Most Senate Dems (and a few spineless Republicans) feel that we cannot win this Battle of Iraq (part of the larger War on Terror). They, sometimes, grudgingly say that the surge may be working but that any success is superficial and not long lasting. It is not long lasting, these wonderfully optimistic critics say, because we are not winning the "political" battle.
Well, the facts beg to differ. We have learned, over time, what it takes to win not only the immediate battle, but the longer term peace.
Doing the work the US mainstream media refuses to do, the UK Telegraph has an excellently written story on how we are winning in Anbar province in Iraq.
(see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/08/wanbar308.xml&page=1)
Entitled "Iraq insurgency: People rise against al-Qa'eda", reporter Damien McElroy writes:
"A transformation has swept western Iraq that allows Marines to walk through areas that a year ago were judged lost to radical Islam control and hear nothing more aggressive than a late-night game of pool."
Is it not a shame that we do not hear this from American journalists?
"Sweet shops are filled with customers, workshop churn out furniture. "It's been a while since we hit any trouble," said patrol leader, Corporal Kristian Bandy. "We get a lot of feedback from the locals now, they tell us where arms caches are and if anyone's acting suspicious they turn him in.""
This cannot be true! Senator Harry Reid (D NV), Senator Dick Durbin (D IL), et al, have said repeatedly that we are losing.
"Mr Kareem and other Husaybah residents claim that the peace that followed the expulsion of al-Qa'eda has triggered an economic revival and restoration of favourite pastimes. Ghanim Mirdie Waleed, coach of the local football team, who celebrated a recent victory with cigarettes, paid tribute to the American role in Husaybah.
"The conflict here was all caused by al-Qa'eda," he said. "We work and play as we like under the coalition security. There are jobs for people, shops are opened and we are very happy.""
Great to hear, isn't it?
"With al-Qa'eda pushed out, Anbaris are even rallying to a new shared cause with America - a fight to secure the country against Iranian infiltration.
Husaybah residents condemned Iran at nightly meetings where locals sit on stoops to enjoy the cool midnight breeze. Sectarian fighting is taking place hundreds of miles to east of the Syrian border but Iran's interference in Iraq ranked as a primary reason to back the American presence.
"The Shia are my brothers in Iraq," said Raad Majid Kareem. "But the militias in Baghdad are an Iranian front that taking over the country. They are bringing hellfire to Iraq. The Coalition Forces are trying to destroy them. The Sunnis and the tribes embrace American so that they can to do it.""
Huh?? CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, The New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, etc, etc, etc, have not said this!
I wonder why?
Take a look at this picture.
"Iraqi refugees queue to receive school supplies at the beach side resort of Habbinya"
Why do we not see more images like this on American TV or in American newspapers?
Why do Democrat leaders (including some Republicans) and the mainstream media not want to show the positive developements?
While we are pondering these questions, let us be grateful for the tremendous efforts of so many courageous Americans and brave Iraqis who are not listening to the doom and gloom that we, here in the states, are subject to.
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Comments: 22
You should join the group "Positive War News" (www.postivenews.gather.com) where you can see more articles like this.
Of course, that will come as a rude awakening to the anti-war types.
I just wish we could convince the barbaric forces intent on destroying each others sects that it is historically possible to live in relative harmony and prosper just as few of their neighbors have successfully done.
I wonder if Durbin would place this conditions under his comparison with gulags or concentration camps?
I wonder if Kerry would see this as reminiscent of "Jengis Khan"?
Sadly, probably so
This next round of elections, we need to wake up and oust as many of these socialists in sheep's clothing and possible.
What is happening to our nation when illegals are being treated to public services rather than being arrested and deported.
Too many of elected officials are doing whatever they feel like doing and not adhering to or enforcing our laws anymore. That is nothing less than anarchy.
It is too commonplace to have the security of our nation put on the back burner for the political agendas of anti-American politicians. We need to do something about it and that starts at the ballot box.
You keep repeating the myth that the surge worked. The surge failed because it had only one purpose and that was to enable the government room to complete vital legislation such as reconciliation, distribution of oil revenues, and a number of other equally important items. They failed to do any of them. For the surge to have "worked" they would have had to make measurable progress here. You cannot declare a goal then change the goal in the middle of the race because it becomes obvious to you that the original stated and hyped goal isn't going to get done.
We are not winning in Iraq. We most certainly could have had the Cowboy in Chief listened to the experts, including the generals he fired rather than take advice from. The estimates have gone from 30 days or so (Remember Mr. Cheney's comment about al-Qaeda), to ten or more years from now. That's not victory, that's occupation.
I daresay that it is you that has bought into the myth that we are losing. Too bad, because the facts work against you.
Good point, Grateful. Would be nice to see people around the world learn to "play nice" without expecting the US to chaperon them.
How do we make good on this? We give them weapons if they promise to kill the people who while in their comradery were forcing them to observe extreme ideology with strict punishments for failures to do so. The Sunnis are more than happy to accept weapons because it will aid them in the coming revolt against the Shia government. And of course the Sunnis would be happy to seek out any "Iranian infiltration", because Iranians are mostly Shia and would use their influence aid the Shia majority. They are more than happy to also perpetuate the idea that Iran has indeed infiltrated Iraq. To this day I have seen no evidence that supports this claim only official hearsay and the same goes with the idea that Iran is trying to get a nuclear weapon. They always hint at this danger that they have never provided evidence for.
Part of the reason why the surge seems to be working to you people is that the level of violence has dropped off. What do you think happens after neighborhoods are ethnically cleansed? There's nobody left to kill or force out. What you celebrate is the result of ethnic cleansing.
I partly blame the media for not telling the whole story and exactly what the impact has been since the war first started. You have to look at it from the whole picture and not dissect every single part of it day by day, week by week or even month by month, which I think some news channels do. This is one of the reasons why the public is so misinformed with what is really going on and or they don't read various news sources to get different perspectives.
Thanks again for getting the word out and keeping us informed.
I don't think that the Dem's and libs want to hear this, as it is not in their best interest (politically speaking) to win this war. They want to sell the USA and the military out to try and prove the point that Bush was so wrong by going into this country. They would sell their souls, if it helped their cause.