Anthony Cordesman
Anthony Cordesman
Anthony H. Cordesmanholds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studiesand is a national security analyst on a number of global conflicts...
economic people problem
The problem is people don't live on economic statistics.
easier far force iraq might military opponent serious strengths
Iraq might be a far easier opponent than its force strengths indicate. But it also is potentially a very serious military opponent indeed,
battle cannot desirable eliminate fighting fights-and-fighting forces iraqi key measure space
How much of the battle space can the Iraqi forces take over, and who is actually doing the fighting - those are the key measurements. The measure cannot be the elimination of the insurgency, as desirable as that would be. You cannot eliminate all of the bombings.
almost along creeping ethnic growing iraq loss process steady
It's almost a creeping polarization of Iraq along ethnic and sectarian lines, We see a slow, steady loss of confidence, a growing process of distrust.
holds purely spring together
It's 50-50 this thing holds together through the spring of 2006. But that is purely a guess.
along concerns ethnic fall large lines ways
It's going to be 'Let's Make a Deal. The important thing in some ways was that there was a large vote. The concerns that it would fall along ethnic and sectarian lines were validated.
collapse far impact iraq pull quickly reasonable serious situation troops
If you pull troops out too quickly now, and you see the situation in Iraq collapse before the midterm elections, the impact is going to be far more serious than if you keep the troops in at reasonable levels.
collapse far impact iraq pull quickly reasonable serious situation troops
If you pull out troops too quickly now, and you see the situation in Iraq collapse before the midterm elections, the impact is going to be far more serious than if you keep the troops in at reasonable levels.
battalions broader essential iraqi leave line next situation troops
It's an essential part of the broader strategy. But you won't have a situation where Iraqi battalions come on line and U.S. troops leave the next week.
broader essential
It's an essential part of the broader strategy.
clear constitution debates few identity months next referendum trigger understand
We need to understand that this is a warning, ... Over the next few months we're going to see a referendum on a constitution that's going to trigger more debates on Shiite identity ... The idea that the constitution or referendum is going to clear this up is unrealistic.
achieve mean potential states technical
That doesn't mean the potential should be minimized. We know these states can achieve technical surprise.
both hold vote
You can both vote and hold a rifle.
best create forces helps military national needs police provide sure takes training truly
The best thing we can do is to make sure that our training helps them to create truly national military forces and truly national police forces because that then takes away any sense that one needs militias to provide security.