The Myth of the Surge

The new issue of Rolling Stone has one of the best articles on the surge I have read, because it's about a first-hand experience. Foreign affairs journalist Nir Rosen went to Iraq to see the state of things for himself, even foregoing body armor so he would not be seen as an outsider. His report is not the pretty picture painted by war supporters, who speak now of "success" in the vaguest generalities possible. It's a story of how the U.S. spent a year paying off insurgents, building walls around neighborhoods, and ultimately just buying time while leaving the real problems of Iraq swept under the rug.

It's worth reading, and passing around-

The Myth of the Surge--

Hoping to turn enemies into allies, U.S. forces are arming Iraqis who fought with the insurgents. But it's already starting to backfire. A report from the front lines of the new Iraq

[PS- And an AP report this week reveals what BS the President's "return on success" promise was... the post-surge troop levels will be higher than those before the surge.]