The War is Over, and We Won

The American Enterprise ^ | June 20, 2005 | Karl Zinsmeister

[astounded]

This is very encouraging, but why do we read about democrat "leaders" spouting the opposite at Drudge??? I can surmise only that the democrat party and its "leadership" (Biden, Pelosi, Durbin, Dean) care only about destroying President Bush, advancing themselves into power, not about the good of our country and our national security.

The democrats are morally bankrupt, and should be ostracized. They are despicable, small people.

[oyez]

Iraq has begun the process of becoming a normal country.

Praise be to God!

And help us against the Left and the Media who are out to destroy the victory. Their petty agenda is worth more to them than the lives that were sacrificed for that victory.

[Hank Rearden]

Everything's dandy, so shoot Saddam in the head and get the hell home.

[boris]

Armies being famously machines for killing people and breaking things, why did we bust up the place and then charge the American people to fix it up again? "Cell phones" sprouting like weeds at our expense.

Bust the place up and leave it busted up. We owe them nothing, and nation-building is a proven failure. Pull out, bust up the next terrorist state and continue until they are all back in 700 A.D.

--Boris

[Billthedrill]

Hmm...Annan Hails Iraq Turning Point. And Al-Zawahiri Video Shows Al-Qaeda Isolated. Pretty uplifting stuff. So what do we get from al-Reuters? Predictable: Al-Qaeda Says Bush Doomed To Fail. Even that is a pretty interesting article.

The Democrats, of course, will be the very last to admit any progress. Doesn't fit their program, although it does fit the country's program, and that is probably their biggest problem.

[elbucko]

This is very encouraging, but why do we read about democrat "leaders" spouting the opposite....

Because it filters down to the Democrats grass roots. A client of mine , who just happens to be a Democrat, was in my office last week and after business was discussed the conversation turned to current events, specifically, Iraq. My client, "Warren", fumed that the "US had ruined Iraq and the the city of Falluja had disappeared off the face of the earth". I asked him if he knew this for sure and he said that he'd seen it on the news and read it in the LAT. (sigh)

[janetgreen]

why did we bust up the place and then charge the American people to fix it up again?

I wonder about the same thing.

[bkepley]

"We owe them nothing, and nation-building is a proven failure."

This complaint only makes sense from the vantage point of someone who believes that we are doing what we are doing for the benefit of Iraqis.

[AGreatPer]

"and nation-building is a proven failure."

Tell that to the Japanese.

[wingnutx]

Right. It is in the best interest of the US and western civilization as a whole.

[avg_freeper]

Posted earlier under the same name:

The War is Over, and We Won

[bkepley]

"Right. It is in the best interest of the US and western civilization as a whole."

Well, it's a plan anyway. Maybe it won't work but I think it is worth a try.

[wingnutx]

Nothing is certain. Doing nothing is not an option.

[kellynla]

BTTT

[robowombat]

It is really good that an intelligent observer reports these highly significant social and economic trends which if protected bode well for the future. However, the current nastiness in Iraq is much bigger than he indicates. official US Army analysis, not cr-p from the media wieners, supports the conclusion that what has emerged in the last year is a real insurgency albeit limited to parts of Baghdad, Al Anbar Province and parts of Saladin Province (especially the city of Mosul). This movement does have support of a significant part of the population in these areas and has reach the self sustaining level where the number of new recruits coming forward, both from indigenous Sunni Arabs and from foreign volunteers more than makes up for casualties. Funding is also sufficient both from 'taxes' levied within Iraq and from funds coming from outside (mostly Saudi funding we think) to fuel operations at current and higher levels.

The current insurgency has been divided between the foreign Al Zarqawi element and the native Ansar al-Sunnah group. However, there are now clear indications that these two elements are drawing together in at least a tactical alliance aimed at the common enemy. If this trend continues the various zones of insurgency will be linked together in, if not a national, at least a regional alliance which will create momentum for building a larger insurgency.

None of the above should be considered as a profession of defeat. However, time is not on our side and either the Iraqi Army and national police have to grow much faster than they have or (and there isn't much chance of this) a significantly larger US presence is required. One strategy that has some support in the Army and elsewhere is to try and repeat the successful model of El Salvador in which the US supported an across the board substantial increase in police and army forces while the US Army training element focused on creating a dozen or so strike battalions which got the best materiel and officers and were trained in air assault operations. These units invaded the guerrilla zones out in the mountains and were responsible for significantly damaging the guerrillas base and force structure. The damage caused and the relative failure of the Salvadorean FMLN Tet style 1990 offensive made the guerrillas willing to negotiate a peaceful end to the war. Using such a strategy in Iraq has substantial support within DOD but the arming and equipping of the new Iraqi army and police has been a painfully slow business since the initial idea was deliberately to slowly create new military organizations that were lightly armed so they could not easily topple the weak new parliamentary institutions. That has not been a good idea.

Things are better than the media represent. However, the insurgency is real and growing and substantial indigenous support and is not just a bunch of ideoligized thugs terrorizing the natives. (Although thugs they be but ones many of the natives like.)

[thoughtomator]

Nation building did all right in Japan.

[GeorgeW23225]

I agree. DemocRATS are tiny minded, simple minded, despicable boobs.

You would think that good news, such as the above, would make them happy. BUT NO.
Woe is me, woe is me, is all we hear from these left wing fanatic losers. Good news is actually BAD news for them.

How sad. How very pathetic they are.

[GeorgeW23225]

Do you really think anyone can fight a war without busting things up?

[Gritty]

One would think Democrats hate wars and rush to jettison them as soon as possible, especially wars we are losing, wouldn't you ?

Well, we have been fighting the "War On Poverty" since 1965 (over 40 years), sunk trillions of dollars into the futile effort, ruined countless lives and utterly lost it decades ago. Yet, the Democrats cheer it on and insist on throwing more scarce resources and endless treasure into that bottomless quagmire!

The moral? Democrats aren't against all wars - just the ones which benefit America!!