Small Wars Journal

Five Lessons for Commander in Chief Donald Trump from the Iraq 'Surge'

Fri, 01/20/2017 - 5:25pm

Five Lessons for Commander in Chief Donald Trump from the Iraq 'Surge' by Jack Keane and Maseh Zarif, Fox News

… by late 2006, the Iraq war looked bleak. Al Qaeda and Iranian-backed forces were on the march, and U.S.-backed government troops were reeling.  At home, a significant portion of the American public was disenchanted with the conflict. Members of Congress, including Republicans, were increasingly skeptical of the mission. The U.S. appeared headed for defeat.

In January 2007, President Bush announced that the U.S. would change course in Iraq to reverse the tide of the war. His decision to set in motion the 2007-2008 “Surge” of more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops – armed with a new strategy – pulled Iraq back from the abyss, decimated jihadist and Iranian terror networks, and provided an opportunity for emergence of a state amenable to long-term American interests in the Middle East.

President-elect Trump would do well to ponder that feat. Like President Bush, he will operate in an environment where Islamic extremists and other anti-U.S. actors are emboldened by the status quo, and where the roadblocks to victory are disheartening and numerous. He should zero in on the following lessons from the Surge:

1. The national interest should always prevail over public opinion and short-term political calculations…

2. Recognize when your policy is failing and be willing to change it…

3. There is no viable substitute for American military power in certain crises…  

4. Military action is a critical component – not the totality – of a successful anti-Islamic extremist campaign…

5. Securing the peace demands continued effort…

Continue on for details on each lesson.