Posted on 11/18/2007 1:18:25 PM PST by SmithL
President Bush's surge strategy is about to be put to the test.
Until now, all claims of failure or success were to be treated with caution. Too often they were theories infused with hope or pessimism - depending on one's view of the war - and political spin.
Bush's gamble was that a temporary infusion of 30,000 extra troops in and around Baghdad would provide a span of relative stability that would give the Iraqis the time - and confidence - to assume far more responsibility for their own security.
Supporters of the surge see cause for optimism. Violence has declined significantly in recent months. The 369 rocket and mortar attacks against U.S. troops in October compares with more than 1,000 such attacks in June. The 880 Iraqi deaths in October compares with almost 2,000 in January.
. . . We are about to find out.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
All Americans, however, should hope that Bush's calculation about the surge was correct. If the drop in violence holds through the phaseout, then a path may be cleared for a bipartisan consensus to leave Iraq.
Bingo!
We’ll still be in Iraq long after many of us are gone.
Nothing too serious, but wanted to get that in before the media starts screeching and crowing about it.
Our armed forces have remained in Europe more than 60 years resulting in peace and prosperity
Our armed forces have remained in Japan more than 60 years resulting in peace and prosperity.
Our armed forces have remained in South Korea more than 50 years resulting in peace and prosperity.
Our armed forces must remain in Iraq for many years to have peace and prosperity in that part of the world.
Care to elaborate?
The Government can now stabilize and give control to the leaders of various areas a place to meet and set a path for success.
?
How dare you talk sense! And how dare you cite historical facts. I’d probably not be surprised to read a poll of Americans who “favor withdrawal” from Europe. The only reason that continent hasn’t had a third World War yet is because of our continued presence there.
It's not anything unusual...for six months ago. Whoever is doing it, I feel confident the good guys will get 'em.
Please elaborate!
Got it.
Thanks for the heads up.
Ok.
Failed to explain the turn around in Germany, France and the continued support of England, Canada and a whole slew of former Soviet Bloc countries.
SF fishwrap still living in a parallel universe.
I'm not sure that's an accurate characterization of what the surge was about. I thought it was a shift away from "holding ground" to going on the offensive so as to leave no quarter for their enemies. Like a full-court press in basketball.
I'm off to sleep now...
Hope and pray that today was just a hiccup. We're bound to get the little onesie-twosies once in a while, I suppose.
Please feel free to contribute my share of income taxes for the next 60 years to accomplish your goal (don’t forget to pick up the kids’ and grandkids’ tabs).
Besides, there is a logical fallacy in your statements. As though “peace and prosperity” wouldn’t have occurred in Japan or Europe, say, if the U.S military hadn’t left decades ago. The economic progress and internal peace has nothing to do with U.S. forces.
Accurate from 1945 ro 1989.
Since then? Don't be silly. Who would the combatants be?
There is no logical reason for our continued military presence in Europe.
Uhm... without US Forces in place, the Communists would have steamrolled over Europe and East Asia. And if there are two things lacking in communism it’s peace and prosperity.
The issue should never have been a partisan business to begin with - it didn't actually start that way - and if the Dems are scurrying back to "bipartisan" now it is because of a belated recognition of how an outright victory will make the quagmire hucksters appear. The latter made it partisan and will, if recent history is a guide, be permitted to avoid the consequences, an advantage conferred by their domination of the American media.
The international media are under no such constraint and will be able to bury the embarrassment in a flood of denial, misrepresentation, and misdirection after their usual fashion. American withdrawal from Iraq will be represented as a victory for the defeated insurgency and the crushed al-Qaeda. Many, probably most, of their readers, listeners, and viewers will believe it, and that will serve them poorly in their own upcoming fight against radical Islam. These things do have consequences even if they aren't immediately apparent.
And so the drumbeat for internationalism, collectivism, increased social control, and increased subordination to a bureaucratic class will continue, having been successfully defended by the very people it cursed. Parts of the world will survive the idiocy. Parts will not.
Uhm...I said internal peace. LEARN TO READ.
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