Roundtable Roundup: Iraq Overview -- Blackfive
We have had a number of excellent roundtables with officers in Iraq. I'm going to combine these interviews into a single high-level overview of progress in Iraq.
BLUF: progress in Iraq is outstanding in the regions south of Baghdad, but is running much slower in the regions to the north. In the west, Anbar -- though behind the southern regions by some measures -- has enjoyed an extraordinary turnaround from being the center of the Sunni insurgency to a region under Iraqi control. Overall, even in the slow regions, post-Surge Iraq is on the right glidepath. However, we as a nation do need to take the time to finish the mission responsibly in order to ensure that the victory is a firm and lasting one.
If you would prefer to read the original transcripts of these interviews, they are here:
With Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll (Deputy Chief of STRATC
BLUF: progress in Iraq is outstanding in the regions south of Baghdad, but is running much slower in the regions to the north. In the west, Anbar -- though behind the southern regions by some measures -- has enjoyed an extraordinary turnaround from being the center of the Sunni insurgency to a region under Iraqi control. Overall, even in the slow regions, post-Surge Iraq is on the right glidepath. However, we as a nation do need to take the time to finish the mission responsibly in order to ensure that the victory is a firm and lasting one.
If you would prefer to read the original transcripts of these interviews, they are here:
With Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll (Deputy Chief of STRATC
BLUF: progress in Iraq is outstanding in the regions south of Baghdad, but is running much slower in the regions to the north. In the west, Anbar -- though behind the southern regions by some measures -- has enjoyed an extraordinary turnaround from being the center of the Sunni insurgency to a region under Iraqi control. Overall, even in the slow regions, post-Surge Iraq is on the right glidepath. However, we as a nation do need to take the time to finish the mission responsibly in order to ensure that the victory is a firm and lasting one.
If you would prefer to read the original transcripts of these interviews, they are here:
With Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll (Deputy Chief of STRATCOMM for MNF-I)
With Brigadier General Jeffrey Buchanan (DCG-O MND-C, 10th MTN DIV)
With Colonel Michael McBride (CDR 1/101 AASLT)
With Colonel Dominic Caraccilo (CDR 3/101 AASLT) (For some reason both his name and his unit are wrong in the official transcript -- this information is correct.)
With Colonel Tom James (CDR 4/3 ID)
With Colonel Philip Battagila (CDR 4/1 CAV)
The analysis is in the extended entry.
Read more ....
My Comment: These men, by being always in the field, probably know more on what is happening in Iraq than anyone else.
If you would prefer to read the original transcripts of these interviews, they are here:
With Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll (Deputy Chief of STRATCOMM for MNF-I)
With Brigadier General Jeffrey Buchanan (DCG-O MND-C, 10th MTN DIV)
With Colonel Michael McBride (CDR 1/101 AASLT)
With Colonel Dominic Caraccilo (CDR 3/101 AASLT) (For some reason both his name and his unit are wrong in the official transcript -- this information is correct.)
With Colonel Tom James (CDR 4/3 ID)
With Colonel Philip Battagila (CDR 4/1 CAV)
The analysis is in the extended entry.
Read more ....
My Comment: These men, by being always in the field, probably know more on what is happening in Iraq than anyone else.