In the years immediately following the 2006 “Surge” of American troops in Iraq, observers of America’s counterinsurgency war there regarded the defeat of Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in Anbar Province as one of the strategy’s signature victories. With the assistance of American troops, the fractious tribal sheiks in that province united in an “Awakening” that ultimately led to the defeat of the legendarily brutal AQI. The success of the Awakening convinced many that smart, properly resourced counterinsurgency strategies could in fact work. Even more, the episode showed that victory could be snatched from the jaws of defeat.
