Apr 18 2008
Zawahiri Claims Iraq Is A Failure
Mimicking the statements of the Surrendercrats here in the US AQ’s co-leader Ayman Zawahiri says Iraq has been a failure:
Al Qaeda’s No. 2 man claimed in a new audiotape released on a militant Web site early Friday that that five years of U.S. occupation of Iraq brought only “failure and defeat,” which the Bush administration will pass on as a “problem” to the next American president.
In the recording, Ayman al-Zawahri alleged that by acting on the advice of his top commanders in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and halting further U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq until after July, U.S. President George W. Bush was “covering up for the failure” of his Iraq policies.
Well the gullible can buy this tripe, but the US and Iraqis have been expanding the peace in Iraq, establishing a more solid government and kicking al-Qaeda’s ass from one end of the country to the other. So yeah, it was a failure for al-Qaeda. Iraqis rose up and, instead of taking on America, took on al-Qaeda and hunted them down and purged them from most of Iraq. AQ is a ghost of its former self, unable to control territory, constantly on the run, and being turned on by Iraqi Muslims who see AQ not as the future of Islam but as the enemy of Islam. Polls around the region show falling support for AQ and many leading voices in the Islamists movement have publicly chastised AQ for it atrocities against humanity.
If Zawahiri and the Surrendercrats and the SurrenderMedia want to call that defeat – so be it. Let have more of it! Here is the defeat of Islamo Fascism in Iraq:
CD shops sell love songs again. Some women emerge from their homes without veils, and alcohol sellers are coming out of hiding in the southern city of Basra — where religious vigilantes have long enforced strict Islamic codes.
The changes in recent weeks mark a surprising show of government sway — at least for now — after an Iraqi-led military crackdown that was plagued by desertions, ragged planning and ended in a virtual stalemate with Shiite militias in Iraq’s second-largest city.
But it’s unclear whether the new tone in parts of Basra represents a permanent tilt toward the Iraqi government or just a temporary retreat of Shiite hard-liners challenging the current Baghdad leadership.
…
For years, militiamen and vigilantes have had nearly a free hand in Basra. They intimidated, attacked and sometimes killed residents who broke the strict social rules in the city — once known for its liberal lifestyles and nightlife.
Walid Khalid had to stop selling alcohol in 2005 after gunmen snatched his brother from their home and dumped him hours later in the street with gunshots to both legs.
But the two brothers resumed their business in the past days, feeling safer after the crackdown launched March 25.
“Now, I have resumed my business and I am selling alcohol in a street in central Basra near an army checkpoint,” Khalid told the AP.
What this shows is when given the choice the people of Iraq shun the extremists and chose to be free and live their lives their way – under Islam. That is what will shape Iraq, the choice of the people. Remove the violent oppression of al-Qaeda and the people go in the opposite direction. To miss this is to wallow in denial.
THE FREEDOM AGENDA AT WORK! I just love it. Truth is truth. The rule of law, freedom with responsibility works every place it is tried. President Bush put the idea in the ether and people every where are grabbing for a taste. It won’t happen over night but with steady work it will take hold. I wish I could live long enough to read what the historians have to say. This President was a great man and did something that few had the courage and the faith in man kind to even contemplate.
I saw that same article, about “the dark ages lifting” in Basra. What stands out is the cognitive dissonance in the mind of the AP writer responsible for it. He makes the obligatory noises about how the fighting in Basra ended “in a virtual stalemate” and then spends the rest of his piece proving that it was no stalemate at all, but a very solid victory for Maliki’s gov’t. Well, at least his observations are honest, even if his reasoning isn’t.
What he demonstrates is that government control + songs, happiness, and peace. Mahdi control = constant fear and oppression. Gee, wonder which one people will choose?
And then he muses whether this is just temporary. Oh yes, everyone will be clamoring to go back to the days of gunmen and daily beatings.
Saw in another article about how the Mahdi army is angry about some of the barriers between neighborhoods in Sadr City. If you’ve been following Micheal Yon’s reporting, that is one of the tactics that has been extremely effective in bringing Faluja (sp?) under control. Very good long term tactic to use to pacify Sadr City.
And here’s another article today written in the same vein – the author is obviously confused by the fact that although the Mahdi Army must have won the battle, Maliki’s forces are today solidifying their hold over all of Basra.
Hmm, how could they have lost the battle and yet still have taken over the entire city? Must be one of those great mysteries.
Read the entire article for fun – it is a list of the standard complaints about how Maliki’s operation wasn’t well planned, it ended in stalemate, the government was embarrased, violence is going up, everything is terrible, we’re probably going to lose… and oh, by the way, the Iraqi govm’t has just cemented it’s control over the key Mahdi stronghold in Basra, which it never had controlled before, although we don’t know how and it probably won’t last and it doesn’t mean anything even if it does.
and of course at the end “Reporting by Peter Graff, Khaled Farhan, Noah Barkin and Aws Qusay in Baghad”. Because what news organization would actually want to send someone to Basra to report about the events firsthand?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080419/wl_nm/iraq_dc_105
BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraqi soldiers swooped on the Basra stronghold of Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Saturday, saying they had seized control of his militia bastion where they suffered an embarrassing setback in late March.
WWS, you will always find that “yes, but” reporting out of AP. I think it is mandated by the AP bureau chief in Baghdad.
Yes we won Fallujah but look at Ramadi. Yes, Ramadi is peaceful now but look at Baqubah. Yes, we won Baqubah but look at Basrah.
Yes, we went into Basrah but we didn’t win it in 24 hrs.
There is an unspoken rule in reporting from Iraq that a story must be either nothing but bad news or every good thing MUST be mitigated by a bad thing. Under no circumstances must an article ever speak glowingly or ever be only positive about any event in Iraq else it never reaches the wire.
Fallujah was a war crime, gaining us enemies . Ramadi is whack-a-mole and Basrah was surrendered by the wise Brits.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=25455
Thank you Kathie, for your post. It is well said and so true.
A man among men and I am proud to “see” him for the brave and courageous man that he is. One of the strongest if not THE strongest president we have ever had. He is fulfilling his destiny and the Iraqis know this as well. The Middle East will be changed forever and we all got to witness the greatness of that act.
G_d bless George W, Bush, our magnificent military and G_d bless America, Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.
There we have it! T2T’s military philosophy in a nutshell!
Winning is a war crime, Surrender is “Wise”.
Guess that about sums it up.