More evidence the surge may not be all ...

[MJJP21]

Here is more evidence that the surge may not have worked as hyped.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080919074830.htm

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. The "surge" was meaningless

Not big enough to make any kind of difference. As an escalation, it failed.

Things calmed down because we started paying off the Shi'a after they trashed the Sunnis and drove them out of Anbar.

Money talks.

After the brilliance of L. Paul Bremer, who decided it was a good idea to disband the Iraqi army as soon as we invaded the country, there were 400,000 pissed-off Iraqi guys roaming the country. They got called "insurgents." Surprise.

Giving them cash calmed them down. The "surge" was nothing but a PR ploy.

[curious one]

2. That's an excuse for ....