I found two insightful pieces today – and one that is so hypocritical and ironic you would think it was a spoof. First to the ‘must reads’ for the day. Secretary of State Condi Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates outline an objective assessment of where we all need to go now in Iraq that al-Qaeda is being chased out of the country and a new future is possible for that war torn country:

Over the past year, we have seen that Iraqis are committed to affirming their own sovereignty. The Iraqi army and police are taking the lead in providing security over much of the country. Iraq is building relationships with other nations in the Middle East. The Iraqi people want to meet their own needs and control their own destiny. And they desire a more normal relationship with the United States.

Our troops and diplomats have made untold sacrifices to help put Iraq on the path to self-sufficiency. A crucial phase in this process will unfold in the coming months, when our ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, begins negotiating a basic framework for normalized relations with the Iraqi government — to include what is known as a “status of forces” agreement. We encourage Congress and the public to support the efforts of our senior diplomats and military officers as they forge ahead with these talks — which we believe are essential to a successful outcome in Iraq and, by extension, the vital interests and security of the United States.

In short they lay out the opposite path forward as espoused by the Surrendercrats who keep clawing to find a path to defeat in Iraq. There is a path to firm and solid success, and it is laid out clearly for America to assess and chose which path they want to proceed down.

The second ‘must read’ is an interview with a former member of the Afghanistan government, which describes the realities of the Taliban and al-Qaeda movements in the context of Afghanistan and Pakistan – and brutally notes the UN and the rest of the world are grossly negligent in following through in that region to ensure a lasting success:

After serving in the government as the interior minister you resigned. Now you have turned a critic of the government. Why the change of mind?

I am not critical of the government. I am critical of the process. I think Afghanistan is the least funded post-conflict project since World War II. If you look at the troops in Afghanistan, there are 1.5 soldiers per 1,000 population. There were 20.5 soldiers per 1,000 in Kosovo, 19 in Bosnia, it was 10 soldiers in Sierra Leone. Afghanistan is facing many challenges because it is facing war for the past 30-35 years. The infrastructure is destroyed.

The limited interest of international community and lack of investment and reconstruction didn’t help the government develop institutions. That is why the government is weak. It doesn’t mean that government is purposely weak

…

What is the difference between the Taliban and Al Qaeda?

Only 20 percent of insurgents who form the core of Taliban are fighting the ideological war. The rest are aggrieved tribes who have been mistreated by some government officials or drug trafficker or some foreign intelligence operators or by the transnational Al Qaeda terrorists. It also consists of unemployed youth and criminal groups. All these are alliance of convenience. They are fighting for different reasons.

Al Qaeda is a transnational organisation. They are not even interested in Afghanistan or Pakistan. They are waging a global war. Taliban is in Afghanistan and Pakistan and Al Qaeda is also based in the tribal areas of Pakistan. There are elements in the Taliban that are not ideologically motivated. They are not that dangerous. There are ways to bring them back. They can be motivated to return. Those who will not settle for less than overthrowing of the regime, I don’t think there will be any way for them to reconcile.

A clear and brutal assessment of the failure of the world to finish the work in Afghanistan. And this is not a failure of Bush, it is a failure of the UN and EU. You will find it interesting that the one bright spot is how India has stepped up and helped keep things progressing where the rest of the free world has failed.

And finally the one that has to be a joke it is so stupid. In the classic example of the Kettle calling the Pot ‘black’ al-Qaeda in Iraq chastises al-Qaeda in Algeria for being too brutal and for rampant killing of innocent Muslims:

The Emir of Al-Qaeda in north of Iraq, Abu Turab al-Djazairi said activities being executed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb [Algeria], led by Abdelmalek Droukdel are “foolishness.”
Abu Turab said Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb “is being managed by teenagers,” pointing out that killing citizens and soldiers is not part of al-Charia.

The Emir of Al-Qaeda in north of Iraq told the Qatari newspaper Al Arab that he does not agree with methods being adopted by Droukdel, mostly suicide attacks.

Abu Turab, a close element to Osama Bin Laden further said Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb “have treated all religious laws with disdain,” as an allusion to “human shield” method being implemented by Droukdel organization.

He pointed out: “Algeria is not occupied by a foreign force like Iraq, while Army and police elements are part of the people who are Muslims…so how would you kill someone admitting that there’s no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet?” said Abu Turab.

Who does he think he is kidding? Certainly not the tens of thousands of Iraqis now actively hunting down al-Qaeda for the massacres they initiated on Iraqi Muslims.