COL Bay,
I am on a National Police Transition Team in Baghdad. I have to say that your assessment in your Op-Ed piece "The Terrorist's Tet" is correct, but I disagree with your rationale. AQ and FRLs will not stage a Tet like offensive not because they cannot coordinate their efforts, but because their base of support has dwindled. AQ is on the ropes here as the Iraqi people have decided that AQ's brand of Islam is not what they want. FRLs are not going to win any hearts and minds since nearly eavery Iraqi family was tormented by Saddam's thugs. The Iraqi people have had enough war. They are turning in insurgents, driving AQ out of their neighborhoods, and pointing out IEDs to US patrols. The Iraqi Security Forces, while far from perfect, are improving. Any drive throughout Baghdad and you will find IP, National Police, and Iraqi Army units, manning checkpoints, alert and doing their jobs. The Iraqi government and associated ministries have a lot of work and rough times ahead of them, but were we any different 233 years ago?


v/r