There’s no doubt that U.S. and Iraqi forces have made real progress against the insurgency in recent months. “Violence is down, armed extremists are in disarray, government confidence is rising and sectarian communities are gearing up for a battle at the polls rather than slaughter in the streets,” Associated Press reported, calling it a possible “turning point.”
After hearing countless Bush declarations of “turning points” in Iraq, there’s reason for skepticism about this latest defining moment. It could be a calm in the storm – a massive truck bomb killed 63 people and wounded scores in Baghdad Tuesday, the deadliest bombing in three months. But the reduction in violence is a good sign that the insurgency is on the defensive, if not in its last throes.
28 Comments
SSDD
Heh Randy. I think we’ve turned so many “corners” in Iraq that we’re right back to where we started!
While I sincerely hope that things are getting better in Iraq my memories of ‘turning corners’, ‘last throes’, ‘dead-enders’ and ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ are just too strong.
I suppose time will tell; as I noted before IF Iraq is standing on its own come election day McCain can benefit.
Hallelujah! The Conservatives were right all along.
The war is won.
Shut it down and bring them home.
I’ll gladly admit I was wrong if the CONs will bring the troops home.
Just what Capn said. Declare victory and bring ‘em home! Whoever needs “credit” for this spectacular victory, take it! I don’t even need to know what we won as long as we get our troops out safely.
Well we are sure glad you have that bombing at the head of your page today. It was the same drill at CNN, MSNBC etc.
But why do I have to go to the bloggers in Baghdad to hear about the Billion dollar deals going on. The Cell phone contracts being let and set up, the oil contracts, the new hotels planned, or the huge new Hotels in Kurdistan that rival New Your Hiltons.
But I guess you must cling onto the usual Ambulance chasing, just like the local 5 oclock news here with Susan Petersons shrill squeaking about some “Breaking News” that a car wreck will happen sometime during the newscast.
To bad there are more Americans killed in Wash DC.
“To bad there are more Americans killed in Wash DC.”
Yeah, I READ about that car bomb in D C. Yeah, killed a shitload of people.
And when McCain and Lindsey visited a market in D C, they had to wear flack jackets and be escorted by Marines and Black Hawk helicopters and everyone had to be searched and all that.
Yeah, I read about that in D C.
Damn.
WSC – don’t you understand? Iraqis don’t count as people!
“Just what Capn said. Declare victory and bring ‘em home!”
Sure, you got a load of spit you’d like to get rid of.
“Sure, you got a load of spit you’d like to get rid of.”
Blow it out your fleetwood, Fleetwood.
“Sure, you got a load of spit you’d like to get rid of.”
Yea, the current occupant of the White House.
And, Mr. Bill, Don’t forget the planned Disneyland! That says it all! LOL
Incidentally, the Shiites are getting the credit for the bombing. Can’t beat a deal like that!
That’s not a load of spit, it’s a load of Shit, on the Nation.
Sadr in Iran and his militia in Iraq are just biding their time and waiting for their time…
Bush handed Iran the victory over Iraq they could never achieve on their own.
A Masterpiece of bad statesmanship.
We aren’t turning a corner in Iraq; in order to turn a corner you have to be moving! We’re just spinning in circles.
My son has gotten the word, he is deployed to Iraq in November. He also sent the following:
What does U.S. Army spelled backward mean “My retard ass signed up”. From what he has told me of his training, it sound more like the same training that the Iraqis army has been receiving.
The 4,100 soldier to die was a 22-year old kid who wrote to his parents that he was scared because he was being put in harm’s way with defective equipment. He eventually died because the IED disabler on his vehicle wasn’t functioning. He had to wear a bullet proof vest that his parents bought for him and had shipped over.
It’s hard to say we are “turning a corner” in Iraq when our military is still ill-equipped as when we first illegally invaded the country.
In other news the war profiteer CEO who sold defective bullet proof vests to the military had his bail reduced. All’s well in the Republican war, kids get killed because of shoddy equipment and those who profit from the war live an easy life.
Good post MP.
Here is the question being asked in hookah smokefilled backrooms this summer: how do we Jihadists time our very own Tet offensive to best bring about the outcome we desire in the fall election?
So what is it that the Jihadists most want? Do they want McCain in so that we remain bogged down in a state that was a former enemy of the Jihadist cause (ie Saddam) or the Democrat candidate (it will not be Obama) who will more promptly leave Iraq, but possibly redeploy elsewhere and rebuild an effective Western coalition against Jihadism?
Hopefully the burning incense in the hookahs will not lead to a consensus and they will instead fight one another to the bitter end. If a common plan for affecting our election is born, we might have a “religious” interest group that even MP and Billybob Clinton would find scarier than the VRWC.
bjb,
If there’s a major offensive or terror attack shortly before the fall election,
I’m going to consider that evidence that the republican party is behind it all, and it’s their last ditch effort to hang on to power.
the burning incense in the hookahs
Incense? We burn flavored tobacco. Bubble gum, peach, coffee, etc.
I always thought the word hookah sounded suspiciously like a cheer. Hookah! Hookah! Hookah! Much like the Marine’s Oorah or whatever it is. BTW, the hookahs from the Middle East are beautiful.
I suppose time will tell; as I noted before IF Iraq is standing on its own come election day McCain can benefit.
Yes, Ben, we’ve become jaded and suspicious.
With good reason.
jed,
Or will it backfire, causing the American people to run even faster toward the Democrat presidential candidate? (see my blog for my projections there)
Seems to me that a limited Tet helps McCain, a really big Tet helps the Dems?
What the Repubs would benefit most from is another 911, this one blamed on Iran? (Anyone but Saudi!)
And finally, for those hookahs. Help me out here, do they really burn hash in those? So they say no to Budweiser and light up Mary Jane’s big brother? Can anyone explain how that works?
As long as people keep voting for the Republicans, the country (this one) will be in a constant state of war abroad, misery at home and disrepair. And we will never leave Iraq.
It’s so enlightening to come to this site every day and read the moron liberals clucking out their American hatred and unsubstantiated claims. I know you’re upset that we are winning, because I know you all were so invested in us losing, to make you all look right. Well you were wrong. By the way, Senator McCain argued with President Bush in 2003 that we did not have enough troops in Iraq to do the job. If we had listened to Senator McCain then, we would have already achieved victory.
“redandgoldroom” shares this fantasy –
“If we had listened to Senator McCain then, we would have already achieved victory.”
Define “victory.”
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
Turning corners is of little value when you don’t know where the hades you’re going!