Think Progress

Pollack claims Kagan says Iraq is ‘fragile,’ but Kagan disagrees.

Filed Under: Iraq

By Matt on Mar 24th, 2008 at 3:19 pm

Pollack claims Kagan says Iraq is ‘fragile,’ but Kagan disagrees.»

During a forum at the American Enterprise Institute today on “the way ahead” in Iraq, Brookings scholar and long-time Iraq war advocate Kenneth Pollack claimed that people like himself, Frederick Kagan and Michael O’Hanlon always “point out” that “all the progress that we have made in Iraq is very fragile.” Kagan, however, told Charlie Rose on Thursday that “the situation in Iraq today is…not that fragile.” Watch it:

Comments

23 Responses to “Pollack claims Kagan says Iraq is ‘fragile,’ but Kagan disagrees.”

Fritz Says:

“…all the progress that we have made in Iraq is very fragile.”

What progress?
March 24th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
caredman Says:

That’s means were winning. Sounds like bad new for the pro’s!!
March 24th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Fan of Man Says:

great! mission accomplished (again)! bring them home, let the iraqis sort out their country.

sorry bush, the stench of your failure will live on forever…

hows that for legacy?
March 24th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
paleolib Says:

Whatever grip Pollock and Kagan have on reality is “fragile”. Progress in Iraq, like the unicorn, is “mythical”.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
tombaker Says:

“Fragile, as in: “We need to keep paying “contractors” billions of dollars for an inestimable length of time”; but not “Fragile, as in we are not succeeding like crazy in every way over there, ’cause we totally are”.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Tobie Tall Says:

well that fragility will be shattered soon on the 31st july when Iraq is expected to sign long term aggrements for the US to stay

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM
March 24th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
tombaker Says:

@2, that-same-guy-again, humping the dead horse’s leg - again.

nice form there, homes - keep it rockin’
March 24th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
barfly Says:

From a Raw Story link:

In Fallujah, Peace Through Brute Strength
Iraqi City’s Fragile Security Flows From Hussein-Era Tactics

…[T]he security that has been achieved here is fragile, the result of harsh tactics recalling the rule of Saddam Hussein, who was overthrown five years ago.[…] In the city’s overcrowded, Iraqi-run jail, located inside a compound that also houses a U.S. military base and U.S. police advisers, detainees were beaten with iron rods, according to the current warden. Many were held for months with no clear evidence or due process. They were deprived of food, medical care and electricity and lived in utter squalor, said detainees, Iraqi police and U.S. military officers, who began to address the problems three weeks ago. Last summer, the warden said, several detainees died of heatstroke.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Peter C Says:

All the king’s horses,
And all the King’s men,
…
March 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Roket Says:

In the old days, these minions could speak for each other. The bobble heads would bob and the mouths would form fake smiles. Now, they can no longer speak for each other without one of them clarifying the others comments. Soon none of them will be speaking to each other. These are signs of a splintering platform. Who could have ever foreseen this happening? Well, except for everybody but them.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
IgnoranceIsNotBliss Says:

Cheney is basically set to say so again tonight at 6:30 ET
March 24th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
barfly Says:

My comment from the previous thread:

I’m wondering how long, before this guy’s failure to successfully predict foreign policy events begins to do damage to Brookings own foreign policy reputation? His repeated errors must be affecting Brookings contributions, both financially, and intellectually, as who wants to be associated with such a nitwit, even tangentially?

- seems to have been answered. Pollack’s attempt to recontext think-tank conventional wisdom, and claim their previous statements now mean the opposite, would seem to indicate they are feeling the heat for past blunders, and the brainbucket poobahs of Thinktankistan have decreed a face-saving rhetorical retreat.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
shoeless Says:

Fritz Says:
March 24th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
“…all the progress that we have made in Iraq is very fragile.”

What progress?

US Soldiers Asked To Protect Halliburton Profits

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0409/S00063.htm
March 24th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
christopher wiwi Says:

Fragile is an understament and he knows it, it is very unfortunate that our soldiers are in harms way and this CHIMP says the surge is working and Iraq is not fragile.Put his fata$$ on the front lines and let him see just how fragile Iraq is. If the surge is working how many more soldiers have to die in Jan and Feb and March is looking very close to Jan and Feb.LET`S BRING OUR SOLDIERS HOME.The middle east does not want or need DUBYA`S democracy or his neocon dogma shoved down their throats.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Plotinus75 Says:

Michael O’Hanlon : Ken Pollack :: Fred Barnes : Morton Kondracke
March 24th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
McWars Says:

Two sinktank heads butting…BORING!
March 24th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
misshusseinmolly Says:

This is the basic neocon marketing strategy for this occupation.

1) When challenged to withdraw troops, or reduce our involvement in any way, we must claim that our progress (and the entire situation in general) is “fragile” and would quickly collapse if we weren’t there. McCain variation — it will collapse if we don’t bomb Iran.

2) When challenged about the quality of “success” there, we must claim that we’re winning and our successes are lasting. In other words — not “fragile”.

Most of the country is no longer fooled by this double-speak. But there’s still that 19% who fall for it every time.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
lthuedk Says:

Progress that gets results: (picture)

http://www.light-to-dark.com/a_retrospective.html

The stench of totalitarianism surrounds the Neo Cons and their spawning ground.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
mary Says:

What misshusseinmolly said.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Oilfieldguy Says:

I listened to quite a bit of their presentations and dire predictions that lay about like autumn leaves if we leave the path they suggest.

Everything they said, and I mean everything, sounded like real good reasons for not going in to begin with. Hmmmm.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
bogtrotters Says:

Kagan: What a mensch. Is he on the Oreo and peanut-butter milkshake diet?
March 24th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Helen Hussein Rainier Says:

Did this idiot actually say that he, Fred (Kagan) and Mike (O’Hanlon) are actually people who KNOW something about the situation in Iraq?

If they KNOW so much, they need to get their fat butts over there and into the center of the action. Let’s see how much they KNOW then.

I’m beginning to think they have all had lobotomies.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:07 am
etenebrislux Says:

What progress indeed? If the US was to pull out tomorrow the whole place would collapse like a deck of cards.
It would begin in Baghdad, and spread out-ward as the different ethnic groups contained inside their walled enclaves;(ghettos)created by the so called “SURGE” effect, begin to venture outward and flex their muscle.
The first to suffer would be the Shia minority in the city. The Shia, without the walled enclaves they have been forced to reside in by the planners of the “SURGE”, would be easy pray for the armed Sunni militia. Without a central government to take control,the fighting in Baghdad, for fighting there would surely be, would spark a civil war throughout the country.
As far as the Central Government is concerned, it is a complete joke to the Iraqi people. Installed by the Chaney click, it has absolutely no power to do “ANYTHING” and remains in hiding inside the GREEN ZONE.
As far as the “SURGE” is concerned, it has accomplished what it set out to do and that was to separate the combatants and reduce the number of deaths. However, absolutely “NO” thought has been given as to what they are going to do after all these various militia groups have been walled off from one another. Like the walls keeping the Palestinians in, the city will have to be patrolled forever and a day. Sounds like a good plan if your initial intent was to own country.
What to do about it. Look no further than the puppet master himself, the Vice President of the United States.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:48 am