The Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Anthony Cordesman has penned a new analysis of the American experience in Iraq, titled “American Strategic, Tactical, and Other Mistakes in Iraq: A Litany of Errors.” Examining planning before, during, and after the initiation of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, Cordesman claims that a “litany of errors” has been committed along the way and that if it wants to succeed in Iraq, it needs to deal with what went wrong without playing the “blame game.” For starters, Cordesman says that the Office of the Secretary of Defense put “intense pressure” on the military for the lowest possible level of military deployment. After the invasion, errors arose from failures to properly assess tribal affiliations, diplomatic back channels, and over-reliance on exile groups that had limited credibility. In order to succeed at this point, Cordesman says, the US needs “ruthless self honesty and objectivity” in crafting strategies and directing resources.
The U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…