More troops = more targets

Somewhere in my military studies I read that it takes anywhere from 7 to 15 years to defeat an insurgency. Given that democracies tend to tire of war rather quickly, the advantage is always to the insurgents when battling a democracy.

Strategies are now being discussed in Washington on how to quickly win the Iraq war or what would more accurately be described as the battle for Baghdad. The most loudly pursued option is to deploy more troops to the area and overwhelm the enemy. Unless the goal is to go after Syria, which I have advocated and would support 110%, or some other new mission, adding more troops would be foolish. If anything, we ought to consider reducing the number of troops by half while doubling our commitment to stay for as long as it takes.

Given the nature of insurgencies, which fight only when they have the advantage, more troops would solve little except to add more targets to an already target rich environment. According to Victor Davis Hanson the insurgent’s strength is at about 10,000. Hanson correctly asks, what is adding another 20,000 US troops to the 140,000 already there going to accomplish against an enemy of 10,000?

What Americans need to realize is that we need a long term strategy for our Global War on Islamo-terror-fascists. Cutting and running every time we get 10 or even 10,000 casualties is not a winning strategy. We need to pick our fights and win them. Whatever anyone thinks about why we went to Iraq in the first place, according to our enemy, Iraq is now the central front on the war on terror. As such, we should be looking at long term victory in Iraq rather than a short term face saving retreat.

A winning strategy to me is to reduce Sadr’s Madhi “Army” and any other militia to a fire team. Bring Syria and Iran into the process only to tell them that we’re tired of screwing around and any further interference in Iraq by either will result in someone or something being bombed in those countries. If you believe, as I do, that we’re fighting for survival, it’s time to start acting like it.