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...
acceptance additional best clearly constitution months outcome prelude start vote wins
Even if the constitution clearly wins acceptance by most Shiites and Kurds and some Sunnis, this is only the start of a process, not the end. Even the best outcome of the vote is the prelude to months and years of additional effort.
bull china liberate
We essentially used a bull to liberate a china shop.
beginning dealing issues prime resolved unlikely
You are dealing with an unproven prime minister. It's the beginning of a very contentious process. It's very unlikely that all of these issues are going to get resolved by the end of the year.
defeat jaws
will end in snatching defeat from the jaws of uncertainty.
army create dependent iraqi plan roughly strategy success three
We did not plan three years ago to create more than token Iraqi forces. Now we're at 230,000 roughly and counting. Our whole strategy is dependent on the success of the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police.
cripple largely
This was a largely punitive operation. It did not cripple any of Saddam's capabilities.
array explosives hit locked shaped single
Usually they'll place an array of explosives locked to a single infrared sensor, ... What you get is an array of shaped charges, so you're not going to get hit with just one.
leaders
We don't know how many leaders there are, how many experienced cadres there are, how many replacements there are.
himself military sees studied tactics
He has studied military tactics and counterinsurgency operations, but I don't think this is someone who sees himself as a commander. This is someone who sees himself as a stimulator.
country defy nuclear stay strengthen treaty
Having a country stay in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that effectively is proceeding to defy it doesn't necessarily strengthen the treaty.
deal specific
Everything I know about counterterrorism is, you deal with specific cells.
highlights lack obviously support time
Obviously every time you get a weakening of the coalition, it highlights the lack of international support for the U.S. mission.
call words
I would call it a show of words.
chosen develop military mission obligation serve serving soldiers trained tremendous
Serving soldiers develop a tremendous sense of obligation to their comrades, and are trained to see the mission through. They know the military and the risk, and they have already chosen to serve their country.