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Can Petraeus Pull It Off?(Some good war news...for a change.)
Weekly Standard ^ | 04/30/2007 | Max Boot

Posted on 04/21/2007 6:40:31 AM PDT by kellynla

The news from Iraq is, as usual, grim. Bombings, more bombings, and yet more bombings--that's all the world notices. It's easy to conclude that all is chaos. That's not true. Some parts of Iraq are in bad shape, but others are improving. I spent the first two weeks of April in Baghdad, with side trips to Baqubah, Ramadi, and Falluja. Along the way I talked to everyone from privates to generals, both American and Iraqi. I found that, while we may not yet be winning the war, our prospects are at least not deteriorating precipitously, as they were last year. When General David Petraeus took command in February, he called the situation "hard" but not "hopeless." Today there are some glimmers of hope in the unlikeliest of places.

Until recently Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, was the most dangerous city in Iraq if not the world. It was run by al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), which had declared it the capital of its Islamic State of Iraq. The Iraqi police presence was limited to one police station, which the police were afraid to leave. Soldiers and Marines engaged in heavy combat every day, losing hundreds of men since 2003, simply to avoid having insurgents overrun the government center and close down Route Michigan, the main street.

(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: alqueda; iraq; iraqsurge; terrorism; war; wot
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To: mariabush
The WOT is like a cancer that can not be cured, only briefly contained. Our best hope is to keep Islam from entwining itself in our country. Don't ask me how!

Unless we nuke Mecca and Medina which we have no will to do so, you are correct.

Indeed, 1,000 GIs dying each year is a small price to pay rather than a terrorist attack on US soil resulting in Hundreds of Thousands casualties.

41 posted on 04/27/2007 1:55:07 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican (Everyone that doesn't like what America and President Bush has done for Iraq can all go to HELL)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

BTTT


42 posted on 04/27/2007 2:04:14 AM PDT by Tinman (Yankee by birth, Texan by Choice..."Support the Troops" shouldn't be just a bumper sticker)
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To: MinorityRepublican

bttt


43 posted on 04/27/2007 4:46:23 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican (Everyone that doesn't like what America and President Bush has done for Iraq can all go to HELL)
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To: kellynla; Abigail Adams; AIC; airborne; AirForceBrat23; Alamo-Girl; ALOHA RONNIE; angelsonmyside; ..

Ping for a very informative article.

Thanks to kellynla for posting it.


44 posted on 04/28/2007 4:48:17 PM PDT by patriciaruth (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1562436/posts)
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To: mariabush
Japan is our friend!

Japan attacked us. We retaliated. My, how things change.

45 posted on 04/28/2007 8:12:39 PM PDT by Just Lori (There is nothing "democratic" about Democrats.)
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To: kellynla

Very good article. Thanks for posting.


46 posted on 04/28/2007 9:36:51 PM PDT by PGalt
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To: patriciaruth

BTTT


47 posted on 04/29/2007 4:30:37 AM PDT by Right_in_Virginia
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To: kellynla
Exactly what should have been done after 9/11 when we failed to deport them all after the first WTC bombing in 1993.

So much Freedom of Religion...

48 posted on 04/29/2007 4:32:38 AM PDT by jude24 (Seen in Beijing: "Shangri-La is in you mind, but your Buffalo is not.")
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To: marlon
"I think the "war" in Iraq is over"

Yes,it is. It's been over for some time now. This is some kind of guerrilla war by people sent in from Iran and Syria. We are now performing some sort of police action. Isn't that what they called it in Korea?

Carolyn

49 posted on 04/29/2007 4:48:53 AM PDT by CDHart ("It's too late to work within the system and too early to shoot the b@#$%^&s."--Claire Wolfe)
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