Jan 11 2007
Bush Did Well – And We Are Communicating With Iran
Glancing across the news articles today Bush did quite well. The Pessimist Party has stood up and declared it impossible to succeed in Iraq. With any luck, their appointment with the dustbin of history is now scheduled and committed. The amazing thing is I had no idea that 80% of the violence was concentrated in Baghdad. If Baghdad is controlled 80% of the violence will die down. Yes, some of these blood thirsty insurgents will flee, but the news media doesn’t get out much, so the violence will drop as far as the average US citizen sees it. And the fact we will track down and shut down the Syrian and Iranian support centers is the best news. A three pronged effort targetting Baghdad, Anbar and the terrorist supplies will have an impact. In fact, our ‘discussions’ with Iran have commenced:
U.S. forces stormed an Iranian consular office in the northern Iraqi Kurdish city of Arbil early on Thursday and arrested five people, including diplomats and staff, Iranian officials said.
The U.S. military made no direct mention of Iranians but in answer to a query issued a statement saying six “individuals” were arrested during “routine” operations in the area.
As the overnight raid was in progress, President George W. Bush was vowing in a keynote address on American television to disrupt what he called the “flow of support” from Iran and Syria for insurgent attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq.
Being one of those who knows success is achievable I of course enjoyed seeing those articles and editorials that faced reality instead of prayed for an accelerated defeat. I noted Australia’s John Howard came out last night in support of Bush’s speech. So that is good news. But I liked the tone of this article in the UK Times:
In reality, there is no credible alternative. The Iraq Study Group proved rather better at setting out the many problems that exist in Iraq than in offering precise solutions. Its recommendation that the White House co-opt Iran and Syria as its allies in Iraq does not look remotely plausible. The idea that suddenly withdrawing American soldiers from the country would convince Shia and Sunni hardliners to be more charitable to one another is equally improbable. Mr Bush’s domestic foes, notably Nancy Pelosi, the new Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives (who has a minimal record in foreign policy) and the increasingly surreal Edward Kennedy, would simply abandon Iraq and be done with it.
And never forget Bush’s ace card in Congress: Senator Joe Leiberman.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, who was assailed for his pro-war views during his fall re-election race, praised President Bush’s plan to increase the number of troops in Iraq and urged his colleagues in Congress to proceed with respectful debate.
“Excessive partisan division and rancor at home only weakens our will to prevail in this war,” Lieberman, I-Conn., said in a statement Wednesday.
…
“The president did not take the easy path, but he took the correct and courageous course,” Lieberman said. “It is a dangerous illusion to believe that we can depart Iraq and the inevitable killing fields and terrorist violence will not follow us in retreat — even to our own shores.”
That was a hint for the Democrats to listen to the voters. It seems the “essimist Party” is also the “Party Of Dangerous Illusions” (or delusions). This political struggle was over before it started because the Dems are blinded by hate and Bush is obsessed with protecting America. Gee, wonder which side the average working American will take?
AJ
What’s the backup plan, what happens when the Iraqi governement and their Army folds like a cheap card table?
Substantially more troops like McCain called for?
One more BAFO plan from the President?
I’m not calling for pulling out, but what happens when, or rather if this plan fails. The President is putting all his remaining political capital on this one last plan, and he appears to have no plan ready in the wings.
Obviously, the people who don’t like Pres Bush, have a plan. Get the American public to believe Iraq is a failure. Its the same plan the American left used to defeat America in Vietnam. Spread the enemy propaganda day and night, all across America. Until America wakes up and realizes terrorists can not defeat America, only the American leftists
can defeat America, nothing is going to change.
I don’tbelieve in any other position Sen Lieberman holds, but on Iraq
he is right on target.
Lieberman: “In war, there are two exit strategies. One is called victory. The other is called defeat.”
Every person in America needs to make up their mind.
I’m not sure if he had a back-up plan it would serve anyone’s interest to know what it is. Before this one is tried, anyway. Like telling a child if you don’t clean your room I’m going to put you in timeout. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll clean it for you.
Well, what backup plan would you want the President to have? If you think the Iraqi government and army are going to “fold like a cheap card table,” why would you NOT call for pulling out? Because if they fall, then Iraq falls to the terrorists, or to proxies of Iran and Syria. Personally I’d rather have our troops killing those proxies ten or twenty to one and do as much as possible to keep that great fall from happening than to (say) have the troops redeploy on the grounds that Iraq is a lost cause.
The President is putting all his remaining political capital on this one last plan, and he appears to have no plan ready in the wings.
And you know this how, Steve? If there’s one thing I learned in my 24 years in Navy Signals Intelligence, it’s that there are always multiple back-up plans. The reason you are not privy to them is that you are not very high on the “need to know” list. Actually, you are not on the list at all. You do, however, have the luxury of engaging your 20/20 hindsight, coupled with your superb grasp of military strategy, to sit at your keyboard and criticize those who are making the tough decisions to your heart’s content.
The majority of regulars on this site are loyal, patriotic Americans who do not see losing as an acceptable outcome. (see my comment on yesterday’s thread.) I’m not saying that you’re NOT loyal or patriotic — I don’t even know you. But from your comments over the last couple days, you appear to be one who does not view losing as a particularly bad thing, and maybe even inevitable if things don’t go just right. I don’t think there is anything that America can not accomplish if we set our hearts and minds to it. It does make it a little tougher, however, when nearly half the American population is composed of quitters, whiners and naysayers.
” he appears to have no plan ready in the wings”
No back-up plans? There are back-up plans to the back-up plans.
AJ, too bad that the Party of Pessimism will NOT listen to the American Public regarding the renomination of John Bolton and Bush’s Judiciary nominees (that withdrew). Leahy’s suggestion of a nominee of “consensus” will not work in favor of our country.
I can’t tell in this scenario where Al-Maliki met all objectives by November, will we then pull all of our troops out, dephase, or what?
But if Al-Maliki did indeed met all benchmarks and we pull out completely, what then?
Now that the insurgents know that a timeline has been set, all they have to do is…wait until November and we phase down before attacking us. It is going to be critical that Al-Maliki’s government, including his police and army forces build strength, desire, determination, etc., to continue to quelch the insurgency once started.
Never underestimate George W. Bush.
My thoughts are that much (politically and militarily) is going on beneath the surface, even before the speech last night…in other words, “move over – we are cleaning the swamp on our terms”…
This will work out best for us and the Iraqi’s…
Actually, the more the dems complain, the more it helps George with the Arab world. The Iraqi’s see the price he has paid and is paying to let them deal with their situation vs. us having taken charge and run their country for them…Now that they have failed it is only right that we “surge”…
And lastly, think of all those who want freedom from tyranny in the world: they are seeing a steadfast, caring, brave, honorable and trustworthy leader of the greatest country in the world, one who is enduring so much for what he believes.
What a refreshing change from ALL the past leaders of the U.S.
Of COURSE things are going on…..another carrier battle group is moving into position. IIRC, it looks like three or four will be within easy striking distance of Iran in the next month or so.
Remember: Rattling a sword makes noise. Drawing it does not.
It looks like President Dinner Jacket is having some problems in Iran. Some of the major domestic press is starting to criticize him inside Iran.
AJ
What I and most Americans are waiting to hear is not the President’s plan for securing Victory in Iraq and the GWOT, we’ve been hearing his plan for six years now. What ALL Americans are waiting to hear is the DEMOCRAT plan for victory in Iraq and the GWOT.
We have heard the Democrats plan for DEFEAT in Iraq and the GWOT,but they fail time and time again to inform us as to how they will WIN in Iraq and the GWOT.
Whenever a (D) politician get’s on the soapbox and starts talking, I sit on the edge of my chair waiting,waiting ,waiting to hear the plan for victory,,I’m disappointed every single time. Back when they (D)’s still bothered to make a pretense that they HAD a plan to win, It sounded suspiciously similar to GW Bush’s plan to win the war.
Now they don’t even pretend to want to win, It’s all cut&run all the time.
Just saying…….or maybe it’s only me?
That is the sad reality. The Democrats don’t HAVE a plan. Their plan IS to run away. But the logic behind this strategy is very simple yet has a fundamental flaw: they believe that they can force us to leave, the entire region can go to Cleveland in a handbasket, and the world will blame Bush for it and they will reap a political victory. But they have misread the American people. If they really DO cause a collapse, THEY will be blamed for precipitating another Vietnam.
That small but crucial fact is that part that Joe Lieberman gets and Pelosi and Kennedy don’t.
The President Has Spoken…
He has also addressed what those mistakes were and how this new way forward will be different, what changes to the strategy would be and how they will be implemented, along with making it clear what they consequences of failure would be….
Ya know, the dems got it back in ’01…and they saw their future power going right down the drain. They decided then, to harass, harangue, bully, badger, criticize and complain until they got some power back…
That’s the sad truth of it all to me.
U.S. Troops Raid Iranian Consulate in Iraq…
This happened only hours after President Bush announced he would crack down on Iran’s involvment in Iraq’s violence. It looks like it aint just talk. (H/T) Riehl World View:
U.S. troops raided an Iranian consulate in northern Iraq late We…
“The Pessimist Party”?
No, no, no.
The demshevik party is downright traitorous.
Spook, what you said here reminded me:
“I don’t think there is anything that America can not accomplish if we set our hearts and minds to it.”
of what the Japanese Admiral is quoted as saying when they bombed Pearl Harbor.
“I fear that we have only awakened a sleeping giant.”
That’s where the Dems are now, sleeping. If they ever awaken and join the Repubs in a desire to win, there would be no limit to what we could accomplish. But as long as their attitude is what it is, it is better that they remain asleep
This tickled me and I thought I would share:
From “Faster, Please”, Michael Ladeen’s blog over at Pajamas Media.
I am *still* chuckling.
Fire Fire:
You will have a long wait my friend. The Democrats only plan is to ruin Bush, they could care less about the terrorists.