Defense and the National Interest

William S. Lind
September 16, 2008
A few weeks ago I wrote a column explaining why Senator John McCain is wrong on Iraq. In contrast, Senator Barack Obama is largely right on Iraq. Whether he would follow through on his plan for withdrawing U.S. troops is another question. The Democratic foreign policy establishment is [...]

By William S. Lind
As the neo-cons celebrate a “victory” in Iraq that has yet to be won, they also proclaim the downfall of Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Mahdi Army militia and staunch opponent of the American occupation.  The headline of the August 5 Wall Street Journal announced, “Radical Iraq Cleric in Retreat.”
Well, maybe.  But [...]

By William S. Lind
July 23, 2008
Two recent news stories added important evidence to issues raised in On War columns.  The first concerns a Fourth Generation war taking place on America’s doorstep, that between the Mexican state and drug gangs.  The July 14 Financial Times, one of the world’s best newspapers, reported that the head of [...]

By William S. Lind
When Iraqi Prime Minister al-Kerensky sent his “army” to fight the Mahdi Army in Basra, President Bush called it “a defining moment.” It turned out instead to be a confirming moment. It confirmed that there is no state in Mesopotamia.
One of the most common signs that America’s [...]

Or a 2-page summary of it at any rate. The Armed Forces Journal International has published my article “The Fight for Friends,” in their April issue. You can read it online at: http://www.afji.com/2008/04/3369506.
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From “Basra Battle Strengthens Sadr,” by Yochi J. Dreazen in today’s Wall Street Journal.
The Iraqi government’s inability to oust Moqtada al-Sadr’s militia from Basra has boosted the fortunes of the Shiite cleric while damaging the standing of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The standard description of Tet is that we won tactically but somehow this didn’t get through to the American people. Unfortunately this misses the main point.
It’s true that tactically we and our South Vietnamese allies won. The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese were pushed out of all the areas they had captured and [...]

William S. Lind
Most wars move not at a steady pace but in a series of fits and starts. For about half a year, we have been enjoying something of a lull in the war in Iraq. Anything that reduces casualties is to be welcomed. But the bulletins’ claims that the downward trend [...]

The fighting in the south bears watching. Some news reports paint it as a confrontation between the national forces of a legitimate Iraqi government and armed street gangs allied with Iran. As James Glanz and Anahad O’Connor report in today’s New York Times:
An American military official said Tuesday that coalition forces had supported Iraqi [...]

For a while, it seemed like the only people questioning the success of the surge were hard core anti-Iraq-war types like Bill Lind. Recently, however, even some doyens of the national media are beginning to express doubts. Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek and someone who has been giving the surge the benefit of [...]