Post Surge-ry Review
After the 2006 mid-term election that saw Republican's routed from power both in the House and Senate, the Bush administration went about asking what more could be done with Iraq as this was considered the main reason for such bruising losses at the polls. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld was summarily sacrificed to appease the new "reality" and Robert Gates was installed as the new architect to bring victory to President Bush. A "bipartisan" commission, the Iraq Study Group, was selected and they reviewed "all" of the options left to the Bush Administration to deal with the alleged civil war ensuing in Iraq and its concomitant problems associated with the occupation of Iraq by the United States Military as a result of the War On Terror.
After much debate from the ISG (Iraq Study Group) and the apparent rejection of its conclusions by the President, after all is said and done, the proposals have been followed almost to perfection by this administration. In fairness, the President says that most of the proposals have already been implemented before the study group was formed. The main outline of their solution to the Iraq problem were as follows:
a) Setting timetables to withdraw from Iraq.
b) Negotiating with both Syria and Iran to resolve the Iraqi Crisis.
c) Linking the Palestinian-Israeli issue to the War On Terror.
All of these proposals have been followed albeit in rough form at some point since then. Although timetables have not been written in stone and the President recently vetoed legislation demanding a ridiculous withdrawal in 6 months by Democrat legislators and a few ragtag Republicans, there has been highlevel discussions with Maliki, the Iraqi President, that time is short and the time for action in getting his government in order is now. Whether Mailiki can pull his chestnuts out of the fire is still up in the air. Negotiations with Iran and Syria appears to be the modus operandi for the next 2 years as there is no troop movements to suggest an American military response in the form of offensive army and marine corps operations such as was seen at the beginning of the War On Terror. There is saber-rattling of sorts but the most we may expect is another missile barrage against Iran to knock down their nuclear capabilities should the administration feel that diplomacy has failed to deter the Iranian Mullahs from playing with nuclear fire. In regards to Israel, we have seen the heavy-hand of the Bush Administration restraining the Jewish War Machine from exacting its deathblow upon Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon for fear of a regional backlash against the United States especially in Iraq. Secretary of State Condelleza Rice has conducted highlevel discussions recently with the Saudi's to "resolve" the Palestinian-Israeli dispute but like everything else in this side of the world, it is still being discussed and essentially is a "work in progress".
Essentially, the biggest difference seen since the mid-term election of '06 is the large troop increase slated for Baghdad in response to the daily carnage of suicide bombings and car bombs visited upon this ancient city. The so called "Surge" was meant to suppress the terrorist attacks against the Shia and coalition troops and initially appeared to work. Surprisingly, the American presence in Baghdad has been a light "foot print" considering the number of troops used to invade the country. The surge was supposed to double the size of this footprint and indeed has succeeded in doing this. However, the bombing campaign by terrorist forces have continued unabated and the purpose of the surge itself appears to have run out of gas.
Let me begin by saying that I always felt the surge itself would not work primarily as the enemy was forming and entering Iraq from both Iran and Syria and the only way to truly end the terrorist campaign is to destroy the states sponsoring these asymmetric forces. Clearly, both Syria and Iran are complicit in the sniper and IED attacks our troops have endured in the occupation and pacification of this wild land. The only solution that will solve the Iraqi problem and ultimately bring a conclusion to the War On Terror in our favor is a Declaration of War by the US Congress against our erstwhile enemies. An actual declaration will show that we are indeed very serious and we will go ALL THE WAY to prosecute our campaign of liberty. Anything else will be viewed by our enemies as half measures and they are right to recognize the failure of the Representatives of the people to support the War On Terror by their rather self indulgent actions that serve no purpose other than domestic politics.
Since the Left has compared the occupation of Iraq to the Vietnam War from the beginning then surely they must recognize the timeless lesson that most of us have learned from that wretched time: playing defense always loses wars. Yet, the Left refuses to acquiesce to the truth of history. I do question their patriotism as they are always demanding retreat in the face of adversity at the expense of the American modus vivendi. After 9/11, adversity made its ugly face known with the destruction of the World Trade Center Complex in the heart of Blue State New York and yet they could scarcely lift a finger to defend our nation.
The Left now controls the steering wheel of this great vessel and where they take us will be upon their shoulders and ultimately the blood of innocents left to the whims and desires of bloodthirsty tyrants is upon their hands. Of course, they are used to retreating before our enemies as they had before the communists throughout the entire world in the 20th Century. Only Republican administrations "contained" communism, however, this containment still left millions murdered where communists did prevail. The dreary and drab life that so charactorized the citizens of communism now has been replaced by the Moslem as their reactionary ideology has taken its movement to a higher more "spiritual" level with the advent of the International Islamic Jihad.
The tyranny of free peoples continues and the Left finds its only solution to "war" is retreating before our enemies. President Bush can only do so much with the Congress that he has and therefore the Surge will fail. No American General can arrest this fall as only an offensive operation can save this city from ruin. Osama bin Laden has won and the Democrat controlled Congress cooperated with him to bring it about. A pox upon the Left and their Democrat Party for sacrificing American ideals upon the alter of cowardice.
After much debate from the ISG (Iraq Study Group) and the apparent rejection of its conclusions by the President, after all is said and done, the proposals have been followed almost to perfection by this administration. In fairness, the President says that most of the proposals have already been implemented before the study group was formed. The main outline of their solution to the Iraq problem were as follows:
a) Setting timetables to withdraw from Iraq.
b) Negotiating with both Syria and Iran to resolve the Iraqi Crisis.
c) Linking the Palestinian-Israeli issue to the War On Terror.
All of these proposals have been followed albeit in rough form at some point since then. Although timetables have not been written in stone and the President recently vetoed legislation demanding a ridiculous withdrawal in 6 months by Democrat legislators and a few ragtag Republicans, there has been highlevel discussions with Maliki, the Iraqi President, that time is short and the time for action in getting his government in order is now. Whether Mailiki can pull his chestnuts out of the fire is still up in the air. Negotiations with Iran and Syria appears to be the modus operandi for the next 2 years as there is no troop movements to suggest an American military response in the form of offensive army and marine corps operations such as was seen at the beginning of the War On Terror. There is saber-rattling of sorts but the most we may expect is another missile barrage against Iran to knock down their nuclear capabilities should the administration feel that diplomacy has failed to deter the Iranian Mullahs from playing with nuclear fire. In regards to Israel, we have seen the heavy-hand of the Bush Administration restraining the Jewish War Machine from exacting its deathblow upon Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon for fear of a regional backlash against the United States especially in Iraq. Secretary of State Condelleza Rice has conducted highlevel discussions recently with the Saudi's to "resolve" the Palestinian-Israeli dispute but like everything else in this side of the world, it is still being discussed and essentially is a "work in progress".
Essentially, the biggest difference seen since the mid-term election of '06 is the large troop increase slated for Baghdad in response to the daily carnage of suicide bombings and car bombs visited upon this ancient city. The so called "Surge" was meant to suppress the terrorist attacks against the Shia and coalition troops and initially appeared to work. Surprisingly, the American presence in Baghdad has been a light "foot print" considering the number of troops used to invade the country. The surge was supposed to double the size of this footprint and indeed has succeeded in doing this. However, the bombing campaign by terrorist forces have continued unabated and the purpose of the surge itself appears to have run out of gas.
Let me begin by saying that I always felt the surge itself would not work primarily as the enemy was forming and entering Iraq from both Iran and Syria and the only way to truly end the terrorist campaign is to destroy the states sponsoring these asymmetric forces. Clearly, both Syria and Iran are complicit in the sniper and IED attacks our troops have endured in the occupation and pacification of this wild land. The only solution that will solve the Iraqi problem and ultimately bring a conclusion to the War On Terror in our favor is a Declaration of War by the US Congress against our erstwhile enemies. An actual declaration will show that we are indeed very serious and we will go ALL THE WAY to prosecute our campaign of liberty. Anything else will be viewed by our enemies as half measures and they are right to recognize the failure of the Representatives of the people to support the War On Terror by their rather self indulgent actions that serve no purpose other than domestic politics.
Since the Left has compared the occupation of Iraq to the Vietnam War from the beginning then surely they must recognize the timeless lesson that most of us have learned from that wretched time: playing defense always loses wars. Yet, the Left refuses to acquiesce to the truth of history. I do question their patriotism as they are always demanding retreat in the face of adversity at the expense of the American modus vivendi. After 9/11, adversity made its ugly face known with the destruction of the World Trade Center Complex in the heart of Blue State New York and yet they could scarcely lift a finger to defend our nation.
The Left now controls the steering wheel of this great vessel and where they take us will be upon their shoulders and ultimately the blood of innocents left to the whims and desires of bloodthirsty tyrants is upon their hands. Of course, they are used to retreating before our enemies as they had before the communists throughout the entire world in the 20th Century. Only Republican administrations "contained" communism, however, this containment still left millions murdered where communists did prevail. The dreary and drab life that so charactorized the citizens of communism now has been replaced by the Moslem as their reactionary ideology has taken its movement to a higher more "spiritual" level with the advent of the International Islamic Jihad.
The tyranny of free peoples continues and the Left finds its only solution to "war" is retreating before our enemies. President Bush can only do so much with the Congress that he has and therefore the Surge will fail. No American General can arrest this fall as only an offensive operation can save this city from ruin. Osama bin Laden has won and the Democrat controlled Congress cooperated with him to bring it about. A pox upon the Left and their Democrat Party for sacrificing American ideals upon the alter of cowardice.
posted by Bruce R. McConnell | 8:00 AM
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