A Long, Hard Fight
A Cold War approach to beating radical Islamists
"That long war." At the Marine Corps headquarters at Camp Fallujah, rather than speaking to sergeants and captains, Abizaid spoke to generals and colonels. His message? "We didn't have the guts to get out in front of the fascists or the Bolsheviks. This time we have to get in front. This time we have a chance. If we don't fight this fight here, we will fight it at home. I would ask you to please talk to your captains, young gunnery sergeants, and tell them we need them. We need them to fight that long war."
Whether or not it started as part of the struggle against extremism, it is clear that the fight in Iraq has become part of Abizaid's "long war." The months to come will show whether Abizaid's plan to win that fight is the right one.
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