Clark on U.S. air assault operation in Iraq
Video (alternate, QuickTime), Audio (transcript) - Clark discusses the ongoing major air assualt operation in Iraq. He says it's good that the Iraqis are able to take a significant part in this, but cautions that the situation in Iraq won't be resolved militarily. The decisive point is political, bringing Sunnis into the political process to resolve their grievances. There is no other way to stop the insurgency, he says. He also discusses the problem of Shi'a militias and the need to get leverage on them, which this operation doesn't really do. He emphasizes these points repeatedly. Basically, while the operation itself might be militarily successful, it does nothing to actually resolve the situation.
(note: one thing that Clark makes clear is that this was an air assault operation, dropping troops from the air, and not an air offensive, as I had originally written. See also here)
