Question for Discussion

¦ These four soldiers are among the millions who made the American nation but whose names so often are missing from historical accounts. What other unsung heroes are missing from this book?

After the election Bush dismissed Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, acknowledging voter “displeasure with the lack of progress in Iraq.” But the president vowed to remain. “America’s going to stand with you,” Bush promised Iraqi leaders.

Democrats named Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House of Representatives, the first woman to hold that position. Insofar as the speaker follows the vice president in chain of succession, Pelosi became the highest-ranking woman ever to hold office in the United States. In January 2007, when Bush called for a modest increase in troop levels in Iraq, Pelosi and some prominent Democrats opposed the measure. The Democratic leadership in Congress voted to reduce funding for the war, actions Bush vetoed.

In January, 2007 Bush named General David Petraeus to command a “surge” in American troop levels in Iraq. Petraeus advanced a doctrine summarized by the phrase: clear, hold, and build. The troops were to remove insurgents from a region, establish military control over it, and build stronger ties with the Iraqi people. Initially, Petraeus made little progress. The losses among American military personnel mounted (see American Lives, “Four Heroes,” pp. 866-867). Petraeus shifted more military tasks to the Iraqis and reduced operations that would likely lead to high civilian casualties. He also worked to bring former Sunni leaders into the Iraqi government. By the spring of 2008, the violence in Iraq had declined; the “surge” appeared to be working.