Posted on 07/09/2007 4:24:55 PM PDT by mdittmar
This week, Democrats on Capitol Hill are expected to present several different bills meant to undermine the war in Iraq. I fear that it will be difficult for Americans to discern the facts, as members on the Hill (including some Republicans) will revisit past failures and lament unfortunate losses rather than undertake a serious critique of the new counterinsurgency strategy.
Why? Because for some members of Congress, there is a growing fear that Gen. David Petraeus just might have a winning strategy in Iraq.
Despite four years of failed policy, the strategy we have in Iraq today is sound, both in principle and in practice, as my combat tour in Iraq confirmed. Gen. Petraeus is bringing safety and stability to Baghdad and Anbar Province, putting insurgents on the run. Now its a question of whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and wobbly Republicans will give him the time and resources he needs.
So, before the debate reconvenes, I thought a brief refutation of the top four Iraq falsehoods would be instructive:
Fact: The surge is just beginning. All of the brigades Gen. Petraeus requested have only been in place since mid-June and already there are promising indicators. Since January, sectarian murders are substantially down, arms caches are being found at three times the rate of last year and young Sunnis and Shiites are joining the Iraqi security forces in record numbers. \u003cbr\>\n \u003cli\>\u003cem\>Falsehood No. 2: Gen. Petraeus believes the military \n has done all it can do in Iraq.\u003c/em\> \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>Fact: Sen. Reid \n often quotes Gen. Petraeus to support his position that the \n war is "lost." But a fair survey of Gen. Petraeus's remarks \n confirms that he believes the U.S. military must set the \n conditions for political progress. The ultimate solution to \n Iraq's problem is political reconciliation, which can only \n come with the improvements in security the surge is designed \n to achieve. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>\n \u003cli\>\u003cem\>Falsehood No. 3: The U.S. is playing insurgent \n "whack-a-mole" throughout Iraq.\u003c/em\> \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>Fact: Gen. \n Petraeus's mission is called the Baghdad Security Plan for a \n reason: Its limited aim is to pacify Iraq's capital and center \n of gravity, thereby shifting the country's balance of power. \n The strategy is for U.S. and Iraqi forces to clear multiple \n insurgent safe havens in and around Baghdad at once to prevent \n insurgents from relocating, then to maintain security by \n remaining within the communities and building trust with the \n locals who were being intimidated by Sunni insurgents and \n Shiite militiamen. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>\n \u003cli\>\u003cem\>Falsehood No. 4: U.S. troops are not fighting an enemy \n in Iraq, just policing a "civil war."\u003c/em\> \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>Fact: \n America's enemies are invested in our defeat in Iraq. Al Qaeda \n leaders like Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri say they \n want to "expel the Americans from Iraq" and establish a \n "caliphate" to "extend the jihad to the secular countries \n neighboring Iraq." These killers are intent on spreading their \n violent ideology, and believe stoking sectarian violence is \n the best way to achieve their goals. Al Qaeda may only make up \n 10% of the insurgency in Iraq, but what they lack in numbers, \n they make up for in lethality. Gen. Petraeus has said that "80 \n to 90% of suicide bombers are foreign fighters," and by \n neutralizing them, we could stomp out the low-level civil war. \n “,1] ); //–> Fact: Sen. Reid often quotes Gen. Petraeus to support his position that the war is lost. But a fair survey of Gen. Petraeuss remarks confirms that he believes the U.S. military must set the conditions for political progress. The ultimate solution to Iraqs problem is political reconciliation, which can only come with the improvements in security the surge is designed to achieve. Fact: Gen. Petraeuss mission is called the Baghdad Security Plan for a reason: Its limited aim is to pacify Iraqs capital and center of gravity, thereby shifting the countrys balance of power. The strategy is for U.S. and Iraqi forces to clear multiple insurgent safe havens in and around Baghdad at once to prevent insurgents from relocating, then to maintain security by remaining within the communities and building trust with the locals who were being intimidated by Sunni insurgents and Shiite militiamen. Fact: Americas enemies are invested in our defeat in Iraq. Al Qaeda leaders like Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri say they want to expel the Americans from Iraq and establish a caliphate to extend the jihad to the secular countries neighboring Iraq. These killers are intent on spreading their violent ideology, and believe stoking sectarian violence is the best way to achieve their goals. Al Qaeda may only make up 10% of the insurgency in Iraq, but what they lack in numbers, they make up for in lethality. Gen. Petraeus has said that 80 to 90% of suicide bombers are foreign fighters, and by neutralizing them, we could stomp out the low-level civil war. \u003cbr\>In light of these facts, our country faces an \n important decision: listen to David Petraeus and the generals \n in Iraq, who believe we finally have a winning strategy that \n will take time to execute, or bow to the political demands of \n Republicans and Democrats in Congress who are more interested \n in avoiding defeat in their home districts than defeating al \n Qaeda & Co. in Iraq. \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>Gen. Petraeus promised a \n candid report in September. Until then, for the same senators \n who \u003cem\>unanimously\u003c/em\> confirmed him and his \n counterinsurgency strategy in January to undercut his efforts \n is extremely irresponsible, and exposes how quickly war-time \n leadership can transform into election-season pandering. \n \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>\u003cem\>Mr. Hegseth, a first lieutenant in the Army \n National Guard and executive director of VetsforFreedom.org, \n served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from September \n 2005 to July 2006.\u003c/em\> \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>\u003ca href\u003d\”http://redir.focusds.net/cgi-bin/go/1.vets.56.7070909163324777700?http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118394481318160568.html?mod\u003dopinion_main_commentaries\” target\u003d\”_blank\” onclick\u003d\”return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\”\>To \n view the op-ed online, please visit \u003cem\>The Wall Street \n Journal.\u003c/em\>\u003c/a\> \n \u003cbr\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/li\>\u003c/li\>\u003c/li\>\u003c/li\>\u003c/font\>\u003c/td\>\u003c/tr\>\u003c/tbody\>\u003c/table\>\u003c/td\>\u003c/tr\>\u003c/tbody\>\u003c/table\>\n \u003chr noshade size\u003d\”1\”\>\n\n \u003ccenter\>\n \u003ctable cellspacing\u003d\”0\” cellpadding\u003d\”0\” width\u003d\”400\” border\u003d\”1\”\>\u003ctbody\>\n \u003ctr valign\u003d\”top\” align\u003d\”left\”\>\n \u003ctd\>\n \u003ctable cellspacing\u003d\”3\” cellpadding\u003d\”3\” width\u003d\”400\” border\u003d\”0\”\>\n \u003ctbody\>\n \u003ctr valign\u003d\”top\” align\u003d\”left\”\>\n \u003ctd\>\n \u003ccenter\>\n \u003cp align\u003d\”center\”\>”,1] ); //–> In light of these facts, our country faces an important decision: listen to David Petraeus and the generals in Iraq, who believe we finally have a winning strategy that will take time to execute, or bow to the political demands of Republicans and Democrats in Congress who are more interested in avoiding defeat in their home districts than defeating al Qaeda & Co. in Iraq.
Gen. Petraeus promised a candid report in September. Until then, for the same senators who unanimously confirmed him and his counterinsurgency strategy in January to undercut his efforts is extremely irresponsible, and exposes how quickly war-time leadership can transform into election-season pandering. Mr. Hegseth, a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard and executive director of VetsforFreedom.org, served in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from September 2005 to July 2006. To view the op-ed online, please visit The Wall Street Journal.
We HAVE to win this one. This might help. Oregon City, Or 97045, NM, Rosewell 88201, NH Nashua 03060 (ph. 603)You will need these when you email Sen Smith, Demedic, and Gregg
The Constitution give Congress absolutely no power and/or authority on how the war is executed. Congress votes for wars and funds them. The Executive Branch runs the war.
If Congress puts one bill on the table that dictates timetables for anything or tries to dictate how the war will be executed in any manner, then we should impeach the lot of them for not respecting the separation of powers written into our Constitution over 200 years ago.
Heck, the Iraqi Congress gets more done then this Congress. And we want this Congress to tell the Iraqi's what their benchmarks will be?
ping
I want Congress standing behind the plans of our Commander and Chief and his Generals. I don't want Generals and the Commander and Chief standing behind our Congresses plans.
Lugar and Domenici need to understand that we must show resolve to our enemy. Terrorist are telling people in Iraq not to work with the Americans or they will kill their family. They are telling the Iraqi people that we won't be there forever. We must show resolve so the people can begin to trust their new government and the US over the terrorist. If you do not show resolve you are part of the problem and you are a National Security risk.
We need to put this situation into perspective:
We have been in Iraq for four years and we lost 3,500 Troops. In four years of WWII, we almost lost 500,000 Troops. During the first twenty one days on Iwo, we averaged a thousand losses a day. We have been in Iraq for four years and lost 3,500 Troops, right? Well, that is the middle of the fourth day on Iwo Jima. 52,000 fell in two years of Korea. Our bloodiest day took place in 4 hours not four years. We saw 22,000 casualties in fours hours at Antietam.
What happened to the words, 'we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival of liberty"?
I'll tell you what happened, the Demorats silenced those words and now a mess of RINOs like Lugar and Domenici are silencing those words. Along with our media, the leaders of the Demoratic Party, and the RINOs need to grow a back bone, pickup a weapon, and stand a post. We need to show our Troops and our enemy resolve.
We will leave Iraq when the Iraqi people can protect themselves from an outside threat and maintain some peace from within. Until then, we must help them fix the problems they face.
Here’s the trouble: the press has decided the measure of the war’s success. The president needs to redefine the measure in clear terms Americans can understand. If he lets the war be defined for him, he has lost.
He has not set up his own yardstick for measuring success. It has been a long time since we saw something as readily appreciable as those ink-stained fingers of liberty.
So true, however you forgot that they did, under the courages leadership of Nancy and Harry, name several Post Offices.
Call them butter, they are on a role now.
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeee
self-ping.
We must write and write on a daily level before the Dems and Pubs destroy our military by surrendering. It is amazing that the Dems plan of surrender in Nam and defeating Nixon is the same plan they are using in ‘07 and it is working!!
Same plan, same willing allies in the MSM!
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