Nov 21 2006
Just Win Baby
The handwringers are out in force, and making as little sense as usual. They see no solution because, quite frankly, they are incapable of coordinating a campaign as complex and challenging as Iraq. Take like Jed Babbin for example:
According to the Post’s report, the options being studied are encapsulated by the nickname given it: go big, go long or go home.
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The political base on which Nouri al-Maliki’s government depends includes al-Sadr himself. With Maliki there, it makes no sense to “go big” because he would continue to thwart efforts aimed at al-Sadr’s force. And aiming to replace Maliki with some “strongman” is what we tried in Vietnam. An even worse result would obtain in Baghdad than did in Saigon.
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To “go long” means we’d have to stay in Iraq indefinitely. Unless we were willing to destroy large sections of big cities without caring about civilian casualties (which we neither should nor would), we’d be taking on a longer task than the American people and its president are disposed to perform.
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There is no victory in Baghdad. It lies in Tehran and Damascus. Let’s make it simple: win or come home. Every American president has a sacred obligation to our troops: spend their lives if you have to, but don’t waste them. No more should be spent creating democracies.
Babbin is one of those who can find reasons not to act. It is a sad gift everyone can excel at. I can find a million reasons not to get up everyday and strive to make progress. So I am not impressed with the naysayers. The fact is we can succeed. War is an act of will. That is why you don’t see the ‘win’ coming until it has passed by. So we will not see the point when things tilt our way until after it happens. It is the element of a war that makes it so dynamic – and why will power wins.
To win you keep setting objectives, succeed on them, and get to the next set of objectives. You know, if you keep succeeding as we have in Iraq, there will be a tipping point when the enemy has had too many setbacks. The wind will die out of their sails.
The Maliki government has not been in place for as much time as Clinton had to lose Congress to the Republicans. The impatient ones are just illustrating why we don’t want them in leadership roles having to do something HARD – they have no stamina. We need to give the Iraqis a reasonable shot at winning this. We owe it to them and those who died to get us to this point. Babbin and the handwringers are the ones who are wasting lives by contemplating surrender. Political pressure should be something any true patriot could withstand, given what our troops are withstanding on the ground. Rally the country folks – don’t whine about how hard it is from your padded chair here in the US.
We have our sights on Al Qaeda’s most prized possession, and we have the local Sunni Shieks on our side in winning that prize. It is Ramadi – the selected capitol city of Bin Laden’s modern Caliphate. If our Iraqi allies can gain and keep control of Ramadi then Al Qaeda will have basically lost its capitol city – and the stink of defeat will ripple through the Jihadists. Al Qaeda has had one big success and numerous losses. Since their hayday of 9-11 we have shown them that, when threatened, we are not weak. Yes, some are weak – let them cower behind their “Bush Lied” signs. It is their way of dealing with fear.
What we need to focus on is pushing Al Qaeda and Islamo Fascism into corners where their final defeat can be witnessed by Muslims – many of whom are now experiencing Democracy after a brutal dictator or Islamo-Fascist state (The Taliban). If we decide to lose Iraq, lose our will, we will only be opening up a new stage in the war. The Islamo-Fascists will celebrate, their ranks will swell and they will poor into Europe. And then we will have to fight again, now with a much bigger problem. So there is no going home folks. None. Not until Islamo Fascism has burned itself out as a viable path for the Muslims.
Update: Hitchens is on the same wavelength when he warns James Baker is not someone America should listen to on Foriegn Policy.
Update: More to digest over at Powerline from Michael Ledeen who accurately points out we cannot view Iraq in isolation of the greater, Mid East wide war on Islamo Fascism. To do so would be to come to dangerously wrong conclusions.
In Lebanon the Christian leader of the parliament was killed last night. We think that Syria or Iran is going to help us with this project, who are we kidding? Diplomacy as we knew it doesn’t work any more. We have nothing in this war to trade but bombs. Look at Lebanon, the UN got involved and it does nothing but buy time diplomatically until the bad guys get stronger and then they strike again, bigger then the time before. We need to stay in Iraq until people want to stop being killed. In the world that we live in the State Department is good for handing out money. Diplomacy does not work against Islamic murders.
I don’t know if President Bush can tell the truth like Ledeed can because he then tips his hand as to what he knows, and he speaks as the head of state. I’m sure he knows, it is how do you keep the troops where we need them for this war when the dems can’t see the forest through the trees. The dems must know from private hearings what the situation is but they choose to ignore it. Abazaid was here and they could have asked any questions in private session, he has a good overview. It is so frustrating to see something so clearly and have the dems ignore the peril.
Maybe, just maybe the murderers will over play their hand and wake up the dems before they demand we pull the troops. Lebanon today was an example of over playing their hand. Shelling of Israel is another.
here is another headline from the Free-Republic.com that should have the Europeans a little nervous—-“Grenade explodes in Serb classroom in Kosovo,” Al Quada is operating in Kosovo in connection with the mafia. The Albanians are trying to establish an Islamic state in Kosovo and run the Serbs out. Hollbrook, missed spelled, Clintons great ambassador is helping the Kosovors. He thinks he knows it all, old time diplomacy that doesn’t work any more, a real know it all jerk.
I just listened to Bolton, it is obvious that Bush does not have any illusions about Iran and Syria being helpful. I hope Baker is smarter then he was in the past.
From “counterterrorismblog.org” is a must read—
On Iraq: Listen carefully to General Abizaid
By Walid Phares
AJ, you are so right. Naysayers are pathetic…and many of George 41’s group are just that.. and this: status quo seekers…or how did Baker say it…”stability….Hah!
I am sad so many do not trust George W. Bush…He has done nothing but earn our complete trust, much through his own personal sacrifice. What does this say about our country? A country of supreme narcissists who really dig the likes of the clintons?
For those who sat home or voted democrat, I have one thing to say: I want you to look into the eyes of your children and grandchildren and tell them why you did what you did….to them. They are the only ones for which the so-called “punishment” effect will matter. And this goes for the Newt Gingriches and all the rest of the republicans running for President who undermined our sitting and duly elected President…at our expense. Just wanted to get that off my chest!
And Kathie, I have another view of the left: they KNOW this is a bold and exciting plan from the President. They do not want him to succeed at anything because it threatens their complete return to power. Mark my words….it is not about principle. It is about power. Period. If John Kennedy were putting forth the Bush Doctrine, the Left and it’s mouthpieces a.k.a. antique media, would be hailing it as the greatest vision EVER in history!
Baker was instrumental in tanking Bush père’s re-election. Why he’s allowed access is unfathomable.
We need to lay off Baker until we actually know what is in that report. Baker is not calling for troop withdrawal and the truth is Rumsfeld had just enough to do with realpolitick in the past as Baker did. Baker did not ruin Bush1 and it was not Bush2 who asked for the commission at all, it was Congress. And Baker was also close to Ronald Reagan. I am not a huge fan of his but then again I know the man is not a commie or anything. He is a perfectly reasonable person. And Rudy Gulliani is also a part of this thing.
I do not know where this stuff about surrendering is coming from. Powerline needs to back off until they have some facts and so do Hitch and Ladeen. They are just scared they will lose influence. Lately all they do is complain and if they are not complaining about Baker they are complaining about Condi Rice.
Somehow they have gotten the idea that Baker wants to split Iraq between Iran and Syria and leave and I have heard nothing from the man himself or from Bush that would lead me to believe that is true. In fact I read that the report says that U.S. failure in Iraq could have negative repercussions all over the world. The fact that it includes some reference to dealing with Syria and Iran is not surprising, after all they border Iraq, we can not very well ignore them.
The other day Blair gave a speech in which he said that if Iran gave up its nuclear ambitions and laid off Iraq and stop causing trouble then they could be helpful in the ME, well the press ran with the last part of the sentence the blogs went nuts. Blair surrenders. sheesh.
People need to ease up here and wait and see what is in that report. And even if they do not like everything that it is in that report there might be parts of it they can use which will give moderate Democrats the cover they need to get on board. It could also be that if it as bad some people fear Bush will just refuse to even entertain the notion. But what annoys me is the fact that people seem to think they already know the answers. They do not. We will however, soon enough.
Sometimes I wonder about the pundits and the blogs, whether the subject is Iraq or Foley or Dubai or Baker they tend to go off the deep end before they really have all the facts.
Strata
“So we will not see the point when things tilt our way until after it happens.”
You’ve seen quite a few “tilts our way” for three years that turned out to be mirages in the Iraqi and Virginia deserts. Never fessn’ up,
either…like your hero Cheney on his “last throes” mirage.
Maliki ….”losing” Baghdad to ethnic cleansing is a little more
poignant than Clinton losing Congress to the GOP. Course when
you came to power via Shia militias (read death squads to Sunnis-
who have their own of course, both being anti-American as
well) it’s not likely you’re going to tame them.
And those “weak sould” cowering behind “Bush Lied” signs?
Guess how that looks to a desperate, childlike believer in
father-figure/dear leader. He couldn’t have lied, just like
Daddy couldn’t have cheated on Mommy.
Kathie
“Lebanon today was an example of over playing their (Syria’s ) hand.”
Gee, I heard that said after the Hariri assassination (not
agreeing or denying it did it.) Assad was suppose to be a goner
by now. Instead he’s throwing his weight around stronger than ever.
And Kathie, you could have ended your sentence re Bush with
“truth.”
Terrye
Got to give you credit, man. Would have bet Baker’s F*** the
Jews alleged epithet would have put you off permanently.
You can bet it did Hitchens and Ledeen, at least the fact
Baker is a few shades less enamoured of neocon priorities
than acceptable.