Why we 'lost' Iraq

I take a backseat to no one in believing victory in Iraq is essential to America's national security.

I would love to see Iraqis all get along. I would love to see Iraq become a free and independent state or states. I would love to see it become a model for self-government in the Muslim Middle East.

But more important to Americans is the utter defeat of al-Qaida and Iranian proxies there. That's what constitutes victory for the U.S.

However, that's not the way President Bush defines victory. In fact, he's never defined it – which is one of the reasons we can't achieve it.

I believe I can point to the turning point in the Iraq war – the moment, the day, the hour it all started to go downhill for our mission. It is important for Americans to understand and acknowledge this turning point, or we will never learn from our mistake of historic proportions.

It happened in November 2004.

Prior to that time, there was little question America was accomplishing its mission in Iraq. It was on the way to victory. It was destroying the enemy and transforming the country into a U.S. ally in the Middle East – one that would not likely tolerate al-Qaida activity or efforts at Iranian hegemony.

But what happened in November 2004 changed all that. It wasn't a victory on the battlefield by al-Qaida. It wasn't new tactics by Iranian-sponsored terrorists. It wasn't a spontaneous uprising by America's enemies. It wasn't an outbreak of religious hostilities between Sunnis and Shiites. And it wasn't any failure by U.S. troops.

It was, first, a public-relations disaster called Abu Graib.

Entire article here.