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FOX Radio News Contributor Griffin Jenkins (who was recently embedded in Fallujah) quotes Marine Lt. Col. Bryan Salas about Thomas Ricks' recent story:

We can win - but as the report says we can't win with just military power, we need the economic and political powers to engage as well.

There are many military tactical victories that we achieve on a daily basis in terms of freedom of maneuver or where we need to go in this country. At the end of the day, until we're able to make those comparable accomplishments in terms of the government, the economics, and the political infrastructure -- until those things change, until those long-term effects are realized, then trying to solve the insurgency out here is going to be problematic.

The assessment is unvarnished. They're frank, they're candid, and intended to be a tool for the commanders and the staff to try to get an assessment and make judgments about what is happening and what we are going to do in the future.

There are a number of points that are laid out in that assessment. But at the end of the day, we can be as militarily successful as we need to be, but until we can hit on those other lines - economics, governance, transition: those are going to be decisive at the end of the day.

Marines, Soldiers, and Sailors are out here to win. We win battles everyday in Anbar. However any long-term victory against the insurgency must be accomplished along with the Iraqis. This is our main mission. While we are developing their capacity we continue to fight the insurgency.

And Marines always fight to win.

To say we are doing anything less is disingenuous and dishonors the service of the men and women here, both Iraqi and Coalition.

Read the rest for Jenkins' thoughts. With all of the criticism of Ricks' potentially selective presentation of the intelligence report, I think it's important to note that the content of the report was indeed fairly grim, highlighting significant challenges to a US victory. But from what I understand, it also laid out recommended steps to obtain victory, rather than proclaiming Anbar a lost cause.

Jenkins also has perspective on the ABC report intimating possible withdrawal from Anbar.

Posted by Bill at December 1, 2006 06:43 AM | TrackBack (1)

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