[Tolik]

    Victor Davis Hanson Ping ! 

       Let me know if you want in or out.

Links:    FR Index of his articles:  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=victordavishanson
                His website: http://victorhanson.com/
                NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp
                Pajamasmedia:   http://victordavishanson.pajamasmedia.com/

[Red Dog #1]

The Democrat’s only plan for Iraq was to shamelessly exploit it to win the 2006 elections. There only future plans are to exploit it for the 2008 elections.

[lonestar67]

I love this essay for its truthfulness but I continue to be annoyed at the American consensus of failure in Iraq.

The US has not at any point failed in Iraq.

Saddam removed from power: check
Casualties lower than predicted: check
Democratic elections for interim govt: check
Democratic elections for constitution (while EU fails): check
Democratic elections for permanent government: check
94% disapproval rate for Al Qaeda among Iraqi citizens: Hearts and mind checkmate
Continual failure of Al Qaeda to establish sovereign space in Iraq: check
Economic development in Iraq: check
Hand off of vast percentages of military bases: check
building of 200K plus army and police force: check

It takes more than Al Qaeda bombings of mosques and marketplaces to convince me this war is a failure.

All it convinces me of is their absolute cowardice. Anyone with a gun can kill children. Why do we term them “victors”?

[metesky]

Removing the Taliban and Saddam, and promoting constitutional governments in their places, were not the only options after 9/11, but they were good choices — if the desire was to address comprehensively a quarter-century of terrorism that was insidiously escalating both in frequency and vehemence.

I still believe they were good choices.

Thanks for the ping, T.