An elite team of officers advising the US commander, General David Petraeus, in Baghdad has concluded that they have six months to win the war in Iraq – or face a Vietnam-style collapse in political and public support that could force the military into a hasty retreat. The officers – combat veterans who are experts in counter-insurgency – are charged with implementing the ‘new way forward’ strategy announced by George Bush on January 10. The plan includes a controversial ‘surge’ of 21,500 additional American troops to establish security in the Iraqi capital and Anbar province. But the team, known as the ‘Baghdad brains trust’ and ensconced in the heavily fortified Green Zone, is struggling to overcome a range of entrenched problems in what has become a race against time, according to a former senior administration official familiar with their deliberations. ‘They know they are operating under a clock. They know they are going to hear a lot more talk in Washington about ‘Plan B’ by the autumn – meaning withdrawal. They know the next six-month period is their opportunity. And they say it’s getting harder every day,’ he said. By improving security, the plan’s short-term aim […]