Independent war correspondent Michael Totten interviewed 3rd Infantry Division Lieutenant Colonel Mike Silverman from Midway, Georgia. Based on Totten’s account, LTC Silverman must be one heck of an officer and leader.

Here’s his takeaway assessment on how we’re doing in Iraq:

“What’s the most important thing Americans need to know about Iraq that they don’t currently know?” I said.

“That we’re fighting Al Qaeda,” he said without hesitation. “[Abu Musab al] Zarqawi invented Al Qaeda in Iraq. The top leadership outside Iraq squawked and thought it was a bad idea. Then he blew up the Samarra mosque, triggered a civil war, and got the whole world’s attention. Then the Al Qaeda leadership outside dumped huge amounts of money and people and arms into Anbar Province. They poured everything they had into this place. The battle against Americans in Anbar became their most important fight in the world. And they lost.”

Read the whole thing. Courtesy of Winds of Change.