The Face of Victory
I noted to you at the beginning of the troop ‘surge’ in Iraq that the only indication that we were serious about defeating the Islamist enemy there and elsewhere would be our immediate dispatch of Iran Death Squad leader Muqtada al-Sadr. We could have easily ignored him as our surrender, but the Bush admin has gone further in our genuflect–we are now legitimizing the savage by encouraging him to play a role in Iraq.
US urges Sadr to play ‘positive’ Iraq role
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States on Friday urged radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to play “a useful and positive role” in Iraq after his dramatic return to frontline Iraqi politics.
“Now that he’s back from four months in Iran, we hope he’ll play a useful and positive role in the development of Iraq,” said White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe. [Oh yeah, I’m sure after spending months with his insane and genocidal puppet-masters, he was drilled with lesson about being ‘positive’–ed.]
I am deeply sad to say this effort is now lost. The president has no intention of defeating the enemy there. Consequently, we should leave Iraq. Yes, the enemy is there and it is the front on the WoT, but the president clearly does not have the will or the gravitas to confront the enemy. Let us take our troops out of harms way, because that is now what the presdient offers them–they are sitting ducks, a sacrifice for nothing. al-Sadr is the Iranian agent who is responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent Iraqis and hundreds of our loved ones. And he walks with impunity, with protection, and our deep bow.
I would guess one of the last things inserted into the Iraq funding bill was money for the duck masks our troops will wear as they are given the order to ‘sit.’
I hope the president has nightmares. I hope Pfc. Anzack visits him in his dreams. We will eventually reap the cost of this cowardice and incompetance, and no matter what we need to be ready, but just as with Clinton and Carter, let us never forget who is responsible for this pathetic tragic loss. In the meantime. llet’s get out and elect someone in November ’08 who can clean up the already apparent international mess of empowered tyrants because of the Bush/Rice/Baker Doctrine of Surrender.
Tammy, this might not be as bad as it looks. Muqty may well have had the lesson about being “positive” reinforced by this development: British troops kill top Mahdi Army thug.
From the same source that ASHER sited:
Al-Sadr reappears in Iraq
“No, no for Satan. No, no for America. No, no for the occupation. No, no for Israel,” he chanted in a call and response with the audience at the start of his speech. (Apparently he forgot about “Nanette”.)
Sounds “useful and positive” to me.?? It’s like we’re in the “Twilight Zone”. NOTHING coming out of Washington makes ANY sense.
I hate to admit it, but I tend to agree. Without strong, clear, decisive leadership concerning Iraq, it seems counter-productive for us to be there any longer. But the thought of Al-Sadr getting what he wants makes me angry and sick.
I can see now that one can legitimately call Bush a war criminal – not for fighting Islamofascizm, but for not fighting it hard enough. Like Vietnam, a guerrilla war cannot be won by fighting nicely. Bush’s half-hearted fight caused the unnecessary and senseless deaths of thousands of brave U.S. soldiers.
I’d say it’s a foregone conclusion. Troop withdrawals will start in a few months. Patraeus has to report on the progress of the surge in September. There won’t be any. The U.S. ambassador is talking about a role for the UN in Iraq. We’re having discussions with Iran about Iraq. We’re going to impose impossible short-term benchmarks on the Iraqi government. Blair is gone so we’ll be sucking our thumbs holding on to Sarkozy’s apron strings to help us out. The horror is with Sadr back in town and the inevitable drawing near, the temptation for a last-chance to slaughter Americans may be irresistible to these barbarians.
Bush makes his decisions on a macro level in a dichotomy of right-wrong, good-bad. He believes he can then leave it to fate. That’s why he could never give more than simplistic responses like “stay the course”, “it’s hard work”. He is truly bewildered that things have gone so badly when his decision was on the side of good. He has a childlike trust in good defeating evil virtually on its own. He doesn’t know what to do now so he’s grasping at suggestions that have been lying around nearby. Faith is not a substitute for leadership. Perhaps he will receive divine guidance to admit he failed as a leader and resign. In any case, the Democrats will eventually impeach him. The way I feel right now, I hope they do.
You’re not alone in your disappointment & anger with this president nor in demanding our troops be brought home. Let’s get our men and women out of that pit and bring them home while they still have an America to come home to. Looks like we will need them all on the homefront to protect us against our own government and for a time when Al-Sadr makes his way toward us.
Just when I think this administration could not possibly screw things us more, they do!Unbelievable!
BTW: Bush announced August would be a bloody month in Iraq.I doubt his message was intended to make the point we would launch a full scale assault on the enemy. No, more like we’ve just got to sit back and watch as more of our bravest and finest are slaughtered. So this Memorial Day weekend, let’s not only flood our reps offices regarding the abysmal amnesty bill, but tell them to bring the troops home NOW!
Let’s get our troops out…let’s go home…pathetic…President Bush isn’t doing things to your game plan (you all have so much knowledge of warfare), so you want to take your ball and go home. If you think an honorable man like Gen. Petraeus would let men die needlessly, then you know nothing. People said that President Bush wasn’t going after Zarquawi enough…where is he….dead. Just maybe, they are giving Al-Sadr false confidence to be followed up by a Hellfire enema delivered by a drone…courtesy of the USA….but go ahead and quit….I’m sure they’ll stop….get real.
Let’s not forget where the professional cowards and incompetents are in the government–The State Department, the Pentagon, and the CIA. There should be a massive reduction in force in those agencies by the new administration. All employees of the State Department should be relieved and mustered out.All generals and bull colonels should be relieved and mustered out. All employees of the CIA should be relieved and mustered out. None of the former employees should ever be allowed to hold any office in the United States government again.
Just as Tammy et al were sending me into a fit of depression — along comes Kevin to offer Hope. And I truly Hope Kevin is right. I’m gonna warm-up the fax link from my house to the big white one on PA Avenue anyway. Been a while since I shared some thoughts with George — in case that second paragraph from Pat_S is the right “take”. Great observations from Tammy’s readers again.
I wish I could be encouraged by Kevin’s point of view. I’d love to believe we’re playing dumb deliberately and then WHAMMO!!—the Mother of all gotchas. To get from where we are now to decisive victory in Iraq will take many years. Historically, according to military experts, insurgencies such as the one in Iraq generally take 7-12 years to be defeated. This was Donald Rumsfeld’s assessment in June 27, 2005
It was that strategy of “we’re not going to win” that brought us to this sad hour. Has the situation in Iraq remarkably improved over the last two years? Is there an environment to win? What sort of progress report will it take from General Petraeus to counter this attitude? Lawmakers predict shift in Iraq policy
Yes, the consequences of pulling out are calamitous. The US military will probably be called on in the future to deal with those consequences. Next time we send our magnificent volunteers into a war, we darn well better have a Commander-in-Chief who is willing to let them fight it, and who will be as competent in the political battlefield as we know our troops will be in the military battlefield.
Trust me Pat, a lot of people want to believe that Bush really does have a suckerpunch strategy lined up for Sadr and company. After all, we the people desire unlimited information as to what our government is up to. And the enemies of this nation are perfectly capable of turning on CNN. So how does the government maintain our faith in their ability to fight the fascists without giving them useful information?
I don’t presume to know the answer to that question, I only put it forward as one that needs to be asked.
And more…
President Bush May Cut Iraq Troops by 50% in ’08
Like Kevin, I’m inclined to give the benefit of a doubt here. Saddamn was also given a last chance to play nice, back when everyone was asking why we were waiting around.
Another day, another sign of collapse. U.S. disbands group on Iraq and Syria