A Roundtable Review Of Iraq From The Experts

Roundtable Roundup: Iraq Overview -- Blackfive

We have had a number of excellent roundtables with officers in Iraq. I'm going to combine these interviews into a single high-level overview of progress in Iraq.

BLUF: progress in Iraq is outstanding in the regions south of Baghdad, but is running much slower in the regions to the north. In the west, Anbar -- though behind the southern regions by some measures -- has enjoyed an extraordinary turnaround from being the center of the Sunni insurgency to a region under Iraqi control. Overall, even in the slow regions, post-Surge Iraq is on the right glidepath. However, we as a nation do need to take the time to finish the mission responsibly in order to ensure that the victory is a firm and lasting one.

If you would prefer to read the original transcripts of these interviews, they are here:

With Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll (Deputy Chief of STRATCOMM for MNF-I)

With Brigadier General Jeffrey Buchanan (DCG-O MND-C, 10th MTN DIV)

With Colonel Michael McBride (CDR 1/101 AASLT)

With Colonel Dominic Caraccilo (CDR 3/101 AASLT) (For some reason both his name and his unit are wrong in the official transcript -- this information is correct.)

With Colonel Tom James (CDR 4/3 ID)

With Colonel Philip Battagila (CDR 4/1 CAV)

The analysis is in the extended entry.

Read more ....

My Comment: These men, by being always in the field, probably know more on what is happening in Iraq than anyone else.