Friday, July 13, 2007
Krauthamer Makes Sense About Iraq
As usual, Charles Krauthamer makes a lot of sense about the wobbly Republicans in the Senate (Voinovich, Domenici, Snowe, Lugar, and even Warner) and their seeming to join in with Harry Reid's irrational declaration that the new surge tactics have failed when it is demonstrable that they, having just started, are clearly working. Money quote:
What is not understandable is the vote of no confidence they are passing on Petraeus. These are the same senators who sent him back to Iraq by an 81-0 vote to institute his new counterinsurgency strategy.
A month ago, Petraeus was asked whether we could still win in Iraq. The general, who had recently attended two memorial services for soldiers lost under his command, replied that if he thought he could not succeed he would not be risking the life of a single soldier.
Just this week, Petraeus said that the one thing he needs more than anything else is time. To cut off Petraeus' plan just as it is beginning -- the last surge troops arrived only last month -- on the assumption that we cannot succeed is to declare Petraeus either deluded or dishonorable. Deluded in that, as the best-positioned American in Baghdad, he still believes we can succeed. Or dishonorable in pretending to believe in victory and sending soldiers to die in what he really knows is an already failed strategy.
What is not understandable is the vote of no confidence they are passing on Petraeus. These are the same senators who sent him back to Iraq by an 81-0 vote to institute his new counterinsurgency strategy.
A month ago, Petraeus was asked whether we could still win in Iraq. The general, who had recently attended two memorial services for soldiers lost under his command, replied that if he thought he could not succeed he would not be risking the life of a single soldier.
Just this week, Petraeus said that the one thing he needs more than anything else is time. To cut off Petraeus' plan just as it is beginning -- the last surge troops arrived only last month -- on the assumption that we cannot succeed is to declare Petraeus either deluded or dishonorable. Deluded in that, as the best-positioned American in Baghdad, he still believes we can succeed. Or dishonorable in pretending to believe in victory and sending soldiers to die in what he really knows is an already failed strategy.
Labels: Iraq Successes
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 7:21 AM 
Comments:
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Rog,
I would like someone, anyone, to inform me what "winning" in Iraq means.
At this juncture, I would settle for expelling the jihadis who are not Iraqis and who want to foment sectarian violence and turn Iraq into a haven for training camps for terrorists. I see some progress there.
The problem as I see it is that even if you define victory in military terms, that will not result in a stable democracy which is as foreign to Iraqis as is herding pigs.
I predict that w/in 6 months of our redeployment, whenever that is, there will be a coup and some strongman will assume control so as to stop the violence and try and get the power running again.
Of course there may be a major bloodbath or a prolonged civil war or an invasion by interested neighbors such as Turkey if the Kurds decide it is time for an independent Kurdistan.
But I remain willing to listen to the bright side. Lay it on me.
T
I would like someone, anyone, to inform me what "winning" in Iraq means.
At this juncture, I would settle for expelling the jihadis who are not Iraqis and who want to foment sectarian violence and turn Iraq into a haven for training camps for terrorists. I see some progress there.
The problem as I see it is that even if you define victory in military terms, that will not result in a stable democracy which is as foreign to Iraqis as is herding pigs.
I predict that w/in 6 months of our redeployment, whenever that is, there will be a coup and some strongman will assume control so as to stop the violence and try and get the power running again.
Of course there may be a major bloodbath or a prolonged civil war or an invasion by interested neighbors such as Turkey if the Kurds decide it is time for an independent Kurdistan.
But I remain willing to listen to the bright side. Lay it on me.
T
# posted by 
: 9:51 AM
: 9:51 AM
I thought Petraeus worked for me. Why do I owe him anything? My prediction- he'll report in September that his plan is succeeding but he needs more time. of course he won't tell us how much more time he needs. Oh hell, like the rest of the neo-cons Krautheier's been wrong about everything. why do we even listen to him anymore?
# posted by : 11:31 AM
: 11:31 AM
We can live with a dictator who throws us a bone now and again even without full co-operation (think Musharef in Pakistan) but we would prefer a freely and democratically elected government, which I think Iraq is right now. What we don't have there is a government which can supply the proper level of security to its people from enemies foreign or domestic and we need to help there and we are. What I hope we do is create between ourselves and nationalistic sunni and shi'ite a Jihadi Kush. I honestly don't care how much oil they're pumping and selling or how long the the power is on. I want to know if we are killing the majority of the al Qaeda types coming in. If we are, I say bring it on. No one either knows that or is willing to tell me. How do you feel about our troops still in Germany and Japan? South Korea and Bosnia? How about our lack of troops in Somalia and the Sudan? Would you support our supporting a bay of pigs like invasion of Tibet (or is the old bumper sticker just that)?
You could be right about everything you predict. Still right to finish the Gulf War and to depose Saddam and still right to stay and kill al Qaeda until the government of Iraq in whatever form invites us out.
You could be right about everything you predict. Still right to finish the Gulf War and to depose Saddam and still right to stay and kill al Qaeda until the government of Iraq in whatever form invites us out.
"and still right to stay and kill al Qaeda until the government of Iraq in whatever form invites us out."
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki shrugged off U.S. doubts of his government's military and political progress on Saturday, saying Iraqi forces are capable and American troops can leave "any time they want."
7/14/07
Can we leave now?
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Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki shrugged off U.S. doubts of his government's military and political progress on Saturday, saying Iraqi forces are capable and American troops can leave "any time they want."
7/14/07
Can we leave now?
# posted by : 6:16 PM
: 6:16 PM << Home
