Top U.S. General Sees Lasting Iraq Insurgency

If you're part of the U.S. military about to be posted to Iraq, you might not want to make any long-range career plans:

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Reuters) - The insurgency in Iraq is not likely to be put down in a year or even two since history shows such uprisings can last a decade or more, the United States' top military commander said on Friday.

Air Force Gen. Richard Myers said that in the past century, insurgencies around the world have lasted anywhere from seven to 12 years, making a quick fix to the problem in Iraq unlikely.

But no worries since, according to Myers, the Iraqis have their ink-stained fingers for solace and comfort:

Myers said, however, that recent elections in Iraq were a sign that insurgents were not succeeding in their efforts to strike fear in the Iraqi people. American television was full of images in January of Iraqis whose fingers were stained with indelible ink after casting their ballots.

"They were sticking that ink-stained finger in the eye of the insurgents," Myers told a packed ballroom at the Beverly Hilton hotel.

Sadly, when you give the Iraqi insurgents the finger, sometimes they take it personally.