Seems that Bush has taken to heart my suggestion that more troops are needed in Iraq. I do not know if an extra 30,000 is sufficient. Reportedly those extra troops are intended for the Sunni Triangle.

A plan to train the military in the art of COIN (counter insurgency, see publication FM3-24) is an overdue initiative. The plan draws on COIN experience in similar multi-ethnic multi-secular situations (e.g. Malaya) and includes integration of ethnic & secular elements at unit level and consensus decisions within the local military unit in determination of local policy.

According to "The Economist" the ratio of troops to civilians for COIN action should be 20-25 per 1000 civilians. (This number drops to around 2 police per 1000 civilians in a pacified civilian population such as we have in Australia). Since the Iraqi occupation appears to be successfully reducing terrorist activities in the southern Shia and the northern Kurdish regions, no extra troops need be assigned to those regions. However quality assets must be concentrated in the Sunni Triangle around Baghdad if the war against terrorist resistance is to be won.

Let us hope that someone has done some homework on this one. It certainly looks like a plan that might work.