Achieving Long Term Success Requires Discipline
I recently got back from my sixth trip to Iraq. In the year since I last visited there, a lot has changed both at home and in Iraq over that time. There is no question that the news reports coming out of Iraq have almost been universally pessimistic for about 10 months' time. I was obviously very concerned about what I would encounter upon my return to that country, but during the very short trip, I learned a great deal.
From a military perspective, success has been made and continues to be made on a near daily basis. Indeed, the primary enemy, al Qaeda, has not only been beaten, but vanquished every time there has been an encounter. And because of the increased military activity, the encounters have been more frequent. At the same time, a very young government seems to have already developed entrenched bureaucracies because of the centralized nature of the government in Iraq. As military successes are happening around the country, aid from the central government is slow to be dispatched out to the outlying communities.
As is probably the case with every other conflict in our Nation's history, there are widely distributed data points, and one can take one or two of these and make virtually any argument that one wises to make. It takes a more disciplined outlook to analyze the data, look at the trend lines, but that is a discipline that must be exercised. The point was made during our visit that there are no overnight solutions to the problems in Iraq. Leadership cannot be bought, and this has to be an evolutionary change. But this change can occur if the correct environment is provided.
| Posted by Vice-Chairman Michael Burgess (TX - 26) (08-07-2007, 01:37 PM) filed under Vice-Chairman Burgess |
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