The Moose is apparently qualified to become an intelligence analyst.
Portions of the NIE were released and they corroborated what the Moose wrote yesterday. Without the world-wide assets and resources of the intelligence community, the Moose reached similar conclusions as did his human counterparts.
Yesterday, the Moose wrote,
"One thing is for certain - if America retreats in the face of Jihadism, the situation will only worsen as radical Islam will be immeasurably emboldened."
and the NIE indicated,
"Should jihadists leaving Iraq perceiving themselves, and be perceived, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight."
the Moose wrote,
"Ultimately, the Jihadists will only be defeated only through military success and political and economic reform. Authoritarian stability gave birth to radical Islam and only genuine democratic transformation will vanquish it."
and the NIE concluded,
"If Democratic reform movements in Muslim majority nations progress over the next five years, political participation will likely drive a wedge between intransigent extremists and groups willing to use the political process to achieve their local objectives."
The truth is that partisans on both sides of the divide will find vindication of their positions in this document - and that is the point. We are deep into the season when it is more vital to score partisan points than find solutions.
After the November election, we will still be in Iraq. Even if the Democrats gain one or both chambers of Congress, it is unlikely they will cut off funding for the war effort. And as long as W is President, we are not leaving that country.
Tony Blair got it right, as usual, in his address to the Labor Party confab,
"If we retreat now, hand Iraq over to Al Qaeda and sectarian death squads and Afghanistan back to Al Qaeda and the Taliban, we won't be safer. We will be committing a craven act of surrender that will put our future security in the deepest peril."
Hopefully, a bi-partisan Coalition of the Adults will emerge to devise and support a victory strategy in Iraq. The time is long past to view Iraq through the rear view mirror. The Moose agrees with those Generals who appeared at the Democratic hearing that there is an urgent need for more troops to prevent violence from escalating and restore order for the democratic government.
Unfortunately, our political class is not serving our brave troops who are risking everything on the ground in Iraq. Here in Washington we are mired in the past and obsessed with political posturing.
But, as the NIE indicated, it is imperative to send the Jihadists either to their maker or home unhappy. And it is vital to begin the transformation of the Middle East to remove the scourges of hatred and violence.
But, the efforts of the Coalition of the Adults will have to be on hold for the next six weeks. This is the time of the season for puerile partisanship.
You don't need a NIE to figure that out. -- | 
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