DoD Report to Congress

It's interesting if you compare the current report to previous editions.

Data is missing.

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No matter what metrics the US uses, arguably the only one that really matters is what the Iraqis think about the attacks on Americans. One of the telling slides is the number of Iraqis who support the insurgents, calling them "Patriots."

As long as a majority of Iraqis look at the insurgents as patriots, it doesn't matter how many troops the US puts into Iraq: More troops means more targets for the Patriots to attack; more contractors mean more targets to destroy; and more infrastructure efforts to bring more electricity means more excuses to annoy the Iraqis with energy shutoffs.

The Iraqi population, even if the US controlled the country with martial law, is against the American occupation. America has not options, power, or ability to compel the Iraqi people to call the insurgents anything else.

This is how a Superpower is defeated, and why the Bush Defeat Doctrine is important to understand: It can be applied anywhere, and the US has no comprehension for what remains entrenched in their policy making national security system. It is linked with a way of thinking that is flawed, abusive, and impervious to reality; it is too late to adjust.