Iraqis and U.S. must give everything to give winning a chance

Dallas Morning News | Mark Davis:

“Remember all of those purple fingers proudly waved on a succession of election days in Iraq? That's a lovely image. Now it is time for those fingers to be wrapped around the trigger of every gun those voters can find, to fight the insurgency in their own neighborhoods. If the all-out effort I describe succeeds, today's bickering and doubts will fade into obscurity. If it fails – if Iraqis choose continued tribal civil strife over peace and stability – only then can we accurately say we tried.”

Ed Cognoski responds:

Earth to Mark Davis. The Iraqis have already chosen tribal civil strife over peace and stability. In case you haven't noticed, there's a civil war underway. Passing out guns to every Iraqi who waved a purple finger in the air is not going to bring stability. Those guns won't be used to fight an "insurgency". Iraqis will use them to fight each other. Sunnis fighting Shias. Shias fighting Sunnis. For the average Sunni, trying to stay alive and keep his family alive, al Qaeda is more likely to be viewed as a protector than a threat.

Mr Davis' suggestion for increased force might have worked ... in 2003. Unfortunately, it's 2006. Incompetent prosecution of the war in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 leaves victory no longer achievable, unless one defines victory as the temporary calm that brutal, indiscriminate slaughter could impose only as long as the brutal crackdown lasted. Realistically, escalating the war at this late juncture only makes a bad situation worse.

The Iraq Study Group offers a blueprint, not for victory, but for a withdrawal with whatever shreds are left of our dignity. President Bush would be wise to take it, over Mark Davis' objection. Besides, Mark Davis will need an excuse later to avoid taking responsibility for supporting this disastrous failure of foreign policy.