Basra the "Next Dubai?"

When Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki deployed his Army to pacify Basra earlier this year, naysayers insisted that the fledgling Iraqi military would be plagued by defections, cowardice, and general incompetency. Today, Basra is stable and secure. In fact, the conditions have become so favorable, a British general quipped that the city has the potential to be “another Dubai” within the decade. Unfortunately, five years of tough fighting have taught us that Stability and Support Operations (SASO) are fragile. Successes can easily succumb to just a handful of insurgents. That’s why the Iraqi Army is determined to make “next time” the “last time.”