“Here is the most important thing Americans need to understand: We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms,” two analysts with the liberal-leaning Brookings Institute wrote in the New York Times this week. Michael E. O’Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack have harshly criticized the Bush administration for its “miserable handling of Iraq,” but meeting with American and Iraqi military personnel, they saw “the potential to produce not necessarily ‘victory’ but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with.” And though the analysts noted that the surge cannot go on forever, they concluded that “there is enough good happening on the battlefields of Iraq today that Congress should plan on sustaining the effort at least into 2008.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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144 Comments
Good job troops! The real Americans are very proud of you!
We’re the ones that write you and send you care packages. Salute you when you come home. Talk with pride when we know of someone in the military serving. We know of the extreme sacrifices that you have made and shed common tears with you.
We know that steadfastness comes from within, not a news article, some Blog site or some cranky old curmudgeon Congressman who has lost faith in the military.
You are on the top of our prayer lists. Your priorities are our priorities. We trust you and always give you the benefit of the doubt.
Many of us have spoken the creed “I am an American Fighting Man” the same as you and know what it means.
We prepare for your paths home and you have prepared our path to freedom. Your courage is comfort to our hearts.
We will not abandon you in your time of need. Because you are over there, we can live our lives in freedom here.
Freedom is not trivial and your daily stories measure out sometimes the painful steps necessary for it work.
With each step you take remember that you have the power of the caring real Americans behind you.
We will not be intimated nor bow down to the negative minds of those who only speak in disparaging terms.
We remember, we veterans.
We are your brothers and sisters, one family of common deed and goals.
Thank you so very much for your service. God Bless Each and Every one of you.
Finally, some good news out of Iraq. Too bad it took BushCo almost 5 years, 3,600 dead Americans, and countless dead Iraqis to figure it out.
Interesting that this comes on the heels of an article on the conditions in Iraq in yesterday’s paper:
http://pd.kansas.com/sp?eId=18&ecId=2164807&rNum=8&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kansas.com%2Fnews%2Fnation_world%2Fstory%2F135863.html
Another year or so and maybe we can win this thing- or at least fight to a draw- and get out.
“RustyFord” –
Thanks for the link.
George WMD Bush has created (from your link), “…the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world.”
In Vietnam, a general said, “We had to destroy the villiage to save it.” In Iraq we’re destroying a nation, wrecking a region, sitting back with a President who thinks he’s got God’s inside info.
I’m not that much into the whole “God” thing, but could it be the Muslims might be correct? That “there is no god but Allah?” It’s beginning to look like it. Allah seems to be whispering into George WMD Bush’s ear and telling him everything to do.
I don’t think too many have denigrated the troops over this war; it has been a Bush war, although many in congress are to blame as well.
The whole idea of “making progress” in this war strikes me as arrogant. Since this war should never have happened, progress, to me, is getting out; and with as few lives lost as possible.
Then again, how can we make progress in a war that was declared over years ago by the decider? Hell, all we need now is for Alice to pop out of the looking glass.
But let the talking heads of the neo-cons have their say. Hopefully, after 2008, they won’t have much to say anymore.
On the very day (the big) Dick Cheney finally admits he was wrong wrong wrong when he said, four years ago, “…the insurgency is in its last throes,” all of a sudden we’re supposed to believe Shrub’s administration’s claim of “progress?!”
How many times has Dumbya claimed “progress” since “Mission Accomplished?”
Iraq is the wrong war at the wrong war in the wrong place against the wrong enemy led by the wrong Commander in Chief. He’s run the Ship of State aground and now, four years later, there’s perhaps a bit of movement? And the Republic Party’s Limbaugh-tomized Masses rejoice?!
I’m reminded of Thomas Jefferson when he wrote, “I tremble for my country when I think that God is just.”
I don’t believe it! A liberal ‘rag’ finally admits that there is progress in Iraq. This has been obvious for some time with those of us who understand these matters. Now maybe we can at least hope that all the liberals can quote each other long enough, that their masses can understand it. However, as I can see from the posts, there are still some in denial. Good post Phil! I hope it doesn’t get you in trouble with the usually one sided liberal ‘rag’ that you work for.
Yeah, the Eagle–SOOOOO liberal. Practically the Washington Post.
When are the conservative rags going to start admitting that it was an idiotic war to begin with?
When are the conservatives going to apologize to the soldiers and their families?
Finally, some good news out of Iraq. Too bad it took BushCo almost 5 years, 3,600 dead Americans, and countless dead Iraqis to figure it out.
Posted by: XXX | August 01, 2007 at 04:46 AM
Hey xxx Give credit where it is due. The Dems started holding Bushco accountable by refusing to stop votes on pulling out of Iraq.
The fire under Bush’s butt started getting uncomfortable so he finally was forced by the new Dems in power to find a solution to his poopy diapers mess.
I just found out that the ’surge’ was fully manned until July 4th. If they are seeing results this quickly now that they are fully manned, bully for them. Get the job done and get home.
wasn’t fully manned*
Harry Reid says its a failure.
Who you gonna believe, a politician who’s invested in defeat or a couple policy wonks from a left-leaning think tank.
Tough choice.
Oh no! Democrats are in crisis mode now.
“This has been obvious for some time with those of us who understand these matters.”Posted by: Truth Hurts | August 01, 2007 at 07:15 AM
Ah, another example of the massive arrogance of Republicans. Only “they”, the true believers, really understand this complicated war stuff.
If only they were as concerned with life out of the womb as life within. All they need is oportunity to kill another few thousand American soldiers and this Iraq thing will be ok.
moron
The two reporters spent all of 8 days in Iraq. Their findings are slightly misleading. Currently sectarian violence is down. This is due to the almost complete divide in neighborhoods along ethnic lines, and the country’s distraction with the Asia Soccer tournament. The United States has empowered the tribal leaders to fight Al Queda. These are the same leaders that want to overthrow the government. The same government that has taken a vacation for 4 weeks. The long term reality has not changed, unless the US is willing to commit troops for at least another 4-5 yrs, this ball will unravel. Those tribal leaders that are on our side today will attack the government as soon as we leave. Our militaries babysitting skills have progressed nicely in keeping this tinder box from exploding. But the fuse is still lit!
With the new hype, I expect the insurgents will go into hyper-drive making up for last month.
Don’t worry Libs, you can always go to the Daily Kos, Democratic Union or to moveon dot org to get your talking points and tell you what to think.
Perhaps you can pull out the Democrapic handbook on how to react when there is positive news posted by news organization instead of the barracuda driven grim reaper attacking based news of the MSM.
I’m crossing my fingers and hoping they are right.
Do these sound like the words of an Iraq War critic? Here’s O’Hanlon in 2003, testifying before the House Armed Services Committee.
“In my judgment the administration is basically correct that the overall effort in Iraq is succeeding. By the standards of counterinsurgency warfare, most factors, though admittedly not all, appear to be working to our advantage. While one would be mistaken to assume rapid or easy victory, Mr. Rumsfeld’s leaked memo last week probably had it about right when he described the war as a “long, hard slog” that we are nonetheless quite likely to win. . . .
That said, on the prognosis of Iraq’s future, the Bush administration is at least partly and perhaps even mostly right. Negative headlines need to be quickly countered with good news, of which there is an abundance. . . Most of Iraq is now generally stable . . . . [T]he state of affairs in Iraq and recent trends in that country do not look so disconcerting. Things are getting gradually better even as we progress towards an exit strategy that could further diffuse extremist sentiment.”
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/07/30/brookings/index.html
Pretty critical, huh? Pretty tough on Bush, eh? O’Hanlon was saying and writing things like that all the way back in 2003, and has been ever since.
Read the whole article to see just how ludicrous it is for the Right-Wing media to hold up O’Hanlon and Pollack as “liberals.” They aren’t: they’re think-tank trash from the Brookings Institution. They don’t speak for CF2K or any of the liberal folks he knows.
CF2K has gotta hand it to O’Hanlon and Pollack: it takes balls, after having gotten down on their knees for Bush these last four years, to rebrand themselves as “critics” of the Administration.
As a progressive, CF2K always regarded O’Hanlon, Pollack, and the Brookings Institution as traitors. He now regards them as liars.
Not that being a liar counts as a strike against one in the current Right-Wing media environment.
Oh, and apparently the Alliance Front, the largest Sunni bloc in Iraq, is quitting the government.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/01/AR2007080100319.html?hpid%3Dmoreheadlines&sub=new
The Surge is so bright, Repukes gotta wear shades.
CF2K,
Are you writing for an alternate personality? Do you realize how narcissistic it is to refer to yourself in the third person?
CF2K is the Muppet character of the WE Blog with his third person referencing to himself.
He needs a fuzzy suit to wear while he posts, then the mental image is complete.
You guys just attack CF because his posts are BRILLIANT and he clocks you on a regular basis.
I am a BIG fan of CF’s posts. He speaks the truth and adds some laughs to boot.
You GO CF!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Attacking him?
For pointing out narcissistic behavior?
Surely you jest.
The war in Iraq started on 9/20/1990.
ANY Veteran who served a total of 90 days, with even one DAY from 9/20/1990 to present, qualifies for certain VA benefits.
That Veteran served during “Wartime” according to Federal law.
In other words, Clinton was at “WAR” too, according to the Veterans Administration!
Another “bought-off” American institute belching out the latest propaganda.
Bigger lies bigger prize.
They had to pull the troops back from the intense killing and have now figured out a way to spin the lower casualty rate. The Generals were given orders to lower the number of our troops being killed and all this is a result of that being spun.
Clinton was never a Veteran though Econ101 nor served in the military.
???
Keep in mind that all this “good News” in brought by “two analysts ”
My, what a difference two {Unnamed } bought-off traitors can make in the “propaganda war” lying to the American People and a willing “Press” ready to gobble it up. Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble.
And the traitor “Kansas” running off at the mouth with all of the unverified “News”
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,
ur such a freakin KOOK !!!!!!
I don’t know whether this qualifies as good news or an admission of reality. But regardless, it is interesting to see the responses by the left leaners. I see posts expressing hope, one attacking the liberal source as not lib enough, and even one that wants to jump on the “surge” bandwagon and claim credit!
Props to the Eagle for actually posting something that conflicts with the conventional liberal doom and gloom.
Awww Ed Friedmann, are your cornflakes contaminated with the liquid of Israeli juices?
Unlike WSClark, I won’t going into a world class meltdown from someone calling me a traitor.
I just consider the source, no how far down I have to look into the sewage of his mind. :)
Sol,
Grandiosity and lack of empathy are the basic indicators of narcissism. It’s also the case that narcissists never admit they’re wrong. Kind of like George Bush, who says that God speaks to him, snickers at pleas for mercy by condemned women like Karla Faye Tucker, and who, when asked, was unable to think of anything his administration could have done differently.
CF2K, on the other hand, has readily conceded factual errors or the imputation of certain motives to others when neither was justified. Secondly, did it never occur to you, Sol, to read CF2K’s references to him/her/itself IRONICALLY? You know, to mean the OPPOSITE of what it says?
All of which is completely beside the point. Even if CF2K actually WERE a narcissist, his/her/its points regarding O’Hanlon and Pollack absolutely refute the presumptions built into this thread. O’Hanlon and Pollack are, and have always been, supporters of the Iraq War.
To pretend otherwise in order to render their current support for the Surge as more credible is rather like pretending one is African-American (or Hispanic) in order to say racist things about African-Americans or Hispanics.
O’Hanlon and Pollack were for the Iraq War before they were against it now that they are for it.
Outlander….Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,
“Awww Ed Friedmann, are your cornflakes contaminated with the liquid of Israeli juices?”
Is your organe juice full of shit as usual? You fuc*ing traitor
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,
Here’s the type of person CF2K worships.
Karla Faye Tucker from Wikipedia:
“Karla Tucker was born and raised in Houston, Texas. When she was 13, she began traveling with the Allman Brothers Band. In her early 20’s she started to hang out with bikers and on June 13, 1983, having spent the day doing drugs with her boyfriend she entered the home of another biker with Danny Garrett and James Leibrant to steal a motorcycle. During the robbery, two people were killed, Jerry Dean was hit numerous times with an axe until he died, as was Deborah Thornton. At one point, a witness entered the bedroom to find Tucker attempting to pull the axe out of Dean by using her foot on him as leverage. After she pulled the axe from his body, she lifted it above her head, smiled at the witness, and swung it into Dean again. Tucker and Garrett then used the axe on Deborah. When Deborah begged for the end to her pain.”
You go CF2K! KFG loves your “axe-murderers loving” ways!
CF2K – Kermit on acid.
CF
Taking offense when none was intentended is also a sign of certain personality disorders.
DSM-4
Though you don’t seem prone to that one, it is a clear sign of NPD among some of our fellow Bloggers.
Sounds like A normal Zionist.
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,
It only tales a few traitors to make a treasonous point.
Jeebus troll, now CF worships KFT?
Leap much?
Please post where CF defended KFT.
You are insane. But then, we already knew that….
KFG
CF is certainly intelligent.
Brilliant? Thats just the reflection off his highly polished tin foil helmet.
As to the subject of this thread; I noticed multiple talking heads during the past week who had positive things to say about Iraq.And not people who could be characterized as being supporters of the war either.
Somethings happening here. What it is aint exactly clear.
Cut off the funding today.
Cut off the funding today.
Cut off the funding today.
Cut off the funding today.
And listen to the traitors squeal.
And listen to the traitors squeal.
And listen to the traitors squeal.
And listen to the traitors squeal.
And listen to the traitors squeal.
They have been bought off
They have been bought off
They have been bought off
They have been bought off
They have been bought off
“…snickers at pleas for mercy by condemned women like Karla Faye Tucker, and who, when asked, was unable to think of anything his administration could have done differently.”
And the woman KFT butchered with an axe? What happened when she pleaded?
What exactly was the Bush administration supposed to do with an axe murderer?
“There’s a man with a gun over there…”
In reading subject piece, I noted the careful parsing of the statements therein contained, together with the necessary caveats, which, in total, makes this a bit less supportive than many believe. Are they correct in the analysis? I don’t know, but as Ben, I have my fingers crossed. Deep down, though, I see no way for there to be any success unless and until the Iraqis resolve their political issues, a long time coming (if ever). I still subscribe to the thought that it really doesn’t matter how long U.S. and other coalition troops remain there as occupying forces; the “security” will be false, with violence breaking out upon withdrawal, regardless of whether it’s 2008 or 2018; and, I speculate that the longer it is, the more violent the aftermath will be.
I use the term “occupying forces” advisedly, in deference to the strictures of international law and the law of war.
And their jobs have been threatened
And their jobs have been threatened
And their jobs have been threatened
And their jobs have been threatened
Raid AIPAC find the documentation.
Raid AIPAC find the documentation.
Raid AIPAC find the documentation.
Raid AIPAC find the documentation.
Raid AIPAC find the documentation.
Still waiting for ANYONE to post where CF defended KFT.
“snickers at pleas for mercy”
Solly, do you really not remember the contemporaneous accounts of bush mocking her and making fun of her? Snickering is the LEAST of what bush did.
I dont think any person should make fun of putting the condemed to death. But of course for the “culture of life” bushco, who executed the most people in Texas history, has ANY business making fun of the execution process.
But we knew all this before bush was elected. I cant help but think the folks who elected him share his contempt for “life”.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3434573&page=1
Very interesting. Take note anti-war left.
Barrack Obama would invade Pakistan (ally and nuclear power) to hunt down al qaeda.
But we knew all this before bush was elected. I cant help but think the folks who elected him share his contempt for “life”.
Posted by: ksfarmgrrl | August 01, 2007 at 10:54 AM
Think what you want.You have no clue except for your narrow minded agenda
KFG just doesn’t get it.
Here’s the Muppet Poster CF2K who talks to himself and posts about talking to himself illustrating how Bush who made a comment about a mass murderer is somehow worse than the murderer himself.
He therefore holds the actions of an axe murderer above the President of the United States.
I think what Bush said (mocking the murderer “Please Don’t Kill Me” was extremely appropriate that is, mocking the Murderer who plunged an axe into her victim who begged for mercy.
And KFG, then Governor Bush didn’t execute anyone. The murderers were found guilty by a jury of their peers and duly sentenced to death by the Judges and the people of Texas.
Your twisted and warped Liberal views of things skewing every word and phrase for Lib talking points is old hat and no one listens to you anymore because they know it is pure hog swill that emanates from your typing hands and mouth.
This isn’t really the big news event conservatives have been hoping for. These two “critics” declared conditions were going good in 2003 — four years ago! They were wrong then, but desperate Bush supporters are sure they’re right this time around.
Meanwhile, a tenth of Iraq’s population have fled the country (mostly the educated, with the means to leave) and a third of the population have fled their homes to more ethnically homogeneous areas.
Bush and his supporters caused this. I wish for once they would take responsibility for the deaths and misery they caused, instead of attacking their political opponents.
outlander,
Obama and the clueless left don’t get it about Al Qaeda. Sure, you can kill the Leadership, but Al Qaeda is composed of thousands of cells, each with their own leadership.
The article truly shows just how clueless the Leftist talking heads are about the reality of the war on terror.
“talking to himself illustrating how Bush who made a comment about a mass murderer is somehow worse than the murderer himself.”
I’m calling bullshit on that one. CF NEVER said KFT was better than gwb.
But nice try at another lie and spin. Please continue to post your nonsense and show your ass. You’ll get yourself banned sooner or later.
Of course, it wont be “self inflicted trauma” when that happens. It will be someone else’s fault.
Typical kansas republican….
I read this blog and I am reminded that Bush won the Presidency by convincing the most isolated, least populated states that they know better than everyone else how the world works. And I see that these isolated pockets of America are still convinced that they know more about the mideast than the people who actually live there.
Mission accomplished.
Kansas, when Bush and Rice were bragging about how “2/3rds of al Qaeda leadership have been killed and captured” as their big accomplishment in Afghanistan, were they as clueless as you say Obama is?
Just like art KFG, the medium the artist uses says a lot about the artist.
The artist that composed the drawing of Jesus with fecal material demonstrates his lack of respect and good tastes.
CF2K has done the same thing wallowing in the feces of mass murderers and evidently you gave high marks for said wallowing as you gave your unfettered high praise for CF2K and his posts.
It’s your bed KFG, you made it, now lay in it.
leftcoasters,
What part of cells did you not understand? You pointed out leaders of cells.
Again, even after pointing out the obvious, the left is incapable of understanding.
The more I read the comments of Kansas, the closer I come to realizing that Kansas is Republican renamed.
Troll boy, that may be the DUMBEST post you have ever made, and that takes some doing.
Comparing CF to the artist who did the poop portrait of jesus?
You’ve jumped the shark boy. Even your bad hemingway writing about fecal matter and beds cant save you.
Hehehehe. But please, keep those posts coming. You are SUCH a good spokes person for the religious right, the republicans, bushco, etc.
Yep. I bet they just LOVE your posts. I know I do. RARELY do we get such pure insight into the heart of republican kansas.
I’m gonna walk on by now. I think he’s heading for another James Macklin style meltdown in 3..2…1….
I see poster “Kansas” has devolved into scatalogical non sequitors. Ironically, that sort of thinking is probably the most appropriate defense of our invasion of Iraq.
leftcoaster,
Indeed. Lotsa tasty Right Wing word salads being served up on the ‘ol WeBlog today.
VT,
As is the case in our current ‘reality,’ the actual substance of the statement matters less than does its function as a presumed left-wing validation of the Splurge. All that matters is that the President and his defenders in the media have some molehills of support that they can then whip up into mountains, so that troops don’t have to be withdrawn from Iraq under Bush’s watch, thus demonstrating once and for all his total failure.
Regarding Iraq, which was after all the subject of the thread, I agree that, less a political realignment and settlement on the ground, the tragic spiral into violence and chaos will continue.
Oh my goodness what will democrats do now? They are high on us loosing the war. They are betting on it and committed to loosing. In fact, party comes first – support losing the war as a democrat comes BEFORE waving the flag as an American at good news and screaming:
“YIPPEEEE!”
screw the article they wrote,, it wasn’t nearly as good as watching them kick Wolfe Blitzers ass..on the Communist News Network..
You know KFG, I’ve made listing of post made by the Leftists on this Blog and compared them to the hate speech by Fred Phelps.
You know what?
I could post them side by side and leave out the author. You cannot tell the difference and you cannot tell who wrote what.
Hate speech from any faction is hate speech and the Phelpisms often quoted by the Leftists on this Blog indicates their tormented minds and attempts to make sense of their limited world view.
Kansas, don’t ask me what part of cells I don’t understand. Ask Bush. He is the one who made the elimination of 2/3rds of Al Qaeda’s leadership the centerpiece of his mission accomplished propaganda.
Go ask Bush if you want to know. If he’ll allow you to even pose such a question to him.
Whine more about Bush please lefcoaster. You Dems can’t do anything but whine, you are so good at it.
Bush’s mocking of KFT was unprofessional to say the least. But I gotta tell you, I’d turn a deaf ear to an axe murderer as well.
Political re-alignment in Iraq. That’ll only happen when the Saudis decide how the Iraqi gov’t should look. And we’re about to give them $20 bil worth of weapons to make sure it shapes up.
I think that should be selling them $20 billion worth of weapons Sol,
not giving…
How could Anyone not be impressed?Sunni bloc quits as 73 killed in bombings By Mariam Karouny and Paul Tait
1 hour, 3 minutes ago
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The main Sunni Arab political bloc quit the Iraqi government on Wednesday in a blow to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s shaky coalition as suicide bombers killed more than 70 people in three attacks across Baghdad.
ADVERTISEMENTThe resignation move pushed the government into a new crisis undermining its efforts to reconcile Iraqis and end sectarian strife.
Fifty of Wednesday’s dead were killed when a suicide bomber in a fuel truck packed with explosives targeted motorists at a petrol station.
The Sunni Accordance Front left Maliki’s Shi’ite-led coalition over his failure to meet a list of about a dozen demands, including a greater say in security matters.
“The government was still … closing the door on reforms which are needed to save Iraq,” Accordance Front spokesman Rafei Issawi told a news conference, adding the government should have met its demands or “at least admit its failure.”
Issawi said Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zobaie and five ministers would resign on Wednesday.
The Sunni Front’s 44 members will remain in the 275-seat parliament. Its withdrawal will have little practical effect on the 15-month-old government, which is virtually paralyzed by infighting but needs only a simple majority to keep functioning.
Maliki’s government has already been weakened by the withdrawal of fiery Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s political bloc, one of the biggest in parliament, over his refusal to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
The coalition is under pressure from the United States to end sectarian strife between Shi’ites and Sunni Arabs, which has killed tens of thousands. Washington is unhappy at the slow political progress in reconciling the warring sects.
DOOR STILL OPEN
Iraq Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, a member of the Sunni bloc, said the Front was still open to negotiation.
“The doors are still open on all options, including returning to government, if they introduce reforms,” Hashemi told reporters.
The Accordance Front is made up of three main Sunni Arab groups, including Hashemi’s Islamic Party. Its list of demands included the disbanding of Shi’ite militias that have targeted Sunni Arabs.
Iraq’s other deputy prime minister, Kurd Barham Salih, told Reuters the Sunni bloc’s withdrawal was the most serious political crisis yet faced by Maliki’s government.
He said preparations were continuing for a summit of the political leadership of Iraq’s Kurdish, Shi’ite and Sunni Arab communities, which would take place in “the next few days.”
“The crisis is grave and its implications should not be underestimated, but I hope it offers an opportunity to address the causes of political instability afflicting this country,” Salih said of the meeting.
The Accordance Front, which last week suspended the work of its six ministers and gave Maliki a week to meet its demands, accused the government of failing to consult it on key issues.
The U.S. ambassador and the top general in Iraq are due to give a crucial progress report to Congress next month as U.S. President George W. Bush comes under growing pressure to show progress in the unpopular war or bring troops home.
In Baghdad’s Mansour district, police said the suicide bomber had lured motorists queuing for petrol before exploding the fuel truck. Another 60 people were hurt.
Twenty people were killed when a suicide bomber blew up his vehicle near a popular ice cream parlor in a bustling commercial area of Baghdad’s predominantly Shi’ite district of Karrada. Another bomber killed three in southern Doura district.
The U.S. military, which began a build-up of 30,000 extra troops this year in a bid to buy time for Maliki to meet his political targets, said three of its soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the east of the capital on Tuesday.
Another was killed by small arms fire in eastern Baghdad on the same day, taking the total killed in July to at least 78, the lowest monthly toll for the U.S. military in Iraq since last November and since the troop build-up began in February.
(Additional reporting by Ross Colvin, Aseel Kami and Peter Graff in Baghdad)
We’ve seen this many times in the past few years. A journalist or politician goes on a brief and heavily armored visit to Iraq. Comes back and declares things are turning around. Conservatives jump for joy and gleefully bash the liberals they hate so much. A year later we’ll be right back in the same place again.
This is nothing more than another case of Dick Cheney declaring the insurgency is most definitely in its “last throes.”
And I know I’m going to be attacked for saying this, not because I’m wrong, but because saying so makes me a communist who wants to raise your taxes to pay for partial birth abortions in order to destroy Chistianity and invite Islamofascists to follow us home and put your daughters in burqas just before driving a truck bomb into the local Stucky’s.
We’ll stop having this same argument over and over about the same time the Sunnis and Shias put down their weapons, sign landmark political compromises, agree to share the country’s wealth, and hold hands singing kumbaya. Then we’ll have a g**d*** ticker tape parade.
I commend Obama for stating that he will go after the terrorists. I was wholeheartedly in support of the “war on terrorism” in its infancy, when it was in Afghanistan and we at least had the illusion that Bush was going after bin Laden and terrorists. I was appalled when he turned his sights on Iraq, and just could not believe the idiocy of Bush. Comparing Obama going into Pakistan for ACTUAL TERRORISTS, and Bush going to Iraq for OIL, is like comparing apples to grenades camouflaged as oranges!!!
Bob Dole used to constantly refer to Bob Dole on the campaign trail.
It has a long history of rhetorical uses, not that the reich-wingers would know anything about rhetoric.
Supporting Worst. President. Ever. means agreeing with the anti-intellectual notion that good, honest men are inarticulate like John Wayne or something.
This ignores the well-known Whorfian hypothesis that posits the idea that thought is mediated by language.
Without language, concepts can’t exist.
Bad thinking and bad expression are part of the same mental process.
CapnAmerica, another supporter of the Muppet-like poster and all the political fecal paintings that CF2K does.
BTW, for those few of you who are still reading RepubliKhansas’s posts, today’s list shows that its tenuous grasp of reality has become completely unhinged.
Walk on by . . .
What will happen in September? What will the report state?
The Republican party has definitely turned more anti-intellectual in the past decade or so. I guess that helps facilitate gross simplifications backed up by nothing but “liberals are evil, heartland is good” rhetoric that plays to emotions and ego.
Totally agree, TDT. And an interesting post!
What the punditocracy seems to be forgetting in this discussion is that it matters little whether the US “makes progress,” it is whether THE IRAQIS make progress in developing a stable country.
Americans have the notion that we can solve any problem with enough violent force.
It’s not the guns that will secure Iraq–it’s the social structures the Iraqis themselves create.
Talk about narcissism! It’s the height of narcissism to think that we will determine the future of 38 million Iraqis . . .
I meant to agree with Leftcoaster, but TDT’s post was also interesting . . .
leftcoaster,
By inference you have promoted that the Left is composed of intellectuals and the Right is not.
As a previous poster already pointed out, the claim to mental superiority is the pinnacle of narcissism.
By spewing self-proclaimed intellectual superiority the Leftist don’t even realize their laughable self-promoting egotistical view of the world.
Humorless dweebs.
Sol,
“Bush’s mocking of KFT was unprofessional to say the least.”
Agreed. CF2K’s point was that, in conjunction with the other two observed tendencies toward grandiosity and never being at fault, Bush’s ridiculing of someone condemned to die (who, incidentally, had converted to Christianity) suggests something mighty wrong with his temperament. As in, “personality disorder” wrong. As in, “narcissistic personality disorder” wrong.
CF2K may or may not manifest one sub-symptom of narcissism. George Bush manifests 3/3 of the major ones.
As do, collectively, those who identify him as their leader.
Projection and rationalization syndrome now exhibited by the WE Blog Muppet Poster.
Walk on by…
It’s turning out to be an “all troll all the time” day again.
CF,
Agreed. GW has many many problems and IMO lack of intelligence is prime. What slays me are the folks that think GW is running so much. Do y’all really think he has the brain power to do all these evil naty things and STILL remember where he set his root beer down?
Cheney, Rove et al. They are the ones running things. Bush is a bad figure head for a worse administration.
ksfarmgrrl, good call. no use trying to debate with a random troll generator.
SolDevVB, keep in mind it doesn’t take much intelligence to inflict a lot of damage. All he had to do was put our army in the middle of a hostile land and order them to sit there and wait for things to happen.
But yes, the move towards dictatorship is mostly architected by Cheney, an expert beaurocrat with an axe to grind from his time with Nixon.
Obama going into Pakistan for ACTUAL TERRORISTS, and Bush going to Iraq for OIL, is like comparing apples to grenades camouflaged as oranges!!!
Posted by: TDT | August 01, 2007 at 11:23 AM
Instead you will support a war forHeroin derived from the Asian opium poppy plant and enjoying a record harvest in AFghan.
Now for the rest of the story, the one you won’t get here, or demunderground
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/barone/2007/7/31/is-the-surge-working.html
CALLING ALL LIBERALS. CALLING ALL LIBERALS.
A POSSIBLE POSITIVE ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN IN THE MEDIA ABOUT THE WAR ON IRAQ.
QUICKLY: POST A NEGATIVE.It doesn’t have to be true.
“Kansas The Traitor” would have you believe:
Largest Sunni bloc leaves Iraq governmentBaghdad bombings kill more than 70, four of whom are U.S. soldiers
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20065991/
Attention Conservatives, there is a bit of possibly positive news from Iraq, as reported by two beaurocrats who spent a week in the Green Zone. Shout it as loud as you can. There is no bad news from Iraq. We are winning. The Sunnis and Shias are coming together in bipartisan spirit. Sectarian violence will soon be a thing of the past. Al Qaeda is centered in Iraq, they said so and you must believe them. We have them on the run. We can continue this war as long as Americans have the stomach for it. We can continue to borrow against our children’s future to pay for the bombs and bullets. We can keep our national guard overseas as long as we want. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a commie traitor. Don’t ever forget that. The President needs more power. Congress must be kept out of national affairs. Report any suspicious activity to Homeland Security. Any suspicious persons will be declared enemy combatants, and their possessions will be seized. They will be detained until the war on terror is over. We will use enhanced interrogation techniques. You do not want to know what those are. If you ask you are aiding the enemy and may also be declared an enemy combatant.
Thank you for your support.
Attention Conservatives, there is a bit of possibly positive news from Iraq, as reported by two beaurocrats who spent a week in the Green Zone. Shout it as loud as you can. There is no bad news from Iraq. We are winning. The Sunnis and Shias are coming together in bipartisan spirit. Sectarian violence will soon be a thing of the past. Al Qaeda is centered in Iraq, they said so and you must believe them. We have them on the run. We can continue this war as long as Americans have the stomach for it. We can continue to borrow against our children’s future to pay for the bombs and bullets. We can keep our national guard overseas as long as we want. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a commie traitor. Don’t ever forget that. The President needs more power. Congress must be kept out of national affairs. Report any suspicious activity to Homeland Security. Any suspicious persons will be declared enemy combatants, and their possessions will be seized. They will be detained until the war on terror is over. We will use enhanced interrogation techniques. You do not want to know what those are. If you ask you are aiding the enemy and may also be declared an enemy combatant.
Thank you for your support.
Posted by: leftcoaster | August 01, 2007 at 02:04 PM
—–
CALLING ALL LIBERALS. CALLING ALL LIBERALS.
A POSSIBLE POSITIVE ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN IN THE MEDIA ABOUT THE WAR ON IRAQ.
QUICKLY: POST A NEGATIVE.It doesn’t have to be true.
Posted by: Male Type | August 01, 2007 at 12:14 PM
Hmm. Guess Male type was right
If you think the Iraq War is going well, nothing in this forum will prove you are right or wrong. I suggest you go there and step outside the Green Zone for five minutes.
Of course you already ignore the fact that all the “good news” reported from Iraq the past 4 years has been untrue. But maybe this time it will be different, right? It will only cost us $15 billion and a hundred soldiers’ lives every month to find out.
Sorry if I’m too pessimistic for you. I know you prefer optimists like George “Mission Accomplished” Bush.
leftcoaster writes yet another “blame America first” we are the official cut and runner political poster wing of the Democrapic Political Party.
Would it be un-American of me to point out that the Sunni bloc has walked out of the Iraqi Parliment? And that Bush’s nominee for Joint Chiefs told Congress that if the Iraqis don’t find unity, then no amount of time and troops will win this war?
Or is all that negated by the fact that two Washington think tank opinionists spent a week in the Green Zone and came back to talk about how great things are going?
Seriously, do we want to know what is really going on in Iraq, or do we just want to bash on liberals?
I don’t blame America, Kansas poster. I blame you. The America I know took to the streets to protest against the invasion of Iraq. If you had listened then, we wouldn’t be in this mess right now.
Pope John Paul II, Newt Gingrich, Pat Robertson, and others made clemency pleas for KFT.
There are plenty of people that support the Iraq war. And I’m one of them and I’m not a Bush supporter.
It was the right thing to do.
Clinton approved it. Under the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998. Under this law, it allowed “to establish a program to support a transition to democracy in Iraq.” and “regime change”.
I agreed with Clinton. Just Bush actually did something about it and enforced the law that Clinton signed.
Guess Demosheeps forgot about that.
“Blame America First” Huh. Decades of messing with Mid-East politics. Nope. Not OUR fault. We’re AMERICA and we do whatever we want.
You bet your ass it’s our fault. If we’d kept our hands out of their affairs do you think they would have committed 9/11?
If we hadn’t armed and trained bin Laden, would there be an al-qaeda right now?
If we let the UN deal with Iraq would we be there right now?
But let’s not learn from our lessons. Let’s make $20 bil arms deals with the Arabs. Let’s start provoking Iran. Atta boy. Now THAT’S AMERICAN !!!!!
The Tinkerbelle Republicans are out in force today, clapping their hands as fast as they can because they believe in fairies.
Pope John Paul II, Newt Gingrich, Pat Robertson, and others made clemency pleas for KFT.
Posted by: cosmos | August 01, 2007 at 02:47 PM
Too bad for them. They should have stayed out of it
The Tinkerbelle Democrats are out in force today, clapping their hands as fast as they can because they believe in fairies.
Get real Sol, the Muslims have been causing trouble since Mohammed was stealing writings from the Hebrew Bible.
The limp Leftists evidently need some pills to keep them erect in their usually flaccid murmurings.
Ah yes, the old lie that Democrats supported the invasion of Iraq. Some did. Most did not. It’s too bad Republican’s can’t take responsibility for their decisions. Nancy Pelosi and Al Gore warned us not to invade Iraq. Don’t pretend otherwise.
Pope John Paul II said our invasion of Iraq was “Illegal, immoral, and a defeat for humanity.” I think he knows a thing or two about dictatorships. More than Bush, and more than your average Bush voter. Are Republicans prepared to call Pope John Paul II a “Blame America first liberal?”
I am real Kansas. If the Muslims were in Mexico and Canada screwing with Kansas, Texas, New York, etc. you think we wouldn’t fight back?
That is exactly what happened on 9/11. We screwed with them enough and they fought back. Big shocker there huh?
Pope John Paul II also believed that abortion was “Illegal, immoral, and a defeat for humanity.”
Are leftist ready to denounce the practice of abortion? Come on! Be consistent.
If he is against the Iraq War and Abortion, so you should also be against the Iraq War and Abortion.
Shepherd, I am being very consistent. What is the Pope’s area of expertise? I believe John Paul II knew a great deal about dictatorships (see his experience with Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, the Polish resistance movement, etc) and very little about reproduction (look up celibacy in the dictionary if you’re still confused).
The worst thing congress did was relinquish their Constitutional right to wage war and give it to the president. That cowerdly act set this whole debacle up and has resulted in a country in full-tilt disarray and way too many America’s finest being killed.
Congress should be on their knees begging for forgiveness from the American people. And we should respond by voting the whole bunch of cowards out of office.
There might be military battles won, but the politics and moronic responses to democracy from the so-called leaders of Iraq make any “victory” unwinnable. They’ve been killing each other for over 2000 years, they will still be killing each other for another 2000 years. And all because of a twisted religious outlook by fanatics. Great!
leftcoaster! It’s your opinion. John Paul II was the pope and surrounding himself with intellectuals. He is considered a brilliant man. He said the same thing about abortion.
Yeah! Your just a cherrypicking poser.
That’s right, Shepherd, it’s my opinion. And I stand by the reasons for my opinion. It is not based on the alleged infallibility of the Pope… although anyone who believes in that and also supports the Iraq War will need to explain their own inconsistency.
My opinion is based on history. John Paul II’s history with dictatorships leads me to respect his opinion in that area. I have not expressed an opinion on abortion, nor will I. That is your red herring. If we are debating foreign policy, I won’t take the word of a man who never left the country. If we are debating sex, I won’t take advice from a virgin.
Ah yes, the old lie that Democrats supported the invasion of Iraq. Some did. Most did not. It’s too bad Republican’s can’t take responsibility for their decisions. Nancy Pelosi and Al Gore warned us not to invade Iraq. Don’t pretend otherwise.Posted by: leftcoaster | August 01, 2007 at 03:04 PM
Would you like to see the vote on the majority of the Democrats in Congress that voted for the invasion of Iraq?
Or would you rather lie through your teeth again and revise history as you Lefty Bloggers always do.
What’s going on in the parts of Iraq not visited by the authors of Monday’s op-ed piece which is the topic of this thread? And a few other questions discussed in the analysis linked below.
http://www.slate.com/id/2171510
No warranties, express or implied.
The American military would have long ago finished killing, capturing, and completely demoralizing and subduing the terrorists in the Iraq arena, and moved on to more victories elsewhere, if not for the leftist, peacenik American news media.If we had the same news media during World War II, the USofA would have surrendered to the Japanese at Peleliu in 1944.
Yes, let’s see the vote on the majority of Democrats on the 2002 AUMF that allowed Bush to invade Iraq (from clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll455.xml):
Yeas Nays PRES NVRepublican 215 Yeas, 6 Nays, 2 NVDemocratic 81 Yeas, 126 Nays, 1 NV
Senate Democrats voted 29 Yea, 22 Nay, passing but put the two together and a majority voted against.
Good job pointing that out, Kansas. It always helps the American voter to see who is lying.
Well done, Leftcoaster.
Once again, “reality shows it has a strong liberal bias.”
The AUMF was not a direct vote on the preemptive invasion of Iraq — and it also provided diplomatic leverage, to reduce the need for an invasion.
Creative numbers you posted leftcoaster.
Except for the fact that you posted Senate Democrats had 51 votes. 29 yea + 22 nay = 51)
Unfortunately for your creative numbers the Republicans held 50 seats in 2000 and 51 seats in 2002.
You’re not only a liar leftcoaster you’re a damned liar about the resolution vote.
And as President Bush prepares to announce his new strategy for Iraq, which may include a surge in troops, the attitude of the Senate towards the war — and whether its members regret their overwhelming 77-23 October 2002 vote to authorize the president to use force in Iraq — is critically important.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Politics/story?id=2771519&page=1
WASHINGTON (CNN) — In a major victory for the White House, the Senate early Friday voted 77-23 to authorize President Bush to attack Iraq if Saddam Hussein refuses to give up weapons of mass destruction as required by U.N. resolutions.
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/10/11/iraq.us/
The vote was 77-23 in favor of passing the resolution to invade Iraq.
As I said before history revisionists and damned liars.
Kansas’s source says that “The Senate vote sharply divided Democrats, with 29 voting for the measure and 21 against. All Republicans except Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island voted for passage.”
So clearly what happened was that LeftCoaster added Lincoln Chafee’s vote in with the 21 Dem votes.
Wow! Huge lie.
Capn, obviously you are delusional. The resolution to invade Iraq was 77-23.
That means 23 were against, 77 for.
leftcoaster’s numbers don’t even come close to that.
Leftcoaster was beaten down with the facts on every impotent point he tried to make.
And your rebuttal CapnTinfoil was thusly beaten down with the same facts.
Go check for UFO’s now CapnTinFoil, run along now.
“Would you like to see the vote on the majority of the Democrats in Congress that voted for the invasion of Iraq?”
Posted by: the many-named Kansas | August 01, 2007 at 03:44 PM
I guess in the troll’s world, the House is not part of “Congress”.
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll455.xml
Democratic — Yeas: 81 — Nays: 126
Whatever and his bogus warmongering sure is helping this country, ain’t it. Wow, as usual, whatever’s take on anything remotely political follows the proto-typical neo-con bible: Thou shalt slaughter anything thou disagrees with; thou shalt lie to any and all to perpetuate the falsehoods spoken by his glorious leader, “Shrub”; thou shalt troll extensively, and denigrate others who do the same; Thou shalt roll in whale poop and attempt to entice others to do the same; Thou shalt speak with a girly voice in a tongue riddled with pus filled hate about anything resembling intelligent discourse.
LeftCoaster’s point was that more Democrats in the House and Senate voted against the authorization to allow the President to go to war than voted for.
He was right: a total of 145 against vs 110 for.
Last time I checked, 145 was still more than 110.
This makes your statement: “Would you like to see the vote on the majority of the Democrats in Congress that voted for the invasion of Iraq?
“Or would you rather lie through your teeth again and revise history as you Lefty Bloggers always do” completely erroneous.
But the TROLL knew that . . .
Walk.On.By.
Some more background on the “war critics”(sic), Michael E. O’Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack.
‘CBS Evening News falsely described proponent of Iraq “surge” as former opponent of it’http://mediamatters.org/items/200707310008?f=h_latest
Cosmos–
Yeah, I used to think the TROLL was somewhat clever in an evil way.
Now I’m wondering if he’s just kind of retarded.
The Senate vote sharply divided Democrats, with 29 voting for the measure and 21 against. All Republicans except Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island voted for passage.
In the House, six Republicans — Ron Paul of Texas; Connie Morella of Maryland; Jim Leach of Iowa; Amo Houghton of New York; John Hostettler of Indiana; and John Duncan of Tennessee — joined 126 Democrats in voting against the resolution.
This crap about who voted for what is moot. Congress gave away its constitutional duty to Bush concerning waging war. Bad congress; go sit in a corner and never run for office again.
Wow. CBS lied? No kidding? wow! I wonder what else they are lying to us about?
296-133 votes in the House on the resolution to invade Iraq in 2002.
That’s 69.5 percent of the House of Representatives that passed the resolution to invade Iraq.
You revisionists can spin it any way you like (which you usually do), but facts are facts.
The resolution passed OVER WHELMLY in the House and the Senate.
Ahahahahaha, I knew cosmos would try to dig up dirt on people whose opinion he disagrees with.
“Some more background on the “war critics”(sic), Michael E. O’Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack.: Posted by: cosmos | August 01, 2007 at 05:04 PM
When cosmos can’t make his point, he discredits the authors of the source or the poster.
It’s the typical democrapic Pravda style of disinformation.
See, this is what I’m talking about–LeftCoaster was challenging Kansas’s contention that a majority of CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS voted in favor of authorization.
“Would you like to see the vote on the majority of the Democrats in Congress that voted for the invasion of Iraq?”
See?
Retard.
“The AUMF was not a direct vote on the preemptive invasion of Iraq — and it also provided diplomatic leverage, to reduce the need for an invasion.”
That’s what Bush said before the vote, that he just needed the threat for leverage. After the invasion, it suddenly morphed into a vote to invade Iraq. Before the vote, Bush said Congress could give him the authorization so he wouldn’t have to invade.
If you look elsewhere on WE you’ll find Bush supporters claiming that Nancy Pelosi supported the war, and Al Gore supported the war. Both argued vigorously against invading Iraq in 2002. Besides one here who claims a majority of Democrats voted for the AUMF in 2002. And then adds Republican votes to the numbers. Please, Kansas, you’re making Bush supporters look stupid when you do that.
Neville Chamberlain anybody?
Leftist are so easily manipulated. They only see what they believe, instead of believing what they see.
From your post,
Senate Democrats voted 29 Yea, 22 Nay
Since when is 29 out of 51 (wrong numbers – it should be 29 out of 49 as there was 1 independent)
is not a majority.
25 percent is 50 percent and the Senate Dems voted 59 percent in the affirmative for the resolution.
As I stated before.
Wonder how many osama bin laden types will have been created from this war. How many boys whose parents were killed in collateral damage will be seeking revenge
er 25 votes out of 49 is more than 50 percent should read…
The troll seems to prefer to falsely believe that Michael E. O’Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack were “war critics”.
And it STILL is unable to understand that the House is part of “Congress”?
The limp Leftists evidently need some pills to keep them erect in their usually flaccid murmurings.
Posted by: Kansas
there is way too much imagery in your response to take you seriously. Really, Kansas, is this the best you can do? Is this really all you can think about? Typical ‘christian’ republican.
‘Ala Cart Christian. The world’s full of ‘em.
An informative YouTube video of CNN Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware,
Ware: Surge Is Undermining ‘The Very Government That America Created’http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/01/ware-surge-is-undermining-the-very-government-that-america-created
“Ware also responded to Brookings Institution analysts Michael O’Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack’s recent New York Times op-ed offering a sunny appraisal of progress in Iraq, calling the report “very one dimensional.” “It doesn’t look at what’s been done to achieve this and what long term sustainability there is,” said Ware.”
cosmos,
Facts, schmacts. You’re dealing with Bush Administration dead-enders here–you know, the 29% who’d vote for him even if George was found with a live boy or Cheney with a dead girl.
I do appreciate you bringing the thread back to the original mischaracterization of O’Hanlon and Pollack, whose collective support for the Iraq invasion has been so instrumental for Bush these last four years.
“Liberals” my ass: think-tank trash is more like it.
Gee, in a bit over 4 years we’ve come down from “Mission Accomplished” to “the potential to produce not necessarily ‘victory’ but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with.”
Vietnam deja vu all over again!
Democracy in Iraq may be possible, but we should have figured out by now that we can’t impose it on them; they have to achieve that themselves. All our thousands of soldier’s lives and hundreds of billions of expenditure have accomplished is a government so corrupt that it will be executed the moment we leave. Some progress!
This discussion is now moot, because the think tank opiners are backing away from their optimistic op-ed:
In an interview on Wednesday, Mr. O’Hanlon said the article was intended to point out that the security situation was currently far better than it was in 2006. What the American military cannot solve, he said, are problems caused by the inability of Iraqis to forge political solutions. “Ultimately, politics trumps all else,” Mr. O’Hanlon said. “If the political stalemate goes on, even if the military progress continued, I don’t see how I could write another Op-Ed saying the same thing.”
humor me.
please google them and show me exactly where ohanlon and pollack have ever been critics of the war