Must be a cold day in Hell today

The Iraqi Upturn

Don't look now, but the U.S.-backed government and army may be winning the war.

THERE'S BEEN a relative lull in news coverage and debate about Iraq in recent weeks -- which is odd, because May could turn out to have been one of the most important months of the war. While Washington's attention has been fixed elsewhere, military analysts have watched with astonishment as the Iraqi government and army have gained control for the first time of the port city of Basra and the sprawling Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, routing the Shiite militias that have ruled them for years and sending key militants scurrying to Iran. At the same time, Iraqi and U.S. forces have pushed forward with a long-promised offensive in Mosul, the last urban refuge of al-Qaeda. So many of its leaders have now been captured or killed that U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, renowned for his cautious assessments, said that the terrorists have "never been closer to defeat than they are now."

-Washington Post.

That's an amazing editorial from the WaPo, yet not as amazing as this line in the piece:

... the rapidly improving conditions should allow U.S. commanders to make some welcome adjustments -- and it ought to mandate an already-overdue rethinking by the "this-war-is-lost" caucus in Washington, including Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

An already-overdue rethinking by the "this-war-is-lost" caucus... including the Obamanation of Surrenderfication...

Damn. 

Might want to take up coat and glove collections for the demons in Hades.

Comments

[salvage]

Yeah, we've heard this before, every single time the U.S. military takes over an area of Iraq (again) from a pack of thugs they re-hang the Mission Accomplished banner and y'all start your victory dance ignoring the reality that it's not going to change anything in Iraq.

Do you think that the terrorists are going to stand and fight history's most advanced and lethal army? What they've done is what they always do, fade out of the area and find a patch that's Marine free to start the whole process over again.

You'd think after seven years of this cycle you'd notice by now.

Furthermore the only thing holding Iraq's "peace" together is the occupying force who apparently is going to stay for as long as it takes to kill everyone who wants them to leave.

I guess for some that could be viewed as an achievement but for the sane and reality based it's more a poor substitute.

[Mommynator]

The democrats are going to come shimmying in and claiming credit for it all, especially if one of their dimwits makes it to the presidency.

They were against the war before they were for it.

Ah, salvage, increasing concern over that knee of yours.

[Morgan K Freeberg]

You have to understand, the word "reality" has a different meaning over in that extreme fringe edge of the celestial sphere.

Something to do with Korans getting flushed down toilets, and Dick Cheney personally sending Joe Wilson to Nigeria...and Clinton not having sex with that woman.

[Valerie]

Funny thing is, the mission of the ship was accomplished, and with flair. The use that dishonest people have made of that banner is significant. Other people admit that a war is made up of many, many missions that have to be accomplished.

Of course, if you are hell-bent on getting a defeat for a sitting US president, and you don't have much to run with, then the banner will have to do.

[salvage]

The banner was not for the ship's mission, it was provided by the White House as a backdrop for the President as he made his "victory" speech.

That'd be the speech that started off with "Major combat in Iraq is over" and not "Major combat for this ship is over"

See the difference?

And what is very telling is how the Bush Administration kept on changing the story about the banner and who ordered it until eventually they admitted they did it and it was a mistake.

It's cute the way that even when they admit they're in the wrong very smart people like you ignore the reality.

[Morgan K Freeberg]

The banner was not for the ship's mission, it was provided by the White House as a backdrop for the President as he made his "victory" speech.

That'd be the speech that started off with "Major combat in Iraq is over" and not "Major combat for this ship is over"

Um, no...Valerie's right. The mission was to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime, and it was accomplished.

General Tommy Franks thought it would be a good idea to highlight the feats the troops had accomplished, against long odds. That is, of course, what a good boss does. And of course, our liberals won't stand to have troops congratulated for anything; only victimized.

It isn't so much that they want to end wars. It's that they don't think people are worth defending, against anything. Only the democrat party and the principles associated with it, are worth defending.

That which preserves or builds, must be destroyed...that which destroyes, must be preserved.

[tim]

“Major combat OPERATIONS in Iraq have ended.”

Fighting an insugency is NOT a major combat operation.

Pres. Bush also said in that speech-

“The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our work is done. Then we will leave, and we will leave behind a free Iraq.”

Yes, he indeed what an truly evil man.

Leaving Saddam in power would have been better.

[salvage]

>“Major combat OPERATIONS in Iraq have ended.”

>Fighting an insugency is NOT a major combat operation.

Really?

>U.S. forces seal off Fallujah ahead of major operation.

>7 Mar 2006 ... The US military says a major operation targeting suspected insurgents and foreign fighters in northern Iraq could continue for several days

And so on.

Reality is that there have been literally dozens of major combat operations in Iraq using joint forces since the banner hanging.

>Pres. Bush also said in that speech-

>“The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our work is done. Then we will leave, and we will leave behind a free Iraq.”

>Yes, he indeed what an truly evil man.

Ah, yes wingnut Dear Leader defense boilerplate number 75; the strawman.

No one has called Bush “evil” you cartoon. He’s stupid, incompetent, ignorant, arrogant, spoiled, lazy and a liar.

He’s certainly done evil things but the above qualities often lead to that sort of thing but no, he's not "evil".

>Leaving Saddam in power would have been better.

Yes.

[Morgan K Freeberg]

Nothing worth defending...save for those who destroy.

Consistent. Like the surface of a ball bearing.

Oh, and I think if I look hard enough I'll find plenty enough "nobodies" calling George Bush "evil," you cartoon. Unless you'd care to place a LARGE amount of money that I can't.