Dept. of No Kidding

OTTAWA (CP) - A secret study by Canada's spy agency says insurgents wreaking havoc in Iraq would see a U.S. withdrawal of troops as "a significant victory" unless Baghdad first has a stable government.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service paints a bleak picture of "dire proportions" in which determined fighters are exploiting divisions between the Shiite majority and Sunni minority in Iraq. [...]

The study was prompted by speculation last summer from Gen. George Casey, commander of U.S. ground operations in Iraq, about reducing personnel numbers.

Gee, why would the insurgents see the defeat of US forces as a "significant victory", I wonder? Maybe because it would be a significant victory?

I know our current government doesn't want to believe it, but the Americans are going to lose in Iraq, and the insurgents stand a very good chance of winning. (The outside chance is that some form of Iraqi government may keep things together. But I'm not optimistic.) It behooves us to actually face reality, and admit that even the leviathan can be defeated. But so far all we can admit is that the enemy "would see" their victory as a victory. It's too early to admit that defeat is possible, apparently. It's this same bizarre use of the English language that allows so many Americans to believe that they didn't lose Vietnam, frankly.

I have no idea why CSIS felt the need to state the obvious, and then couch it in such bizarre language.