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I know, "yawn, another vanity post" but seriously, are not all of our posts, and FR itself, vanity? I just wanted to throw a couple comments out there. Obama responded to McCain tonight, "He's right, I don't understand. I don't understand why we invaded a country that never attacked us...." This view is so seriously flawed. Senator Obama, prior to our involvement at WWII with Germany, where and when did Germany attack the United States? The plain truth is that Germany represented a threat to the region, just as Iraq did under an unstable dictator. Yet no one questions the...

The quote (in which Biden specifically says France and the European leaders KNOW Saddam has weapons) is at 14:17. But Biden spends some more time attempting to convince the audience that the burden is on Saddam to prove he doesn't have the weapons. You can see Biden develop his argument if you have a few minutes to watch the video from 12:00 to 14:30.

September 18, 2008 For G-d's Sake, Give This Deceased American Hero His Medal! By Debbie Schlussel Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta is a role model for all Americans, whether they are immigrants like him or native born. He made the ultimate sacrifice, giving his life to save those of his fellow Marines. Sadly, nitpickers in our military are denying him and his grieving family the Medal of Honor. It's a travesty. This late patriot deserves the honor. He earned it in blood and gutted limbs. This is the kind of one-time illegal alien I wish we had more of in America....

Petraeus's Miracle By David Ignatius BAGHDAD -- The night before Gen. David Petraeus turned over command here, a group of senior officers gathered at Camp Victory to say goodbye. It was like a football team's testimonial dinner at the end of a winning season: There were steaks and baked potatoes and a highlight film of the general's 20-month command, scored with rock music, called "Surge of Hope." The signature line of the video was a statement Petraeus made to Congress when he began what seemed to many people like mission impossible: "Hard is not hopeless." That was his closing comment,...

This is the problem with blindly entrusting your future to an individual who has accomplished nothing of any consequence in his past. It’s not hope you’re feeling, its euphoric blind faith. As is always the case with career rabble rousers (aka community organizers), the fact that they have never been in the game does not hamper their ability to talk a good game. Obama says that words mean something and without any deeds to talk about, he’s right. However, compared to action and real experience, or in his case a complete lack thereof, empty words mean damn little. Only those...

WAR MOM PALIN TAKES HARD LINE By CHARLES HURT Bureau Chief September 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON - Vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin saw her eldest son off to war yesterday as she took a hard line on Russia, Iran and terrorists "hellbent on destroying America and our allies." Asked in her first extended interview since becoming John McCain's running mate if she thinks she's qualified to take over the presidency, Palin replied, "I do." "I have the confidence in that readiness and knowing that you can't blink," she told ABC News. "You have to be wired in a way of being...

Yesterday on Meet the Press, Tom Brokaw asked Joe Biden if the troop surge in Iraq had made possible the increased security and reconciliation we now see in that country. Here is Biden’s answer: SEN. BIDEN: No. The surge helped make that–what made is possible in Anbar province is they did what I’d suggested two and a half years ago: gave local control.

One-third (32%) of Americans believe the situation in Iraq is getting better, two in five (41%) say things are staying the same and 16 percent say things are getting worse. This is better than in May when only one in five (22%) said things were getting better; and,

With Friends Like US...? by: Daniel Smith, August 26, 2008 After the September 11, 2001 attacks upon the United States, President Bush warned of the consequence of such actions by America’s enemies. Unfortunately, America’s friends report their own set of hazards. Dr. Elizabeth Ferris, Senior Fellow at Brookings, commented on the history of Iraqi refugees and victims of “internal displacement” (ID). “Before U.S. intervention” in 2003, nearly 700,000 Iraqis had been displaced under the Saddam regime, 250,000 of which were Northern Kurds. Since the war, approximately 4 million additional Iraqis have been driven from their homes. Refugees – those forced...

Barack Obama got to be the Democratic presidential nominee in large part because he opposed from the start the use of U.S. military force to liberate Iraq. Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, by contrast, both voted for it. But an exchange in Saturday night's forum with Rick Warren raises serious questions about Obama's honesty vis-à-vis Iraq. Here it is: Warren: What's the most significant--let me ask it this way. What's the most gut-wrenching decision you ever had to make and how did you process that to come to that decision? Obama: ...we did not have strong evidence of weapons of...

Interview made by phone on August 14, 2008 Audio excerpts and complete transcript linked above. Bill KRISTOL's opinion on Obama, McCain, a possible comeback of Hillary at the Denver convention, Iran, Iraq, Bush legacy, China.... ENJOY and give a feedback !

IT WASN'T so long ago that erstwhile supporters of the war in Iraq were invoking hindsight to justify their newfound opposition to it. "Obviously if we knew then what we know now," Senator Hillary Clinton said in December 2006, when asked whether she regretted her 2002 vote authorizing military action, "I certainly wouldn't have voted that way." Many of Clinton's colleagues said the same thing. An ABC News survey of senators in January 2007 found that "an overwhelming number" of Democrats who had voted in favor of going to war - including Joe Biden of Delaware, Chris Dodd of Connecticut,...

This 2008 presidential election cycle has been jam-packed with irony. John McCain has been forced to rely on the 527 groups he so despises; Barack Obama has been denounced by members of the black community but embraced by upper class whites; the Clintons have been rejected by the very media that put them in power. But perhaps the most ironic fact of the 2008 election cycle is this: John McCain will win the 2008 election because the war in Iraq was not a war for oil. Since the liberation of Iraq in March 2003, liberals have been screaming that the...

Report on Iraq by: Ben Giles, August 04, 2008 Now that major gains have been made to bring stability to Iraq, it would be foolish for the United States to simply leave the country arbitrarily, military strategists say. “The purpose of this [war] is to advance our interests,” said Frederick Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute. “That’s why America fights wars. And I think that this conflict has the potential to advance our interests in the region and in the global war on terror dramatically, but only if we see it through to its conclusion.” Kagan’s consistent support of the...

1990: Iraq invades Kuwait More than 100,000 Iraqi soldiers backed up by 700 tanks invaded the Gulf state of Kuwait in the early hours of this morning. Iraqi forces have established a provisional government and their leader Saddam Hussein has threatened to turn Kuwait city into a "graveyard" if any other country dares to challenge the "take-over by force".

It’s hard to imagine a more warped and callous statement about the Iraq War than this one made by Senator Charles Schumer, when asked whether he would support a troop surge in Afghanistan: Yes. The bottom line is I think Obama’s trip was brilliant. Not in the short term, but in the long term, because it’s changed the whole debate. And the whole debate now is focused on Afghanistan more than on Iraq. So: It’s not the U.S. troops who gave everything so that Iraq has a chance at a stable, viable future.

How does an Army chief of staff chew out his boss, the defense secretary? Gen. Eric K. Shinseki shows how it's done in this letter written to Donald H. Rumsfeld just before Shinseki stepped down in June 2003. During the run-up to the war, the general told Congress that more troops would be needed to secure Iraq, which earned him a famously public rebuke by then-Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz. Shinseki was said to still be angry about the dust-up when he retired. The general's letter may be more history than news at this point, but its criticism of...

So, how do you rebuild an overstressed — and perhaps broken — Army, whose soldiers endure the longest deployments? “You start by reorienting and prioritizing placement of forces,” Hagel says. That means phased withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq and insertion of more troops into Afghanistan, where they are needed. Match priorities, objectives and policies with resources,” he says. Coordinate with a reoriented foreign policy that seeks and values allies, builds relationships, forms coalitions of common interest, he says. Use all the instruments of power, including diplomacy, trade, foreign aid. That’s soft power. And that’s big picture. It will take...

June 26, 2008 Marines who were killed in a suicide bomb attack during a city council meeting in Garma, Iraq, in Anbar Province. Photo by Zoriah Miller Just a Handful of Death Hat tip to Snooper of A Newt One. http://www.anewtone.com/Note: Radarsite has added bold emphasis and bracketed commentary.4,000 U.S. Deaths, and Just a Handful of Public ImagesFrom the New York Times TIM ARANGO Published: July 26, 2008 BAGHDAD — The case of a freelance photographer in Iraq who was barred from covering the Marines after he posted photos on the Internet of several of them dead has underscored...

Sen. Chuck Hagel said Sunday he views his upcoming trip to Iraq and Afghanistan with Sen. Barack Obama as a means of helping build bipartisan consensus in foreign policy. Nebraska’s Republican senator acknowledged for the first time he’ll be traveling with the Democratic presidential nominee into the war zones by issuing a brief written statement. “U.S. policies in Iraq and Afghanistan are at the center of America’s national security,” Hagel said. “These critical issues must be addressed in a bipartisan manner that builds consensus for a bipartisan American foreign policy.” In a joint statement, Hagel and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.,...

 Why Iraq Was Inevitable Arthur Herman July/August 2008 E-mail This Article to a Friend Subject: Why Iraq Was Inevitable Yes, I would like to receive periodic updates and information via e-mail from Commentary. Recipient Addresses: Separate each address with a comma. Your E-mail Address: Message: E-mail This Article to a Friend Thank You A link to "Why Iraq Was Inevitable" has been emailed to your friends. Most E-mailed articles: The Mind of Seymour HershWhy Iraq Was InevitableDictatorships & Double StandardsAre We Winning the War on Terror?Hugo Chávez's Jewish Problem According to an April 2008 poll in U.S. News &...

It's hard to even begin to imagine the sacrifice... When they leave they are husbands and fathers, wives and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, yet they are willing to put it all aside and stand up for that one great cause that they believe in, that one great fight they believe will make the world that much of a better place. We often sometimes hear their story, and if we don't, we can see some of it in their faces, in their eyes, in the slightly measured walks as they come home. Often I can't watch without feeling...

WHO/WHAT: On July 9, Vets for Freedom will hold a press conference—featuring over a dozen Iraq war veterans—to launch a national “Four Months, For Victory” media and grassroots campaign. The effort will culminate on Veterans Day (November 11) and is intended to inform the American public and key lawmakers about the phenomenal success that our troops have achieved as a result of the surge and the importance of ensuring victory in Iraq, Afghanistan and the overall Global war on Terrorism. The launch includes a multi-million dollar television-advertising buy in target markets and on national cable that will air next week...

There is no challenge greater than the defense of our nation and our values. The men and women of our military –-– have signed up at a time when our troops face an ever-increasing load. Fighting a resurgent Taliban. Targeting al Qaeda. Persevering in the deserts and cities of Iraq. Training foreign militaries. Delivering humanitarian relief. In this young century, our military has answered when called, even as that call has come too often. Through their commitment, their capability, and their courage they have done us all proud. But we need to ease the burden on our troops, while meeting...

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama insisted Thursday he had not changed his plan to order immediate troop withdrawals from Iraq, despite earlier saying he might refine his policies. Obama's attempts to clarify his Iraq policy, before a looming visit to the war zone, drew a triumphant response from the campaign of Republican presumptive nominee John McCain, a staunch supporter of the current war effort. Obama held two press conferences within hours in North Dakota, in an attempt to dispel reports that he was softening his proposal to get all combat troops home within 16 months, in...

One of the most consistent messages we've heard through out Barry's campaign trail is "We need to get our troops out of Iraq. Bring them home. We'll be out within 16 months" .... and now (not surprisingly) it appears that what the Iraqi conflict needs (which according to Barry was the wrong move and the wrong direction for our country) is not an immediate troop withdraw, like he's been promising for months now. Evidently, the Illinois first term Senator would like to listen to what the men (and women) on the ground have to say, before bringing them home. Is...

Media: Four years ago this week, we noted how negative coverage of the Iraq War had become. But that was when things weren't going well. This is now, when things are going much better. So coverage must be much more positive, right? (with asterisks indicating page-toppers): • June 11: "Going to War Not Worth It, More Voters Say"* "NATO Not Expected to Send Force to Iraq" • June 13: "Retired Officials Say Bush Must Go"* "Insurgents and Islam Now Rulers of Fallujah" • June 14: "At Least 20 Killed in Baghdad (Car) Bombings" • June 15: "Iraq's Foreign Contractors in...

The U.S. Army's official history of the Iraq war shows military chiefs made mistake after mistake in the early months of the conflict. Failures to recognize the chaos engulfing the country and to send in enough troops to restore order after the 2003 invasion have long been highlighted by critics, but a new report shows the Army assessing itself.

WASHINGTON — Soon after American forces toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, Gen. Tommy R. Franks surprised senior Army officers by revamping the Baghdad-based military command. The decision reflected the assumption by General Franks, the top American commander for the Iraq invasion, that the major fighting was over. But according to an Army history that is to be made public on Monday, the move put the military effort in the hands of a short-staffed headquarters led by a newly promoted three-star general, and was made over the objections of the Army’s vice chief of staff. “The move was sudden and caught...

Whatever Became of Scott McClellan? by: Rachel Paulk, June 23, 2008 Scott McClellan’s book What Happened spans a range of events that occurred during the Bush years, including the 9/11 and Katrina catastrophes, the Plame scandal, and the controversial Iraq War. McClellan also provides scathing profiles of the star-studded White House, criticizing Karl Rove, Condi Rice, Dick Cheney, and George W. Bush, among others. McClellan joined the Bush team when George W. was governor of Texas and planning on running for presidential office. Following Bush’s ascent to presidency, McClellan worked under Ari Fleischer as the principal deputy press secretary; after...

Much has been made about the “when” of Barack Obama’s opposition to the war—before his opponents, before the war for that matter--but very little about the “why” or “how” of it. The “War in Iraq” page on Obama’s official web site leads with a speech he gave in Iowa in September 2007 that purports to answer the “why” question. “I made a different judgment,” says Obama, contrasting himself with senatorial naifs like Clinton and Edwards, “who took the president at his word.” Obama tells us that he was keen on “reading the intelligence for himself.” This intelligence led him and...

US Army reservist Matthis Chiroux has made liberals across America quiver with excitment as he publicly refused to report to active duty. Chiroux, a former sergeant in the US Army, has decided that since he does not agree with the Iraqi "occupation" that he is no longer obligated to follow orders. After serving 5 years in the Army, Chiroux was honorably discharged and placed in the Individual Ready Reserves (IRR) which essentially serves as a resource of former soldiers who can, at any time, be reactivated during war time or during a national emergency...very similar to the standard military Reserve...

US Army reservist Matthis Chiroux has made liberals across America quiver with excitment as he publicly refused to report to active duty. Chiroux, a former sergeant in the US Army, has decided that since he does not agree with the Iraqi "occupation" that he is no longer obligated to follow orders. After serving 5 years in the Army, Chiroux was honorably discharged and placed in the Individual Ready Reserves (IRR) which essentially serves as a resource of former soldiers who can, at any time, be reactivated during war time or during a national emergency...very similar to the standard military Reserve...

BUSH'S AMERICA: 100 PERCENT AL-QAIDA FREE SINCE 2001June 11, 2008 In a conversation recently, I mentioned as an aside what a great president George Bush has been and my friend was surprised. I was surprised that he was surprised. I generally don't write columns about the manifestly obvious, but, yes, the man responsible for keeping Americans safe from another terrorist attack on American soil for nearly seven years now will go down in history as one of America's greatest presidents. Produce one person who believed, on Sept. 12, 2001, that there would not be another attack for seven years, and...

Senator Obama’s speech on Tuesday in St. Paul, when he finally locked up the Democratic presidential nomination, was typical: rhetorically powerful, well-delivered, with some clever and well-constructed lines. But when you examine the substance of what he said, the speech breaks down. Some of his claims are questionable and misleading; others are ill-informed; and still others border on being intellectually dishonest. Obama’s statement on Iraq are particularly revealing. According to Obama: I won’t stand here and pretend that there are many good options left in Iraq. In fact, Obama doesn’t have to “pretend” there are many good options left in...

Inflated Costs of War by: Rachel Paulk, June 04, 2008 The Three Trillion Dollar War attempts to calculate the accurate total cost of the war in Iraq, covering factors not included in the government’s official $800 billion figure. Authors Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes estimate Iraq’s three trillion dollar tab by combining the budgetary costs of the war with their interpreted macroeconomic and social economic consequences of the conflict. When computing the budgetary costs of the war, the award-winning economists focus on four factors: current costs, predicted future costs, hypothesized “hidden” costs, and approximated interest. These scenarios are utilized to...

Military Occupation by: Ben Giles, June 04, 2008 David Edelstein argues for one major variable of success for military occupancy, and his research shows that the War in Iraq has done a poor job of recognizing this all-important factor. Edelstein, an assistant professor at Georgetown University, presented the findings of his new book, Occupational Hazards: Success and Failure In Military Occupancy, at the Cato Institute on May 29, a subject which moderator Justin Long called a “terribly important topic, and terribly timely as well.” “If only we had had this book before the invasion of Iraq,” said Jack Snyder of...

Don't look now, but the U.S.-backed government and army may be winning the war.

I’d like to stand up for the most spat-upon minority group in the United States right now—the “thirty percenters.” Like smokers and WASPs, those who continue to support President Bush are considered fair game for public ridicule. “Thirty percenter” is a slur used to describe those regarded by the left as ignorant cretins because they do not share the view that Bush is the worst President to ever set foot in the White House. While I’m disillusioned with Bush, who has (in my estimation) failed to match Ronald Reagan’s record of stellar achievement in Washington, I am not so arrogant...

As all the left wing pundits are promoting Scott McClellan’s new “Tell All” book about the Bush administration it’s been revealed that the publisher is a close ally of George Soros and has published Soros’ books along with a multitude of other left wing authors.

Last Thursday, the soldiers of the Third United States Infantry Regiment (the Old Guard) placed a small American flag in front of each of the 260,000 or so grave markers in Arlington National Cemetery. The soldiers remained on duty throughout the weekend, replacing flags that had fallen or been removed, to ensure that each grave was appropriately decorated and honored on Memorial Day. This decades-old tradition exemplifies the attention the military pays to honoring its veterans and, above all of course, its fallen warriors. But what of the rest of us? Most of us in the Washington area didn’t visit...

Congressman Paul Kanjorski (D-PA) has been a fairly undistinguished member of the House of Representatives for nearly a quarter of a century. He is a career member of the Financial Services Committee who has made little or no name for himself since his first electoral victory, and has maintained incumbency through the funneling of pork back to his district. Even his Wikipedia entry says that Kanjorski "usually plays behind-the-scenes roles in the advocacy or defeat of legislation and steers appropriations money toward improving the infrastructure and economic needs of his district." “But [in] the temptation to want to win back...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans have broken with President Bush to help Democrats add support for veterans and the unemployed to a bill paying for another year of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The 75-22 vote also added billions of dollars in other domestic funds such as heating subsidies for the poor and money for fighting wildfires to funding for military operations overseas. Shortly afterward, the Senate voted 70-26 to approve $165 billion to pay for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan into next spring, when Bush's successor will set war policy. All told, the measure contains $212 billion over...

When President Bush visits Israel next week, he should offer to bring that ally fully into the U.S. missile defense network - a step that might forestall an Israeli attack on Iran this year. Two of the most strategically minded Members of Congress I know - Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Jane Harman (D-Calif.) - have enlisted 63 colleagues to urge the move as Bush prepares to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding. Specifically, the bipartisan group is calling on Bush to give Israel the advanced X-band radar system that would enable Israel to knock down Iranian missiles early...

President Bush will never live down “Mission Accomplished” — and should not. When the White House’s spinners spun that claim five years ago (remember the aircraft carrier?), it seemed cocky and premature. As Mr. Bush continues his $526 billion war-without-end in Iraq, it seems stunningly deceitful. The only mission that needs to be accomplished is an orderly exit from Iraq, and Mr. Bush is no closer to acknowledging that reality. Neither is Senator John McCain. All Congress seems capable of is hand-wringing. So it is up to Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton to revive the national debate on...

A lesson of Vietnam that applies to Iraq is “the deeper you bog down in a morass, the more difficult it is to get out,” Sen. Chuck Hagel said Friday. “The more troops you put in, saying you need another six months or another year, a surge, five more combat brigades.” All of that runs counter to the reality that “we’re going to have to unwind,” Hagel said. “No foreign policy, no war policy can be sustained without the support of the American people,” he said. “Most of them say (Iraq) was a mistake and we want out.” Hagel’s remarks...

The Bush administration warned it will start furloughing civilian Defense Department employees to save money unless Congress quickly passes a new round of funds for the Iraq war, escalating a clash that has risks for both parties. The threat sets the stage for a likely fight over Iraq funding starting as soon as next week, when House leaders are expected to introduce their own version of the bill. President Bush may risk appearing rigid with his insistence that the bill be kept free of nonsecurity spending. But Democratic lawmakers could seem insensitive to the military if they push too hard...

The gloomy election-year refrain is that America is mired in Iraq, took its eye off Afghanistan, empowered Iran and is losing the war on terror. But how accurate is that pessimistic diagnosis? First, the good news. For all the talk of a recent Tet-like offensive in Basra, the Mahdi Army of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr suffered an ignominious setback when his gunmen were routed from their enclaves. This rout helped the constitutional - and Shiite-dominated - government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki renew its authority, and has encouraged Sunnis to re-enter government. Two great threats to Iraqi autonomy...

At Camp Victory, Counting Blessings — and Days by John McChesney Morning Edition, April 30, 2008 · On their last tour in Iraq, the soldiers of the Arkansas National Guard's 39th Combat Brigade Team saw heavy combat on a street in Baghdad known as "Purple Heart Boulevard." Now, in a short turnaround from that 2004-05 deployment, the Guardsmen are back. "You probably won't find anybody out there that was, you know, thrilled about the prospect of coming back. But there was very little in the way of soldiers ... being overly concerned about coming back," says Col. Kendall Penn, commander...

BAGHDAD - Dozens of fighters ambushed a U.S. patrol in Baghdad's main Shiite militia stronghold Tuesday, firing rocket-propelled grenades and machine gun bursts as the American push into Sadr City increasingly faces pockets of close urban combat. U.S. forces struck back with 200-pound guided rockets that devastated at least three buildings in the densely packed district that serves as the Baghdad base for the powerful Mahdi Army militia. The U.S. military said 28 militiamen were killed as the U.S. patrol pulled back. Local hospital officials said dozens of civilians were killed or wounded. Such street battles — in tight confines...