One place the Surge is working

[BT]

One place the Surge is working

I am not in Iraq. I have no idea if the Surge is working overseas. But back home, the Surge seems to be working. The latest New York Times/CBS News poll shows a small surge in American public support of the war.


Asked if military action in Iraq was right or wrong, 42% said right, 51% said wrong.

That?s up from the 35/61 split in May. This would indicate the public could come back around.

Asked if U.S. efforts in Iraq are going well or badly, the split was 32/61 ? up from 25/74 in May.

Of course, the public is in a lousy position to judge the war. The Tet offense devastated the Viet Cong military, but was a public relations disaster for the Republic of Vietnam and the American military.

Al-Qaeda?s success rests solely in outlasting American will because it cannot withstand American might.

http://blogs.dailymail.com/donsurber/2007/07/23/one-place-the-surge-is-working/

[Michael Tee]

<<Al-Qaeda?s success rests solely in outlasting American will because it cannot withstand American might.>>

It's not really al Qaeda you're fighting in Iraq, but otherwise, you got it.  That's the rock on which all your crimes will founder.  The Iraqis will always be there.  You won't.

[Christians4LessGvt]

SURGE Success
July 25, 2007
by Bob Parks

Listening to Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and their Mainstream Media parrots, one wouldn't think so, but The Surge is not only working, we have both the insurgents and our anti-war types on the run?.

It's now quite clear how the results of the surge will be dealt with by domestic opponents of the Iraq war.

They're going to be ignored.

They're being ignored now. Virtually no media source or Democratic politician (and not a few Republicans, led by Richard "I can always backtrack" Lugar) is willing to admit that the situation on the ground has changed dramatically over the past three months. Coalition efforts have undergone a remarkable reversal of fortune, a near-textbook example as to how an effective strategy can overcome what appear to be overwhelming drawbacks.

The surge is more of a refinement than a novelty. Earlier Coalition efforts were not in error as much as they were incomplete. American troops would clean out an area, turn it over to an Iraqi unit, and depart. The Jihadis would then push out the unseasoned Iraqis and return to business. This occurred in Fallujah, Tall Afar, and endless times in Ramadi.

Now U.S. troops are remaining on site, which reassures the locals and encourages cooperation. The Jihadis broke (and more than likely never knew) the cardinal rule of insurgency warfare, that of being a good guest. As Mao put it, "The revolutionary must be as a fish among the water of the peasantry." The Jihadis have been lampreys to the Iraqi people. Proselytizing, forcing adaptation of their reactionary creed, engaging in torture, kidnapping, and looting. Arabic culture is one in which open dealings, personal loyalty, and honor are at a premium. Violate any of them, and there is no way back. The Jihadis violated them all. The towns and cities of Iraq are no longer sanctuaries.

It's a shame that we'll not hear about this in our media or from our woefully uninformed (and/or lying) politicians in Washington, who've based so much of their political goals on the defeat of the United States; that withdrawal (losing) is their top priority.

Winning their seat at the table of power is everything; success on the ground to them is something they can't and won't allow to happen.

[Michael Tee]

<<The Jihadis broke (and more than likely never knew) the cardinal rule of insurgency warfare, that of being a good guest. As Mao put it, "The revolutionary must be as a fish among the water of the peasantry." The Jihadis have been lampreys to the Iraqi people. Proselytizing, forcing adaptation of their reactionary creed, engaging in torture, kidnapping, and looting. Arabic culture is one in which open dealings, personal loyalty, and honor are at a premium. Violate any of them, and there is no way back. The Jihadis violated them all. The towns and cities of Iraq are no longer sanctuaries.>>

There's probably something in that, and the Americans were smart enough to exploit it.  Although they themselves have indulged in torture, kidnapping, rape and murder, they could outbid their al Qaeda rivals on something the local Sunni leadership wanted and needed - - money, guns and air support.

Maybe al Qaeda took too much for granted.  Now it remains to be seen - - can they mend fences with the local Sunni leaders and convince them that their brand of torture, rape, looting and murder is better than the Americans' brand?  Can they mend their behaviour to the locals' satisfaction?  Or is this just a control struggle?  I think it's the latter, and the Sunni locals just don't want to cede control of the Resistance to a bunch of foreigners and fanatics.  I think it's too bad these people can't put aside their differences until after the Americans have been driven out, but it seems to be a classic weakness of Arabs to fight amongst themselves while a bigger enemy waits in the wings to reap the spoils of a "divide and conquer" tactic.  If it works again, the Arabs will have no one to blame but themselves.

[BT]

It's just a pendulum swing Mikey. AQ will just have to try harder to win the hearts and minds of americans.

[_JS]

Of course, the public is in a lousy position to judge the war. The Tet offense devastated the Viet Cong military, but was a public relations disaster for the Republic of Vietnam and the American military.

Al-Qaeda's success rests solely in outlasting American will because it cannot withstand American might.

What does this have to do with al-Qaeda? They are a rather minor faction in the war in Iraq.

I hear the reference to the Tet offensive quite often anymore. Actually, Tet had three goals according to General Giap and only failed in achieving one of those goals. This idea that the Tet Offensive was a basic battle to capture territory and that the United States easily defeated the NVA and Vietcong militarily is exactly the kind of World War II style thinking that led us into that stupid conflict in the first place.

First, some of the battles of Tet lasted from late January 1968 into 1969. So the idea that it was a joke should not be maintained. Yes, there were areas where the Vietnamese were driven back in a matter of days, but other areas took months. Also, the Vietnamese put so much pressure on the urban areas that the were able to take control (both militarily and psychologically) of large areas of the South Vietnamese countryside. That proved to be a huge advantage as the war progressed in 1969 through to 1975.

Second, the CIA and other defense intelligence agencies absolutely did not believe that the Vietnamese and especially the Vietcong could coordinate such a massive attack on such a large scale. We were caught with our proverbial pants down. In many ways we lost Tet, not only because of the overused cliche about the "people at home" but also militarily. It wasn't just civilians who thought we were winning in 1968, it was soldiers and even the top brass. The Pentagon thought that its plans in the war were not only going to lead to victory, but were well on the way.

This idea that we actually were winning (and with some kind of relative ease) until the North Vietnamese pulled off an amazing media coup with the American public is a gross revisionist view of reality. I really hate that it is being used to perpetuate Iraq.

[BT]

What does this have to do with al-Qaeda? They are a rather minor faction in the war in Iraq.

Regardless, the poll numbers are shifting.

[Christians4LessGvt]

the poll numbers will continue to improve as the truth as shown in the video below gets out

http://www.dvidshub.net/vjump.php?vid=26736

[Xavier_Onassis]

Truth?

It's Defense Dept. propaganda.

They even chose a Black soldier. I guess they were out of Puerto Rican Black women of a sufficient rank.

The thing that is omitted is how much this is costing in dollars and lives... soldiers who will be brain damaged for the next 60 years, the millions of dollars per day. For the cost of this stupid war, all of us could have health care, New Orleans could be the approximatre elevation of St. Louis, if not Denver.

Look at what Vietnam cost. This war is bogus.

[BT]

It's Defense Dept. propaganda.

They even chose a Black soldier. I guess they were out of Puerto Rican Black women of a sufficient rank.

Do you have proof the pentagon is behind folks like Yon and Totten?

And the cost of automobiles on highways in lives and treasure dwarfs the cost of the Iraqi War.

Driving is bogus.

[Michael Tee]

<<Regardless, the poll numbers are shifting.>>

It's a long war, BT.  The poll numbers will shift again when the Resistance gets in another good blow.  The overall trend is downwards; it would be better if there weren't any sudden spikes in the numbers as they steadily sink lower and lower, but we all gotta have some reverses sometime.  I remember the same thing from Viet Nam, generally good news about the progress of the Revolution, but every so often some "good news" found by the Americans, causing a brief, temporary spike in their ever-declining fortunes.  As disheartening as the spike was, I just had to keep on believing in the ultimate victory of the Revolutionary forces and in the end, they came through.

[BT]

It's a long war, BT. 

Certainly.

Seems to be race between the Iraqi's distates for violent upheaval and their preference for normalcy and the complete breaking of the will of the American People to help bring normalcy about and more importantly to be willing to sit back and let the slaughter and genocide continue.

Time will tell which side prevails.

[Michael Tee]

<<Seems to be race between the Iraqi's distates for violent upheaval and their preference for normalcy and the complete breaking of the will of the American People to help bring normalcy about and more importantly to be willing to sit back and let the slaughter and genocide continue.>>

"Normalcy" in the form of permanent subservience to the U.S., Great Britain and Israel?  Some see it as normal, some don't.  Gonna be a long war, BT.  And I sure as hell hope you fail.

[Christians4LessGvt]

nearly 50K soldiers have re-enlisted just since oct
they would not be doing this if it was as bad as the Treasonrats claim.



http://www.dvidshub.net/vjump.php?vid=26589

pray for our brave soldiers

[BT]

"Normalcy" in the form of permanent subservience to the U.S., Great Britain and Israel?

Nice try Commie Boy.

How about normalcy in the sense of being able to go to market without worrying about being kidnapped beheaded shot or mutilated by competing gangs of thugs or militias.