Statistics show the surge is working
For the record we won the war in Iraq as it was defined in 2003. Saddam is gone, along with his murderous regime. General Petraeus was recently confirmed overwhelmingly in the U.S. Senate to lead us out of what we didn’t see coming. As a retired Navy officer I’m sure General Petraues’s bathwater has more military and counter-insurgency experience than Tupa and Gordon put together. Statistics show that the surge is already working; bomb deaths down 30 percent, execution slayings down nearly half, shoppers back in outdoor markets, etc. The military knows it will take time to win in Iraq, that’s why they call it “The Long War”
Our Legislators shouldn’t spout disingenuous tripe about honoring the troops, then assert the troops can’t win anyway so let’s get out.
The democrats have never been strong on logic, just emotion. An electrician doesn’t hook a black wire to a red wire because it makes him feel good or because it looks nice, or not to offend the white wire. He does it because it works. War is a very logical business. The other side is made up of folks who are always thinking and tactics and goals change. If we want the land of two rivers to have a stable government that is not hostile to the U.S. or it’s neighbors we have to finish the job.
George W. Bush, March 20, 2006: "Today I'd like to share a concrete example of progress in Iraq that most Americans do not see every day in their newspapers and on their television screens. I'm going to tell you the story of a northern Iraqi city called Tal Afar, which was once a key base of operations for al Qaeda and is today a free city that gives reason for hope for a free Iraq ... If you're a resident of Tal Afar today, this is what you're going to see: You see that the terrorist who once exercised brutal control over every aspect of your city has been killed or captured, or driven out, or put on the run. You see your children going to school and playing safely in the streets. You see the electricity and water service restored throughout the city. You see a police force that better reflects the ethnic and religious diversity of the communities they patrol. You see markets opening, and you hear the sound of construction equipment as buildings go up and homes are remade. In short, you see a city that is coming back to life."
News report, March 29, 2007: "Shiite militants and police enraged by deadly truck bombings went on a shooting rampage against Sunnis in a northwestern Iraqi city Wednesday, killing up to 70 men execution-style and prompting fears that sectarian violence was spreading outside the capital. The killings occurred in the mixed Shiite-Sunni city of Tal Afar ... The gunmen roamed Sunni neighborhoods in Tal Afar through the night, shooting at residents and homes, according to police and a local Sunni politician. Witnesses said relatives of the Shiite victims in the truck bombings broke into Sunni homes and killed the men inside or dragged them out and shot them in the streets. Gen. Khourshid al-Douski, the Iraqi army commander in charge of the area, said 70 were shot in the back of the head and 40 people were kidnapped."
The question really comes down to how much longer you can stomach the never ending stream of lies they feed you, Steve. I just can't keep it down. Maybe your military experience has taught you never to think for yourself, or maybe you learned that trick on your own, but what you exhibited above is not logic.
Steve, how do you know deaths are down?
We don't count Iraqi deaths, remember?
Pres. Bush also rubbished the Lancet reported study and his spokesmen said that the methodology was flawed.
In which case, what methodology are you using for the stats showing how the "surge" is working?
Hitler's final surge is called Hitler's final madness uttered by a Nazi General resulting in the Battle of the Bulge. Bush's final surge is Bush's final madness uttered by America's people as evidenced by Bush's loss of Congress. r22037yahoo
Posted by Richard Grimes on March 30, 2007 10:34 AMWe won't know what benefit we will get from the surge until it is well over. My God, if we can't reduce th violence while we are right there with them, how can we expect a reduction after we leave? I also agree with the comments concerning the failure of President Bush to be honest with the American people about how the war is going. It's not nice to lie to the American people, especially when people's lives are at stake.
General Petraues is not nearly as certain the surge will work as Steve is, and he's right there on the ground.
Posted by Truth on March 30, 2007 11:20 AMSteve,
Since logic seems to be important to you and your conservative brethren, what logic can be found in repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results?That is, by definition , insanity.
Please expand your horizons and your education and get information from some other sources. I suggest you call your representitives and get updated and credible answers to your questions.
You may be surprised at what you hear when you tune Rush, et al, out.
That is, if you think you can handle the truth.
Many Americans have changed their minds because they've done the necessary research about what they have been told for the last 6 years.
I'm afraid our leaders have been leading us all down a very dangerous road.
Here is an article that explores the myths behind the "surge" talking points and the reality on the ground.
http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy/surge_4484.jsp
I doubt our unpatriotic Bush lovers will read it but it shows a pattern of adaption by the insurgents that makes it unclear whether the decrease in attacks inside Baghdad will result in the establishment of a permanent peace between the various sectarian factions.
If Tal Afar is the standard of success than we are in deeper trouble then we have been led to believe. Shiite police executing Sunni civilians gangland style for purposes of revenge is not the kind of Democracy that should be exported throughout the Middle East. What are we doing and where are we going with this occupation?
Posted by Wes on March 30, 2007 12:33 PMHurts when the surge works, don't it?
Posted by on March 30, 2007 01:31 PMThank you for your excellent letter, Lt. Schultz. It is encouraging to hear our military personnel speaking out on behalf of our troops. Thank you for your naval service to our country.
Hitler's final surge is called Hitler's final madness uttered by a Nazi General resulting in the Battle of the Bulge. Bush's final surge is Bush's final madness uttered by America's people as evidenced by Bush's loss of Congress. r22037yahoo
Posted by Richard Grimes on March 30, 2007 03:54 PM