What a wonderful day! Today is the 138th anniversary of the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia – all but ending the American Civil War. And what do you know? I woke up this morning to hear that regime control in Baghdad was at an end – all but ending the Second Gulf War.
What a day for victory!
So, now what? Just as in the Civil War the next weeks and months will be filled with mopping up operations, explaining to partisans and terroristic militias that the war is over, they lost and they’d better pack it in now before they’re killed or tried as war criminals. Isolated strong points may hold out for a while, particularly in the north, but main resistance is at an end. Do you think there might be incidents like the Japanese hold-outs from WWII? Dudes up in the mountains somewhere who don’t get the word that the war’s over and keep watching and waiting for their time to strike? Even so, they’ll be minor and few and far between.
I sure hope we’ve got a plan for post-war administration for, as far as I’m concerned, with people dancing in the streets celebrating liberation now is the time to present it. Want to cement the good faith of the Iraqi people? Demonstrate how you’re going to give them their country back.
But for the moment, savor victory and keep the faith.