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Of course, the Obama counterterrorism policy is still a work in progress. As his recent zigzags illustrate, he still hasn’t figured out his stance on some of the larger questions. But, in discussing his plans for Iraq, he has made one key admission: He will listen carefully to the advice of his generals.
You can easily see how this will play out. Obama will enter office with a set of somewhat inchoate instincts about American power and the importance of outsourcing force. These instincts will mesh with the evolving thinking of his top commanders, who have also begun to realize the limitations of an overstretched army and the value of counter-insurgency. And that brings us back to the situation room on Obama’s first day. If he and Petraeus can overcome whatever awkwardness lingers, they will discover a mind meld and an emerging doctrine– a doctrine that looks a lot more like Ronald Reagan than Jimmy Carter.
More from Ken Silverstein:
Commentary — July 25, 2012, 2:20 pm
Washington Babylon — September 29, 2010, 11:37 am


Percentage by which the risk of type 2 diabetes increases for every two hours a day that a person watches television:

Two bottled ghosts—of an old man and a young girl—were sold at auction in New Zealand.

The practice of sexualized eyeball licking was causing conjunctivitis in Japanese sixth graders.