The war in Iraq is only part of the war on terrorism. From my perspective, we are doing rather well. Not only did the uprisings remain local, but the Shi'ites talked Al Sadr into agreeing to a political solution. We are taking out primary terrorist targets in Fallujah. And recruitment remains high for indigenous security forces.
It must be nice to be able to toss in the old "things could be worse" defense whenever people point out that they are getting worse. That does not change the fact, however, that the "no good end in sight" view isn't debunked by isolated claims of tiny success.
In fact if you look at your "successes," they begin to look suspiciously like FAILURES. Ie.:
Not only did the uprisings remain local, but the Shi'ites talked Al Sadr into agreeing to a political solution.
In fact Sadr got most of what he wanted. He's not arrested, his political standing is enhanced and we've backed off and left those areas basically as no man's lands.
We are taking out primary terrorist targets in Fallujah.
In fact we got run out of Fallujah and they know it and celebrate it every day. We can strike from the air but we can't go inside without getting our asses kicked and we don't go there. That's what I call a defeat and in view of all our big talk about how the Fallujans were going to feel the wrath of America for what they'd done to our 4 citizens, we look like impotent bullies with no guts. Call that a "success" if you'd like but it only reveals your desperate need to support a failed and failing effort for reasons known only to you.
And recruitment remains high for indigenous security forces.
In fact we NEED to recruit more because they keep getting killed, they desert when it comes time to actually provide security, many of them are plants who are fighting against us, and most of them seem to be doing it only because there is no work and they need to eat. Talk to me about success when they do ONE THING that indicates they'll one day be able to act as an effective security force against any ONE of the many militias.
But don't let that stop you. What about the other successes? For instance, they didn't kill any of the puppet government yesterday? Or, there were only several hundred Iraqis killed this week and it could have been thousands. Or, we're losing less American soldiers since we stopped going out much and started hiding out and turtling more.
So much success; so little time to brag it up.
But that's not what bothers me most. What really bothers me is that I suspect that if you or your child were in serious and immediate danger of dying over there, you'd take a less cavalier approach in discussing whether this is a doable thing, what it is that we're trying to do and why we're trying to do it.
Cause you can always claim that we're doing "rather well" from the safety of home but those sitting ducks in Iraq who don't know who the enemy is, or when they'll strike, most assuredly aren't doing "rather well" at all. |
