Tag Archives: Syria

Playing at war

Posted on April 20, 2007 | Comments Off on Playing at war

I often think the Seablogger, Alan Sullivan, is too pessimistic by half. And considering that he’s struggling with cancer, that’s not too surprising. But he’s just dead-on right about the current situation in Iraq.

"…we are not taking the fight to the enemy, and we never will. Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia continue to support Iraqi ‘insurgents.’ If we were at war, we would have assailed the regimes of those countries for warring on us. But we are merely playing at war…"

Indeed, I am starting to cringe everytime I read about another American casualty in Iraq, partly because it’s as though Bush wanted to set up another Vietnam losing proposition, with sanctuaries for the enemy, sanctuaries that (so far) have not been assailed, and may never be. Unlike Sullivan I won’t say never, but it does look that way. Some say we should cringe at all the dead Iraqi civilians, but we aren’t killing them, and the people who are won’t stop even if/when we leave.

UPDATE  Still some hope in the recent infighting among the "insurgents." 

Comments Off on Playing at war

Posted in Iraq, The War, Troops

Tagged , , , ,

That’s one small step for a woman…

Posted on April 5, 2007 | Comments Off on That’s one small step for a woman…

"’We came in friendship, hope, and determined that the road to Damascus is a road to peace,’ Ms. Pelosi grandly declared."

Maybe all that botox in her face has migrated to her brain? Even her pals in the MSM wonder about her smarts. But Baby Assad was happy. He got Pelosi and some rogue Republicans to visit. What a day.

UPDATE  But this is reasonably refreshing: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today that she raised the issue of Saudi Arabia’s lack of female politicians with Saudi government officials on the last stop of her Mideast tour." 

Comments Off on That’s one small step for a woman…

Posted in Scribbles, The War

Tagged , , ,

President Bush unfiltered

Posted on January 23, 2007 | Comments Off on President Bush unfiltered

Some conservative and libertarian bloggers, Bush supporters all though they wish he would fight harder, are calling it his best State of the Union message yet. While I agree that it’s doubtfull it will do him much good politically, it at least had the virtue of reinvigorating those of us who have supported him all along.

"Americans are a resolute people who have risen to every test of our time. Adversity has revealed the character of our country, to the world and to ourselves. America is a strong nation, and honorable in the use of our strength. We exercise power without conquest, and we sacrifice for the liberty of strangers."

New Virginia Sen. Jim Webb’s rebuttal got less praise, particularly his claim that a majority of the military doesn’t support the "way this war is being fought." That’s a narrow enough claim that it might have some truth to it, since I suspect from all the milblogs that I’ve read that the military would, if anything, like to fight harder, eradicate Mookie and his gang, and hit Iran and Syria, as well as Iraq and Afghanistan. But not, as Webb implied, that they’d sooner abandon Iraq.

Steve Green, the Vodkapundit who is struggling with what might be Graves Disease, concluded after live-blogging Bush’s effort that about all that seventh-year presidents have left to accomplish is foreigh policy. That would be a lot for Bush who staked his all on it after 9/11. Hopefully he will follow through on his words this time, and we’ll finally have a resolution to the trouble Iran and Syria are fomenting in Iraq and Lebanon, possibly through military action, or whatever it takes. We can hope so, anyway.

Comments Off on President Bush unfiltered

Posted in Afghanistan, Iraq, The War, Troops

Tagged , , , , ,

W’s last stand

Posted on January 6, 2007 | Comments Off on W’s last stand

In Bush’s coming speech Wednesday we’ll learn whether he finally has the will to do what he should already have done, i.e. taken the war to Iran, Syria and, if they don’t stop sending money and volunteers to Iraq’s Sunni insurgency, Saudi Arabia. Or not. He’s made so little effort in the past four years to explain himself and his strategy, popping up every three months or so to make another speech, then disappearing again for another three months, that serious change doesn’t seem to be in him. Apparently he’s just going to shuffle the commanders around and send a token 10,000 more troops to Iraq for "a push," which will be inconsequential in the long run. It will just give the bad guys more American targets to shoot at and bomb, while Iraq’s neighbors keep undermining Iraq and us. Debka sees hope for more than a token effort. But Debka always sees more, whether it materializes or not. For one thing, Debka has the Stennis carrier strike group already headed for the Persian Gulf when the Navy says it won’t leave until late this month. So far, we haven’t even had the sense to arrest or kill Mookie Sadr and put his Shiite militia out of business. Bush might as well bring the troops home, or shuffle some to Afghanistan, where Iran and Pakistan can go on undermining the effort there. Not that I think the Dems have anything more to offer than retreat. Wretchard says what we really need is the will to win. The bitterly divided populace plainly doesn’t have it. It’s becoming apparent that even the leadership doesn’t. Not even 9/11 could produce it, and it remains to be seen if even a second 9/11 would do it. Though we may get the chance to find out.

Comments Off on W’s last stand

Posted in Afghanistan, Iraq, The War, Troops

Tagged , , , , ,

Surge or escalation?

Posted on January 4, 2007 | Comments Off on Surge or escalation?

Democrats already are calling the proposed surge of troops into Iraq "an escalation," reiving the terms of Vietnam. But apparently Bush’s coming speech about what a surge would mean will turn on some aspect of this "secret plan" captured with the Iranians of recent days–who were, then, incredibly, let go.

Omar at Iraq the Model is astounded that anyone would think that the plan’s disclosure of Iranian and Syrian cooperation with the Sunni insurgents and the Shia death squads is unusual:

"This war is different from conventional wars; networks of terror and their relationships with their supporting regimes and the manner in which they work are complex and different than those of conventional enemies and this situation necessitates that our ways evolve and adjust accordingly."

Meanwhile, the Navy says a second carrier battle group for the Persian Gulf won’t leave Washington until later this month. Perhaps it’s just another empty show of force. Or perhaps Bush has finally decided to do something about Syria and Iran, the latter hinting that its bomb will be ready by March 20.

Comments Off on Surge or escalation?

Posted in Afghanistan, Iraq, The War, Troops

Tagged , , , , ,

Adding a granny knot to a square knot

Posted on December 6, 2006 | Comments Off on Adding a granny knot to a square knot

The Iraq Study Group’s recommendations for solving the problems in Iraq? Make them bigger by, among other things, offering to return the Golan Heights to Syria. Huh?

"The normal approach to a difficult problem would be to bound or simplify it. But the ISG recommendations try the exact opposite: it adds complexity to the already complex situation."

It will be interesting to see what the headline writers do with this one. Simplicity ain’t in it.

UPDATE  The Wall Street Journal dubs it "The Iraq Muddle Group," but notes it serves the useful purpose of denying any fast departure and underlines the stark consequences of a failure there. 

Comments Off on Adding a granny knot to a square knot

Posted in Iraq, Israel, The War, Troops

Tagged , , , , ,

We’re not Spaniards yet

Posted on November 13, 2006 | Comments Off on We’re not Spaniards yet

President Bush, in this report from the usually unfriendly BBC, indicates he will be keeping his word on Iraq rather than calling in Iran and Syria to save his bacon.

"Mr Bush, answering questions after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, made it clear there would be no complete about-turn in US foreign policy…Iran must be isolated internationally if it continued with its uranium enrichment programme, Mr Bush said. He also showed little enthusiasm to engage with Syria, stressing that the US had already made it clear to Damascus that it should stop interfering in Lebanon and stop harbouring extremists."

Meanwhile, Austin Bay says the Baker-Hamilton Group is more about political cover for the Dems than any dramatic changes in policy.

"Then the military will continue to do what it’s been doing in Iraq and Afghanistan and the new Iraqi government will continue to learn by doing — and in the ordeal of war that will mean learn by bleeding, suffering, and sweating."

Comments Off on We’re not Spaniards yet

Posted in Iraq, The War

Tagged , , , , , ,