It’s good news that civilian and military deaths in Iraq are down for the second month in a row. The U.S. military surge appears to be having an impact in lessening violence and putting al-Qaida in Iraq on the run.
Our troops are doing their job. But what about the politicians?
As New York Times columnist Tom Friedman argues, the decline in violence does not add up to success in Iraq without a political breakthrough.
“It still feels to me as if we’ve made Iraq just safe enough for its politicians to be obstinate, corrupt or reckless on our dime,” he writes. Without a unified Iraqi government, “there is no one systematically consolidating whatever gains the surge has made.”
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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28 Comments
Violence has dropped in those areas that have been ethnically cleansed. You can call that progress if you like but it’s kinda like saying Jewish persecution dropped in Berlin in 1944 therefore Hitler was a great bringer of peace to the Jews. I guess it’s all in how a nation’s leaders want to spin it.
I’ve noticed that each time the news is on, all the Iraqi government officials look to be well fed and well dressed with their bottled water in their fancy room.
Are we fighting to make fat cats of the corrupt Iraqis, like we have in our own Bush Administration? Is that the only success we can see?
You say politicians are obstinate, corrupt, and reckless? I thought this post was supposed to be about Iraq. Why did you suddenly change the subject and start writing about the U.S.? Come on, now. We’ve been waiting for 230 years now in America, and you think Iraq should have a pristine, clean political system after four years?
We are fighting a losing battle in Iraq. We may win the fighting, bit we will never win the political battle. The country has been divided for over 2000 years. What makes this government think it can change that? Stupid war, perpetrated by stupid people, over stupid oil.
Iraqis are a lot like our Democratic Party – grand schemes and no action.
If they are anything like our own Democratic “parliament” they will take decades to get assembled.
If the Iraqis are anything like the republican party, they will invade Iran, Pakistan and Syria for some trumped-up reasons.
If they are anything like our republican “parliment”, they will blame it all on the democrats.
Awww J M Walker, you jacked my statements. :)
Gotta have some fun sometime:-)
“If they are anything like our own Democratic “parliament” they will take decades to get assembled.”—————
Since bushco have screwed any chances of their party being trusted with power, the Democratic Party has those decades you mention. It sure didn’t take long for the Republican Party to lose power and trust! bushco: the best ambassador the Democratic Party could have! At least they’re good at something.
“It still feels to me as if we’ve made Iraq just safe enough for its politicians to be obstinate, corrupt or reckless on our dime,” he writes.
This does sound like the American Government doesn’t it?
What? Good news in Iraq?
Without reporting the details of the good news of the Military Breakthrough (why not list some specifics?), AUTOMATICALLY the NY Times jumps in and says we now need a Political Breakthrough!
Well which Breakthrough do you think happens first in a war?
Ya think the Military Breakthrough was sorta necessary before the Political Breakthrough happened in Germany?
Good. Maybe now the Iraqi Parliament can get that hydrocarbons law passed. You know–the one we’re pushing which sells off Iraqi oil to the highest western bidders.
I think it’s funny the media is all worked up about the do nothing Iraqi government -…..And could care less about our do nothing American government. Congress has yet to pass the 2008 appropriation bills. Lot’s of political rhetoric. Lot’s of time off. But no bills to keep American running.
We don’t need a political breakthrough in Iraq. We only need enough people to say, “there’s progress” so we can keep our kids there another year or two. After that, we’ll find some more people to say there’s progress and start all over again.
They say the Vietnam War wasn’t a ten year war. It was a one-year war fought ten times. If we leave it to Republicans we’ll be talking about an imminent political breakthrough and a recent drop in killings — progress! — in 2013.
So, question for Bush supporters: Have we given up on this whole “Free and peaceful Iraq that is a strong ally in the war on terror” thing?
If we leave it to Republicans we’ll be talking about an imminent political breakthrough and a recent drop in killings — progress! — in 2013.
Posted by: leftcoaster
Excuse me! Ahem! Hello?
The leading democrat candidate for POTUS has stated she will leave troops in Iraq at LEAST until 2013. That’d be Hillary.
The democorats control congress. The President has “asked” Congress to pass legislation to provide FUNDING for the war.Under our constitution, if congress pulls the plug on funds, the war is over. The boys come home.
So who’s war is it NOW lefty?
It’s Bush’s war, with a side Republican “freedom fries” Dummy.
I’m smiling Lefty.
You drank your entire portion of koolaid today!
Who started the war?
And if Iraq was suddenly the utopia of terrorist-fighting democracy that Bush promised, would you be calling it the Democrats’ war?
Ha! You guys were guzzling the kool aid in 2003 and dancing for the joys of war and death. Are you having second thoughts about that now?
Are you having second thoughts about that now?Posted by: leftcoaster
It doesn’t matter to me who started it. We could argue it for hours and have (congress voted in favor).
We are there NOW!
I never supported the war, but if it continues this discussion – yes I am.
Why? Because I was ready to jump ship and vote for a candidate who would END the war.
That WAS the democrats. Now, you are the war monger.
Doesn’t matter who started it? Do you feel it’s not important? Do you think it’s not important who started WWII?
I happen to think it’s very important who made this very stupid decision. Maybe you should check the record and see who tried to warn us against invading. You should listen to them instead of the ideologically driven knuckleheads who gave us this quagmire and those who cheered them on.
And just what do you intend to do about it Lefty?
Who gives a rats ass who started what? We’re all in this fiasco together, which history will surely christen as “Bush’s Blunder”. We’re all going to be stuck with the bill and the responsibility to end it! We, as a country, have to get out of Iraq as prudently as the circumstances will allow. The question as to which party did or didn’t do what is moot at this stage of the game, there are far more important issues to address. Concern yourselves with the “Big Picture”, and argue the details further down the road.
Waiting for the political surge in America.
Do nothing congress. Run by democrats. No appropriation bills yet?
I think its our fault, we elected a business man and his cronies into office, then he appointed more of his cronies into office. This is what happens when we let the politicians have free reign over things, dosen’t matter left or right, D, or R. If we don’t let the people in office know what we want, the citizens, if we don’t constantly pester them to do things how we see fit, then they will do whatever they feel like. Only difference now, people are waking up to this, and our big government has a lot of pissed off citizens breathing down their shirt collars. I just think more people need to get involved in politics at all levels, we shouldn’t allow a select few to run Our country. They are their to serve us, and their only serving theirselves.
The next surge you’ss see is the mahadi shiite militia taking over the govt.
Iraqis are a lot like our Democratic Party – grand schemes and no action.
If they are anything like our own Democratic “parliament” they will take decades to get assembled.
Posted by: Kansas | October 25, 2007 at 06:04 AM
You say politicians are obstinate, corrupt, and reckless? I thought this post was supposed to be about Iraq. Why did you suddenly change the subject and start writing about the U.S.? Come on, now. We’ve been waiting for 230 years now in America, and you think Iraq should have a pristine, clean political system after four years?
Posted by: James | October 25, 2007 at 04:55 AM
“It still feels to me as if we’ve made Iraq just safe enough for its politicians to be obstinate, corrupt or reckless on our dime,” he writes.
This does sound like the American Government doesn’t it?
Posted by: Max | October 25, 2007 at 09:10 AM
I think it’s funny the media is all worked up about the do nothing Iraqi government -…..And could care less about our do nothing American government. Congress has yet to pass the 2008 appropriation bills. Lot’s of political rhetoric. Lot’s of time off. But no bills to keep American running.
Posted by: American Way | October 25, 2007 at 10:27 AM
To all you American hating CONSAre all of you saying that we need an occupying foreign force with a gun in our faces so WE can get it right? In your f’d up heads the American government is no better than the Iraqis, If that’s the approach to fixing Iraq. Should it be the way to fix ours? You just want to bad mouth America. Shame on you
And just what do you intend to do about it Lefty?
Posted by: American Way
–
Step one: Make sure all you idiots understand that you don’t know one thing about foreign policy, that you made a bad decision that cost thousands of American lives, several trillion dollars we’ve yet to pay for, and you shouldn’t be making any more decisions like that in the future.
Step two: Find people who were right to warn us against invading Iraq. Get it into your heads that they knew what they were talking about. Alternatively, choose people who were the first to recognize the mistake.
Step three: Give the people who knew what they’re talking about the power to make changes. Take this power away from the idiots who cheered us into this war.
Sound like a plan, Stan?