Pre-Remedial Lesson For Democrats On "The War"

Okay... after listening to Obama stumble through the Democrat revisionist history of the war on terror for the hundredth time... as a public service, here is a summary of the war on terror and how the liberal Democrats who claim Republicans took our eye off the ball, have never actually even had their eye on "the ball." (Unless you define "the ball" as power and control of the congress and the white house)

Try to follow along... I'll make it as simple as possible.

1- Al Qaeda declared war (Jihad) on the US and launched attacks repeatedly against the US for more than a decade before 2001, including under the Clinton administation. The first world trade center and the USS cole bombings just to name a couple.

2- Saddam Hussein (one of the most brutal dictators on the planet) increased his efforts to aquire nuclear weapons, defied weapons inspectors and the UN, violated the no fly zones and payed suicide bombers to kill innocent civilians in Israel. President Clinton defined Iraq as a serious threat to the US and world peace saying the regime must be removed by any means required. (Iraqi Liberation Act)

3- September 11, 2001: Al Qaeda carries out plan to fly Airliners into the World Trade Center Twin Towers and the Pentagon killing over 3,000 innocent Americans. Osama Bin Laden claims credit for Al Qaeda for the attack. The world changed. The war changed. We changed.

4- U.S. launched attack on the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and in a matter of weeks had virtually destroyed most of Taliban control in that country driving them into the remote regions perhaps even out of the country.

5- Meanwhile, dictator terrorist Saddam Hussein continued to defy the UN, the weapons inspectors and the US in his pursuit of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons yet was still given one last chance to disarm and open up to inspections. He declined. Virtually every intelligence agency in the world agreed that Saddam was seeking WMD and it was only a matter of time till he aquired them.

6- Considering the consequenses of a nuclear Iraq, (with full congressional support from the majority of Democrats) the US and it's allies launch an all-out attack on Saddam Hussein and the Republican Guard Army in Iraq easily defeating them in a matter of weeks causing Hussein to have to run and hide in a small hole in the ground until captured by US forces and later hanged to death following a fair trial by Iraqi's.

7- In the meantime, seeing what they believed to be an opportunity to take control of Iraq and drive the US out, Al Qaeda (Sunni) as well as Shiite Armies from Iran began to flood into Iraq from neighboring countries (like Syria). Bin Laden himself declared on many occasions that Iraq was the central battle against America, sending every available resourse into Iraq with the plan to cause a civil war and drive US forces out of Iraq. The war changed from a war against Iraq... to a war on terror, a war against Shiite radicals and Sunni radicals (Al Qaeda).
Yes, the same people who perpetrated the 9/11 attack on the US. The connection democrats have never made and refuse to admit exists.

8- Al Qaeda launced attacks on Shiite Mosques and civilians and in return Shiite radicals like the Hojjatieh attacked innocent Sunni's in the effort to creat the impression of a genuine civil war. It almost worked.

9- Democrats and the US media fell for the "hidden ball trick" and perpetuated the efforts to create that civil war by playing along here in the US.
Democrats turned against the effort and claimed we could never win, that this was Vietnam, that there was a civil war in Iraq and that we should pull out of Iraq immediately leaving it to Al Qaeda. (Exactly what Bin Laden wanted us to do) Violence increased, Al Qaeda and the Sadre Army battled each other via innocent civilians on each side... with suicide bombings, car bombings and IED's. The media ate it up. Many Democrats to this day refuse to admit Al Qaeda was even in Iraq, showing their complete lack of understanding and their losing track of "the ball'.

10- General David Petraeus took over command of forces in Iraq with a new strategy. The surge was born. US forces got the Al Sadre Army to draw down it's attacks against Al Qaeda and Sunni's relieving one side of the so called "civil war". The attacks by US forces were focused on Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda was crippled, then ultimately virtually defeated in their efforts and wiped out in Iraq. Al Qaeda forces then began to flee back to Afghanistan and other areas.

11- Iraq is becoming a free, stable, democratic friend to the US in the region... their economy is booming and they are currently building a large theme park in Bagdhad with the worlds largest ferris wheel... much to the dismay of Democrats, Obama, the liberal media and those who were cheering for a US defeat in Iraq who were certain they would get that defeat.

12- US forces in Afghanistan have been increased (and will continue to increase) as troops have been pulled out of Iraq, focusing on renewed activities by the Taliban and Al Qaeda in that country as a result of their (Al Qaeda's) failure in Iraq.

2- a We did not take our eye off the ball... what democrats failed to see is that the ball moved and we kicked the hell out of it... and still are.

UPDATE: 11/18/08- Iraq violence at lowest level since before the war, Iraq army taking over most provinces, Iraq economy growing strong, US military coming out and going to Afghanistan and home. Iraq has a chance for success.
God Bless America

Obama Outraged At Peace and Prosperity In Iraq

I had to laugh this morning at a radio ad by the Obama campaign which made the claim that we should be outraged that Iraq is considering building a giant ferris wheel as part of a theme park in Baghdad.
The ad also claims that we should all be outraged that Iraq has generated a $79billion surplus in it's budget.

These are the same people that not long ago said we should all be outraged at the never ending civil war in Iraq...that the war would never ever end... and now of course they are outraged about a theme park and a prospering economy?

LOL... sour grapes are so funny to watch.

How embarrasing for Democrats.
-red stater

Media and Left Need Remedial Ed on Al Qaeda in Iraq and 9/11

The media and the left are attempting to discredit Sarah Palin on her comments about Al Qaeda, Iraq and 9/11. Too bad they weren't paying attention to anything but the leftwing spin and not the facts.
Engram's Backtalk Blog sets them straight in plain terms and with undeniable facts. (link below)
This would be good reading for the NY Times, Washington Post, Sooner Thought, Okie Funk, Jihad Joe Biden, B Hussein and leftwing radicals in general... but then they (the far left) aren't interested in the facts are they?
Get Educated HERE

Violent Crime In Iraq Reaches Yearly LOW

Thursday, 06 December 2007

Task Force Marne Public Affairs An Iraqi Policeman questions a citizen of the Mada’in Qada, during a criminal investigation. Photo by 59th Military Police Company. FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — Iraqi Police in the Mada’in Qada recently reported yearly lows for violent crime to officers of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team (HBCT). The 3rd HBCT deployed to Iraq in March in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and has operated in the qada, southeast of Baghdad, throughout the deployment. Iraqi Police in the qada forward crime statistics to their Coalition Force partners at the end of each month. The statistics are compiled by police officers at the five police stations throughout the qada. For November, Iraqi Police reported eight murders and five kidnappings. This is a significant drop from the yearly high in May of 37 murders and 22 kidnappings. “In 2005 the Mada’in Qada had 355 murders. In 2006 the qada had 631 murders. This year we expect to have about 290 murders,” said Maj. David Fivecoat, from Delaware, Ohio, 3rd HBCT operations officer. “The downward trend in murders is due to several reasons: the work of the Soldiers of the 3rd HBCT, the development of over 3,000 Concerned Local Citizens, and the continued improvement of the Iraqi Police. The decrease in murders is a key indicator that safety and security are returning to the qada. It is an encouraging sign for its 1.2 million residents.” Capt. Liz Cain, 59th Military Police Company commander, attributes the drop in crime to improvements in the Iraqi Police, security, and the economy. She further explained that Concerned Local Citizen groups have contributed to the improving security situation. “These individuals are not only taking a stand against terrorists, but also against lawless behavior within their communities,” Cain said. Mada’in Iraqi Police District Commander, Brig. Gen. Adnan Jamad Kathim said through a translator, “misdemeanor crime decreased 40 percent, improvised explosive device incidents decreased 66 percent and car bombings decreased 100 percent from October.” Cain believes Iraqi Police training is a significant factor in the criminal activity decrease in the qada as well. Dozens of Policemen have attended the Ministry of Interior (MOI) investigative courses in Baghdad. “Recently, many Iraqi Policemen have been educated on crime scene procedures and evidence collection,” she said. “They have come back from the MOI investigative course with the ability to piece a case together.” When evidence and paperwork is collected and taken to the judge, Cain said, a warrant is issued for the arrest, or if the individual is already detained, he is permitted to be held pending a trial date. “The completion of this process and the actual convictions and jailing of criminals have increased the population’s trust in the Iraqi Police and encourages them to call the police at the first sign of suspicious behavior,” Cain said. “This trust between the populace and the Iraqi Police has grown and they have become partners in fighting crime. We can expect the crime levels to continue to drop.” The 59th MP Company is currently attached to the 3rd HBCT. The 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March

Temperature Reaches All Time Low

Somebody call "down below" and see if it has all frozen over.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

By Jerome L. Sherman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. John Murtha today said he saw signs of military progress during a brief trip to Iraq last week...

"I think the 'surge' is working," the Democrat said in a videoconference from his Johnstown office, describing the president's decision to commit more than 20,000 additional combat troops this year.

Of course Murtha's revelation which is about 3-6 months behind reality for the rest of us, is followed with about twenty "buts"... however one thing is clear, the democrats and AQI have lost the war in Iraq.
Global warming apparently has no effect on Satan's paradise, which as of now is closed due to extreme blizzard conditions.

Oklahoman Helps Net al Qaeda Weapons Smuggler

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, captured 13 suspected insurgents during a nighttime air assault mission in Sayafiyah, a small village outside of Salman Pak, Nov. 24.

One of the detainees was a high value individual (HVI), who was a member of al-Qaida in Iraq wanted for weapons smuggling and financing attacks on Coalition forces in Salman Pak and Al Ja’ara.

“According to our intelligence, the insurgent we apprehended was an expert bomb maker and VBID (vehicle borne improvised explosive device) maker,” said 1st Lt. Matthew Barwick, from Lanham, Md., fire support officer for Co. B. “By apprehending him, we have taken a very dangerous person off the streets and made the area safer.”

During the course of the operation Co. B Soldiers cleared eight houses and barns while searching for the suspects.

“The operation went perfectly,” said Spc. Lyle Johnson, from Comanche, Okla., an indirect fire specialist in Co. B. “We cleared all of our objectives and got the No. 1 HVI and 12 of his partners. We did all of this without firing a shot, so I’d say it was a good operation.”

The 1-15th Inf. Regt. is part of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

(By Spc. Ben Hutto, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)

In Other Recent Developments Here:

MOSUL — The Qayyarah Bridge, which spans the Tigris River in Iraq’s Nineveh Province, was repaired and opened to traffic just three days after a section was destroyed by a truck bomb, Nov. 23.

BAGHDAD — Based on a tip from a concerned citizen, Iraqi Security Volunteers in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah District led Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division to a building containing a large weapons cache, Nov. 24.

It's True: Iraq is a Quagmire !

Sunday, November 18, 2007

By Jack Kelly:

We're floundering in a quagmire in Iraq. Our strategy is flawed, and it's too late to change it. Our resources have been squandered, our best people killed, we're hated by the natives and our reputation around the world is circling the drain. We must withdraw...

No, I'm not channeling Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. I'm channeling Osama bin Laden, for whom the war in Iraq has been a catastrophe. Al-Qaida had little presence in Iraq during the regime of Saddam Hussein. But once he was toppled, al-Qaida's chieftains decided to make Iraq the central front in the global jihad against the Great Satan.

"The most important and serious issue today for the whole world is this third world war, which the Crusader-Zionist coalition began against the Islamic nation," Osama bin Laden said in an audiotape posted on Islamic Web sites in December 2004. "It is raging in the land of the Two Rivers. The world's millstone and pillar is Baghdad, the capital of the caliphate."

Jihadis, money and weapons were poured into Iraq. All for naught. Al-Qaida has been driven from every neighborhood in Baghdad, Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, the U.S. commander there, said Nov. 7. This follows the expulsion of al-Qaida from two previous "capitals" of its Islamic Republic of Iraq, Ramadi and Baquba.

Al-Qaida is evacuating populated areas and is trying to establish hideouts in the Hamrin mountains in northern Iraq, with U.S. and Iraqi security forces, and former insurgent allies who have turned on them, in hot pursuit. Forty-five al-Qaida leaders were killed or captured in October alone.

Al-Qaida's support in the Muslim world has plummeted, partly because of the terror group's lack of success in Iraq, more because al-Qaida's attacks have mostly killed Muslim civilians.

"Iraq has proved to be the graveyard, not just of many al-Qaida operatives, but of the organization's reputation as a defender of Islam," said StrategyPage.

Canadian columnist David Warren speculated some years ago that enticing al-Qaida to fight there was one of the reasons why President Bush decided to invade Iraq. The administration has made so many egregious mistakes that I doubt the "flypaper" strategy was deliberate. But it has worked out that way. It may have been a mistake for the United States to go to war in Iraq. But it's pretty clear now it was a blunder for al-Qaida to have done so.

You may not be aware of the calamities that have befallen al-Qaida, because our news media have paid scant attention to them.

"The situation has changed so unmistakably and so swiftly that we should be reading proud headlines daily," said Ralph Peters, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. "Where are they?"

Richard Benedetto was for many years the White House correspondent for USA Today. Now retired, he teaches journalism at American University in Washington, D.C.

When U.S. troop deaths hit a monthly high in April, that was front-page news in most major newspapers, Mr. Benedetto noted. But when U.S. troop deaths fell in October to their lowest levels in 17 months, that news was buried on page A-14 of The Washington Post and mentioned on Page A-12 in The New York Times. (The Post-Gazette put the story on the front page.)

"I asked the class if burying or ignoring the story indicated an anti-war bias on the part of the editors or their papers," Mr. Benedetto said. "While some students said yes ... most attributed the decision to poor news judgment. They were being generous."

Mr. Peters suspects the paucity of news coverage from Iraq these days is because "things are going annoyingly well."

Rich Lowry agrees. "The United States may be the only country in world history that reverse-propagandizes itself, magnifying its setbacks and ignoring its successes so that nothing can disturb what Sen. Joe Lieberman calls the 'narrative of defeat,' " he wrote in National Review.

If what Mr. Peters, Mr. Benedetto and Mr. Lowry suspect is true, it must have pained The Associated Press to see a correspondent write Wednesday: "The trend toward better security is indisputable." It'll be interesting to see which newspapers run the AP story, and where in the paper they place it.

"We've won the war in the real Iraq, but few people in America are familiar with anything other than its make-believe version," said the Mudville Gazette's "Greyhawk," a soldier currently serving his second tour in Iraq.

Jack Kelly:

Jack Kelly writes a nationally syndicated column, chiefly on national security issues.

Hat tip to mason at ACOC for the heads-up.
-red s tater

Bush: "Can You Hear Me Now"?

What was it they called General Petraeus during his report on the status of the Surge in Iraq?

Who was it that said to believe Petraeus would require "the willing suspension of disbelief"?

What political party aligned itself with defeat and firmly against the success of the US military?

FINALLY, some truth and good news boys and girls.
The news media is no longer able to carry the water for Democrats AND Al Qaeda at the same time.
Truth has a way of getting out (eventually), and Petraeus was spot-on accurate in his report to congress and America. In fact things have only gotten better for the US and Iraqis since then, to the point that many experts are saying that Al Qaeda is crippled and nearly defeated in Iraq.
The Washington Post (of all places) has the details and great news.

"There is widespread agreement that AQI has suffered major blows over the past three months. Among the indicators cited is a sharp drop in suicide bombings, the group's signature attack, from more than 60 in January to around 30 a month since July. Captures and interrogations of AQI leaders over the summer had what a senior military intelligence official called a "cascade effect," leading to other killings and captures. The flow of foreign fighters through Syria into Iraq has also diminished..."

Why do I say "of all places" the Washington Post?

It was just a few months ago (July 07) that they (along with Democrats in March of 07) refused to admit Al Qaeda was anywhere near Iraq. Iraq was just a big 'ol civil war and nothing else... remember? Well Engram at BackTalk certainly remembers and lays it all out. (worth the read)

No, the war is not over, but the single biggest obstacle to Iraq becoming that "Free and Democratic society and friend in the war on terror" (Bush definition of VICTORY) - AQI has been devastated by the US led SURGE plan and more reports are coming in that support the Petraeus Report and refute Democrats like Hillary Clinton and the moveon.orgers claim otherwise.
But nobody should get overconfident and claim total victory YET, Al Qaeda has proven in the past that it can bounce back from setbacks such as when top leaders have been killed etc. so there is a lot to yet be done... but it is getting done.

AQI has been trying to provoke a civil war (with bombings like the Golden Mosque) while also attacking US troops in the process, however the numbers now confirm that unless Al Qaeda has a big surge of it's own planned, they can forget about Iraq.

But what about all the uprising by Muslims as a result of the US so-called "occupation"? Remember we were just creating more terrorists and were just a recruiting tool for Bin Laden by being in Iraq. The latest Pew Poll suggests otherwise.

And what about Al Qaeda's method of suicide bombing... an unlimited supply of Martyrs ?


The Muslims are convinced, now all we have to do is convince the Democrats.
-red

*AQI- Al Qaeda in Iraq.


**With thanks to Engram at BackTalk for the images, charts, graphs and great work that he does.