Interestingly, many of the same issues that have dogged the current American campaign in Iraq dogged American efforts in the Philippines. These include the inability to recognize that the war was not over simply because we thought it should be over, the difficulty in adjusting to a new kind of war, the constant interaction of domestic politics and military affairs, and the divided command structure in the Philippines. And yet, the United States in the Philippines won not only the conventional war but the insurgency. Why?
From The successful Iraq. – By David Silbey – Slate Magazine
An interesting discussion of the US experience in the Philippines and how it compares to Iraq. In short, Mr. Silbey argues that the Roosevelt administration understood the difference between political and military goals early on; in contrast to the debacle in Iraq.
