Anthony Cordesman says he can only give the Pentagon a grade of “F” for its most recent quarterly report on the situation in Iraq. The veteran defense analyst of the Center for Strategic and International Studies decries the report as “deeply flawed” with “basic analytical and statistical mistakes.” Cordesman offers a 14-page rebuttal, attacking point after point, of a report he calls both “dishonest and incompetent.” His bottom line: If the “high risk strategy” for Iraq stands “any chance of success,” it must have “bipartisan persistence and sustained US effort. This requires trust, and trust cannot [be] built without integrity.” (Cordesman has his own analysis of the Iraq experience.)
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…