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Iraq and the General War on Terror
The Corner ^ | 6/1/08 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 06/01/2008 6:46:46 PM PDT by Dawnsblood

How odd (or to be expected) that suddenly intelligence agencies, analysts, journalists, and terrorists themselves are attesting that al-Qaeda is in near ruins, that ideologically radical Islam is losing its appeal, and that terrorist incidents against Americans at home and abroad outside the war zones are at an all-time low—and yet few associate the radical change in fortune in Iraq as a contributory cause to our success.

But surely the US military contributed a great deal to the humiliation of al-Qaedists and the bankruptcy of their cause, since it has (1) killed thousands of generic jihadists, and to such a degree that the former Middle East romance of going to Iraq to fight the weak crusaders is now synonymous with a death sentence and defeat; (2) provided the window of security necessary for the growing confidence of the Maliki government whose success is absolutely destroying the Islamist canard that the U.S. backs only dictatorships. Indeed, al-Qaeda's greatest fear is successful Arab constitutional government; something still caricatured here at home as a neocon pipe dream.

In addition, the grotesque tactics that al-Qaeda in duress developed in Iraq weakened its case throughout the Middle East; while the Americans learned just the opposite lesson under Gen. Petraeus—how to win hearts and mind while mastering the elements of counter-insurgency. In contrast, the terrorists learned how to lose a war while alienating the Muslim population.

I would expect the Maliki government to gain greater respect abroad, and maybe it will cease to be the punching bag here at home, given its recent accomplishments—made possible by the efforts of the U.S. military. There is an odd feeling that the more books come out damning the Iraq war, and the more politicians write it off as a fiasco, the more Iraqis are showing the world that a constitutional government can survive the enormous odds set against it. Final note. I think this May may have been the lowest month for American military fatalities (19) since the war started in March 2003.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alqaedainiraq; iraq; maliki; oef; progress; vdh; victordavishanson; wot
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1 posted on 06/01/2008 6:46:46 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
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To: Dawnsblood

BTTT


2 posted on 06/01/2008 6:56:28 PM PDT by rfp1234 (Phodopus campbelli: household ruler since July 2007.)
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To: Dawnsblood

Great post. Hanson nails it.


3 posted on 06/01/2008 6:58:49 PM PDT by BOBTHENAILER (One by one, in small groups or in whole armies, we don't care how we do it, but we're gonna getcha)
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To: Dawnsblood

yep yep


4 posted on 06/01/2008 7:01:58 PM PDT by yldstrk (My heros have always been cowboys--Reagan and Bush)
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To: Dawnsblood

Yes, for an old Stainist, his is right on top of this one...:)


5 posted on 06/01/2008 7:03:19 PM PDT by rlmorel (Clinging bitterly to Guns and God in Massachusetts...:)
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To: Dawnsblood

This matches with the internal intelligence analysts I’ve read.

After all the problems with CIA, all the intelligence sources are providing honest feedback as an CYA. AQ is mostly toast. No doubt about it. They would never, ever say it unless it was so, since a big attack now would prove them all liars and end their careers.

AQ has expended their last load trying to pull another “tet”, but no one noticed.


6 posted on 06/01/2008 7:30:31 PM PDT by Wiseghy ("You want to break this army? Then break your word to it.")
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To: Dawnsblood
Unwillingness to take responsibility for the consequences of their decisions is the common denominator of pacifists. Click below for a perspective on the breed.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article, "The War about War"

7 posted on 06/01/2008 7:44:32 PM PDT by Congressman Billybob ( www.ArmorforCongress.com)
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To: rlmorel

What is a “Stainist?”


8 posted on 06/01/2008 7:53:38 PM PDT by Elsiejay (Rev.)
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To: Dawnsblood

Bush Derangement Syndrome


9 posted on 06/01/2008 7:57:40 PM PDT by VRWC For Truth (No mas Juan "Traitor Rat" McAmnesty)
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To: Elsiejay

LOL...umm...a maoist who cannot get his pants down fast enough???

I just mistyped...I meant a “Stalinist”


10 posted on 06/01/2008 7:59:06 PM PDT by rlmorel (Clinging bitterly to Guns and God in Massachusetts...:)
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To: Dawnsblood

Perhaps the imminent closure of Club Gitmo is bad for recruiting?


11 posted on 06/01/2008 8:00:37 PM PDT by Paladin2 (Huma for co-president!)
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To: Congressman Billybob
I remember when someone said, "Bring 'em on" and words to the effect, "Better to fight 'em over there than here." He threw in some other pearls of wisdom, too.

yitbos

12 posted on 06/01/2008 8:44:34 PM PDT by bruinbirdman ("Those who control language control minds." - Ayn Rand)
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To: Elsiejay

“What is a “Stainist?””

That’s a lousy saxophone player, lousy golfer, gigolo and, as it happens, President of the U.S. who uses a teenager’s dress as a napkin.


13 posted on 06/01/2008 9:10:56 PM PDT by Rembrandt (We would have won Viet Nam w/o Dim interference.)
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To: Congressman Billybob

That was an excellent article. Mr. Paine seemed very unhappy with the US later on though. My best:)


14 posted on 06/01/2008 9:33:25 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
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To: BOBTHENAILER; Congressman Billybob

For perspective, what the news media *isn’t* saying is that over in the peaceful beach paradise of Brazil, 104 people are shot dead each night.

You read that right; each night. 38,000 people per year are being shot to death in Rio and its sister Brazilian cities.

...but in the Iraq war zone...the U.S. lost 15 soldiers to combat (19 overall) in the entire month of May.


15 posted on 06/01/2008 9:40:11 PM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: Southack
For perspective, what the news media *isn’t* saying is that over in the peaceful beach paradise of Brazil, 104 people are shot dead each night.

Yep The "Perception Management" MSM can fool some of the people some of the time, but not us. Makes me wanna holler.

16 posted on 06/02/2008 5:52:40 AM PDT by BOBTHENAILER (One by one, in small groups or in whole armies, we don't care how we do it, but we're gonna getcha)
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To: Dawnsblood; neverdem; Lando Lincoln; quidnunc; .cnI redruM; SJackson; dennisw; monkeyshine; ...


    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/

17 posted on 06/03/2008 2:01:39 PM PDT by Tolik
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To: Dawnsblood
If it continues to work the Iraq intervention will be considered a geostrategic ploy as significant as the Marshall Plan. That may take years to emerge, sadly because such a large percentage of media and academia have grown bloated and incapable of admitting that their members were mistaken.

This won't solve the Middle East's problems, and it was never intended to do so. But it may stop what seemed five years ago like an inevitable slide into Lebanon-style bloody chaos, wherein a police state under a tyrant would be regarded as a welcome relief. There are parts of the Middle East where even now that slide seems inevitable. Iraq isn't one of them.

18 posted on 06/03/2008 2:27:19 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Dawnsblood

bump


19 posted on 06/03/2008 2:29:20 PM PDT by Skooz (Any nation that would elect Hillary Clinton as its president has forfeited its right to exist.)
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To: Tolik

To one of my all time friends - thanks for faithfully keeping me on your ping lists.


20 posted on 06/03/2008 7:32:43 PM PDT by Lando Lincoln
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