FORMER DIRECTOR ON IRAQ: We 'underestimated how deep the hole' we dug. That's not true; we completely misunderstood the depth to which tribalism is central to the cultures of the entire mid-east.

Here's a thought: the reason the Iraqi army is 'cutting and running' isn't due to a lack of training or equipment; it's a result of the fact that the individual soldiers aren't loyal to the state; they're loyal to their respective tribes within that state. The same is true in Afghanistan.

That was true when I first went to Iraq in 2006; it's still true today. And it will remain true (and the chaos will continue) until the Obama administration or whatever one succeeds it grasps that simple fact.

Joe Biden almost got it when he wanted to partition Iraq way back when.