Patriots?
When the Shiite cleric, al-Sadr, and his henchmen quit the Iraqi Cabinet, after Prime Minister al-Maliki refused to set a deadline for a US troop withdrawal, his Shiite stronghold became fair game. This opened the door for General Petraeus to actually clean house in Baghdad.
A real inconvenient truth is now emerging. And it doesn’t bode well for any presidential or congressional candidate who has yammered for America’s retreat. The General’s initial success has dampened the cut-and-run yapping, as it is no longer guarantees a politically safe haven.
This explains the sea change in the Democratic Party’s anti-war rhetoric. They have already stopped referring to the Iraqi War as “their war,” inferring only conservatives have a vested interest in its success.
But this doesn’t automatically clear the path for an Iraqi victory. A new test is emerging. The “surge” in Baghdad is taking its toll on our military. Extended tours of duty are tough on the troops and their families. By early spring, 2008, many of our best and bravest will head back to the states. There are few reserves ready to take their place.
Ten of the eleven new Iraqi Divisions are fully trained, but barely battle tested. Whether they can fill the void is open to conjecture. It would be pitiful if the blood and treasure the US expended to calm Baghdad is eroded by the Iraqi troops’ inability to sustain the gains.
And hold they must, as the remaining US troops engage the retreating al-Qaeda and Shiite forces regrouping in northern Iraq, and clamp down on the Syrian jihad gateway. A US ultimatum to Damascus could end this al-Qaeda support machine, and indirectly temper Iran’s interference.
But in truth, it appears President Bush has capitulated to the Democrats’ distress over potential civilian casualties. The leftwing is still wringing its hands over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It’s a twisted morality that prefers American deaths to ending the hostility; and one which equates retreat with reduced losses.
The Iraqi dilemma is further compounded by the lack of statesmen in its government. They’re still mired in yesterday’s tribal hatreds and mistrust—a shining example that all politics are local. But Iraq’s Shiite Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, is a survivor.
His recent trip to Tikrit, a Sunni stronghold, underscores his realization that the Democrats’ demand for an immediate US troop withdrawal places intense pressure on the administration. To persuade the Republicans, President Bush and the American public to stay the course, he made an all out effort to win Sunni cooperation. He also structured a new alliance with the Shiite Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and the major Kurdish political parties to bolster his parliamentary support.
The political progress, although disappointing, is bending in the right direction.
Watch the Democrats’ reaction this September. If we see them gnashing their teeth and tearing their garments, know our nation is winning, despite their best efforts to achieve a defeat.
If the reports of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker encourage the nation that a win in Iraq is feasible, the Democrats will feel betrayed. They will all but call the General a liar, claim the reports are filled with deliberate distortions, and scream for a national military draft to undermine the nation’s willingness to continue.
And they call themselves patriots . . . .
A real inconvenient truth is now emerging. And it doesn’t bode well for any presidential or congressional candidate who has yammered for America’s retreat. The General’s initial success has dampened the cut-and-run yapping, as it is no longer guarantees a politically safe haven.
This explains the sea change in the Democratic Party’s anti-war rhetoric. They have already stopped referring to the Iraqi War as “their war,” inferring only conservatives have a vested interest in its success.
But this doesn’t automatically clear the path for an Iraqi victory. A new test is emerging. The “surge” in Baghdad is taking its toll on our military. Extended tours of duty are tough on the troops and their families. By early spring, 2008, many of our best and bravest will head back to the states. There are few reserves ready to take their place.
Ten of the eleven new Iraqi Divisions are fully trained, but barely battle tested. Whether they can fill the void is open to conjecture. It would be pitiful if the blood and treasure the US expended to calm Baghdad is eroded by the Iraqi troops’ inability to sustain the gains.
And hold they must, as the remaining US troops engage the retreating al-Qaeda and Shiite forces regrouping in northern Iraq, and clamp down on the Syrian jihad gateway. A US ultimatum to Damascus could end this al-Qaeda support machine, and indirectly temper Iran’s interference.
But in truth, it appears President Bush has capitulated to the Democrats’ distress over potential civilian casualties. The leftwing is still wringing its hands over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It’s a twisted morality that prefers American deaths to ending the hostility; and one which equates retreat with reduced losses.
The Iraqi dilemma is further compounded by the lack of statesmen in its government. They’re still mired in yesterday’s tribal hatreds and mistrust—a shining example that all politics are local. But Iraq’s Shiite Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, is a survivor.
His recent trip to Tikrit, a Sunni stronghold, underscores his realization that the Democrats’ demand for an immediate US troop withdrawal places intense pressure on the administration. To persuade the Republicans, President Bush and the American public to stay the course, he made an all out effort to win Sunni cooperation. He also structured a new alliance with the Shiite Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and the major Kurdish political parties to bolster his parliamentary support.
The political progress, although disappointing, is bending in the right direction.
Watch the Democrats’ reaction this September. If we see them gnashing their teeth and tearing their garments, know our nation is winning, despite their best efforts to achieve a defeat.
If the reports of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker encourage the nation that a win in Iraq is feasible, the Democrats will feel betrayed. They will all but call the General a liar, claim the reports are filled with deliberate distortions, and scream for a national military draft to undermine the nation’s willingness to continue.
And they call themselves patriots . . . .
Labels: al-Maliki, Democrats, General Petraeus, Iraq
posted by David at
6:58 AM
