Slow Surge

Here's Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commanding general of Multinational Corps-Iraq, at the Pentagon yesterday on progress since January resulting from the "surge" of new troops to Iraq:

In conventional warfare, mass of troops can have an immediate impact on the fight. However, in a counterinsurgency, we've quickly learned, they must be immersed into the local populace. And it will take new units anywhere from 30 to 60 days to really get a feel for their sectors so they truly can have an impact on security and stability in their area. When fighting a counterinsurgency, you have to first understand the environment you're operating in, its people, the enemy, the physical and human terrain and the local dynamics, and only then can you begin to understand what must be done to accomplish your mission.

So my message is that the surge is not yet fully in place, and that it will take time and patience before we begin to realize its effects. Additionally, you must understand that success cannot be achieved just through military means alone.