Michael Yon :Three Marks on the Horizon

Michael Yon continues to be the best journalist on the war. His Three Marks on the Horizon is an absolute must read. There is progress and the military is driving it.

Large numbers of Iraqis detested us after the prisoner abuse stories, and some over-the-top attacks on Fallujah, for example. But through time, somehow the American military has managed to establish a moral authority in Iraq. It’s not the only authority, but the military has serious and increasing moral clout. In the beginning, our influence flowed from guns, or dropped from the wings of jets. Later it was the money. Today, the clout still is partially from the gun, and definitely the money is key, but there is an intangible and growing moral clout and it flows from an increasing respect among Iraqis for our military. Washington has no moral clout in Iraq. Washington looks like a circus act. The authority is coming from our military. The importance of this fact would be difficult to understate.

Michael is doing his part, now we need to do our part and spread the word. There is political progress in Iraq. Keep the faith, stay in Iraq, and Iraq will succeeded.

Sea Change.

Gen Pace says

... what I'm hearing now is a sea change that is taking place in many places here," he replied. "It's no longer a matter of pushing al-Qaida out of Ramadi, for example, but rather — now that they have been pushed out — helping the local police and the local army have a chance to get their feet on the ground and set up their systems."

Let us, the military, keep at it, and success will follow.

Hat tip to Hugh Hewitt

A Framework for thinking about Iraq Strategy (SWJ Blog)

Dave from the Small Wars Journal lays out a A Framework for thinking about Iraq Strategy (SWJ Blog):

If we were to draw historical analogies, we might say that the problem in Iraq is like trying to defeat the Viet Cong (insurgency) while simultaneously rebuilding Germany (nation-building), keeping peace in the Balkans (communal conflict) and defeating the IRA (terrorism). And, oh by the way, these all have to be done at the same time, in the same place, and changes in one part of the problem significantly affect the others.

This is a excellent explanation of the intertwined difficulties in Iraq.

Change America's course in Iraq

President's Addressed the Nation calling for a change in course. 20,000 additional troops to secure Baghdad. Not just clear, but clear and hold. I really appreciated the President's honest assessment of the risk this increase will entail. There will be increased casualties, but victory not casualty avoidance is the goal.

I am sure there will be additional call-ups for the Reserves. I just joined a new reserve unit, the 23rd Marine Regiment. I am the assistant communications officer. As always I am ready to serve.

Back home on the Information Warfare front there are plenty of battle to be fought. Later this week I will publish my thoughts on how a distributed network can keep the pressure on the enemy in the information battle space.

But the task for today. Is to support the course set by the President, and continually and thoroughly refute all attempts to sway America from it's path to victory.