Iraq: This Is Now an Unwinnable Conflict

The Iraq war, predicted to be an easy victory, has instead become further confirmation of the Duke of Wellington’s sage warning nearly two centuries ago against getting involved in guerilla war, “Great nations do not have small wars.” As the fighting drags on with no end in sight, reporter Patrick Cockburn argues that it has become a “demonstration of weakness” and stoked the flames of terrorism. It has provided al-Qa’ida with an army of sympathizers who are willing to travel to Iraq, Egypt, or Britain to blow themselves up. Cockburn describes the current chaos in Baghdad, where the government has failed to reestablish authority as bombers paralyze the city. He criticizes the American and British “policy of endless zig-zags” and concludes that Iraq has become an “un-winnable conflict.” – YaleGlobal