Today’s Success In Iraq:
Security *and* Political Progress
Security *and* Political Progress
Hmmm…. what IS a cut-and-run Democrat to do now that the entire premise of their anti-Iraq policy has collapsed? (h/t - Instapundit)
For The First Time, Petraeus Is Cautiously Optimistic - ABC News
If you’re looking for one measure of the impact of last year’s troop surge in Iraq, look at Gen. David Petraeus as he walks through a Baghdad neighborhood, with no body armor, and no helmet.
It’s been one year since the beginning of what’s known here as Operation Fardh Al Qadnoon. According to the U.S. military, violence is down 60 percent. One key to the success is reconciliation.
In the last year, U.S. and Iraqi troops moved into the neighborhood, set up joint security stations, earned the trust of local people, and found those men willing to put down their guns and work with them.
The results of the last year can be seen on the streets. A soccer team practices on the local pitch. The stalls in the market buzz with customers. I stop to talk to local residents, and ask if they feel a difference. Overwhelmingly, the answer is a resounding yes.
Big News From Baghdad - Commentary Magazine
Within the last week the Iraqi parliament passed key laws having to do with provincial elections (the law devolves power to the local level in a decentralization system that is groundbreaking for the region), the distribution of resources, and amnesty. And those laws follow ones passed in recent months having to do with pensions, investment, and de-Ba’athification.
American Ambassador Ryan Crocker told Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard that “the whole motivating factor†beyond the legislation was “reconciliation, not retribution.†This is “remarkably different†from six months ago, according to the widely respected, straight-talking Crocker.
Progress in Iraq means life is getting progressively more difficult for Democrats and their two presidential front-runners, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Having strongly opposed the surge, Obama and Clinton have been forced by events to concede that security progress has been made. But until now they have insisted that the surge is a failure because we’re not seeing political progress. That claim is now being shattered.
Shattered, indeed.  What is a cut-and-run Democrat to do?  Nancy? Harry? Murtha? Are you out there?
-Bruce (GayPatriot)
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Petraeus was walking on the same set they used for the moon-landing hoax. Iraq is crushed by civil war. Our troops are all hunkered down just waiting for the final charge. The American infrastructure has collapsed and everyone has maxed out their credit cards just trying to buy simple meds and a thin sheet to help keep warm. Don’t worry. Everything is really rotten. Now, shut up and believe in hope and change.
Comment by heliotrope — February 20, 2008 @ 12:41 pm - February 20, 2008
I applaud this progress.
Every rainbow has a speck of dust: This progress tends to take Iraq off the table as an issue, and with it, national security. If it keeps up, the election will focus wholly on domestic issues. Neither the Bush Administration nor our troops will get the credit they deserve (yes, deserve). The MSM and DNC simply stop talking about Iraq - if the news doesn’t fit their desired "progressive" spin. If the progress keeps up, Iraq will simply vanish from the MSM’s horizon. Either it will vanish until January 2009 - when suddenly the progress will be noticed and credited entirely to Hillobama - or, it will just vanish. Vanish, until and unless there is a reversal to report, a spectacular terrorist attack, etc.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — February 20, 2008 @ 1:06 pm - February 20, 2008
Bruce, I don’t get the MSM anymore.Â
They used to be so easy to assess –when they finally have a story that underscores how wrong conservatives were pre-9/11 about using the military for nation building… they aren’t reporting it. I’d think showing conservatives and neo-cons to be all wrong about nation building with US troops would make the MSM’s day. Iraq proves nation building with US troops is viable.
BTW, did you catch last week Rep Murtha at a CSIS forum say that the violence in Iraq was down because we’ve "ethnic cleansed" the key areas of Sunnis… I couldn’t believe that idiot would say that!
http://media.csis.org/csistv/?080207_murtha
Comment by Michigan-Matt — February 20, 2008 @ 2:05 pm - February 20, 2008
In other Iraq news: Congressman Jack Murtha is still a jackass, oops I mean "ex-Marine", for his FALSELY accusing fellow Marines of having murdered in cold blood… and PBS / Frontline has done an almost-fair treatment on Haditha:
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/02/frontline-convi.html
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — February 20, 2008 @ 2:55 pm - February 20, 2008
P.S. The Blackfive comment thread is fun. The idiotarian "Mr. Sparkle" sounds almost like he fled from us here at GayPatriot. The Blackfive guys give him what he deserves.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — February 20, 2008 @ 3:01 pm - February 20, 2008
<blockquote>This progress tends to take Iraq off the table as an issue, and with it, national security.</blockquote> I fear you are right, but I hope Republicans will force the issue and spotlight how monumentally wrong Democrats have been at every turn.
Comment by American Elephant — February 20, 2008 @ 7:35 pm - February 20, 2008
oy vey. even when i know how to do it right i do it wrong. it hurts when I roll my eyes back this far.
Comment by American Elephant — February 20, 2008 @ 7:37 pm - February 20, 2008
This doesn’t help the Republicans as much as you seem to think, the public wants to begin to withdraw and leave the country. Everyone is working to get us out, the arguement will be what is the best way to leave that will protect troops and cilivans. Hillary Clinton gets that better than Obama, I don’t see her rushing to get out of beyond what is reasonable.
The Election will be about the Economy and domestic issues, which historically in polling has been a benefit to the democrats. McCain has been quoted as saying he doesn’t know much about the economy…thats already an ad. He has a strength in national defense and security matters but not when it comes to domestic issues of healthcare and jobs.
Comment by Darkeyedresolve — February 20, 2008 @ 8:28 pm - February 20, 2008
Hillary Clinton gets that better than Obama, I don’t see her rushing to get out of beyond what is reasonable.
Neither one of them would ever take the responsibility for American defeat. They’re fine if Bush does, but they won’t.
but not when it comes to domestic issues of healthcare and jobs.
Who says either one of those issues are for a president to control?
Comment by ThatGayConservative — February 21, 2008 @ 3:43 am - February 21, 2008
We should note well that Hilldog and Orgasma could give a damn about national security, but they fully support the trial bar.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — February 21, 2008 @ 3:49 am - February 21, 2008
Couldn’t, rather.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — February 21, 2008 @ 3:49 am - February 21, 2008