Sen. Reed: The Surge Has ‘Stopped The Bleeding’ In Iraq, But Has Not ‘Repaired The Deep Wounds’

THINK PROGRESS

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), a senior member of the Armed Services Committee and former Army Ranger, just returned from his 11th trip to Iraq. Speaking to reporters today about his trip, Reed rebutted conservatives’ assertions of success in Iraq:

First, the surge has not achieved the president’s principal stated objectives, which are political in nature. […]

The question’s usually posed, Well, has the surge worked? Well, it’s worked much in the way a tourniquet has worked: It stopped the bleeding. But the very delicate political surgery needed to repair the deep wounds in this country and initiate a long-term process of healing and stability has not taken place, and that is the critical issue that I think we face today.

Also, the security gains, which are demonstrable, can be reversed............