Why the US is losing
From an interview with retired US General Anthony Zinni:
What has disappointed me is there hasn’t been this debate on the strategy, on the policy, a regional strategy on policy, let alone an Iraq policy. We’re, we’re debating the tactics. The, the surge is a tactic. In what context is the surge? You can make an argument for a surge if you were going to withdraw, to cover the withdrawal, for example, or to contain, to reposition forces or to re-engage in a different way or a stronger way. And why we got caught up in the tactical debate, in my mind, is an indication that we don’t understand what we want to do. What should our Middle East policy be? What should our policy be in terms of Iraq and, and the war against the extremists out there or the conflict against extremists? We seem to be strategically adrift, in my view.
In war, the strategic always trumps the tactical. The US can use its overwhelming firepower to win any number of tactical victories, but if they don't involve a strategic component, they won't affect the outcome. Given that the US apparently doesn't even have a strategy, its little surprise that they're heading to a major strategic defeat.
