This is Victory in Modern Warfare Looks Like

Listening to some of the questions from the Gates confirmation hearing last week, all I heard about was casualty figures, both ours and Iraq's. This many people died in this month and that many died in that month. These casualty figures are used to prove that we are losing. The numbers don't tell you the whole story. Take a look at the interactive map provided by the Wall Street Journal and walk backwards in time, viewing the locations where the insurgents have been active.

What you'll see is that there are some actions in Basra, a few in Western Iraq and a ton centered around Baghdad. Taking Baghdad out of the equation, no one would conclude that we're losing.

Allow me to suggest that in a campaign where your enemy is decentralized, does not discriminate between civilians and soldiers and is happy to die for their cause, this is what winning looks like. As long as your nation is growing economically and your infrastructure is getting better rather than worse, you're winning. It's a battle of order against entropy. Expecting the bombings and shootings to stop doesn't give credit to the enemy. The only expensive resource they require is willing martyrs. Given the teenage death cult that is Gaza, their supply is practically endless.

Dig this recruitment video from the Palestinians.


In a country where the per capita income is under $1000 and the place is completely trashed, they aren't working to clean it up and rebuild their roads, their throwing more rocks and shoot more guns.

Possible Palestinian recruiting slogan: The great thing about the Israeli tanks blowing your buildings to bits is that it gives you more rocks to throw!

So just what does victory look like when the enemy is, for all practical purposes, insane? That's the real question to ask Secretary Select Gates. The answer we got were casualty metrics. If casualties are your measure for success then Fortress America is your solution.

I have to say I was very disappointed in Gates' responses. When he was asked about military options against Iran the proper answer would have been to say, "Clearly the domestic political situation would not tolerate an invasion of Iran. Instead, it looks like we'll have to wait for them to come to us. And come they will. If you think we've got casualties now, just wait until they come after us here."

The message coming out of the White House and its supporters should be a war message. The front is wherever you stop running away. Get used to it. This is what modern warfare looks like.

More takes from within the Feline Theocracy and without:
Our Patriarch of the Airwaves goes off on the Baker Report.
Winds of Change takes on the Baker Report as well.
Just One Minute is picking on minutae about whether a congressman can tell the difference between a Sunni and a Shia.
Our Monsignor of the Breweries talks about victory.
Heidi, still on our Protected List, writes about victory as well.

Update: Via PC Revolt, we have this post by Confederate Yankee on just what victory over the Islamofascists looks like.