The creation of the Iraq Stabilization Group, “according to several [Bush] administration officials, grew out of Mr. Bush’s frustration at the setbacks in Iraq and the absence of more visible progress in Afghanistan, at a moment when remnants of the Taliban appear to be newly active. It is the closest the White House has come to an admission that its plans for reconstruction in those countries have proved insufficient, and that it was unprepared for the guerrilla-style attacks that have become more frequent in Iraq.”
– David E. Sanger, “White House to Overhaul Iraq and Afghan Missions,” The New York Times, Oct. 6, 2003