“Army General John P. Abizaid, commander of US forces in the Middle East, has submitted plans to retire and will leave his post in March, a step likely to make way for a change in military strategy at a time the Bush administration is seeking a new plan for Iraq.”
Abizaid strikes me as a good man, a smart man, a brave man and a dedicated soldier. But he either has not understood how to defeat our enemies in Iraq or has not understood how to communicate that he is making progress toward that goal. War in the 21st Century combines a clash of arms with a clash of ideas, images and perceptions. Those not adept in both areas can not win. Rumsfeld also failed to grasp this.