SOMETHING ELSE WE GOT WRONG

The startegery behind teh Surge was that once Baghdad was under control, the rest of the country would follow. Now we see that we were WRONG AGAIN. (h/t Kevin Drum) Note that all the progress in Baghdad that the wingnuts have been chirping about is, as a LOLCAT would say, "not so much."


U.S. to keep most troops in Baghdad

In a strategy shift, forces will be cut in outlying areas. That is likely to give more power to Iraq's regional and local governments.

By Peter Spiegel and Julian E. Barnes, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
December 16, 2007

CAMP VICTORY, IRAQ -- In a change of plans, American commanders in Iraq have decided to keep their forces concentrated in Baghdad when the buildup strategy ends next year, removing troops instead from outlying areas of the country.

The shift in deployment strategy, described by senior U.S. military officials in Iraq and Washington, is based on concerns that despite recent improvements, the capital could again erupt into widespread violence without an imposing American military presence.