The Other War

Michael Yon ponders the task ahead for the man who helped straighten out Iraq.

Gen. David Petraeus, who recently assumed command of Centcom, responsible for U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq (and many other countries), knows that these two countries present different challenges. The counterinsurgency manual he revised, and his own doctoral dissertation on the effects of Vietnam on the American military and foreign policy, show an intellect that is subtle enough to recognize a paradox and honest enough not to try and hide behind it. One of the paradoxes described in the counterinsurgency manual is: 'Tactical success guarantees nothing.'

If anyone can unravel Afghanistan, it's Petraeus. But that might be beyond even his talents.

Describing his successful partnership with the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, Petraeus recently said: 'There has to be absolute unity of purpose, unity of effort, even if there cannot be and will not be unity of command.'

Right now, our enemies have unity of purpose: They want to kick us out of here. Meanwhile, we can't even agree about whether or not this war can be won.

Afghanistan has never been fully conquered or managed by any foreign power. I doubt that our efforts, however justified, will end much differently.