"’The situation in Iraq is dire,’ he told the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is expected to easily approve his nomination for the Iraq command. ‘The stakes are high. There are no easy choices. The way ahead will be very hard. … But hard is not hopeless.’"
The old boss of the 101st Airborne is considered a straight-shooter, and he sounds like it. Let’s hope he can help the Iraqi government and security forces turn things around.
PFC-in-Iraq humor from Teflon Don:
"I’ve seen pictures of what may happen to me if I hit my hand with a hammer, or get too close to a dirt auger. I now know that I shouldn’t play with knives, and that opening the feed tray of a weapon while it is firing may be bad for my health. I have been warned on the dangers of cigarettes, and told that I shouldn’t be drinking alcohol (not that doing so is allowed anyway). I know not to light fires inside tents, or any other enclosure, for that matter. It’s only a matter of time before we’re not allowed to throw rocks."
Second part of Army veteran and Iraq freelance embed Michael Yon’s latest dispatch:
"People at home probably have no idea how much their little cards, letters, and goodie bags boost morale. Countless walls around Iraq are practically wallpapered with cards and letters. And soldiers and Marines do stop to read them. They especially love the cards from kids. There is nothing more uplifting over here than reading two dozen cards from kids who can barely hold a crayon, much less one of those fat pencils. If a kid sends a card, rest assured that card will be stuck on some wall somewhere and it will bring a smile to many a soldier and Marine."
Read it all. You won’t be sorry you took the time.
Until we get rid of this punk in the black turban, there’ll be no victory parades. And right now, it appears his buds in the Iraqi government are still protecting his porky little butt. Or, as this troop asserts: "The Madhi army is sitting on the 50 yard line eating popcorn and watching us do their work."
I usually find reasons to take heart from former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan’s latest column, but not today. The headline "The Two Vacuums" and the subhead "Neither Iraqis nor Democrats seem ready to do what’s required of them" seemed reasonable so I printed it out to read. Only when I read it did I realize that the headline writer, for whatever reason, was trying to avoid her main point, which is that Bush is coming unglued, hasn’t a clue what to do, and his new strategy isn’t new at all. It certainly seems new to me, with its hints of finally cleaning up Mookie and his sectarian-warring militia in Sadr City, and the insurgent/militia sanctuaries in Syria and Iran, even if that means war with those terrorist-supporting countries (see bit about carrier battle groups in the Gulf, and providing Patriot anti-missile systems to regional allies), and a clear and hold strategy for Baghdad’s most violent neighborhoods, which I don’t recall seeing before. Maybe I am the one who sees substance that isn’t there, but his detractors (the usual ones and the shocking new ones like Noonan) seem to be saying: "We can’t leave, but we can’t stay. Sorry if Iraq falls apart and the genocide begins, but we are an impatient people more interested in presidential style than substance, and we are losing what patience we had with this man and his war." As if it really was only his war, and getting rid of him would make all things better. The mind reels. Mine, anyhow.
UPDATE For all that, the stock market continues to soar. Somebody’s not pessimistic. But Donald Sensing is, deeply.
Comments Off on We can’t leave, but we can’t stay
Posted in Iraq, The War, Troops
Tagged Bush, Iraq, new startegy, Peggy Noonan, surge
I didn’t watch his speech. I rarely watch them anymore as his "performance" is largely irrelevant to me. I’m more interested in what he says, and for that I always await the transcript, which is here. It’s at CBS news, which I normally wouldn’t trust to send out for donuts, but it’s the only one I can find at the moment. When the White House has one up, I’ll switch the link to it. (I found the White House one and switched it.) The surge sounds workable, even logical, focused as it will be on Baghdad and al Anbar. And although he offered no specifics on Iran and Syria he at least said we’d be working (at last) to stop their interference. He only mentioned two carrier strike groups, although a third one is plainly to soon be on the way, but he did mention the security of the region and stopping Iran from getting nukes. All of which may be as pointed inuendo as he feels he is able to offer right now. I hope he has much more in mind.
UPDATE Two days of furious battles in Baghdad show the fight has begun, re Iraq the Model here.
Comments Off on President Bush unfiltered
Posted in Iraq, The War, Troops
Tagged 2007 speech, Iraq, President Bush, surge, transcript of Jan. 10
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