The White House’s recent campaign to sell the American people on victory in Iraq hasn’t made much of an impact, according to a Gallup/USA Today Poll last weekend. It showed 60 percent of Americans saying the United States should set a firm timetable for getting out of Iraq and stick to it, regardless of the situation on the ground.
In short, the message of the 2006 midterm elections hasn’t changed: The American public still wants out of Iraq. But neither party in Congress seems to be listening.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
MoveOn.org has valid concerns about whether the surge really has resulted in much military progress in Iraq. But its advertisement Monday in the New York Times hurt its cause.
The ad’s headline is likely the worst possible accusation against a military officer: that Gen. David Petraeus may betray his country. The personal attack was a gift to GOP lawmakers and talk radio hosts eager to shift blame.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Are we winning the war on terror? As we note in our editorial today, that’s a central question on the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attack that claimed more than 3,000 American lives — and the answer is unclear.
The absence of another attack on U.S. soil is the most encouraging sign that we’ve made progress in homeland security. And yet there was Osama bin Laden’s face again last week, on video, beamed around the world, exhorting jihadists and mocking America’s efforts in Iraq.
Why is he not dead or captured?
One of President Bush’s advisers dismissed the video, calling bin Laden “virtually impotent.” But according to several intelligence assessments this year, al-Qaida has largely reconstituted its operational capacity and is busy planning major new attacks.
America can’t afford to let its guard down. Nor can we let Iraq distract us from hunting down and destroying al-Qaida’s leadership and strongholds.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
“You can surge all of the American troops you want, but they can’t stop this. Suppose I’m a battalion commander. My troops ask, ‘What do I do today, boss?’ ‘Let’s go fight the Shia militias!’ ‘What do I do tomorrow?’ ‘Let’s go fight the Sunni insurgents!’ ‘What do I do the day after tomorrow?’ ‘Let’s go chase al-Qaida!’ ‘What do we do the day after that?’ ‘We’re going to guard streets!’ Our kids are fantastic. But this is not sustainable. Our surge can work only with an Iraqi political and military surge.”
– “Former everything,” including secretary of state, Colin Powell, in the October GQ, on the U.S. troop surge
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Maybe the Century II improvements to be considered today by the Wichita City Council are so modest as to be “like spitting in the ocean,” as City Manager George Kolb put it — updating of restrooms, kitchens, audio-visual systems and more, necessitating $1.5 million in bonding. But there’s no question that the 38-year-old performing arts and convention center is an essential city asset that needs to be properly maintained on an ongoing basis. It also needs work that can’t wait until 2012, when a full renovation could begin under the updated capital improvement program approved by the City Council last month. Decisions can come later on whether the city wants to spend $290 million overhauling Century II, but not all of the facility’s needs can wait. City officials are right to fix Century II as they can.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Photos of Osama bin Laden from 2004 and from his new video.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
