May 22 2006
Iraq Stands Up And Takes Over Destiny
*** Update: Ralph Peters basically says the same thing today:
WITH the formation of Iraq’s new government, it’s a good time to take stock of where we stand in our confrontation with Islamist terror. You wouldn’t know it from the outrageously dishonest headlines, but we’re winning. “
End update ***
Poor Mad Murtha and them Dems (and liberal media). Seems they just couldn’t snatch a Vietnam-like defeat from victory in Iraq. There never was a civil war and the insurgency is inpopular and in retreat. Iraqi’s will begin the process of taking over security starting next month:
The new Iraqi prime minister said Monday that his government would begin taking responsibility for the security of the country from foreign troops next month, with the goal of having Iraqi control of most provinces by the end of the year.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, at a news conference with visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair, said the Iraqi police and army would take control of two relatively stable provinces beginning in June. He said he hoped that all but two of Iraq’s 18 provinces would be handed over to Iraqi control by December.
…
Maliki had been more specific, telling reporters earlier that there had been an agreement to transfer security of Muthanna and Maysan provinces — both have been relatively calm — in June. He said the handover would be completed by the end of the year in the rest of the country, “except for Baghdad and maybe Anbar,” a restive province where a U.S. Marine was killed Sunday.
But Maliki noted that Iraq’s force of 264,000 soldiers and police officers was still being built up to a full strength of 325,000 men, and that “Iraq still needs more support.”
The left side of America is going to have to come to grips with their completely mistaken predictions of doom and gloom. The Iraqi government is doing what they need to in order to become a governing body, and they’ll know when they can handle it. They are asking for us to help them to the last few steps. And the left wants to run and leave them to the brutalities no human should endure.
The left is a sad mirror image of its former greatness. Obsessed with power and emotionally challenged to enter into mature discussions, the left would now leave this fledgling democracy to strife and murder, and for what? A few congressional seats someplace in the midwest. My grandfather was a Democrat US Congressman from Ohio, and he would be horrified that his great party from the early 20th century had become so vacant of spine, honor, moral fortitude and high goals. The Carville-Begala brand of big mouth yelling to make a point has finally destroyed the left.
When a party opines for the days of Saddam’s rape rooms and mass graves instead of a US led experiment in Democracy, you know that party is dead to history and humanity. Sad to say, that kind of thinking is what brought the world Hitler and Stalin and Saddam. The kind of thinking that is childishly emotional and filled with hate and envy of others who are simply different.
Congratulations to the people in Iraq. It is safe to say that in their endeavor to be free and democratic, they were able to rise above many here in the US who see those gifts as meaningless words.
Spot on AJ.
The difference is if there were a Democrat in the White House this would be touted as one of the greatest historical events ever.
It escapes me that several members of congress and many in the public cannot grasp the meaning of a freedom and democracy in the Middle East. If you choose to not be an independent thinker and believe only political rhetoric and the MSM I suppose you could be swayed which is why so many of us have turned to blogs we trust for our news.
This much I am sure of, I hope for a free and safe world in which my children can raise my grandkids and I believe President Bush has set us on the right course to achieve it.
There is a greater issue involved. Many of those in places of power in that party made their gains on the Viet Nam war issue. They attempted to frame Iraq in that same context. The big issue is that if Iraq is a success, it is another to add to a growing pile of successes since Jimmy Carter left office. There was Grenada, there was getting the Sandanistas out of power in Nicaragua, there was a minor success in Panama, there was a major success in Kuwait. We did have a setback when Clinton was in office in Somalia and a quagmire we are still involved with in the old Yugoslavia but if Bush is successful in Iraq, they will be afraid they can no longer bring forth the ghost of Viet Nam to scare the people in line with their agenda. They are selling wolf tickets and the wolf hasn’t arrived at the show. If he doesn’t show soon, the crowd is going to go home and probably won’t respond the next time they cry wolf.
Other than Murtha who has an interest in being the anti-war darling for the media lest they concentrate on his ethics issues, eveyone is curiously silent on Iraq lately. I saw the media backpeddle today changing from “civil war” to “low-level civil war” . I suppse the next step is “low-level civil war-like thingy”.
President Bush has done an awesome job, has stood by our troops, has given Iraq back to the Iraqis. I am impressed.
The Democrats need someone like Truman, but today Truman might be a Republican.
Sorry Harry, sad but true.
But then again the Right has its crazies too.
Just finished reading,”A Better War” by Lewis Sorley, about the post 1968, Abrams run Vietnam war phase. What an eye opener. I swear history is repeating itself. We snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in Vietnam because of our lack of support of an allie. While the Iraq-Vietnam allie analogy isn’t quite identical, the efforts of the left to sabotauge this effort are the same. Some who were against the Vietnam war at least came around to see the error of their ways and the utter bloodbath they helped to create. Most haven’t and are again active in the anti-war movement. Unfortunately, this won’t change until the historigraphy of Vietnam changes and I can’t see it happening soon as the cultural elites would have to self-indict themselves. At least a few like Shawcross get it.
This is pretty scary stuff.
smh,
“The difference is if there were a Democrat in the White House this would be touted as one of the greatest historical events ever.”
A Democrat would have never brought this about in the first place, unfortunately. AJ’s right…the Democratic Party has no ideals, no ideas, no plan, and absolutely no direction home. After 30 years of being one, I am ashamed to admit it. I am sad beyond words.
Carol
Carol:
Absolutely correct. If there were a Dem in the White House this never would have taken place in Iraq.
This President in my opinion has done more to clean up the mess that was left over from 8 years of photo-op and poll governing than any President has ever had to do.
Don’t feel too bad Carol, I am married to someone who was a registered Democrat for almost 40 years..like he always says, “the party died with Truman.” I think he is right and unfortunately, I see no way out for them now.
By the way, a little addition to my post above..I do not think Republicans are perfect either. The difference is they don’t for the most part govern from the microphone and political hysteria is kept to a minimum.
Baghdad, Midway…
If today’s journalists reported the Battle of Midway, we’d read “U.S. Aircraft Shot From Skies”, with a brief mention of the destruction of the Japanese carrier fleet buried at the bottom.
Ralph Peters, on the New York Post, and Peter Wehner, on…
A note of caution for all the people in this blog already claiming victory over “liberals” because elections were held, and a government has been formed in Iraq.
A Democracy in its true sense is much more than just elections, and government. By those standards Iran, Venezuela, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Russia, and even Iraq under Saddam would have qualified as Democracies. Would you conservatives in this blog call all these countries mentioned Democracies? They qualify by the standard you are giving Iraq today.
Let me remind you that Iraq has a Government with a Constitution still undecided, a population extremely devided, entire regions of the country in turmoil and constant attack, a country under occupation by us, etc. In short I think that altough it is undeniable that a new government is progress it is also undeniable that you are again jumping the gun and claiming victory a bit soon.
Iraq is still very much a work in progress. The real question for all Conservaties is if the American people will support YOUR effort. I emphazise “yours” because it now is entirely yours, that is the Republican Right Wing/Neo-Con agenda in Iraq.
You are running out of time. Is as simple as that. If you want your ideas to be relevant in the future you are going to have to do better than spin victory, because reality keeps on getting in the way and no one outside your shrinking circle believes you any more.
Victory in Iraq is defined as a true Democratic Government running a united country respectful of its constitution, authorities, and that needs no help from us to make it. A country that is at peace with itself and it’s neighbors. You have about 7 more months to do it good luck.
Gil,
I would be honored to related to the sea change in Iraq. I would be honored to be associated with changing rape rooms to classrooms. To changing torture chambers into museums to a horrible past. To change terrorist training camps to training facilities for Iraq’s security forces.
I would be honored to be associated with taking out Saddam and putting in Maliki. But I did not do this – the US military did and their civilian contractors. Every American who went to Iraq, risked their lives, were injured and who died are the ones who did all this. So I will stand by them and add my support to their efforts.
You, can stand for the opposite of what happened! You have for years. Left = Saddam, right = freedom. I can deal with that!
smh1012
“This president has done more to clean up the mess that was left over from 5 years of photo ups”
I live in the same country as you do, and I do not recall any mess left over from Clinton to Bush. What on earth are you talking about?
Can’t be Iraq, it can’t be the surplus, it can’t be the economy (mild recession does not qualify as a mess), can’t be our international standing, can’t be the size of our government. … Are you shure you are not confusing presidents?
All of the things I stated above are a mess now, but the President that made it is named Bush.
“Republicans keep political hysteria to a minimum”
That’s a good one JEJEJE.
Right Blogostan wowed by latest Bush turning point in Iraq…
Via Daou, Wingnuttia declares victory in Iraq in the wake of Bush’s most recent “turning point” in Iraq. Some guileless dupe called “Strata Sphere” crooning over the lastest Mission Accomplished moment:
Poor Mad Murt…
Okay, so Iraq’s going great. What do you predict for the death rate of (a) US troops and (b) Iraqi civilians in insurgent attacks for the September-October-November 2006 quarter?
ajstrata.
Saddam is now a leftist according to you!! I would like to argue, and debate any of your points provided that you act in a rational adult like way. You do that by avoiding name calling of the left or right for starters. Saddam is most certainly not a leftist, that remark you made is just preposterous.
I am glad you are honored with all the alturistic gloals you mention. One observation tough. What makes you think that Americans from the left don’t share these goals? Are you telling me that Democrats, Liberals, Republicans and conservatives that oppose this war, or have doubts about it, do so on the bases of supporting rape, and tirany?
Let me be clear all humans in this planet of ours share your values and mine. That said, it is clear that America went to war with Iraq over WMD’s and , to take Saddam out not to stop tirany. That was a by-product of the invasion that’s all. Today, rape has been replaced by sectarian killings, tirany by chaos, torture by suicide bombers, etc.
I don’t want to dismiss your point. Saddam was a bad man but after the invasion, Iraq is going to need a lot more fixing that Americans will be willing to support or afford.
No sir, you are confusing the issue.
“the liberal media”.
That’s a good one.
What our right wing friends have missed, is that the war in Iraq has already been lost and it was lost the day King George invaded. Even if the insurgents were wiped out tomorrow, the government is firmly in the hands of pro-Iranian forces. The real power is in the Shia movement and the militias that they control. They are patiently waiting while Bush fights the Sunnis. Eventually Bush will declare victory and slink away or he will wait too long and a Saigon style exit will be the result. 100,000 dead civilians, 2500 dead U.S. with almost 20,000 wounded, and hundreds of billions of dollars down the drain, and all Bush got was a t-shirt that says “Mission Accomplished”. What an incompetant fool!
gil,
I will type this slowly so you can grasp it. Lefties claim life for Iraqis was better under Saddam than the new government. Take a gander at Rmeade’s inspient post. Those who are against what we accomplished (it is a done deal now) are, defacto, for keeping Saddam in power.
I am not saying Saddam is a leftist. I am saying leftists are so deranged they have aligned themselves with a Saddam regime!
Nuanced, but very, very important. Your hate has consumed you to the point of irrelevancy. I am not religous. Darwin was right. And it was not the strong shall succeed – it was those who can adapt to change will succeed. Your not adapting.
So long, and thanks for all the fish!
The reason why the (increasing) majority of Americans no longer believe the effort in Iraq is “worth it” is not because of “the left”, but because it is painfully clear, day in day out, that regardless of whatever political progress is being made, Iraq is a morass of conflict and seething hate (directed internally in sectarian violence and externally at us) where our participation seems to make less and less of a difference. When our government’s OWN mouthpiece, the Voice of America, pulls its presence from Iraq because it is too dangerous, this puts a lie to claims that the press is not reporting the “good news”. Reporters rarely leave their own bunkers, and when they do they need armed escorts, because Iraq is a mess.
Your pathetic attempt to say that what is happening in Iraq is not a civil war because fewer people have died in Iraq than die on US roadways (!!??) is sadly off-base. If you compare it to El Salvador or Mozambique or Rhodesia, in all those countries, the very clear civil wars raging there in recent historical memory claimed fewer than “just” 20-30 lives a day, but there was no contest that the countries were in heavy internal conflict. Iraq is out of control, and the only thing barely keeping it from spinning into something truly and desperately Congo-like ugly is the presence of our troops.
So our mission has evolved: find WMD, get rid of Sadam, bring Democracy, prevent civil disintegration. It’s no wonder that the average American sees this and smells complete and total mess, and we did it ourselves.
As for this “leftist” (because I am sure you will label me as such for not being gung-ho in favor of this absolutely stunning and depressing fiasco), I actually believe that the act of invading Iraq may have actually been driven by the noblest of intentions (perhaps, arguably, the noblest act of this deeply troubled Presidency), but it has gone to hell and was bound to do so from the start.
Not supporting this mess doesn’t mean “you’re for Sadam” or you’re “against Democracy”. It may also mean “not going where you’re not wanted and not mucking in other people’s business”. Those are also noble American sentiments, and in better times, kept us out of a lot of trouble.
The “loonie left” isn’t out of step with America. You, in fact, are. Most everyone else is realizing what a screaming disaster we are now engaged in Iraq. Most people, including me, don’t really know what to do now. Part of me says “we broke it, we should fix it”. But a growing part of me realizes that perhaps we don’t have the resources to fix it and it has spun out of control. Sadly, perhaps, the only thing to do is step aside and let them sort it out themselves. It will be brutal and savage, but it already is now. I’m not sure we are more then rope and tape holding things together at a great expense to ourselves.
AJ
I will try to say this in the clearest way I can..
I as you know, follow a lot of places of all positions to develop overall opinion. Some conservative blogs and sites have been quite frankly inundated by those that wish to express thier views on these venues on conservative sites.
But I have also observed that there is a less than genuine exploration of chances to debate the merits of the issues.
My observation is that when the left is compelled to escape thier self regeneration cocoon to go to the land of the right, they are somehow are admitting to the lesser value of thier arguments. Perhaps this is an act of “social defiance” a “poke in the eye of the big evil”.
I more characterize their sudden and unsociable , non debateable, statement of position, as a undeclared self admission of the lesser validity of their position.
Do even they realize how counterproductive that is..If you were to be persumed that you whatever position has strength and support that you needed to posture with poking you in the eye efforts.
Personally I think not.