Marine Report: US Marines have lost the battle in Anbar and can not win

[Thorgrim]

The U.S. military is no longer able to defeat a bloody insurgency in western Iraq or counter al-Qaeda's rising popularity there, according to newly disclosed details from a classified Marine Corps intelligence report that set off debate in recent months about the military's mission in Anbar province.

"the social and political situation has deteriorated to a point" that U.S. and Iraqi troops "are no longer capable of militarily defeating the insurgency in al-Anbar," the assessment found.

Anbar Picture Grows Clearer, and Bleaker - washingtonpost.com

If we can't beat the insurgency, and the Maliki government falls, do we have any reasonable case to stay? I really don't think we should keep 140,000+ US soldiers in harms way because the Marines failed to win the battle over Anbar

[Diamond Cross]

And nobody questions the credibility of the intel?

Remember, intelligence has been wrong before, especially in leading America into Iraq in the first place.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by Diamond Cross

And nobody questions the credibility of the intel?

Remember, intelligence has been wrong before, especially in leading America into Iraq in the first place.

ABC News: EXCLUSIVE: Pentagon Considers Moving Troops From al-Anbar Province to Baghdad

Looks like the Marines are going to cut and run from Anbar

[Donkey®]

Originally Posted by Diamond Cross

And nobody questions the credibility of the intel?

Remember, intelligence has been wrong before, especially in leading America into Iraq in the first place.

There's a difference between "phantom intelligence" and "I plainly see it."

[six6ftr]

Sometimes it is smarter to pull back rather than push a bad position.

[kinggovernor]

Originally Posted by Diamond Cross

And nobody questions the credibility of the intel?

Remember, intelligence has been wrong before, especially in leading America into Iraq in the first place.

only when it helps your case is Intel good

[kinggovernor]

Anabar province is too big and this is an old story

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

only when it helps your case is Intel good

Why should I doubt the Marines telling themselves they can't do something?

A lot different than Cheney saying the insurgency is in its last throes to *try* and look smart in public

[kinggovernor]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

Why should I doubt the Marines telling themselves they can't do something?

A lot different than Cheney saying the insurgency is in its last throes to *try* and look smart in public

you shouldn't doubt what a Marine says

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

you shouldn't doubt what a Marine says

Uhm...Oliver North?

[thatguyoverthere]

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

you shouldn't doubt what a Marine says

Then you're saying the intel is good?

[kinggovernor]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

Uhm...Oliver North?

99.9997%

[kinggovernor]

Originally Posted by thatguyoverthere

Then you're saying the intel is good?

this is a nonstory, the Marines have been saying this for years. That is why they have been focusing on training Iraqis because the province is too large for the Marines to control.