No, I honestly didn't hear about that. Link please.
Another little thing you won't here from your government.
Do you think that there has been only 103 attacks this month?
More like 2103 attacks. This number is a closely guarded secret, and Al-Sadr is winning at the table.
I may be naive, and somewhat simple minded, but in my mind, militarily
2103 attacks for 103 killed != "winning"
Also, 2103 attacks in a month - right before an election in the U.S.
Guess we know who the insurgents want to win, huh?
Do you think they only attack US troops?
Most attacks are aimed at infrastucture and people that cooperate with the US.
Winning belongs to Al-Sadr. He owns Maliki.
Well, the attacks sure got Bush to flip-flop on "stay the course" and timelines didn't they?
I believe polls did that.
And they were influenced by...?
Well said.
Knowing what you know and you would still vote for him?
Chumps right, we are doomed.
"The Iraq conflict has become the "cause celebre" for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of US involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement. Should jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves, and be perceived, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry
on the fight."
Alright, to me this supports the notion that terrorists are using Iraq as a recruiting tool but in the end, if we do our jobs correctly and eliminate the threat in Iraq, then it will hamstring the rest of the terrorists efforts.
But thanks for the link, that was interesting stuff and why I've never seen it, I have no idea.
Exactly my point, frankly.
(I'm not calling dissenters unpatriotic - I am just talking about the dynamics of an ununited US @ war post-Vietnam)
The insurgents are killing people because of the effect that it has on the media in this country - and the way it emboldens the anti-war croud to make more noise. If this country spoke with a single, unified voice, IMO, the insurgency would end - there would be no point; they CAN"T defeat the US militarily. What it boils down to is a very bloody public relations battle.
Pretty close. Not so much a tool, more like a machine. These "terrorist" as you call them are not flowing over the borders, their being bred from within.
Over Kerry and Gore?
Yes.
I think statements like " the next attack will be in the form of a mushroom cloud" turns the weak into obedient little republicans.
That's the price of being in a democracy. I don't even think the polls say most folks want to cut and run, they've simply lost faith in the plan that they were never privy too, which is a paradox in itself. They simply want results and a way to judge the efficacy of our policy for themselves. After three years, they dont want to take anyone's word for it anymore.
Yes, in 2004. My personal opinion on the decision to enter Iraq not withstanding, we were emersed in a long-term conflict that any military member could tell you was not going to meet a swift resolution...especially with the goal of establishing "stability". So the question became, do I want President Bush to continue leading the country through this situation he initiated, or do I want Kerry to come in and bring something new. Well the something new sounded good, until....
Kerry abandoned his more extreme position to become more attractive to the "centralist" public and in doing so, did little to establish himself as the different, better alternative. I wanted the guy to stand up for his beliefs and the more I watched him the more dissapointed I became. When it came down to it, I wasn't convinced that he had a legitimate plan for "way ahead" in Iraq and if he wasn't going to be much different then the current president, I'd rather not switch administration, which has an unbelieveable ripple effect down to field-level military decisions, in the middle of this conflict.
Having said that, I wouldn't have voted for him in 2000, knowing what I know now, because the decision to enter Iraq, and the policy of pre-emptive strike, were definitively the work of this administration.
The point is that, while I don't wholeheartedly agree with Whott, I believe the Democratic party failed to inspire and instill confidence in its candidate's leadership ability during what was sure to be a difficult time ahead.
2008 should be interesting...trust me, I'm looking forward to it.
Four Years.
I agree completely - but that doesn't change the dynamic of what the insurgents are trying to accomplish.
Al Sadr is in REAL good position to take over after we leave - which he is obviously gunning for.
Bush called Al-Sadr a terrorist and a wanted man. Now, Al-Sadr is calling the shots. Is that called "standing firm to your beliefs". Is that called inspiration and instilling confidence? Bush is backpedaling, but still cheerleading.
I think you should try to understand that intelligent people can disagree; can, and have legitimate differences on how they feel obstacle ought to be addressed and tackled.
Who are you debating? I don't see a single Bush apologist in this thread.
That mushroom cloud statement was used for the sole purpose of re-election.
It worked.
The reelection, as P Tony pointed out, I believe, was much more a rejection of Kerry than an endorsement of anything Bush did.
I didn't even remember the "Mushroom Cloud" line until you brought it up. Kerry's indecisiveness and "finger in the wind" politics are what I remember about that election.
A Jihadist's goal is not to create doubt about current foreign policy decisions in an effort to force change of those policies in the current administration and/or create enough doubt to force the public to change administrations in another country.
They want to kill "westerners" because of everything they represent, it's that simple.
I guarantee you that if we stood with one voice, they would fight us. As long as we're "imposing" on their way of life they'll fight...no matter how united we are.
Good post...
I would agree with your statement about 2000, except I'm not convinced that Al Gore would have even gone after Afghanistan with a real deployment. I'd like to think he would have, and gotten OBL - and ended with that, but I am not convinced.
I'd go back and send more money and support to McCain in the '99 primary if I had it to do over again.
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