History Lesson

Juan Cole slaps down White House spokesman Tony Snow on the Battle of the Bulge. Snow, according to Cole, is not only reporting inaccurate history, he and the president he serves, are misusing history, actions that greatly harm this country. Cole reminds us that, despite the shock of the late 1944 German offensives, the Allies remained in control of the strategy.

Cole shifts the historical war analogy from the Greatest Generation to 1980's Afghanistan. There, the Soviets found themselves locked in a stalemate with a Muslilm insurgency. In the end, the Soviets recognized that they could not prevail and decided to withdraw but not before the war had cost them dearly. The Soviets were hardly the first to falter in Afghanistan; Persia,Greece, Russia, Great Britan all failed there.

The difference between Iraq and the success of World War II is control of strategy. America does not control strategy in Iraq. "As they stand up, we stand down" is a recipe for reacting, not performing. In the absence of a clear and realistic strategy, American policies are at the mercy of the many competing interests within a fragmented society. The Soviets never had real control of strategy in Afghanistan and ultimately acknowledged the limits of their power.

So much history. So many lessons. So little learning.

postscript

Also in Juan Cole, a report of an Iraqi panel discussion about the Iraqi army that makes me wonder how committed the United States is to "standing up" Iraq's security forces.