For a lot of people, this was a "quagmire" two weeks into it. I'm still remembering when our forces were held up by the sandstorms for a few days, and the doomsayers came out of the woodwork.

This is not going to be easy, especially with so many around the world and even in America fervently hoping for failure, and neighboring Middle Eastern nations actively trying to cause the collapse of the current Iraqi government.

Some perspective can be found here:

Conflict / Period / Victor
Greek Civil War 1944-49 Government
Spanish Insurgency 1944-52 Government
Chinese Civil War 1945-49 Insurgents
Indochina War 1945-54 Insurgents
Iranian Communists 1945-46 Government
Philippine Huk War 1946-54 Government
Madagascar Revolt 1947-49 Government
Korean Partisan War 1948-53 Government
Malayan Emergency 1948-60 Government
Kenyan Mau-Maus 1952-55 Government
Cuban Revolution 1956-58 Insurgents
Sarawak/Sabah 1960-66 Government

As the writer points out, the record of victory over insurgency is a good one, but it takes time. It took seven years after the fall of Japan before the government was turned back over to the Japanese, and there wasn't an insurgency movement there.

The level of violence is going to increase before our election, and increase before elections in Iraq. Nobody is harboring any illusions about this. So go ahead and screech and run around in circles every time something happens. It may make you feel better. It won't help much else.