Iraq
posted by Praguetwin at
4:37 PM
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- Name: Praguetwin
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An American who has been living in Prague for 11 years.
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7 Comments:
Wow, they sure do. What stands out to me is that Iraqis want us the hell out of there. They also had a surprising amount of confidence in their own security forces. So why can't we take the hint and leave?
By
Anonymous, at 8:25 PM
After reading through the report Michael O'Hanlon's think tank published, I sense he's still of the opinion that the war should be given one or two more F.U.'s (Friedman Units...about 6-12 months.)
Funny thing though - he's been saying that there are "signs of hope" in Iraq for the last four years...and yet conditions of the ground and the chances for political reconciliation continually worsen.
At what point do the supporters of the war like O'Hanlon acknowledge that for there REALLY to be "signs of hope," for the future in Iraq, the American people will have to be willing to make a long-term financial and manpower commitment, bring back the draft and add 350,000 additional troops into Iraq and prepare to spend at least another half a trillion on the war?
Because the current policy - just enough soldiers to lose - is a joke.
Either really commit to the war and try and win it or pull out and deal w/ the consequences...this half-assing it just isn't cutting it.
By
Reality-Based Educator, at 10:16 PM
Abi,
Just a matter of time. Might as well be now, if you ask me.
RBE,
I guess it really is moot. I think we will be there for a couple of more Friedman Units. I just can't figure out what people think is actually going to happen in that time.
By
Praguetwin, at 8:29 AM
Al Anbar one FU ago, irretrievably lost, now the majority of tribes are with us anti-al Qaeda. So a lot can happen in 6 to 12 months. Also see the tesla car comments.
By
Roger Fraley, at 6:41 PM
Indeed Anbar has changed of late. What the Americans should be focusing on is change there. Unfortunately, in line with McCain's "whack-a-mole" theory, it is now the major towns around Baghdad that represent the biggest challenge.
Still much too small of a force to secure the whole country. Just read Peatrus' book on counterinsurgency. It is all there.
RBE gets it right.
By
Praguetwin, at 12:16 AM
Roger, do you really believe the propaganda from the gov't that Anbar is stabilizing and the tribes are with us?
We've heard this story time and time again from them in.
Tal Afar is a perfect example.
The U.S. has repeatedly driven insurgents out of the city only to have them return.
Finally, the administration decided they would send in thousands of American and Iraqi troops to stabilize the city in late 2005/early 2006. The operation was declared a success by Condi and the preznut hailed the city as a shining example of what Iraq could become:
“Tal Afar shows that when Iraqis can count on a basic level of safety and security, they can live together peacefully,” he said. “The people of Tal Afar have shown why spreading liberty and democracy is at the heart of our strategy to defeat the terrorists.”
And then we pulled most of the American forces out of Tal Afar and Tal Afar went back to exactly what it was before - a sectarian mess.
When a truck bomb went off in a Shia market on March 27 of this year, killing 152 and wounding 347, the Iraqi police, all Shia, went on a rampage and started to randomly slaughter Sunni men and boys.
The preznut and Condi no longer point to Tal Afar as a shining example of what Iraq can be
But it is EXACTLY a shining example of how the whack a mole policy the administration is pursuing works. While we have troops somewhere and are pacifying it, everything's great. When we pull them out, conditions deteriorate quickly.
When the additional troops leave Anbar, it will go back to what it was before.
By
Reality-Based Educator, at 2:43 AM
RBE, I agree about Tal Afar. The solution in not to leave. And yes, I believe the milbloggers I read about al Anbar and the rest of Iraq.
By
Roger Fraley, at 2:15 AM
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