> Sam wrote: > Al Qaeda also would've been if we didn't slow them down.
Excellent! Another tactical objective we can measure. Let's take a look-see: As recently reported by the Pentagon, CIA, and DIA - as well as Congress - AQ was significantly impaired by 2 US initiatives: (1.) The US invasion of Afghanistan which both eliminated AQ global command and control and provided intelligence on operations, and (2.) Global lock down of AQ assets and funding sources. Iraq, however, had no AQ presence of any consequence prior to US invasion. After invasion, AQ in Iraq was formed and the combat operations provided AQ with a key training ground for urban combat, recruiting, and insurgence. AQ was able to perfect IEDs, for example. In the meantime, progress in Afghanistan has slowed and begun to reverse while AQ as a global operations force has, by some estimates, reconsitituted its command and control by 90% (within the Pakistan mountains - which McCain thinks is next to Iraq). So, to add it up, by the measure of terrorist state and non-state actors or by the measure of strength of a global AQ, the invasion of Iraq has been a total tactical disaster. Put another way, $1 Trillion has bought us a reconstituted Al Quaeda, a weakened Afghanistan, and a strong Iraq, Syria, Hamas, and Hezbollah. I'm glad you, an Iraq supported, have been brave enough to suggest some actual metrics. It's more courage than all of your colleagues have had. For obvious reasons listed above. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;203748912;27390454;j Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:264933 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
