If you mean by 'military victory' an Iraqi government that can be established and whose writ runs across the whole country, that gets the civil war under control and sectarian violence under control in a time period that the political processes of the democracies will support, I don't believe that is possible.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Achieving a stable Iraqi government within a timeframe democracies support is impossible.
- In plain terms
- You cannot win the Iraqi war in the time people expect.
- What can you take from it?
- Realistic expectations are crucial in complex geopolitical endeavors.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What defines victory in war?
- How long should democracies support interventions?
Another view
It defines victory narrowly which might be contested by other strategists.
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