Jul 23 2007
Iraqis See Progress In Iraq
I was stunned to see this in the LATimes, typically a very liberal news outlet. But here is the view of an Iraqi in Baghdad regarding the progress there (H/T RCP Saturday):
IN THE AMERICAN media, Iraq’s steady progress toward security is frequently overshadowed by news of the latest act of mass terrorism. Yet for those of us who actually live here, progress is visible to all but the most irreconcilable skeptics. Just this week, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, the United Nations’ special representative for Iraq, announced at a news conference in Baghdad that Iraq had achieved, or at least started to achieve, 75% of the benchmarks it set for itself in the U.N.-led International Compact with Iraq.
The military force increase by the United States called “the surge” is only one element in the Iraqi and coalition strategy. The other elements are the political/diplomatic initiatives and economic progress — and the reality is that the strategy is working in spite of the monumental obstacles presented by international terrorists and difficult conditions inside Iraq.
Iraqi and coalition security forces are having major success against Al Qaeda and some of the other groups that are the principal sources of the violence that aims to overthrow our young democracy. From Al Anbar to Diyala, from Nineveh to Basra, the atrocities of the terrorists against our people are backfiring, and our citizens are coming forward to offer themselves to counter them.
I ask again of the Democrats (Surrendercrats), why are they pursuing policies that only the terrorists now support while all the Iraqis and our forces in country say things are working and we just need to give the Surge time and patience? Why are you trying so hard to salvage a win for Bin Laden now that the Arab/Muslim street in Iraq is rising up against al-Qaeda?
“Why are you trying so hard to salvage a win for Bin Laden now that the Arab/Muslim street in Iraq is rising up against al-Qaeda?”
Because the Democrats are politically invested in defeat. They have already told us that it is lost, that we need to leave, that nothing can work, and that the entire thing is hopeless. If things turn around, it would mean that the many HIGHLY visible speeches and media interviews will be proved wrong. And if they are wrong on Iraq, people are going to wonder how many of their positions on other issues are also wrong.
When things weren’t going well, the Democrats attempted to take advantage of the situation by portraying the war as personally owned by George Bush (and minimizing the fact that it was a near unanimous vote to prosecute this war by Congress) and to portray a defeat in Iraq as a defeat of Bush. This portrayal of the war being a personal defeat for Bush now stands to backfire tremendously on them as now any GOOD signs are going to be seen as a personal victory for Bush because of the linkage the Democrats manufactures.
Rather than having this be seen as a defeat or victory for American and Western civilization, the Democrats politicized it and turned it into a victory or defeat for Bush in particular and the Republicans in general. So those who live by the political sword must be ready to die by that sword.
If things do really appear to turn around, the American people are going to be in NO mood to pull the troops out of a successful mission. The Democrats risk adding insult to injury if they do attempt to kill the mission just when it is succeeding. They will then be seen by most people as petty politicians who would see people die in their political games.
When will you cease delivering the cow manure by the truckload?? Democrats this . . . democrats that . . . whine, whine, whine.
It’s Bush’s war; it’s Bush’s disaster; it’s Bush crowning achievement and legacy: Quagmire . . . and the proximate cause of the quagmire . . . the congenital imbecile George Walker Bush himself . . . sinks slowly, slowly in the mire.
According to a new American Research Group poll, just 25% of Americans approve of the way President Bush is handling his job as president and 71% disapprove. These are record lows for the survey.
When it comes to Bush’s handling of the economy, 23% approve and 73% disapprove.
If he gets any lower, he’ll be going into the teens. It’s over for – it’s over for the Republican Party, and like it or not, Bush’s war of stupidity is going to end.
CP….the American people have noticed….the support for the war has increased 7% since May.. This news can be found here….in of all places the NYTimes.http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/23/poll-american-support-for-war-inches-up/
Sooth, that rhetoric is actually funny now. The Democrats (and their supporters) are quickly becoming a laughingstock in repeating that drivel.
Hey how about that 14% congressional approval rating……amazing huh? Bet they try to reach 0% before the end of the year.
victorycaucus.com….great site for keeping up with the progress in Iraq. Just heard about it on Hugh Hewitt show
also..it’s updated hourly
AJ, hope it’s ok to share this.
That site is good, but for a real in depth look at a whole bunch of stats try this document.
Go to the link and click on Most Recent Iraq Index PDF.
Lots of stuff to consider.
Read what Brookings has to say but keep in mind they are a pretty left-leaning organization. Salt accordingly.
Sooth,
Any poll showing 73% disapproval of Bush’s economy should give you pause in trusting public understanding of other complex subjects.
Isn’t it amazing that after berating President Bush for years for not having a better post invasion plan that Democrats seem hell bent for the exit from Iraq without a thought, or apparently a care as to the consequences?
Harry Reid called the possibility of a bloodbath in the wake of premature U.S. withdrawal a “hypothetical” yet he trumps the very real violence seen in Iraq via television every day.
Or do Democrats believe that once the U.S. leaves, the American media will refuse to show any further pictures of carnage?
Crosspatch:
Thanks for that info. I always get that impression every time I see O’Hanlon on tv.