Specifics, please, not just editorializing.
The US Army is doing exactly what it was told to do by the Pentagon planners (oxymoron) in 2003. Unfortunately since then the threat has changed, the mission has changed, and the political aims have changed. Anyone who ever considered "Shock and Awe" to be a catchy little slogan for the most intense counter-insurgency operation ever mounted, obviously spent a little too much time near to the Potomac and not enough time getting his forces "killed" at the NTC. The recent "surge" has actually been relatively successful in military terms, it's just a crying shame for over 3,000 of our colleagues that any military advantage was rendered impossible way back in 2003 when the so-called planners of this debacle forgot to include the post invasion actions as part of the mission. No, the Army is doing largely what the Army always does, it's just in the wrong place at the wrong time again because we choose not to understand history.
Withdrawal from Basra by the British is a step in the right direction of letting this unholy mess begin to resolve itself. At least now they will concentrate more on killing each other, instead of the poor sorry bastards who are there simply because George and Tony want to play Willy Waving games.