TALKING TO INSURGENTS

When I linked to the Sunday Times’ latest story on Iraq, about U.S. commanders negotiating with some insurgents, I certainly didn’t mean to imply that I disdain such tactics. It seems to me that one key to defeating the insurgency is to exploit the possibly growing rifts between Iraqi Sunni nationalists and foreign Jihadists. In fact, it’s very hard to see how there can be any end to the insurgency without such a split, without coaxing more Sunnis into the political and constitutional process. Rumsfeld yesterday made the obvious distinction; and a pragmatist will have to concur. As for Rumsfeld’s performances, I didn’t watch, but the transcripts are telling. Rummy’s bottom line: we are not going to defeat the insurgents, we’re leaving that to the Iraqis; the whole battle could take up to twelve years. For one, I’m grateful for this outburst of candor. No more Cheney hallucinations about “last throes.” But, as Adam Sandler might have put it, this is something that could have been brought to our attention, say, two years ago. There’s a real danger in low-balling expectations of costs in a war as a way to start it, and then slowly ratcheting up the sacrifice as we go along. The danger is that people will say they were misled and that public support for the war will crumble. Still, that’s what they’ve done and that’s where we are. Rummy’s honesty is far preferable to Cheney’s unhinged blather. I can only hope the president is as forthright and as sober tomorrow night. But words will not be enough. One way to help rebuild confidence would be to dismiss the architect of the war: Rumsfeld himself. He’s proven himself useless in guaging the necessary troop levels, he has presided over the worst p.r. debacle for the military since My Lai, his recruitment targets aren’t being met and he blames the military for decisions that were and are his to make. I love the man personally. But he’s got to go. It’s very hard to have confidence on our strategy with him still in charge of it. My attempt to assess where we are is posted opposite.