Posted on 07/10/2007 5:32:27 AM PDT by AmericanMade1776
U.S. intelligence officers in Iraq believe 2007 will be looked on someday as “the beginning of the defeat of al Qaeda,” an adviser to the command in Baghdad said Monday.
Retired Army Gen. John Keane offered the assessment after being briefed by a senior intelligence official who is an expert on the insurgency. The upbeat view marked a shift from 2006 intelligence reports that al Qaeda in Iraq was growing stronger.
Keane also said he expects a U.S. troop drawdown next spring, when forces should be able to turn over security in some Baghdad neighborhoods to Iraqis.
Keane, who has made two fact-finding trips to Iraq since a surge of U.S. troops began in February, said two new developments convinced intelligence officials that al Qaeda was on its way to defeat
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
Keane, who has made two fact-finding trips to Iraq since a surge of U.S. troops began in February, said two new developments convinced intelligence officials that al Qaeda was on its way to defeat.
First, Sunni sheiks are breaking alliances with al Qaeda and joining the coalition. “They are fed up with this barbarism and four years of war,” Keane said during a talk at the American Enterprise Institute.
Second, the U.S. counteroffensive of more than 155,000 troops is simultaneously attacking al Qaeda safe havens around the country — a tactic not used before.
Keane told The Examiner not to expect a “pass-fail” grade from Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, when he reports to Congress on the offensive in September.
“I think this is part of a journey,” Keane said. “He’ll give a progress report on this journey.”
Democratic leaders have called the surge a failure. Some key Republican senators also have said it is time to change strategy and begin removing troops.
If U.S. troops are pulled out, Keane said, “it demonstrates a lack of character by the United States.”
http://www.examiner.com/a-820797~Al_Qaeda_losing_ground__retired_general_says.html?cid=rss-Washington_DC
Not to worry. The senate will come to their aid.
BUSH....Shout this from the rooftops....Please! Use your bully pulpit!
Never mind, GWB will bend over and take it, leaving our soldiers to defend themselves.
Or the Media-You certainly know THIS article will never see daylight of the press.
Finish what we started.
Being replayed on C-SPAN2 now. Keane is about to finish his opening remarks and he is followed by a gentleman with sort of an opposing study.
Very good program.
Amen! God Bless our Troops, Who Protect us from terrorist.
Do you mean the Americans who are not enlisting in the Army?
You do know that this is our own fault too.
"WE" -those who say we really care about this Nation- have stood beack for YEARS and let the MEDIA Tell these "Americans" what to :THINK, ACT, SAY & VOTE!
WE talk about ; calling our REPRESENTATIONS! or Going out to PROTEST!
"WE" have no-one to blame for the MEDIA--The RINOS- ect- then ourselves.
The only problem is that this isn't credible. We've heard it before. And it conflicts with what others are saying. The big problem for Americans is that we have no way of knowing what's true anymore. We have partisan media on both sides, and no one we can trust.
Go to C-SPAN2 if you want to hear an opposing study. James Miller is following General Keane.
It shall be necessary for the US forces to be withdrawn altogether before the Iraqi government can revert to type and establish a strongman tyranny once again.
The brief taste of relative freedom for most of the Iraqis turned out to be not to their liking. They only see an end to the comfort level they have established, in which it was “not so bad” if the shar’ia law was applied at the local level, including most of the Saudi Arabian code of justice, in which lopping off of various body parts was supposed to be a fair punishment for a wide range of bad behavior. Other bad behavior is excused because mostly, it was retaliation for somebody else’s bad behavior, and the scales were somehow “balanced”.
Now the Kurds, on the other hand, have an innate love of freedom, if that means they are no longer under the sadistic rule of what they consider to be an “outsider”. Kurds are a much different folk than either the Farsi (the majority of Iranians) or the Arabic people. And they have little in common with Turks or Armenians, either. Kurds are nominally Muslim, but with a somewhat different interpretation of what “Islam” means to them.
If the tide is not turned in the Middle East, there will be a world-wide caliphate established.
Depend on it.
When did you wear a uniform?
ANOTHER "Hypocrite" has to open there mouth..
Go away please..you're annoying...
I’ll take that as a “never” tough guy (or gal).
The Dems cannot allow this to go on until next spring. They need defeat now.
Just HOW do these Possers get IN here is beyond me!
Don't they have some American Flags to burn or some Al Qaeda Group to send money to?
Go away Libbie-you're annoying...
Checking your posting history, it’s obvious you’re a kid who’s using their mommy’s computer while she’s at work. Maybe your screen name should be [High Ch]AirBorn?
Oh, and could you post that stupid pic a few hundred more times?
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