The surge

I've been thinking a lot about the surge, as everybody has been calling it. I don't think the extra troops are what can make the difference, but rather the manner in which we use them. I'll be quite frank. I've been mightily disappointed in the way Bush has fought this war because he has allowed political concerns to blunt the military's means of fighting. If the new protocol allow us to seriously take the fight to the terrorists, then I'm all for it. If it's just putting a dress on a pig, then I don't see the need to waste the men and the money.
What do I mean by taking the fight to the terrorists? It means this: killing al-Sadr, disbanding his militia (by force if necessary) and killing anybody who tries to take his place. Disrupt and destroy the channels from Iran funding the insurgency i.e. start killing ALL Iranian agents working in Iraq. No trials, no catch and release, kill on capture. Shut down the embassies and all roads leading into Iran if you have to. IED's don't manufacture themselves. They come from Iran. Foment an insurgency in Iran. We've played defense too long against Iran. It's time for them to realize that screwing with the US comes with a price. Finally, kill ALL al-Qaeda we can find in Iraq. Very few of them are Iraqis, most of them are from Saudi Arabia and Egypt and the natives are only supportive because they fear them. It's time to make the insurgency fear the US again. Extra troops help, but a new focus is more important. Respect is earned in the Middle East not through being nice, but through intimidation. This isn't the Netherlands and the sooner we appreciate this fact, the better off we'll be. I truly believe the majority of Iraqis want to simply live in peace without fear of their government or from foreign fighters. We need to give them that chance, but only through destroying those factions that create this fear do we stand a chance.