Michael Yon Dispatches The War is Over
We have won the war in Iraq. By "we" I mean the Coalition and the Iraqis. Unless there is some unexpected reversal, what lays ahead is the challenge of building a better Iraq. There is still violence. We have lost four soldiers to combat this month, but there were times when we lost that many on an average day. There still are attacks, though we have finally reached the point where all that's left are truly "dead-enders." Al Qaeda is still a problem, but their numbers are decreasing in Iraq. The Iraqi people are sick of the violence. The Iraqi Army is filled with courageous soldiers who can fight. It is possible that by the end of the year we can really say, "Mission Accomplished," except for the continued support that Iraq will need.
Personally, my optimism has never been higher for Iraq.
Republicans should be able to take the Democrats apart for their united opposition to the Surge - but they cannot muster the will to do so because they would have to admit that the war is almost, well...(won)."Ssssh, don't say it too loudly or the Democrats will unleash their Media Ridicule Machine." And they will.
Never mind that sectarian violence will continue sporadically in Iraq as it does in countless other parts of the globe. Every single act of violence will be held up by the Left to "prove" that the US has not yet won the war, or that it is still losing, as is the "Progressives"' fondest hope.