Learning the Lessons of Iraq
Americans increasingly believe that the troop “surge” in Iraq has cowed the insurgents, bringing a decline in violence. But the surge deserves little of the credit, is unlikely to bring long-term stability, and has diverted attention from the huge economic, military, and strategic costs of occupying another country in order to determine its future.
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NEW YORK – The Iraq war has been replaced by the declining economy as the most important issue in America’s presidential election campaign, in part because Americans have come to believe that the tide has turned in Iraq: the troop “surge” has supposedly cowed the insurgents, bringing a decline in violence. The implications are clear: a show of power wins the day.