Article

2007-04-25 Home Front: Politix

Democrats are taking ownership of a defeat in Iraq

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by ryuge 2007-04-25 07:57|| || Front Page|| [11126 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 "...most Sunni tribal sheikhs are now turning against al Qaeda and cooperating with coalition and Iraqi forces...because they have tired of being fodder for al Qaeda's strategy of fomenting a civil war with a goal of creating a Taliban regime in Baghdad, or at least in Anbar province. The sheikhs realize that they will probably lose such a civil war now that the Shiites are as well-armed as the insurgents and prepared to be just as ruthless. Their best chance for survival now lies with a democratic government in Baghdad."

The sheiks may realize it, but does the overall Sunni populace? As long as the populace sees anti-coalition "resisters" as heroic, what the sheikhs realize is meaningless. Can they persuade the populace?

Posted by Jules 2007-04-25 09:24|| 2007-04-25 09:24|| Front Page Top

#2 Jules: Does the Sunni populace believe this?

Posted by Excalibur 2007-04-25 09:54|| 2007-04-25 09:54|| Front Page Top

#3 Unfortunately, it's unlikely we will see an all-out slugfest between AQ and the Sunni populace, resulting in the elimination of the former and the devastation of the latter. That would lay the basis for progress in Iraq. The Sunnis in their current form cannot be a part of a normal Iraq.

Posted by Verlaine 2007-04-25 11:28|| 2007-04-25 11:28|| Front Page Top

#4 You know I really REALLY wish a reporter would ask the following question:
Senator, it seems that the entire Democratic Party is throwing in the towel with respect to Iraq, so how could they possibly support the troops when you have declared the mission they are performing a lost cause. It would seem that any progress in Iraq would be detrimental to your Partys cause, so how would your party handle any good news from Iraq?

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2007-04-25 13:44|| 2007-04-25 13:44|| Front Page Top

#5 The Democratic Party doesn't really want to take ownership of defeat in Iraq. They want to slash away at Bush's leadership, administration, and policies constantly but they don't want to offer anything except doom and gloom. If they were in the White House, the present conduct of the war would be fine.

Posted by JohnQC 2007-04-25 14:03|| 2007-04-25 14:03|| Front Page Top

#6 If they succed in in getting the US to retreat, the results will all be Bush's fault for going there in the first place. If only Bush had followed Kerry's secret plan from the start!

Posted by Bobby 2007-04-25 14:26|| 2007-04-25 14:26|| Front Page Top

#7 Good bumper sticker:

Defeat/Malaise/Despair
Vote Democrat in '08

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-04-25 14:32|| 2007-04-25 14:32|| Front Page Top

#8 Make that Malaise/Despair/Defeat

Wouldn't want anyone to think they are going to fight AGAINST Malaise and Despair would you? The Dems managed to convince many people that the Republicans were responsible for the loss in Vietnam (after all Nixon and Ford were in charge near the end). They are now hoping if they can create failure BEFORE a Dem is president it will be blamed on Bush.

After all nobody blames Congress for voting for the war, or voting for the Patriot Act or any number of things they did and now rail against.

Posted by rjschwarz 2007-04-25 14:56|| 2007-04-25 14:56|| Front Page Top

#9 Excalibur-Not sure I understand what you are asking. What does "this" refer to?

There seem to be two contradictory operating principles for many Iraqis:

1) American and coalition soldiers are legitimate targets of resistance; to attack them is to restore the dignity of Iraqis. While I (Joe Iraqi) won't personally attack, I have sympathy and discretion for those that do.

2) We Iraqis are tired of Al Qaeda and insurgents of any stripe killing us.

My point is-who is getting Iraqis to think clearly about the consequences of the first principle? How is that being communicated or even addressed at all?

Posted by Jules 2007-04-25 17:37|| 2007-04-25 17:37|| Front Page Top

#10 Cyber Sarge - never happen, most 'journalists' view themselves as the PR division of the Democratic party.

Posted by DMFD 2007-04-25 19:30|| 2007-04-25 19:30|| Front Page Top

23:39 JosephMendiola
23:31 DMFD
23:29 JosephMendiola
23:26 DMFD
23:25 JosephMendiola
23:24 DMFD
23:24 ryuge
23:22 USN, ret.
23:22 Zenster
23:19 DMFD
23:13 CrazyFool
23:11 Zenster
22:59 JosephMendiola
22:59 USN, ret.
22:54 JosephMendiola
22:47 ryuge
22:44 Anguper Hupomosing9418
22:36 JosephMendiola
22:30 Zenster
22:25 JosephMendiola
22:23 JosephMendiola
22:22 JosephMendiola
22:22 JosephMendiola
22:14 Flagum Gonque3645