Lynch: U.S. 'Surge' Tipped Scales

Lynch: U.S. 'Surge' Tipped Scales
Associated Press | February 02, 2008

BAGHDAD - Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch has spent years thinking about the war in Iraq, both as a senior strategist in 2005 and now as a division commander. He has seen strategies, missions and buzzwords come and go, but he now believes U.S. commanders finally have a feel for the battlefield.

Two years ago, U.S. forces thought the best way to help Iraq was to hand over the country as soon as possible, he said in an Associated Press interview. From 2005-2006 Lynch was in charge of communications and convincing Sunni leaders to support the new government.

"When we were doing all of our planning back then, we were convinced we could have a gradual withdrawal of coalition forces and the Iraqi security forces would stand up," the general said at the headquarters of the 3rd Infantry Division in Baghdad on Friday.

Then came the February 2006 destruction of the Golden Mosque, a site revered by Shiites, which set off weeks of horrific sectarian violence. Two suicide bombers killed 99 people in Baghdad on Friday, but there was no indication the attacks were connected to the anniversary of the mosque attack, observed on Friday.

"Everything changed," Lynch said. "The mission changed from transition to securing the population."


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,161244,00.html



uhc comment: Now if we can get the Iraqi congress to pass the oil law, we can declare victory and head home.

For awhile now it's been abundantly clear we had been lied into this war. So how can you expect people to break into a round of applause even if it does get better? A train wreck is still a bad thing, even if some of the cars happen to remain on the tracks.