Leaving Iraq now would give the neocons in the US the possebility to create a "Dolchstoßlegende", as they have already tried with Vietnam - and in case of Iraq they would have more chances to be successful.
Seeing as the Surge does not consist of a large enough force to be truely successful. I've thought that this was its main purpose. Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
The success of a creation of a legend could even work without that there would have been a real alternative, but would allow the neocons to go into another war in some years elsewhere. Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den MenschenVolker Pispers
Very sad. Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den MenschenVolker Pispers
Despite Germany had to accept conditionless surrender, in WW I there was never a fight on German soil. Basically after the US entered the war directly, Germany had no chance any more and all military historicans agree on that. But the groups who first surrendered were poitically very left. The Weimarer Republic was essentially founded by the SPD, the major German left wing party. As there was no war in Germany, the monarchists could keep the myth of the "Dolchstoßlegende" alive, that Germany could have won WW I, if the left groups would not have betrayed the country. This was a major burden for the new democracy and the SPD, which later lost a lot of voters to the Nazis who were allowed to reverse most of the burdens, which the SPD Gov accepted in the Versailler treaty. Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den MenschenVolker Pispers
f I understand the 'doctrine' "Dolchstoßlegende" correctly, I believe that it will be used indeed by Bush and his neo-con supporters. There have been high-profile indications from Patraeus demand for more troops in Iraq to Gates' recent attacks on US NATO and EU allies.
