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:LUTE: Well, first of all, it suggests that there's no immediate impact. That is that the elections themselves were not a silver bullet or a panacea that we were going to solve the insurgency. The other thing it suggests to me, Paula, is just the bravery and the incredible willingness to step forward on the election day itself which we witnessed by millions of Iraqis moving to the polling places. And further more, the support by the brother Iraqis, the security forces, in securing over 5,000 election places. It suggests to me in sum that it's still a dangerous place, but the Iraqis have demonstrated they are willing to step up. They deserve our respect and our support for that."
==Strategy for fighting the enemy (November 2006)==
===Fight the terror network on the internet so we don't have to fight them here===
When speaking November 17, 2006, at a breakfast hosted by the Association of the United States Army in Arlington, Virginia, Lute said "You need a network to defeat a network", a concept "key to winning against al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Iraq."
Lute stated that "al-Qaida is a networked organization but that 'our organization is still the same as before the war and it is insufficient to defeat the enemy.'
"The terror network, Lute said, consists of tangible assets, such as training camps, weapons and personnel, as well as intangible aspects"—"primarily of its use of the Internet as a tool to conduct communications, training, and command and control"—which 'defy a conventional approach'."
"They have a safe haven on the Internet," Lute said. "No one in the U.S. military has been tasked with the mission of attacking these intangibles. Until we do they will operate with impunity" and, "[as] long as that situation prevails, ... the United States and its coalition allies will not be able to vanquish the terrorist enemy."
Lute argued: "The enemy is targeting the political will of this country, ... He knows he can’t beat us on the battlefield and he is OK with that."
===On [[The Long War]]===
In the same [http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/29734-1.html speech], Lute "cautioned against expecting an outright military victory. He projected it could take 15 years for the U.S. and its allies to defeat the terrorists."
===Large numbers of troops not needed===
"The presence of large numbers of U.S. personnel in Iraq is not necessary to achieve Lute’s vision," he [http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/29734-1.html said] in his speech. "'It’s bad news for the U.S. and for Iraq, ... because it extends the perception of an occupation.' ... Instead, Lute advocated the use of small teams that advise local operators."
"This war," Lute [http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/29734-1.html said], "is more about will and perception than firepower ... We have concluded that, in that sense, we are not equipped to attack the enemy. We must attack the intangible part of the network if we are going to win.'"
==On not catching Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora==
*Peter Spiegel and Demetri Sevastopulo, [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/9f81fef2-14de-11da-9df1-00000e2511c8.html "US general sees significant withdrawal in Iraq,"] ''Financial Times'', August 24, 2005.
*Richard Norton-Taylor, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/alqaida/story/0,12469,1555838,00.html?gusrc=rss "Al-Qaida will retreat to Africa, says general,"] ''The Guardian'' (UK), August 25, 2005.
*James Livingston, [http://politicsandletters.com/wp2/?p=36 "Exit Strategies,"] ''Politics and Letters'' Blog, August 25, 2005.*Gordon Corera, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4186766.stm "Iraqi charter and the insurgency,"] BBC News, August 26, 2005.
====2006====
*[http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:dBvThDb92yUJ:www.sais-jhu.edu/insider/pdf/2006_articles/mclaughlin_crs_012006.pdf+%22Douglas+Lute%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us "Discussion About the War on Terrorism,"] Guests: [[Brian Ross]], Douglas Lute, [[John McLaughlin]], ''The Charlie Rose Show'', January 20, 2006.
*Peter Buxbaum, [http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/29734-1.html "To win against terrorism, DOD networks must be innovative,"] ''Washington Technology'', November 17, 2006.
====2007====
