Baghdad Emerges from Tyranny and Insurgency
July 2nd, 2008 at 02:19am Mark Noonan
Eventually, will even the kook left have to admit they were wrong about Iraq?
The streets of Baghdad are back in business. The teashops are busy. The shops and markets are bustling.
After years when there seemed to be no end to the city’s trauma, people are feeling more confident.
Why, even property prices in Baghdad are rising. According to one estate agent we spoke to, they have doubled in the past four months.
Yes, things are better in Baghdad.
But before we get too carried away, it is important to stress that the improvements, while real, are plainly very brittle.
As US officials readily concede, comments about “breakthroughs” and “corners being turned” are premature…
…it was not simply American force of arms which made the difference.
The US commander in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, adopted a new approach.
It is instructive to read the “Commander’s Counterinsurgency Guidance” which was issued recently to all US forces in Iraq.
These are some of the headings:
“Serve the population: give them respect: gain their support.”
“Live among the people: you can’t commute to this fight.”
“Walk: stop by, don’t drive by: patrol on foot and engage the population.”
“Promote reconciliation: we cannot kill our way out of this endeavour.”
By and large, that is what the Americans have attempted to do and, by and large, it appears to be working.
From a peak last summer, when security incidents were occurring at the rate of well over 1,000 a week, there has been a steady decline until now they are, according to the Americans, at their lowest point for four years.
Our magnificent troops under an inspired commander and working side by side with Iraqis who want a chance to live and build in a free Iraq have been doing what the left - led by Obama and his Democrats - said was impossible. In fact, Obama and his Democrats were assuring us 18 months ago not that things were bad, but that the game was up and the only thing for us to do was run out of Iraq with our tail between our legs…admit we were whipped by a ragged bunch of terrorists and run-of-the-mill criminal goons. Nothing doing said John McCain - we needed to double down and show what we can do when we set our mind and our magnificent military to the task. The rest, as they say, is history.
The cowardice, opportunism and rank defeatism of the Democrats since 2007 should convince everyone that they must be kept from the levers of power. While John McCain has his flaws - as we all do, being human - and while the GOP can (and must) improve itself mightily, the plain fact of the matter is that McCain and the GOP are far more capable of exercising American power than Obama and his Democrats are.
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Democrats, Republicans, War on Terror
26 Comments
1. JustAnotherTaxpayer | July 2nd, 2008 at 4:34 am
Paragraphs are numbered.
1Glad to hear about all the wonderful things happening in Iraq right now. They should be happening to cause we’re still paying 12 billion a month for the Iraqi welfare program, and for the 650 billion and 4000 lives we’ve invested, we’ve recieved not a drop of oil or even the promise of aid in our time of need.
2 Just as in 2005 after Katrina, it would have brought alot of credit to our work in Iraq if someone from there would help people living in flood ravaged areas who could sure use some help rebuilding, and not just their homes either. Levee maintenance, not to mention infrastucture needs of all kinds have been ignored long enough to have become a danger all their own.
3 But there is a larger issue here that perhaps has come to the fore in light of Iraqs windfall due to rising oil prices. Is there now enough wealth to satisfy enough of the warring parties to get them to put down their weapons, and pick up the oil driling, production, and maintenance equipment and open the banks needed to handle all this cash?
4 If so, then there is a problem for Bushies on 3 fronts, no matter how much we impoverish ourselves.
5 The first is economic. The second is military closely tied to the first. The last is a historical re-evaluation tied to the second.
6 Iran is going to buy control of Iraq out from under our soldiers noses. Iran has cash enough to spare to keep things quiet domesticly, while moving significant amounts of Iranian investment into Iraq. A big example, on May 29 Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki announced at a conference for a contract for 9 transmission lines from Iran to Iraq connecting Iraq to the Iranian power grid to the tune of 200 megawatts
7 This occured at the Stockholm conference attended by representatives from 100 countries including Condi Rice. It’s nice that Iran has been so willing to “buy” into Iraq. However, because of Iran historical problems with its Sunni Arab neighbors, notably Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, they refuse to forgive 67 billion in Iraqi debt or even to open embassies as promised a year ago. This is the gratitude we’ve gotten from our friends who we defended from Saddam. (Iraqs vice president was paying a visit Tehran at the same time. Wish those Iraqis could figure out who the enemy is?)
8 Russia and China, being the generous people that they are have also forgiven Iraqs debt, and given their close ties to the Tehran regime will stand to profit handsomly from Irans investment position in Iraq.
9 Our enemies have come with cash in hand, knowledgable and experienced in the global economy, ready to bargain. Our enemies will build Iraqi infrasture right in front of our soldiers guns.
10 What do we offer the Iraqis, flag lapel pins made in China? Economic know how from a country that rewards CEOs millions for wrecking the economy.
11 We have NOTHING! to offer the Iraqis long term either in terms of finance or expertise. All we offer is welfare to the one of the worlds richest countries, and getting richer all the time. But we do that all the time here in America for the Bush elite so it’s not out of character.
12 The second problem is what do we do when the terrorists find our achilles heel is our economy? How do we use guns to fight the consumer, and commercial inductrial might of China, Russia and the oil producing nations that have become our enemies?
13 Lybia leads the way, and one wonders when Quadaffi gave up being a terrorist, and became a buisinessmen, if he didn’t see the future when he did.
14 Last week, on word that Libya would cut oil production to force the US to unfreeze questionable bank assets left over from Libyas days as a state sponsor of terrorism, the price shot up $5 a barrel. Never as a terrorist could Quadaffi make every American feel his influence upon their lives. But as a buisiness man. What are we going to do in response? Bomb ‘em? Maybe that would work against the Mississippi too. (Xerxes, who continued his father Darius, King of Persia futal war against the Greeks, once ordered the Hellespont whipped for not letting his troopds cros that body of water.)
15 Bin Laden was(is?)worth 350 million from his connections to the Saudi Royal family. He knows what he wants to do with his money, and it may not be all to buy WMD’s. But to do just enough so we think he is. Then we will go into debt building a military to defend against it
16 Though he knows by now that Bush, and his ilk, will not put together the intelligence apparatus necessary to figure out if the terrorists are out to blow something up, buy it out, or corner the market leaving the American consumer in the wind to twist.
17 Never mind why Bush allowed all 100 members of the Saudi Royal family present here in the US go after 9/11. Then chooses to hold sheepherders caught up the byzantine intracies of Afghan tribal conflicts. We’ve got real problems now. And it’s got to do with intelligence. But we all know that our enemies have plenty of cash, and global economic savvy to compete against us and win.
18 Kim Jong Il of NK may well have given up his nuke program because no one wanted to buy his weapons anymore. No one needs to when the Americans, always looking for the cheap, easy way out, will be bought out by its enemies for the right price. The terrorists will follow us home, to buy our buisiness from the welfare CEOs whove wrecked them for a pittance.
19 The third problem is historical re-evaluation. when economics of oil stabilises the security situation in Iraq, and makes the US think twice about further support for the Iraqi welfare program, and we leave with the security situation still fragile and reversible, what if nothing happens?
20 This is as scary sceneario for Bushies as Russia now supplying Iran with Nukes while becoming Europes major energy supplier, and becoming filthy rich in the process while we wither, our buisiness and tech savvy leaving us eclipsed before their might . If this is what GOPs victory over the Soviet Union transforms into, then what will such a victory in Iraq look like?
21 It may bring the country to the consensus that military action against Saddam was never needed to bring Iraq into the position that its moving to right now: an ally of Iran, its actions protected by China and Russia. That all the talk about WMD’s, and terrorism are meaningless when set against our enemies economic might.
22 Its the Bush GOP failure to anticipate the ECONOMIC nature of the competition in which we are currently engaged, and to prepare for it that will mark the rise of our enemies. Believe me or not, you feel our enemies power, and control over your life everytime you go to the grocery store or the gas pump. And they know it, too.
23 The question is:when do we lay down the guns and fight back?
Have a nice day!
2. JustAnotherTaxpayer | July 2nd, 2008 at 4:41 am
I realize there’s alot in post #1, whether you agree with it or not. Please, try to respond to 1 issue at time. There maybe enough in any part of post #1 to make a good discussion.
Let’s see what we can do!
3. bongoman | July 2nd, 2008 at 5:01 am
So, how far do we go on getting the Iraqis to accept our SOFA? If the Iraqis tell us they don’t want our permanent bases, do we play hard ball, try and undermine a clear democratic intention of the Iraqi people to get our bases built.
Or do we respect the democratic wish of the Iraqis and go home?
What’s more important? Permanent bases or Iraqi democracy?
4. Hal | July 2nd, 2008 at 6:01 am
Just Another Taxpayer wrote:
“10. What do we offer the Iraqis, flag lapel pins made in China? Economic know how from a country that rewards CEOs millions for wrecking the economy.”
This really can’t be denied. It’s laughable.
And only in the America run by George W. Bush and his supporters would Nelson Mandela be on a “terrorist watch list.”
5. gotbrains? | July 2nd, 2008 at 6:06 am
Glad to hear that Iraq is now a land of milk and honey.
But the war was not worth fighting, regardless of how wonderful you think Iraq is. The American public has long grown sick of this Iraq fiasco, and were long ago ready to move out and move on.
When are we going to get our own economic, infrastructural, and energy needs met? Pouring an eventual $2 to $3 trillion into Iraq makes the domestic mismanagement of the past 8 years that much worse. If Iraq is now the land of peace and freedom, then can we stop pumping $12 billion per month into that conflict, and stop exhausting our troops? If Iraq is like a Giant Happy Meal, then can we turn our resources towards our own needs, while more intelligently directing our troops to more pressing security threats?
6. Cooldown | July 2nd, 2008 at 7:42 am
Almost seven hundred billion dollars have been borrowed for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Hidden cost probably raise the total to 3 trillion, but for sake of argument we will ues what Bush Jr. has requested. Almost five hundred billion dollars have been spent just on Iraq. Just say we lost 100 billion to war profiteers from companies such as Halliburton that leaves a cool 400 billion. Wouldn’t it have been cheaper and less costly on our young soldiers’ lives to place a one billion dollar ransom on Saddam’s head and then bribed the remaining twenty-seven million Iraqis with about fifteen thousand each; far more than the average Iraqi wage.
7. neocon | July 2nd, 2008 at 9:07 am
The liberals are absolutely beside themselves. I haven’t seen this level of desperation for a long time.
JAT wants to debate the many plethora reasons why America sucks and is at the total mercy of the international community.
bongo throws out another red herring of bases and permanent occupation.
And cooldown and gotbrains reminds us that liberals support human rights but only if it comes at an acceptable price.
Watching the liberal contortions over Iraq will continue to be a source of enjoyment throughout the summer. So far, JAT is the point leader amongst our acrobats.
bongo,
You’ll have to step up your paranoid opposition if you wish to compete.
have a change and hope kind of day
peace, neocon
8. Magnum Serpentine | July 2nd, 2008 at 9:09 am
A vote for a third term for team McBush is a vote to continue the disastrous george war in iraq. the george war in iraq is a total failure, lets bring the troops home before any more are lost.
9. neocon | July 2nd, 2008 at 9:13 am
“16 Though he knows by now that Bush, and his ilk, will not put together the intelligence apparatus necessary to figure out if the terrorists are out to blow something up, buy it out, or corner the market leaving the American consumer in the wind to twist.” - JAT
I found this one deliciously delusional. Considering all of the surveillance tactics that have met liberal opposition. And this just recently:
“WASHINGTON — The House broke for a week’s recess Thursday without renewing terrorist surveillance authority demanded by President Bush, leading him to warn of risky intelligence gaps while Democrats accused him of reckless fear mongering.”
JAT,
This is why you’re the point leader. Your dishonestly and delusion is so far unmatched. But don’t rest. The pitchforkers have yet to chime in and they bring their own special form of dementia. It’s going to be a close race.
have a hellac day
peace, neocon
10. neocon | July 2nd, 2008 at 9:17 am
Mags,
When I read your post, I kept thinking it was first written in crayon.
Blue or red?
peace, neocon
11. neocon | July 2nd, 2008 at 9:54 am
“23 The question is:when do we lay down the guns and fight back?” - JAT
“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” Obama said in Philadelphia
So much irony, so little time.
have a hellac day
peace, neocon
12. JustAnotherTaxpayer | July 2nd, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Neocon,
I don’t think there’s much that either candidate can do, given that they’re not being honest with the electorate. Individual Americans are going to work much harder for much less, than they have in the 30 years since Reagan was elected. Ane there’s little the govt can do. The electorate doesn’t want to hear that.
They want to go back to the time when Asia didn’t have the demand that it does for oil, when Russia didn’t have a mall as big as Mall of America in Siberia, and Mid Easterners didn’t have a hankerin’ for their own oil as they built an amusement park that’d make Disney World look like a Sunday school picnic put on by a poor church, when you could make a living off your property magicly appreciating in value.
We’re spent, literally. While the editors of this blog see only casualties on the battlefield, most Americans see them everytime they go to the grocery store, the pump, a factory, office, or buisiness closing, or when they see the “For Sale” signs turn to “For Rent” signs and then, finally, to “Forclosure”.
When some of these casualties are servicemen themselves disappointed in what they see as obvious Iraqi indifference to our problems, while they grow rich cooperating with our enemies, and our leaders can do nothing except blame someone else for their failures
Bush has done spent too much searching for bogeymen trying to do us in, and not enough time looking for buisnessmen trying, and able to do the same.
Everytime you go to the grocery store, or the pump, you feel the enemies influence over your life. The terrorists don’t need bombs to do their damage, not when they have bamkers to do their dirty work for them.
I ask again, Neocon, when are you going to advocate putting down the guns and taking up the long hard fight…A fight more akin to a small buisiness struggle to make ends meet than a soldiers struggle to stay alive.
The soldiers struggle maybe more interesting, but that’s the struggle we’re in. Bringing a weapon other than your wits to any buisiness meeting is a sure way to poverty.
13. js | July 2nd, 2008 at 12:23 pm
the thing about freedom is that is you dont give it away, you are going to lose it
you can find the cost of freedom buried in the ground
mother earth will swollow you
because you lay your body down for it
every generation must pay the toll
(wow, maybe i should write a song and sell it to crosby stills nash and young, whatta ya think?)
14. js | July 2nd, 2008 at 12:26 pm
the war on terror is much more involved than some of you folks think it is….bush is no fool…
the wahabbi sect of islam created the taliban and al quada
it originated in saudi arabia
the kings of the terrorists are the kings of the oil fields
this war will not just go away
our economy is under attack
and our congress has yet to lift a finger to stop it
15. InDaVa | July 2nd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Hey neocon,
“(2008-06-10) — Sen. John McCain today said his Google search for a vice presidential candidate is “going well” and that so far he has definitively ruled out choosing as his running mate singer Amy Winehouse.
The McCain presidential campaign, eager for the septuagenarian to boost his appeal among young voters, vetted the five-time Grammy winning singer using the popular search engine.
“It turns out that she’s a British citizen,” said Sen. McCain. “It’s amazing what you can learn about people with Google.”
The Arizona Senator’s vice presidential search team has reportedly turned its attention to learning more about movie director Spike Lee.”
The truth is out!
16. Tractatus | July 2nd, 2008 at 2:29 pm
InDaVa, are you saying that John McCain hasn’t ruled out Amy Winehouse as a potential VP? You foolish librul!
17. JustAnotherTaxpayer | July 2nd, 2008 at 3:15 pm
js
Bush is no fool. That maybe, but neither is Quadaffi, nor is Bin Laden.
Oil is near 144. Great for the Iraqi welfare program, lousy for American jobs, unemployment grew again last month, just slightly over 79,000.
CNBC show closing bell says 150 a barrel possible tommorow.
Nice to know we can bomb our way out of this one.
By the way Bush has just acknowledged that ththings in Afghanistan aren’t going to well. May need to send more troops. All ours, nobody is anymore of their own. Let’s send in a few from Iraq. No problem now.
Just heard that bankruptcy may be in the cards for GM.
Have a nice day.
18. neocon | July 2nd, 2008 at 5:19 pm
“Oil is near 144. Great for the Iraqi welfare program, lousy for American jobs,..” - JAT
It would actually be great for American jobs if we were drilling like we should be.
“Nice to know we can bomb our way out of this one” - JAT
No we can’t, but we could drill our way to independence. And the liberal screed that we can’t drill our way out ignores the fact that drilling is just one essential component to oil independence.
JAT,
I have ran several business’s and I would NEVER employ someone like you. It’s never the
challenges that someone is confronted with, it’s the solutions that they derive. Problems are a given, what’s needed are proactive, solution minded people…….and you’re neither.
have a nice day
peace, neocon
19. Tractatus | July 2nd, 2008 at 8:24 pm
No we can’t, but we could drill our way to independence.
You’re kidding, right? Oh man…you’re not kidding.
Well, I guess I can’t expect a guy who considers a blatantly satirical site to be a news source to be able to understand why that’s such a stupid statement.
20. Kahn | July 2nd, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Tract - Yep. Keep up the chant. “WE can’t drill our way out of this”.
Ann Coulters column last week nailed it.
21. Kahn | July 2nd, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Personally, I would never want to go to a city that is so full of hate. Where different groups roam freely committing violence. Where my very appearance and being would be a basis for an attack.
And that is why I’m not going to Milwaukee this summer.
22. Tractatus | July 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Ann Coulters column last week nailed it.
Wow, there’s an authoritative source.
The facts sayno, you can’t drill your way out of it. You’re essentially saying that a good way to break a drug addiction is to keep using drugs, but buy them from a different dealer.
23. JustAnotherTaxpayer | July 3rd, 2008 at 12:12 am
Neocon,
I didn’t know I was filling out a job application, but as long as we’re talking about it, why not?
Never heard before about your buisiness acumen before. Never talked of it. It sounds as if your a buisnessman in the past tense. I’m sorry you can’t hire me, but your ability to hire anybody maybe hampered right now by economic conditions where more hedge fund managers are in jail for violations of trading sanctions that lead to the mortgage and credit crisis than are working the street right now.
And now, please tell me of the dream job I could’ve had working for your firm if I went around with a flag pin, and went to church every Sunday. We’re all waitin’ to hear this.
Please include the pay, the benefits package, including paid vacations, and, most especially, the severance package. This is the most important thing to welfare CEO’s who expect to be paid in the several millions for the billions in damage that I do, not just to the economy, but to the country.
Oh…now I know why your buisiness is in the past tense. You hired a bunch of people who have the attitude of welfare CEO’s.
Have a nice day.
Dow dropped 166 pts today. Rest assured, the Bush elite is stil in control of the economy.
Doesn’t that make everyone feel better.
24. JustAnotherTaxpayer | July 3rd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Come on, Neocon,
Where’s the great job you promised fro saluting the flag, and going to church?
Or were you one of those welfare CEO’s who get removed from his buisiness and rewarded a few million for your failure?
You brought it up, Neocon.
25. Headlines You Might Have &hellip | July 6th, 2008 at 7:31 am
[...] Baghdad Emerges from Tyranny and Insurgency. [...]
26. Us Flag Lapel Pins&hellip | August 20th, 2008 at 2:57 am
Us Flag Lapel Pins
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