Posted on 10/20/2007 10:09:11 AM PDT by shrinkermd
Should we declare victory over al Qaeda in the battle of Iraq?
The very question would have seemed proof of dementia only a few months ago, yet now some highly respected military officers, including the commander of Special Forces in Iraq, Gen. Stanley McCrystal, reportedly feel it is justified by the facts on the ground.
These people are not suggesting that the battle is over. They all insist that there is a lot of fighting ahead, and even those who believe that al Qaeda is crashing and burning in a death spiral on the Iraqi battlefields say that the surviving terrorists will still be able to kill coalition forces and Iraqis. But there is relative tranquility across vast areas of Iraq, even in places that had been all but given up for lost barely more than a year ago. It may well be that those who confidently declared the war definitively lost will have to reconsider.
Almost exactly 13 months ago, the top Marine intelligence officer in Iraq wrote that the grim situation in Anbar province would continue to deteriorate unless an additional division was sent in, along with substantial economic aid. Today, Marine leaders are musing openly about clearing out of Anbar, not because it is a lost cause, but because we have defeated al Qaeda there.
In Fallujah, enlisted marines have complained to an officer of my acquaintance: "There's nobody to shoot here, sir. If it's just going to be building schools and hospitals, that's what the Army is for, isn't it?"
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
That would be nice, and I’m sure 95% of Iraqis would like that too.
I feel sorry for you when you post on the Ron Paul threads.. It seems that most of the has the case turn back the clockitis..
I hope so. Then we can prepare for the next battle in Iran.
BTTT
Thanks for the tip. I think he mentioned that last night. Will bring it up when I see him again.
LMAO-gotta love the Marines.
I'm not from Montana, but I read Burns' defeat as being more than an "anti-war vote".
Without the serious corruption issues, I suspect he would have waltzed into re-election.
It wasn't an anti-war vote that cost the Republicans control of Congress.
It was corruption, spending...and abject stupidity...which cost them their base. Burns was a part of all three.
God bless ya, hon. Keep up the good work.
The democrats can’t save you now jihadists!
Our brave leadership, and our even braver troops, are responsible for this. When the moonbats, the media, and the rats all coalesced to sabotage the mission, the troops did not back down, and our country did not surrender.
AQI can no longer sleep well at night knowing the liberals might just save them from defeat, that time has passed...the rest of the terror-loving dead-enders will be hunted down like the scum they are, and they will be completely destroyed, and their hateful ideology made an example of: as a disgusting, backwards, violent movement that never had a prayer.
Yes Allegra and many of us who have always believed in victory can gloat and gloat big time :) :) :)
I still believe in what George Patten stated
“Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser”
Great post Chris. From now on the Republican candidates should be running on the theme that we won the war in Iraq. I think in 3 to 4 months the White House and the military in Iraq are going to declare Victory.
Charlie Gibson - no news
~~~~~~~
And Rush discussed it
CALLER: Yes, sir. I was on the couch yesterday evening finishing up my offering and compromise to the IRS so I could get a life back, and the evening news was on, and Charlie Gibson comes on after about three stories and says, “Oh, and, by the way, the news from Iraq today...” he hesitated for a second or two, and then he said, “there is none.” I said, “Have I gone to sleep?”
RUSH: All right. We have that sound bite. But before I play that sound bite, I got two questions.
CALLER: Yes, sir.
RUSH: It’s October 18th. What are you working on now for your taxes?
CALLER: Well, I’m having tax problems. They went back and used an off-the-wall —
RUSH: Oh, okay, okay, never mind, you don’t have to divulge personal details. We’re nowhere near a quarterly filing date, so I wondered. Secondly, what in the world are you doing with the World News Tonight on?
CALLER: Well, I was sitting there, my kids were there, older kids, and they just had it on, it just happened to be on, they were watching something else.
RUSH: Everybody says, “It was on,” but nobody knows how it got turned on, nobody was listening to it, it was on. (laughing)
CALLER: I was doing something else. It really caught my attention when he said it. I couldn’t talk.
RUSH: Listen to the whole thing. You didn’t report the whole thing. This is Charlie Gibson World News Tonight on ABC.
GIBSON: One item from Baghdad today. The news is... that there is no news. The police told us that, to their knowledge, there were no major acts of violence. Attacks are down in Baghdad and today no bombings or roadside explosions were reported.
RUSH: And that’s not news? That is news! That is huge news, but not to these guys, because it doesn’t fit the narrative. The narrative is burning cars; IEDs; people in the streets; mangled bodies; smoke wafting up from the streets. And none of that happened yesterday in Iraq. There’s no news! This is just the greatest illustration, I keep saying that. But they keep outdoing themselves, illustrating to one and all just how they work and how they operate.
~~~~
God love ya, girl! You’ve seen it all and have been completely consistent in telling the truth on the ground THERE. Who are the naysayers to question you .. who’s there? You’ve lived and known the worst .. I pray you are about to see the best. May God continue to bless and protect you and all those fighting and supporting the fight against this evil. Prayers that better days are just around the corner. To hell with MSM and Rats.
Thank you so much for your courage and perseverence in volunteering to be there.
How long do you think you’ll stay? You could be the Babe of Baghdad yet .. LOL.
Strange - they seem to cheer for a big hurricane [GW caused you know] season, but they can't seem to find the time to cheer victory by our troops.
More than strange perhaps - they have become an enemy with a unprincipled lust for power!!
I’ve been saying for more than three years that this would work, given time.
I’ve had FReepers call me all kinds of names for that, telling me I didn’t know what I was talking about.
I wish I could remember who all of those people were.
It’s almost time to gloat. ;-)
X X X X X
“Gloating” over the surge’s success is reserved for those kids who have been actually executing the surge (ie., fighting, losing limbs, dying, etc).
I look forward to those who were gloating about Iraq being a defeat having to eat crow.
You don't make the rules. I know some of those people and they have my deep admiration and respect. I have lost a couple of close friends here.
I've put up with a lot of snot from some naysayers here on FR over the past few years when I have reported positive aspects.
I'll gloat if I damn well please and the First Amendment backs me up on that. If you want to be in charge, go find your own country to dictate.
BTTT!! They should ask them though if they rotate out for the hot zones and viceversa... Does get boring for em I’m sure...
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