Boot insisted in an online debate Tuesday that the surge has worked because “civilian deaths were down more than 80%, US deaths more than 60%, between September 2006 and March 2008.”

However, Boot also argued in the Wall Street Journal on Monday that the jump in American fatalities in April “could be a sign that tough combat is under way that will lead to the enemy’s defeat and the creation of a more peaceful environment in the future.”

“If fewer Americans die in Iraq, that’s because the surge is working. If more Americans die in Iraq, that’s also because the surge is working. And if the surge is working, the troops have to stay longer to solidify its gains. And if the surge isn’t working, the troops have to stay longer to make sure it starts working.”

“And the point of the war in Iraq is to make sure there is a war in Iraq.”