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  1. #1
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    Not a Gaffe: A Fundamental Misunderstanding of Iraq

    Posted July 22, 2008 | 07:13 PM (EST)
    John McCain made a mistake this evening, which as far as I'm concerned, disqualifies him from being president. It is so appalling and so factually wrong that I'm actually sitting here wondering who McCain's advisers are. This isn't some gaffe where he talks about the Iraq-Pakistan border. It's a real misunderstanding of what has happened in Iraq over the past year. It is even more disturbing because according to John McCain, Iraq is the central front in the "war on terror." If we are going to have an Iraq-centric policy, he should at least understand what he is talking about. But anyway, what happened.

    On Katie Couric tonight McCain says:
    Kate Couric: Senator McCain, Senator Obama says, while the increased number of US troops contributed to increased security in Iraq, he also credits the Sunni awakening and the Shiite government going after militias. And says that there might have been improved security even without the surge. What's your response to that?

    McCain: I don't know how you respond to something that is as -- such a false depiction of what actually happened. Colonel McFarlane [phonetic] was contacted by one of the major Sunni sheiks. Because of the surge we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others. And it began the Anbar awakening. I mean, that's just a matter of history. Thanks to General Petraeus, our leadership, and the sacrifice of brave young Americans. I mean, to deny that their sacrifice didn't make possible the success of the surge in Iraq, I think, does a great disservice to young men and women who are serving and have sacrificed.
    One problem. The surge wasn't even announced until a few months after the Anbar Awakening. Via Spencer Ackerman, here is Colonel MacFarland explaining the Anbar Awakening to Pam Hass of UPI, on September 29, 2006. That would be almost four months before the President even announced the surge. Petraeus wasn't even in Iraq yet.
    With respect to the violence between the Sunnis and the al Qaeda -- actually, I would disagree with the assessment that the al Qaeda have the upper hand. That was true earlier this year when some of the sheikhs began to step forward and some of the insurgent groups began to fight against al Qaeda. The insurgent groups, the nationalist groups, were pretty well beaten by al Qaeda.

    This is a different phenomena that's going on right now. I think that it's not so much the insurgent groups that are fighting al Qaeda, it's the -- well, it used to be the fence-sitters, the tribal leaders, are stepping forward and cooperating with the Iraqi security forces against al Qaeda, and it's had a very different result. I think al Qaeda has been pushed up against the ropes by this, and now they're finding themselves trapped between the coalition and ISF on the one side, and the people on the other.
    And here is the NY Times talking about the Anbar Awakening back in March 2007.
    The formation of the group in September shocked many Sunni Arabs. It was the most public stand anyone in Anbar had taken against Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, which was founded by the Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
    And here is Colin Kahl in Foreign Affairs:
    The Awakening began in Anbar Province more than a year before the surge and took off in the summer and fall of 2006 in Ramadi and elsewhere, long before extra U.S. forces started flowing into Iraq in February and March of 2007. Throughout the war, enemy-of-my-enemy logic has driven Sunni decision-making. The Sunnis have seen three "occupiers" as threats: the United States, the Shiites (and their presumed Iranian patrons), and the foreigners and extremists in AQI. Crucial to the Awakening was the reordering of these threats.
    This is not controversial history. It is history that anyone trying out for Commander and Chief must understand when there are 150,000 American troops stationed in Iraq. It is an absolutely essential element to the story of the past two years. YOU CANNOT GET THIS WRONG. Moreover, what is most disturbing is that according to McCain's inaccurate version of history, military force came first and solved all of our problems. If that is the lesson he takes from the Anbar Awakening, I am afraid it is the lesson he will apply to every other crisis he faces including, for example, Iran.
    This is just incredibly disturbing. I have no choice but to conclude that John McCain has simply no idea what is actually happened and happening in Iraq.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ilan-g...tml?view=print

    ============

    McStupid doesn't have a clue. He should retire and go home, playing Kept Man to his Icy Cold Wife.
    Last edited by boutons_; 07-22-2008 at 10:02 PM.

  2. #2
    Believe. Anti.Hero's Avatar
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    You will be lucky to even be walking at 77.


    Every time Obama tries to start his unscripted sentences, he sounds like an Alzheimer's patient.

  3. #3
    Believe. medstudent's Avatar
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    You will be lucky to even be walking at 77.


    Every time Obama tries to start his unscripted sentences, he sounds like an Alzheimer's patient.
    Actually, Alzheimer's patients don't talk. They drool. Thanks for playing.

  4. #4
    Believe. Anti.Hero's Avatar
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    Actually, Alzheimer's patients don't talk. They drool. Thanks for playing.
    Yeah because the disease takes over the person completely in one night.

  5. #5
    "Have to check the film" PixelPusher's Avatar
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    I just assumed "Iraq-Pakistan border" was a passive-aggressive euphemism for Iran.

  6. #6
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    Man, replace McSenile with NBADan or Boutons and the thread le has the same effect.

  7. #7
    I love J.T. smeagol's Avatar
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    McSenile . . . ?

    Sounds like a 3 year old's attempt of an insult.

    boutons, did you hear that on on Sesame Street?

  8. #8
    No darkness Cry Havoc's Avatar
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    You will be lucky to even be walking at 77.


    Every time Obama tries to start his unscripted sentences, he sounds like an Alzheimer's patient.
    One difference.

    Obama can actually pronounce unscripted.

    McCain would have to say, "little words on the screen."

  9. #9
    Believe. Anti.Hero's Avatar
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    uh er uh uh err well uh you see here uh er uh well uh er unscripted uh er uhh grrr yes we can.

  10. #10

  11. #11
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    Rove-ian slime/lie ad from McSenileC*nt



    Castro is RIGHT!

    And of course, McStupid and his ty staff flunk English.

    Should be "the more advanced canditate" when comparing 2 items.

  12. #12
    Dancing Machine Gino's Avatar
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    Rove-ian slime/lie ad from McSenileC*nt



    Castro is RIGHT!

    And of course, McStupid and his ty staff flunk English.

    Should be "the more advanced canditate" when comparing 2 items.

    How can someone call John McCain "McSenile" and "McStupid" and then accuse him of being Rove-ian in the same breath?


    The ridiculous comments you say about McCain are far worse than anything Karl Rove ever spewed out.
    Last edited by Gino; 07-24-2008 at 11:20 AM.

  13. #13
    Free Throw Coach Aggie Hoopsfan's Avatar
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  14. #14
    W4A1 143 43CK? Nbadan's Avatar
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    What is freedom? McCain doesn't have a clue...


  15. #15
    W4A1 143 43CK? Nbadan's Avatar
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    Here is the video CBS didn't show you...


    In fact, the Sunni revolt against Al-Qaida in Iraq’s Anbar province — commonly referred to as “The Awakening” — “began” long before Bush even announced his “surge” policy in January 2007. As the New York Times noted in April 2007:

    The turnabout began last September <2006>, when a federation of tribes in the Ramadi area came together as the Anbar Salvation Council to oppose the fundamentalist militants of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia.

    But also, President Bush himself noted this fact in a speech to the Naval War College in June, 2007:

    Last September <2006>, Anbar was all over the news. It was held up as an example of America’s failure in Iraq. The papers cited a leaked intelligence report that was pessimistic about our prospects there. <…>

    About the same time some folks were writing off Anbar, our troops were methodically clearing Anbar’s capital city of Ramadi of terrorists, and winning the trust of the local population. In parallel with these efforts, a group of tribal sheiks launched a movement called “The Awakening” — and began cooperating with American and Iraqi forces.

    Spencer Ackerman notes that the colonel McCain cited is “now a one-star general” and had explained the “Awakening” to a reporter in September 2006 “before it even had a name.” “For McCain to say that the Anbar Awakening is the product of the surge is either a lie or professional malpractice,” added Ackerman.

  16. #16
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    So Gino, you're voting for McC*nt? same old as past 7 years?

    the Castro ad is pure Rove, side-by-side pictures. McStupid is too stupid to realized that a majority of serious US citizens don't want any more Rove .

    how about one of Mc side-by-side with Hagee, whom McStupd actually considers his spiritual guide?

  17. #17
    Dancing Machine Gino's Avatar
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    Let compare and contrast two issues:

    1) Liberals don't want to admit that the Surge worked.

    2) Conservatives don't want to admit global warming is a reality.

  18. #18
    Dancing Machine Gino's Avatar
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    So Gino, you're voting for McC*nt? same old as past 7 years?

    the Castro ad is pure Rove, side-by-side pictures. McStupid is too stupid to realized that a majority of serious US citizens don't want any more Rove .

    how about one of Mc side-by-side with Hagee, whom McStupd actually considers his spiritual guide?
    1) I haven't decided who Im voting for, but this board is so over the top anti-McCain its ridiculous.

    2) I have a military background and Im consider myself conservative, so Im leaning towards John McCain.

    3) I continue to find it humorous that you use unbelievably low levels of childish name-calling to attack McCain while at the same time criticize the McCain team's campaigning tactics.

    4) I don't consider John McCain the same as Bush. Thats just a stupid liberal talking point that you've decided to believe (up there with McCain wants to continue the war for 100 years). McCain isn't any more Bush than Obam is Jimmy Carter.

    btw - Youre upset with the Obama/Castro side by side picture. What about MoveOn.org's use of the McCain/Bush hug that we've seen over and over and over and over...

    Do you consider them "Rove-ian"?

  19. #19
    i hunt fenced animals clambake's Avatar
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    1)btw - Youre upset with the Obama/Castro side by side picture. What about MoveOn.org's use of the McCain/Bush hug that we've seen over and over and over and over...

    Do you consider them "Rove-ian"?
    you can't see the difference means you're blinded.

  20. #20
    Dancing Machine Gino's Avatar
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    you can't see the difference means you're blinded.
    If you can't see the similarities, your blinded.

  21. #21
    i hunt fenced animals clambake's Avatar
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    If you can't see the similarities, your blinded.
    one picture fact, the other fiction.

  22. #22
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    "don't want to admit that the Surge worked."

    the surge has not worked, the politics in Iraq is not stable.

    the surge had some effect, but

    the Sadr truce (violated by dubya's proxy Maliki a few months ago, until Iran shut it down and Maliki surrendered),

    Petraeus buying peace from the Sunnis,

    the completion of Shiites' ethnic cleaning of Sunnis out of Bagdad and/or into gated, check-pointed. walled, balkanized enclaves in Bagdad

    all combined to dominate the drop in violece. quit paying the sunnis, Sadr stops his truce, surge will be worthless.
    Last edited by boutons_; 07-24-2008 at 06:33 PM.

  23. #23
    i hunt fenced animals clambake's Avatar
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    quit paying the sunnis, Sadr stops his truce, surge will be worthless.
    in a nuts .

  24. #24
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    "McCain/Bush hug"

    perfectly legit and 100% accurate. McStupid is dubya 2.0. McC*nt has voted 95% with dubya.

  25. #25
    Dancing Machine Gino's Avatar
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    "don't want to admit that the Surge worked."

    the surge has not worked, the politics in Iraq is not stable.

    the surge had some effect, but the Sadr peace, Petraeus buying peace from the Sunnis, the completion of Shiites cleaning Sunnis out of Bagdad or into walled, balkanized enclaves in Bagdad all combined to dominate the drop in violece. quit paying the sunnis, Sadr stops his truce, surge will be worthless.

    Exactly...and Global Warming is a FARCE!

    Are you familiar with Occam's Razor?

    Educate yourself:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam's_Razor

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