This, from Peter Cassatta writing about the application of a troop surge to Afghanistan at the New Atlanticist, resonated quite a bit with yours truly:
However, the Iraq surge should at least have taught us that condemninga strategy before it is underway can be unduly pessimistic.
That’s the closing caveat to a balanced piece examining how the tactic will be applied, its chances for success, and the obstacles it faces. I’m not sure I’m willing to renounce undue pessimism. It serves the valuable purpose of forcing people to develop strong arguments. But I’m not only open to the possibility that I’m wrong. I hope that I am, especially if we end up sending more troops to Afghanistan.