There were some options that General Garner left open to Mr. Bremmer. It is tough to say even at this point whether or not anyone could have been successful in implementing much of anything given the insurrection. Some will argue the lack of Iraqifcation in government as the reason for the insurgency, others will point to the lack of a ready civil structure or police as the cause for the rapid decline. There are a number of issues that could have been handled better before the invasion, but it is a matter of pure speculation if any of that would have made a difference in how things turned out. I’ll take the knowledge gained in changing the face of the Middle East and Southern Asia and now too the African Horn, and the ability to hammer away on the Islamists and keep my eye on the prize. It isn’t over yet, the gains are still reversible.
Iran and Syria must still be dealt with definitively. But for all the work yet to be done, looking back on how much has been accomplished, I think President Bush has earned the right to a little swagger, thats the thing they call “walking” in Texas.