Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

ARTICLE: Interim Report on The Surge, By Michael O'Hanlon, Washington Times, May 11, 2007, Pg. 14

Continuing with my argument in the last post: we surge and the dynamic goes back--at best--to the pre-sectarian strife dynamic where AQI targets Shiia heavily and the Shiia show restraint.

When the surge slows, the Shiia go back to protecting themselves and the civil war dynamic overwhelms again.

Again, just enough but far too late.

We let the sectarian genie out of the bottle by mishandling the insurgency up front. Now, the only solution sets that matter are region-wide.