'Ending Iraqi insurgency could take upto 10 yrs'

August 25, 2004

PTI[ TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2004 05:49:47 AM ]

WASHINGTON: US army officials have said that it could

take upto 10 years to crush the insurgency in Iraq,

which has shown no signs of letting up since the

transfer of power to an interim Iraqi government.

American officials had expected the violence to drop

after Iraqis regained control of their government on

June 28 in the belief that Iraqi security forces would

be better at gathering intelligence and support for

militants would erode.

But continuing attacks suggest that it will take time,

possibly years to crush the insurgency, the officials

were quoted as saying by USA Today .

President George W Bush and Defence Secretary Donald

Rumsfeld have said the US forces will stay in Iraq as

long as they are needed to assist Iraqi security

forces.

" If we have the political will and stamina to stay, I

could see this going on for 10 years, " says Randoldph

Gangle, a retired officer who heads the Marine Corps'

Centre for Emerging Threats and Opportunities.

Tacticians have counselled patience in winning the

war. " If we can stay the course over here for another

year or so, the insurgency will wear itself out, " says

Col Dusty Rhoades, a marine intelligence officer in

Iraq.

" The US military is currently in a position where it

is militarily impossible for us to lose, but only an

Iraqi government can totally win, " he said.

Recommended Posts