Why Didn't We Know This About Iraq?

Besides the monumental things happening in Iraq, the insurgents are making headway in inciting the Iraqi people into civil war. Each area, town has it's own religious population and as a result, the police in those areas are of the same religion. Insurgents attack mosques of one minority religion in a majority area and the fighting begins. Our exit will only serve to free those police and malitias to battle each other and we'll be blamed for the slaughter that will follow. Damned if we do and damned if we don't.

if we don't look beyond the mainstream media for our "information". IMO, long ago it was decided for us that rather than simply give us the facts (being as how we are all so freaking dumb) we should instead receive a sensationalist factoid or 2 along with some strikingly biased commentary.

In this instance, by biased I do not necessarily mean or imply anything deliberately politically or morally right or left wing (except as that may be inherent in the p&p below). I do mean that the presuppositions and perspective of the "reporter" and/or the "editor" determine the content of the "news" commentary.

I highly resent this, btw. I am far from "dumb" or "stupid", and fully capable of interpreting the facts for myself, from within the framework of my own presuppostions and perspective!

Dawg:

I recently heard that John McCain wants to improve our country's image in the world. Now, to keep it brief as much as I can, he's proposing things that give the blatent impression that we are weak. this will only hurt us in the long run. The opinion of us as viewed by the "World Community" such as it is will never be rosy no matter how many milions of their people we feed or the billions of our dollars we give to their Governments in aid.

The mainstream media reports will always be negative and they will only report the news that for them is fit to print. As for the interpretation, they and their political idealogues feel that we the American people are too stupid to know and choose what's best for ourselves.

they want the people to think that nothing good is happening in Iraq and that our efforts are a failure and instead of reporting on the positive progress, they stick to negative reports and repeated claims of lies by this administration on the same intel that was held and dissiminated by the previous administration but never acted upon.

What disgusts me the most is that they do this out of pure hatred for one political party, this country and the contempt of it's citizens, and the ignorance on not realizing that if this country is turned into an Islamic Caliphate, there will be NO freedom for anyone and they will also be put to death along with the others who refuse to convert to Islam.

to the daily bloodletting that takes place in Iraq. I know that we are doing good things like what you've outlined above, but daily suicide bombers, death squads and the like are an undeniable truth that we have more work to do there.

How can Iraqis have a normal life if that exists? Sure, we're helping them rebuild their nation, but the bottom line is Iraqis need to use that military to protect their own country. They're slow in standing up.

The media is focused only on the bad news for sure, but thats because there is plenty of it coming out of Iraq. Its not isolated incidences either. You can't put lipstick on it and call it a success at this point. Its sad, but true.

The US deserves the world perception that we mismanaged the war. We did. I think we can get back on track if given more time. I don't know if Congress will allow it, but the new leadership in place now is our best last chance.

I can't blame this on the media. As long as people are dying on a daily basis because of the war, thats more newsworthy. Sure, theres a school that was built that kids are going to, but they might get blown up on the way to class.

AV

We had the perfect opportunity in Desert Storm to get rid of Saddam, but we didn't. I always thought the reason was that Bush Sr. didn't expect Saddam to remain in power and that he would be overthrown by the Iraqis. Bush Sr. also knew that there would be no easy exit strategy.

I don't hold out any hope that we will finish the job this time either given the current climate in Washington. Who doesn't want to get out of Iraq, but I think we need to give our new defense secretary and commanders some time to see if they can turn it around. They are the best. There are very high stakes here and we can't afford to leave that country in chaos or it will come back to us in spades. Yes, maybe even on American soil.

AV

First, regime change in Iraq became the focus AFTER the 91 Gulf War. George H.W. Bush was not permitted to allow the troops to advance into Baghdad and remove Saddam due to the directives stated in the U.N. resolution. I already explained that but it's clear you don't pay attention.

There is NO LEADERSHIP from the Democrat party. What do call the very statements publically made by ranking Democrats before they regained their majority leadership in the Congressional House and those same words are repeated by the terrorist leaders and relayed by the mainscream media and all the leftist news organizations outside this country? Wake up man!

What do you call withdrawing and defunding the military? There has been progress...POSITIVE PROGRESS but it's not reported by the mainscream media which is subject of this post! don't you get it yet?

Nancy Pelosi, Majority house speaker flies to Syria to meet with Bashar Assad against the advisement of the President to tell him to stop supporting terrorism. You call that leadership? She neither respects the will of the people nor the President.

You're howling about Osama Bin Laden and Mullah Omar still being on the loose. Excuse me but your favorite President Bill Clinton had multiple opportunities to get Bin Laden Presented by the Sudanese on a proverbial silver platter and he PASSED ON THEM ALL!

Answer the why on that one.

The stain on our reputation(as if any Americans really give a damn) is Viet Nam, Mogadishu Somalia and Lebanon. You've got the present day Democrats and leftist looking back fondly on Viet Nam and the people frantically trying to board the last chopper perched atop the embassy. I remember that scene cause I saw it on Tv myself.

Want to turn this thing around? okay.
load up the bombers with every available 1.1 and 1.2 munititons item short of thermonuclear and carpetbomb the areas of Iraq where known insurgency thrives. Keep it going for at minimum a week. when the smoke clears I doubt you'll find many islamic radicals willing to die for their twisted belief. They'll be thinking twice and so will Mahmoud Amadinejad and Bashar Assad.

If the American people are tired of the war it is the leftists and those who watch the mainscream press. They don't care to listen to the opinions and wishes of the Americans who have sons,daughters,husbands,fathers serving in the military and actually in harms way and being affected by the policies of the duly elected Democrat congress. They don't care about the opinions of the veterans and families of those who have died in defense of this country so if you feel the American paople are tired of this war, it would serve a better purpose to designate WHO actually is for surrendering and appeasing the enemy.

I hope they really like Islam too cause they will in the end be forced to imbrace and convert to it at the point of a sword with no negotiation.

AV wrote, "The Democrat's actions are the result of the elections in November. The American people are tired of this war. Its been 4 years of American bloodshed with little progress."

We are winning. Insurgencies always take longer. Successful insurgencies last a few years. Failed insurgencies last more than a decade. To win the people must elect their own government. They have done so. To win the Iraqi government must be seen as securing the country and successfully combating the insurgents. We must do what we can to make sure the Iraqis get the credit. That is happening.

"Much of the blame for this has to go to Donald Rumsfeld and GWB's stay the course policy."

The strategy is right and the tactics are adjusted based upon their success, failure and enemy actions.

"I think if we give it a last try with new leadership, it may yield some results."

In war we don't "give it a last try". We must be in it for the win.

"But, it may be too late to fix because Democrats will cut off the funding."

No big deal. The Democrats can look to their own history. When they cut off funding for the Vietnam war more than two million people were murdered in Vietnam and Cambodia. They did not pay a price then and I suspect they will not pay a price this time. It still makes them evil but evil is okay unless it interferes with "American Idol" or other tragedy TV.

"We've always been there for the world community in their time of need, but the Iraq war will always be a huge stain on our reputation unless we can turn it around.

Yeah. Freeing 25 million people from a tyrannical dictator will be seen as a huge stain. The serious problem will come after the Democrats succeed in helping the Islamofascists defeat us. It will not end the war. It will merely move the theater of operations to the United States. They have said they are in it to destroy us and Israel. I take them at their word.

"Somehow, we need to turn it around."

The war on terrorists with a global reach and a global agenda will be fought for a very long time. Iraq is an important battlefield. If we are defeated there it will be evidence to the Islamofascists that their god has handed them the victory. The Democrat party leadership will not get the credit they deserve. Then the war will move on to its next phase, fueled by more oil money. The war will not be over but is likely to turn far bloodier and will occur right here in the US.

Ok, maybe my statement that "Regime change in Iraq had been on the menu since the Gulf war when GWB Sr. didn't go in and get rid of him and Clinton did nothing" should have said "Regime change in Iraq had been on the menu after the Gulf war when GWB Sr. didn't go in and get rid of him and Clinton did nothing." Are you happy now?

I never said I agree with Democrats in my post. I'm not a Democrat. I'm a disgusted Republican. Democrats have control of Congress now because the American voters are tired of GWB and the war. Do I agree with Dems cutting off funding? No. I said "I think if we give it a last try with new leadership, it may yield some results. But, it may be too late to fix because Democrats will cut off the funding."

That said, we have to turn the Iraq war around. We didn't have enough troops to begin with and if we did, things might be alot different now. Donald Rumsfield mismanaged this war and Bush let him do it with his stay the course policy and misplaced loyalties. Thank God that Rumsfield was replaced by Robert Gates, the man I think can turn the situation around, if the Dems don't cut off the money.

If we don't turn the war around, it will be another stain on America's reputation just like Vietnam, if not worse. The good things that are happening there pale in comparison to the daily bloodlettings.

AV

Now that Donald Rumsfield is gone. I think his leadership was totally wrong. We didn't have enough troops and no plan for the aftermath of the war.

I say this is our last try because Democrats now control the purse and the mood in the country is to pullout. Robert Gates is an exceptional man that I think can produce the kind of results in the short term that may prevent the Dems from cutting the budget.

Its a Herculean task to say the least. I agree that it will not be pretty if we pullout, but that is what the American people voted for by electing Democrats. Personally, I think we should give the new leadership a chance to work. I hope the Dems won't cut funding for the war.

What is Nancy Pelosi doing with Syria anyway? Is she on a freaking shopping trip? She thinks she is seeking peace but all she is doing is sending mixed signals to the people that want to see us dead. United we stand, divided we fall.

As you say, this war is going to take a long time. I don't know if America has the commitment to do that. It was never presented to the American people as a longterm commitment. I hope we do, because the consequences are great. Now, we have some excellent leadership in place and that is hopeful to me.

AV

Our mission was:

1. To depose Saddam Hussein -- accomplished
2. To find weapons of mass destruction -- fabricated
3. To be greeted as liberators -- neo-conmen's pipe dream
4. To pay the bill with petroleum revenues -- paid with increased petroleum costs instead

1. It is intended to undermine the world's perception of the United States thus minimizing consequent support, and

2. It is intended to discourage American citizens.

"So?"