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2004-01-09 Caucasus

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Posted by Dan Darling 2004-01-09 12:22:54 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 GW has his own problems, wherein Iraq looks more like Chechnya and less like Vietnam every day.

Posted by john 2004-1-9 10:29:42 AM|| 2004-1-9 10:29:42 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 In Chechnya they're not rounding up the head cheeses. Maskhadov, Basayev, Gelayev and Abu Walid should all be dead or in custody by now, as should the members of the Shura Council. Instead, they screw around chasing cannon fodder. In Iraq, we're chasing after the leadership of an entire army - not a very good army, it's true, but still an army - and a political leadership that was deeply tied to terrorism, both organizationally and philosophically. We've been at it for eight months now. I'd say we're doing pretty well, and the reason we're doing so is our intelligence collection and dissemination.

Posted by Fred 2004-1-9 10:39:38 AM|| 2004-1-9 10:39:38 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Point taken.

I still think Chechnya is a vision of what Iraq could potentially become, even as the continuing failure of the Russians to eradicate terrorists in Chechnya demonstrates islamist success by default. In jihad, struggle is more important than accomplishment. The ultimate victory in jihad is failure: defacto martyrdom. The more successful we are in Iraq, the more glorious the failure.

Big media compare Iraq to what they think they remember about Vietnam because they know even less about Chechnya.

Posted by john 2004-1-9 1:35:28 PM|| 2004-1-9 1:35:28 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 John - Iraq would become like Chechnya if we handed it over to the Russians to run. As there is no likelyhood of this, Iraq will not become Chechnya. Compare the Russian and US experience in Afghanistan. Somewhat different don't you think.

Otherwise you are on the money in your comment about 'big media'

Posted by phil_b 2004-1-9 4:16:20 PM|| 2004-1-9 4:16:20 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 It's a quagmire! Big media don't compare Iraq to Chechnya for the same reason they don't compare the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to our invasion. They don't like to showcase US strength. They prefer reliving the Vietnam experience, when the US tucked it's tail and ran.

Posted by B 2004-1-9 6:06:53 PM|| 2004-1-9 6:06:53 PM|| Front Page Top

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