vb said:
Human int came partly because of boots on the ground and the way they were trained and deployed. It also came because the Iraqis had had enough time to see the realities of the AQ myth.

Old Blue said:
People will not tell you anything when they doubt you’ve got their back and the night letters are delivered with ease.

Personally, I thought going to Iraq was wrong, but what was most definitely wrong was going with too few soldiers.
As people who already knew Iraq well had pointed out, Iraqi is a historically violent country and Iraqis have historically respected those who can deliver violence (“if a man has blood on his teeth, it is best not to ask whose blood it is”).
The lack of soldiers meant there was simply no way to protect ordinary Iraqis from the insane torrent of violence unleashed by the Saddamite, AQ, and other terror groups.
The lack of soldiers meant that the average Iraqi would see the terrorists as representing the strong horse, regularly delivering appalling and savage violence against those brave or unlucky enough to cross them.
What made the surge most definitely right was that it changed that perception. As terror was reduced, so more humint flowed into the tide of new manpower, technology and training running heavily against the terrorists.
Going to Iraq did, imho, come close to undoing Afghanistan. It can perhaps be compared with Britain’s WW2 transfer of forces from North Africa, where Italian forces were close to total defeat, to the aid of Greece, which could not be saved and where terrible losses were incurred. The reduction in the North African operation allowed time for Rommel to arrive with the Afrika Korps, and thus came close to costing Britain the war.
During the time spent struggling with a reduced Afghan operation, Pakistan has grown more chaotic, Iran more aggressive, the Taliaban have returned to operating in large (400 man+)units, and economic factors are now much less favourable than they were pre-Iraq.
The British Army may be close to wearing out in Afghanistan, but a US surge there might work in much the same way as it did in Iraq, by showing the strong horse, fighting like it means to win. Just don’t undo Iraq in the meanwhile, please !