Success that only the dhims can reverse...

[Judge]

Many of you have wondered when the Iraqi army/police will be able to stand on their own. Some have implied they couldn't or wouldn't. Some have called it impossible to defeat AQ in Iraq... I hope you've been paying attention lately... great succinct comment from powerline:

Yesterday, we noted how the Iraqi army has taken control, for now, of Sadr City. This accomplishment follows a campaign in Basra that even the New York Times has acknowledged was successful. .


And the good news doesn't stop here. Max Boot points out that in Mosul, considered the last stronghold of Al Qaeda in Iraq. the number of daily attacks has dropped at least 85 percent since U.S.-Iraqi forces began an offensive against Sunni insurgents in the city earlier this month. This according to Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, commander of Multi-National Division North.


More generally, the rope continues to tighten around the neck of al-Qaeda. While acknowledging that it remains a threat to stability, Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, interim head U.S. Central Command, finds that al Qaeda is in its weakest state since it gained an initial foothold in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion five years ago. Simply put, these terrorists are running out of places where local Iraqis will accommodate their extremist ideology. And when al Qaeda does find a foothold somewhere, as in Mosul, U.S.-Iraqi forces can deliver a drubbing.


This means, as Peter Wehner puts it, that "the debate has shifted from what the right strategy is to one of national will." In other words, "Will our nation, weary of this long and costly war, continue along the path which has brought about indisputable, and in some cases breathtaking, progress?" If so, "there will be honor in our efforts–and, it’s now reasonable to say, success as well."

[yeahYeah]

success for America is defeat for the democrats. despite success, expect the left to continue their crusade for surrender.

[Etta Place]

The U.S. has been bombing civilian areas killing civilians to the point that Iraq is totally devastated. I guess this is what the right wing calls victory.

[yeahYeah]

Originally Posted by Etta Place

The U.S. has been bombing civilian areas killing civilians to the point that Iraq is totally devastated. I guess this is what the right wing calls victory.

i cannot believe you still subscribe to that left wing drivel. what a pile of crap. your statement erases any credibility you once had.

[Judge]

Also, I wanted to add this from General Petraeus:

I should note here that the number of security incidents in Iraq last week was the lowest in over four years and it appears that the week that ends tomorrow will see an even lower number of incidents. This has been achieved despite having now withdrawn 3 of the 5 Brigade Combat Teams that will have redeployed without replacement by the end of July. Recent operations in Basra, Mosul, and now Sadr City have contributed significantly to the reduction in violence, and Prime Minister Maliki, his government, the Iraqi Security Forces, and the Iraqi people deserve considerable credit for the positive developments since Ambassador Crocker and I testified a month-and-a-half ago. In the months ahead, Coalition Forces will continue to work closely with the Iraqi Security Forces in pursuing Al Qaeda-Iraq, their extremist partners, and militia elements that threaten security in Iraq. And though, as always, tough fights and hard work lie ahead, I believe that the path that we are on will best help achieve the objective of an Iraq that is at peace with itself and its neighbors, that is an ally in the war on terror, that has a government that serves all Iraqis, and that is an increasingly prosperous and important member of the global economy and community of nations. [emphasis added]

[Etta Place]

washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines

In Iraq, a Surge in U.S. Airstrikes
Military Says Attacks Save Troops' Lives, but Civilian Casualties Elicit Criticism
Since clashes broke out in eastern Baghdad in late March the U.S. Army has fired more than 200 hellfire missiles in Baghdad, killing over 251 people. A pilot describes his experiences.

By Ernesto Londoño and Amit R. Paley
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, May 23, 2008; Page A10

CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- From an Apache helicopter, Capt. Ben Katzenberger's battlefield resembles a vast mosaic of tiny brown boxes.

"The city looks like a bucket of Legos dumped out on the ground," the 26-year-old pilot said. "It's brown Legos, no color. It's really dense and hard to pick things out because everything looks the same."

He uses a powerful lens to zoom in on tiny silhouettes, trying to identify people with "hostile intent" among hundreds of ordinary citizens in Baghdad.

In recent weeks, Katzenberger and other pilots have dramatically increased their use of helicopter-fired missiles against enemy fighters, often in densely populated areas. Since late March, the military has fired more than 200 Hellfire missiles in the capital, compared with just six missiles fired in the previous three months.

US strike kills children north of Baghdad - 23 May 2008 - NZ Herald: World / International News

US strike kills children north of Baghdad
10:39AM Friday May 23, 2008
By Kim Gamel

BAGHDAD - A US helicopter strike north of Baghdad killed eight people in a vehicle, including at least two children, Iraqi officials said Thursday, insisting all the dead were civilians. The US military said six were al-Qaida militants but acknowledged children were killed.

The attack threatened to further alienate Sunni Arabs at a time when the US is working to keep them on their side in the fight against the terror network.

Associated Press Television News footage showed the bodies of three children in blood-drenched clothes - the eldest appearing to be in his early teens - along with the bodies of five men, at the hospital in Beiji, where the dead were taken after Wednesday evening's strike.

Iraqi and US officials each put the number of slain children at two, and the reason for the discrepancy was not known.

It was the latest incident threatening to alienate Sunnis, who have played a key role in the steep decline in violence over the past year by joining forces with the Americans against al-Qaida in Iraq. Beiji, an oil hub 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad, lies in a largely Sunni Arab area.

[yeahYeah]

um...these terrorists hide amungst the populous. you make it seem as if the US deliberately targets civilians which is a tired, old left wing tactic.

Wrong place at wrong time, there will be collateral damage.

[Carnivorous]

Seriously though, where the h*ll is Bin Laden.

Seven years later, they still haven't found him? Since when did we de-prioritize that? ("We" being the voters, not the commander in chief, who de-prioritized him in '02)

[afmo]

Originally Posted by Carnivorous

Seriously though, where the h*ll is Bin Laden.

Seven years later, they still haven't found him? Since when did we de-prioritize that? ("We" being the voters, not the commander in chief, who de-prioritized him in '02)

Bin Laden's dead and buried under a million tons of rock and dirt in Tora Bora. The guy wasn't an idiot. He knew his number would come up sooner or later. Thats why all his video tapes that keep coming out are vague, and never pinpoint a date or time. They've got a bin laden "Death to america" library in a ****hole cave somewhere and whenever they feel the need to let out a LULULULULUULULULULULULULULULULULU DEATH TO AMERICA tape, the pull one off the shelf.

[yeahYeah]

Obama's..... i mean Osama's latest message...audio is choppy

YouTube - Barack Obama Gets Osama Bin Laden's Endorsement