The "Surge" In Iraq, A Center Of Gravity Perspective

One key component to the strategy implemented by General Petraeus in Iraq was deploying up to five additional U.S. Army combat brigades and two U.S. Marine battalions to theater bringing the overall troop level in Iraq close to 168,000. This increase in American combat forces on the ground in Iraq has become known as the Surge and is commonly credited by politicians, the media, and members of the military as the reason for the sustained turn around in Iraqs security situation since January 2007. This paper, through a Center of Gravity COG analysis of al-Qaeda in Iraq AQI, shows that the recent security successes achieved in Iraq have less to do with the surge forces and are more due to the lesser-known Sons of Iraq initiative.