Surge: My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War

398 Pages·2013·3.71 MB·English

by  Peter R. Mansoor

Praise for Baghdad at Sunrise:
“Colonel Mansoor displays the knowledge of a soldier alongside the narrative
gifts of a true historian, weaving dramatic events together, capturing the thoughts
and emotions of street-level fighters, and describing Iraqi society as it tries to
emerge from the maelstrom of war.” —Mark Moyar, Wall Street Journal
“Mansoor’s unflinching new account . . . is nearly unique, because his position
was rare among military memoirists. . . . He tells the story of that fateful first
year in Iraq from the point of view of one who saw decisions being made at
the highest echelons, yet led soldiers in executing those orders day by day.”
—Bill Murphy, Washington Post
“In reportage that crackles with the gunfire of street fighting, then segues into
candid reflections on America’s military doctrines and policies, Mansoor draws
readers directly into the tension of the Iraqi conflict. . . . A sober and balanced
perspective.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Baghdad at Sunrise is a masterful account of command in counterinsurgency
operations. Colonel Peter Mansoor’s superb description of his brigade’s experi-
ences during our first year in Iraq is a must read for soldiers, scholars, and poli-
cymakers alike—and all would do well to examine the lessons he draws from his
experiences.” —David H. Petraeus, General, U.S. Army (Ret.)
“Peter Mansoor’s extraordinarily valuable Baghdad at Sunrise . . . is destined to
be studied in war colleges for generations. . . . Baghdad at Sunrise is a far better
guide to counterinsurgency warfare than the official manual published by the
Army and Marines. . . . This book has more intellectual integrity and utility.”
—Ralph Peters, New York Post
“Colonel Mansoor has provided us with an exceptional memoir from midlevel
of the tragic course of postconflict operations in Iraq. It represents an account
by a first-rate soldier and perceptive historian that is a must-read for anyone in-
terested in what really happened.” —Williamson Murray, author of A War to Be
Won: Fighting the Second World War
“This is a unique contribution to the burgeoning literature on the Iraq war,
analyzing the day-to-day performance of a U.S. brigade in Baghdad during
2004–2005. Mansoor uses a broad spectrum of sources to address the military,
political, and cultural aspects of an operation undertaken with almost no rel-
evant preparation. . . . The critique is balanced, perceptive and merciless. . . .
He presents an eloquent critique of the armed forces’ post-Vietnam neglect of
counter insurgency and makes a strong case for integrating military forces with
civilian experts who can aid reconstruction in counterinsurgency operations.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Baghdad at Sunrise is both good literature and good history. . . . [Mansoor’s]
style is crisp, clear, and understated. . . . He tells his story from his viewpoint
without judging others in the absence of unimpeachable evidence, and even
then, lets the reader draw his own conclusions.” —Colonel (Ret.) Gregory
Fontenot, Military Review
“Excellent. . . . The great strength of Mansoor’s detailed account of his year in
Iraq is his careful critique of what went wrong. . . . By combining a scholar’s per-
spective and a military commander’s boots-on-the-ground experience, Mansoor
renders an account of the first year of the Iraqi insurgency that is at once compel-
ling and instructive.” —Tom Miller, Military.com
“This is a moving, clear, lucid, and extremely valuable account of midlevel opera-
tions in Iraq in the early, crucial stages of the insurgency, with many valuable
lessons. . . . As a memoir, Colonel Mansoor’s book is honest, moving, and excep-
tionally readable.” —Martin Sieff, Washington Times
“The last twelve pages alone—‘reflections’—are worth the price of the book. . . .
Much rides on whether U.S. officials understand the lessons that Mansoor so
eloquently lays bare.” —Michael Rubin, Middle East Quarterly
the yale library of military history
Donald Kagan and Dennis Showalter, Series Editors
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Surge
My Journey with
General David Petraeus and
the Remaking of the Iraq War
Peter R. Mansoor
Foreword by General David Petraeus
New Haven & London
All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not
reflect the official positions or views of the U.S. government. Nothing in the contents should
be construed as asserting or implying U.S. government authentication of information or
endorsement of the author’s views. This material has been reviewed by the U. S. government
to prevent the disclosure of classified information.
Copyright © 2013 by Peter R. Mansoor.
Foreword copyright © 2013 by General David Petraeus.
Maps drafted by Joe LeMonnier.
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form
(beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and
except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers.
Yale University Press books may be purchased in quantity for educational, business, or
promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected] (U.S. office) or
[email protected] (U.K. office).
Set in Minion type by Integrated Publishing Solutions.
Printed in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mansoor, Peter R., 1960–. Surge : my journey with General David Petraeus
and the remaking of the Iraq War / Peter R. Mansoor ;
foreword by General David Petraeus.
pages cm—(Yale library of military history)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-300-17235-5 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Petraeus, David Howell—Military
leadership. 2. Iraq War, 2003–2011—Campaigns. 3. Counterinsurgency—Iraq—
History. 4. United States—Military policy—History—21st century. 5. Iraq—
Politics and government—2003–. I. Title.
DS79.76.M359 2013
956.70449340973—dc23
2013015740
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To the soldiers and civilians who answered their nation’s call of duty in Iraq,
and especially for those who never returned
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Contents
Foreword by David Petraeus ix
Preface xxv
Acknowledgments xxix
List of Abbreviations xxxi
Maps xxxiii
Prologue: Baghdad, February 11, 2007 1
1. A War Almost Lost 5
2. Designing the Surge 34
3. Fardh al-Qanoon 65
4. Tower 57 91
5. The Awakening 120
6. Turning the Tide 148
7. Testimony 177
8. Power Politics 209
9. Charge of the Knights 233
10. The Surge in Retrospect 260