we must be merciless to those who would derail all this. If we have a surge, that means sending combined Iraqi-American units on proactive operations to destroy the terrorists and their supporters. If we don't, then the additional numbers will only offer bigger targets and added prestige to the terrorists who operate despite increased American investment.
Bottom line: Pouring in more soldiers won't go any good. Changing the rules of engagement so it's too expensive to be an insurgent will do lots of good.
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