Karen DeYoung's lead in this Washington Post story pretty much nails it.
So aside from all that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
WASHINGTON — Iraqis of all sectarian and ethnic groups believe that the U.S. military invasion is the primary root of violent differences between them, and see the departure of "occupying forces" as the key to national reconciliation, according to focus groups conducted for the U.S. military last month.
That is good news, according to a military analysis of the results. At the very least, analysts optimistically concluded, the findings indicate that Iraqis hold some "shared beliefs" that may eventually allow them to surmount the divisions that have led to a civil war.
So ... Mission Accomplished!
Under Pentagon logic ...
If Iraqis are united in thinking the United States is to blame for their misery, this is GOOD!!
It shows they hold "shared beliefs." And ...
Iraqi complaints about things other than security are seen as progress.
Wow, we are on a roll. More complaints! Mission accomplished!
Of course you can hear the war supporters beat their chests and proclaim we freed the Iraqis from a brutal dictator ...
But the Pentagon commissioned report found Iraqis don't buy it.
Few mentioned Saddam Hussein as a cause of their problems, which the report described as an important finding implying that "the current strife in Iraq seems to have totally eclipsed any agonies or grievances many Iraqis would have incurred from the past regime, which lasted for nearly four decades — as opposed to the current conflict, which has lasted for five years."
Leave it to the Pentagon to paint such failure as success.