The chart on the left is the same one shown to top military personnel at the 18 October briefing. It provides a look behind the curtain, into how the military command views the war, the trajectory it is following and the sectarian violence.Clearly, if it was not a civil war before, it is now, and the turning point was the bombing of the Shi'ite shrine in Sammara in February. The CENTCOM briefing calls attention to several factors that influence life in the failed state of Iraq; the innefectual police force, the absence of moderate religious leaders, and the flight of secular educated professionals from the country. Normally, such a briefing would concentrate on the troop strength and weapons systems the enemy controls and the territory held by both sides.
But this situationis far from "normal" and other factors must be considered if any valid understanding is to be garnered. The report prepared for this briefing considers "hostile rhetoric" from political and religious leaders, as well as militia activity, assassinations and spontaneous civil uprisings.
I said yesterday that officers are rethinking the mission that has been thrust upon them. Now it is official.
