The Strongest Tribe
War, Politics and the Endgame in Iraq

By Bing West
Random House. 448 pp. $28.

Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army, players important to both al-Qaeda and Iran, were hemmed in by American troops and their Iraqi allies.

In his concluding chapter, West distills the lessons of the "surge" and provides guidance for military leaders in future conflicts. He saves his most important point for last: Armies may fight wars, but it is nations that go to war. President Bush, though he redeemed some mistakes by supporting the "surge," nevertheless failed in his main responsibility: to use the bully pulpit effectively and to inculcate a sense of shared sacrifice among all Americans.

According to West, the American characteristics of resilience, generosity and determination to learn from failures make us not just different from, but also stronger than, the adversaries we face in Iraq. At the same time, he laments the loss of martial virtues among our political and media elites, and asserts that the stance of supporting our troops while opposing their mission will lead to defeat.

The shame of Abu Ghraib and the alleged massacre at Haditha illustrate the point dramatically. In the first case, the misconduct of "one motley squad - a sergeant, three privates, and four corporals," was used to tarnish our entire military and the liberation of millions of people from unspeakable evil. In the second case, our troops were tried in the courts of political and public opinion when the facts did not support the allegation.

In summary, West writes: "In WWII, our nation highlighted courage and quietly accepted mistakes. Today, we highlight mistakes and quietly accept valor." Our troops and our nation deserve better; our ability to fight and win rests not in the medals given at the top, but with those earned at the bottom, and in the sacrifices we share as a people. This is what makes America "The Strongest Tribe."