As the Democratic campaign continues on and on and on, one key issue is never being talked about, and that is Iraq. Hillary, Barack and all of the other Democratic candidates said they will pull out of Iraq shortly after coming to office. This position could be considered viable a short time ago, but the times are changing in Iraq.
Recently Anthony Cordesman, a man who said in 2006 that there was no chance of Iraq becoming stable had this to say, "No one can spend some 10 days visiting the battlefields in Iraq without seeing major progress in every area. ... If the U.S. provides sustained support to the Iraqi government -- in security, governance, and development -- there is now a very real chance that Iraq will emerge as a secure and stable state." -- Anthony Cordesman, "The Situation in Iraq: A Briefing from the Battlefield," Feb. 13, 2008. Seized Al-Qaeda letters also said the Anbar awakening,"created panic, fear and the unwillingness to fight" . He describes how his force of 600 men turned into 20.The deaths of civilians and soldiers are going down. Sectarian violence is down, the economy is up, local leaders are starting to cooperate with the U.S and get rid of the terrorists. The situation is by no means perfect, but it also can't be said that it's so bad that the U.S can't possibly win.
Unfortunately, Joseph Lieberman says this is exactly what is going on, stating, "Democrats have remained emotionally invested in a narrative of defeat and retreat in Iraq." Their position is that since there hasn't been sufficient 'national reconciliation' the U.S.A has to go. Is this really a defensible position? Could the Democrats honestly expect that a country so divided could re conciliate on a national scale so quickly? Is that really a reason to send the troops home? It's working so far on a local level, and it will continue to do so on a national level, but it will take some time.
Charles Krauthammer asks,"Are the Democrats so intent on denying George Bush retroactive vindication for a war they insist is his that they would deny their own country a now achievable victory?" Let's hope that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton can take a brave stance on this issue, and bring change within their party base. The Iraqi people have said," Yes we can", can the Democrats?
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/02/democrats_unwavering_in_the_fa.html
Krauthammer article
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article3346386.ece
Al Qaeda going down the tubes
Sunday, February 24, 2008
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