"It is a long war of attrition with no end in sight, " wrote Gerges.

CNN: Q&A: Is Syrian war escalating to wider conflict?

It is a long war of attrition with no end in sight.

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The refusal by the Iraqi government to extend legal protections for U.S. troops after the end of the war there was a major reason the United States left the country with no residual military training force.

CNN: Obama, Karzai agree to accelerate military transition