October 19, 2007
On Victory in Iraq
Thoughts from Greyhawk on the Iraq War, from 100 feet over Baghdad:
...I've been writing about Iraq here for four years now - in and out of country. I've been here during many of the most violent months of the war; from the second battle for Fallujah through the January, 2005 elections, and from the launch of the surge to the present - and I'm not homebound yet. In all that time progress has been achingly slow, and back steps have been mixed with forward - but never the majority. Throughout it all - until now - I've never declared victory, seen "light at the end of the tunnel", or even claimed to have "turned a corner" - you can take your bumper sticker slogans and shove 'em. Over here a tenacious and bloodthirsty enemy has fought a well-designed and multi-faceted campaign against us, perhaps secure in the knowledge that blame for every child they killed or each holy place they defiled would be shifted to us even as they washed the blood from their hands. Their efforts gained support from many quarters (not all of which were anticipated in preparation for or included in response to their actions) and condemnation from few. But the ranks of their opponents - at least here in Iraq - are large and still growing, and theirs are neither. The battles are diminishing but ongoing, losses will be suffered, and blood will still be shed. Still more of their supporters may redouble their efforts. But in short, while I recognize this will provoke immeasurable rage from those who feel we've lost, and consternation among those who know we've won but lack the fortitude to make the declaration at this point in time, I'll say it again: we've won the war in Iraq.
"We've won the war in Iraq"
It could not be more obvious that we haven't won the war. That is foolishness. So far Iran is the only winner the Iraq war.
Posted by: Claude Nuggets at October 20, 2007 10:42 PMIt could not be more obvious that we haven't won the war.
Your conclusion is based on how many years deployed over there again? Refresh my memory.
Posted by: Purple Avenger at October 21, 2007 01:15 AMLet's see here.
* Civilian casualties down.
* Coalition force casualties down.
* Areas just a year ago thought to be un-pacifiable are now peaceful.
* Iraqi Army coming along nicely, qualified leaders stepping forward.
* Previously bitter enemies (Sunni and Shia) cooperating.
* Al Qaeda safe havens disappearing under Coalition and Iraqi actions.
* Iraqi citizens fighting back against Al Qaeda.
* Iraqi citizens informing Coalition forces of Al Qaeda safe havens.
Yeah, that sure looks like a losing war to me. [/sarc]
Posted by: C-C-G at October 21, 2007 11:10 AMThings are terrific in Iraq, but the media has been lying to us. The Iraqi army is effective and loyal. The Iraqis love us. In fact the war ended years ago. We did not lose nearly 4,000 soldiers or take on half a trillion dollars in debt. Saddam wasn't just a run of the mill strongman, he was bent on nuking the US. When we attacked him he was afraid we'd find his WMD and get him in trouble, so he hid them real well. There is no danger of Turkey getting drawn into the theater or of the Shia majority snuggling with Iran. We did not torture the enemy and deprive the world of a beacon of freedom and hope. Iran is just miserable now. In short, our troops are homeward bound, leaving behind a flourishing democracy and a strong ally to the US. Mission Accomplished. Only if anything should maybe possibly just happen to go wrong, it's MoveOn's fault.[/clownworld]
Posted by: Claude Nuggets at October 21, 2007 11:58 AMClaude, no one said things were rosy in Iraq. But it's not lost, in fact we are well on the way to victory.
Of course, victory for the Coalition forces means defeat for the lefties, so maybe that's the defeat you were talking about.
As for Turkey getting involved, the only reason they're considering it is because they feel they cannot trust us due to Speaker Pelosi's idiotic and meaningless resolution that was pretty much designed to anger the Turks.
Posted by: C-C-G at October 21, 2007 02:11 PMLast week the Sunnis and Shia together held a George W. Bush Big Honor Parade. I guess you didn't see that on the evening news, did you? They actually love the guy there. They named a mosque after him. Life under Saddam "Gassed his own people" Hussein was rife with blood and torture. Now that Democracy has taken root there is much prosperity. They are tasting the fruit of Western-style capitalism. They call themselves Bush's Children.
Posted by: Carl Nugent at October 21, 2007 04:31 PMHow about just answering my question rather than writing a book avoiding it?
Posted by: Purple Avenger at October 21, 2007 07:58 PMI smell sock puppet.
Posted by: C-C-G at October 21, 2007 10:51 PMThe clowns are a bit snappish, no? I'm sorry that The Decider fell to 24% approval. I'd be snappish too.
Meanwhile, the Sunni and Shia now take long walks in the park together. The Shia are only too eager to split oil revenues with their new friends. The Sunnis trust the Shia police gangs to uphold justice. Turkey is content to watch the Kurds gather strength and make raids into Turkey. The Iranians and the Iraqi Shia have no plans to form a theocracy in Iraq.
No doubt The Decider saw it play out this way. These are the weighty issues that occupy his mind while he clears brush.
Posted by: Chuck Nuggets at October 22, 2007 12:41 AMI love it when folks pull out Bush's approval rating.
Hey, sock puppet with multiple names: look at the approval rating of your own MoveOn-dominated Congress!
Posted by: C-C-G at October 22, 2007 09:17 AMNugget, chill, there was no Bush Parade, but there was the small matter of liberating 25 million people from a brutal WMD building, WMD using, terror funding, Al-Qaida linked regime. Also the small matter of democratic elections (in a former dictatorship in the heart of the middle east) that elected a government of the people. There was also the matter of the destruction and humiliating defeat of Al Qaida in Iraq. You may have noticed that Osama, or the speechwriter who now stands in for the late bin laden, today was forced to aplogize for the al-qaida blunder in Iraq. I'm sorry you backed the wrong horse (liberal democrats) on the liberation of Iraq issue but thats no reason to get snippy. In future you people could try to be more like Liebermann democrats, that might make your party more popular with the American people.
Posted by: Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr at October 22, 2007 03:27 PM
