October 6, 2003 - After nearly two years of unremitting failure the Bush Administration is finally acknowledging that the lack of a coordinated and comprehensive policy towards the two conquered provinces of the New American Empire has been disastrous. Condoleezza Rice, the National Security Advisors whose previous service to the nation has been to whisper in the President’s ear and tour the Sunday morning talk shows with canned justifications for the Administration’s policy of the week, will take control of an “Iraq Stabilization Group” and be in charge of directing American efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. At least that is what “senior administration officials” are saying in the leak de jour.

It is clear admission that the Pentagon in Iraq and Foggy Bottom in Afghanistan have failed to follow successful military campaigns with effective, comprehensive plans to consolidate those military gains. In Afghanistan the fighting continues against the same enemies, Omar’s Taliban and Bin Laden’s guerillas. In Iraq we still take are being bled by the same enemy as when the war started with the “Decapitation Raid” on March 19th now reinforced by Islamist guerilla fighters slipping into Iraq from across the Moslem world.

That the Administration is now recognizing that its last two years have been consumed with wars in search of a policy is a start – a late start perhaps – but a start none-the-less. Ms. Rice would do well to start by listening to the counsel of Russian President Putin. Pointing to the Soviet experience in its decade long war of occupation in Afghanistan he warns the United States that should it continue on the path in is on in Iraq American can look forward to the same kind of lengthy disaster that ultimately resulted in the dissolution of the Soviet Union. If Afghanistan was the Soviet’s Vietnam then Iraq is becoming America’s Afghanistan. Putin counsels that we must quickly end the occupation and turn Iraq over to the Iraqis.

Apparently America’s viceroy, Paul Bremer, will remain in control on the ground and still report to the Pentagon and not the new Iraq Stabilization Group. What Ms. Rice will preside over is unclear. The chain of command in Iraq will still lead to Don Rumsfeld and in Afghanistan to the Secretary of State. Apparently the implementation of American policy will remain in the hands of the Department heads that have been in charge thus far. Hopefully the new structure will be more than an additional layer of bureaucracy between events and the Whitehouse – an additional place for the buck to stop before it gets to the Oval Office. Hopefully the new body will be charged with synthesizing a comprehensive policy in the Middle East even if it is a case of the horse being asked to push the cart.