Lawrence Korb Quotes

Unquestionably, the mission in Iraq has become more dangerous and difficult.

Afghanistan and Iraq were lumped together in what was called a 'global war on terrorism.'

The initial [Iraq] war was won in about 6 weeks, but the peace was lost soon thereafter.

During the surge in Iraq, we were able to roll back the tide of al-Qaeda and associated insurgents because we succeeded in mobilizing Iraqis - especially Sunni Arabs - to join us in fighting against the largely Sunni extremist networks in their midst.

The number of attacks on the American and allied forces is at the highest level since the insurgency began despite the increase of America combat operations and the introduction of some 40 new Iraq security forces and battalions.

Iraq is in a civil war. There is no road in that country that is safe.

When I first arrived in Baghdad in January 2003, I thought I would soon rent a house and envisioned myself swimming in the Tigris to cool off after reporting in the city the caliphs called Madinit al-Salam, the City of Peace. A year later, I realized I wouldn't be taking any midnight dips - Madinat al-Salam no more.

One year after the United States led the invasion of Iraq, the country remains extremely dangerous not only to our troops, but also to the stability of the world.

The U.S. and Britain are incapable of controlling all of Iraq.

Three years into the war, tens of thousands of American troops remain targets of a growing Iraqi insurgency.

At least 23,000 civilians have also died in the Iraqi killing field and the U.S. is stuck in a quagmire.

But clearly the fact that we've gone from zero Iraqi security forces on duty in May to up to 200,000 today is an enormous accomplishment, but it's not enough.

What we now have in Iraq is a defeat.

In beloved Iraq, blood is flowing between brothers, in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation.

By the time the 2008 election arrived, we had finally won the Iraq War, or we were on the road to winning it. We won starting in the summer of 2007 going into late 2011.

By the end of 2008, clearly the Al Qaeda and Sunni insurgency had been relatively stabilized. And in the Al Qaeda's mind, they were defeated.

The situation in Iraq was dire at the end of 2006, when President George W. Bush decided to implement the surge and selected me to command it. Indeed, when I returned to Baghdad in early February 2007, I found the conditions there to be even worse than I had expected.

If anything, prolonged overseas military presence breeds radicalization.

At the end of the day, Iraq was a part of the fight against terrorism.

Coalition forces have encountered serious violence in some areas of Iraq. Our military commanders report that this violence is being insticated by three groups.

The Islamic State is using medieval tactics.

Actually, if you look at the essence of ISIS, how it came about, it's the product of foreign invasion. Foreign invasion in Iraq led to removal of Saddam Hussein, and we're not unhappy with that, but the point is that foreign presence in any territory has created dynamics. And you cannot avoid those dynamics.

American wars in Muslim countries created some extremists and inflamed many more while producing a security vacuum that allowed them to wreak mayhem.

If, God forbid, a war with Iran breaks out, it will be a nightmare. And we will all be in it, including the Persian Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia. No one will remain unscathed.

Many of our forces collapsed when Daesh rolled into Iraq.