Be Not Afraid [full text of Michael Yon's dispatch from Iraq]

Michael Yon Online Magazine ^ | 6/19/07 | Michael Yon

[lonestar67]

I appreciate Michael yon’s reporting because it provides numerous salient examples of the American struggle in Iraq.

On the whole, his meme of American failure is annoying and untrue.

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[batter]

I read Yon's post. He's done a great job reporting at the unit level. However, he sometimes, draws 'big picture' conclusions that don't seem to have any background information for the conclusion or links to previous articles regarding why he has come to that conclusion.

The statements you quoted are good examples of that. However, it is worth reading the two links he posts regarding the civil war he cites. He doesn't blame the US in those posts (instead he essentially states it is a sign of growing pains and the civil war was already going on before we ever set foot there). In addition, Yon has politely ripped the MSM for ignoring our troops, the progress they've made, and their heroism.

I'll agree with you, though, it is a bit frustrating when he makes an assertion but fails to give you any information as to why.

[batter]

Re: the above posts (#23 and #8):

Anyone know of anything Yon has written about why he considers Fallujah a harmful operation?

[Marine_Uncle]

Sure looks like al Qaeda is going to have one heck of a time trying to survive as the surge takes full effect. Now with so many Iraqi willing to point where they stay, they will not last very long.
The nays sayers, and political hacks along with their L/MSM generals will have a hard time playing down what will go on for the next few months with no let up.

[TomasUSMC]

But when we flattened parts of Fallujah not once, but twice, primarily in response to the murders of four of our people, we helped create a spectacle of injustice and chaos, the very conditions in which Al Qaeda thrives.

---

Yon has turned into another PC newshound.

Fallujah now is one of the safer places. We should have done the same to Ramadi and Baqubah a long time ago. Mike is on record saying he thinks we are losing in Afghanistan but that is the place where we are killing the moslem terrorists by the truck loads and losing very few of our own.

In comparison, in Iraq we are well on the way to another month of more than 80 dead for the 7th straight month...something that had only happened before for 2 consecutive months only.
http://icasualties.org/oif/

[TomasUSMC]

He believes in the kinder gentler compassionate warfighting.

He fails to realize the big picture....we don’t have time, the clock is not on our side...everyday brings nukes closer to islam’s murderous hands.

[Zhangliqun]

If, as Yon seems to be saying, they have actually come up with a strategy for this thing that will encircle and cut the Al Qaeda larvae off in miniature versions of the 6th Army at Stalingrad, and — more importantly — this is repeatable, then AQ in Iraq is DEAD.

But chances are they’ll find a way to counter it to some degree and have some success in escaping in later battles. And then we’ll counter that and the chess game continues until attrition bleeds them white.