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2007-09-25 Iraq
Totten: "Al Qaeda Lost"
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Posted by Frank G 2007-09-25 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11126 views ]  Top
 File under: Iraqi Insurgency 

#1 Like any news outlet besides blogs will let this see the light of day.
Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader  2007-09-25 00:21||   2007-09-25 00:21|| Front Page Top

#2 No, its premature to say that AQ has lost. HOTAIR > NORTH KOREA TRAINING SYRIAN MISSLE ENGINEERS. Poster asks what iff NK is deliber specializing in LIGHTWIEGHT, MAN-PORTABLE?, LOW-YIELD? MINI/MICO-NUKES? Read - becuz larger more potent indigenous NK designs will make China angry. IN ANY CASE, IFF TRUE ABOUT MINI/MICRO-NUKES THEN WOT JUST GOT MORE DANGEROUS. Catalyst for use of high-yield, wide area CHEM-BIO TERROR just arrived - DUBYA NOW HAS MORE REASON FOR USA TO UNILATER ATTACK IRAN + NORTH KOREA.
Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-09-25 00:31||   2007-09-25 00:31|| Front Page Top

#3 “I don’t know,” he finally said. “One advantage we had here was that the tribes are like small communities, like in rural America. The sheikhs are politically powerful. If we turn them, we turn the people. Urban areas erode tribal affiliation. It’s still there in Baghdad, but it’s weaker. So I don’t know. It did work in the urban parts of Ramadi, though. If we can get it to work in all the provinces in Iraq – and it is working in Diyala Province right now, I know it is – then maybe it can work in Baghdad. It’s hard to say.”

I don't know whether to laugh or cry that our success is the least bit dependent upon tribal politics. Lieutenant Colonel Mike ("The Forty Pound Brainer") Silverman certainly has my respect and I can only hope that the majority of our troops in Iraq enjoy that kind of leadership-by-example.

It's even more difficult to decide which is more pathetic; The Sunnis, who—as a minority and needing our protection most of all—hate us with such ferocity, or the Shi'ites that—after G.H.W Bush's betrayal—look for support from totalitarian Iran and do so with such admiration.

What I do know is that this represents the sort of success we need on a daily basis and hope that senior command officers are able to muster even more soldiers like Lt. Colonel Silverman. Any victory in Iraq will hinge upon his sort of ability and professionalism.

Finally, Michael Totten certainly deserves a national medal for making sure that—even while risking life and limb—the truth about Iraq gets out. Per Frank G's worthy request, I'll be mailing Totten a personal check in the next week or two. Please consider doing the same.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster  2007-09-25 04:15||   2007-09-25 04:15|| Front Page Top

#4 ALTERNET > IRAQ SETS THE STAGE FOR WAR BETWEEN US AND IRAN, or title to that effect. Iraq > "Tis the greatest crucible for US-Iran conflict, and SSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH World conflict, between now and january 2009. Not much on NK-TAIWAN on other side of the world.
Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-09-25 05:24||   2007-09-25 05:24|| Front Page Top

#5 A good step one. Now you have to have a plan to make it sustainable. That is the real tough problem that needs to be solve.
Posted by Jack is Back!">Jack is Back!  2007-09-25 09:19||   2007-09-25 09:19|| Front Page Top

#6 Two more bits that really stuck out for me:

“What’s the most important thing you have learned in your time here?” I said.

“Well,” he finally said thoughtfully. “I learned something here that I had heard but never believed. I expected a huge kinetic fight, and that’s what we got. I was told that you win that kind of fight not by focusing on the enemy, but by focusing on the civilians. But I didn’t believe it. It’s true, though. I know because I have seen it.”

And
“What’s the most important thing Americans need to know about Iraq that they don’t currently know?” I said.

“That we’re fighting Al Qaeda,” he said without hesitation. “[Abu Musab al] Zarqawi invented Al Qaeda in Iraq. The top leadership outside Iraq squawked and thought it was a bad idea. Then he blew up the Samarra mosque, triggered a civil war, and got the whole world’s attention. Then the Al Qaeda leadership outside dumped huge amounts of money and people and arms into Anbar Province. They poured everything they had into this place. The battle against Americans in Anbar became their most important fight in the world. And they lost.”

But you really do want to go and read the whole thing.
Posted by trailing wife 2007-09-25 09:24||   2007-09-25 09:24|| Front Page Top

#7 Urban areas erode tribal affiliation

Obviously, the writer never attended a Michigan-Ohio State football game.
Posted by Procopius2k 2007-09-25 09:35||   2007-09-25 09:35|| Front Page Top

#8 That was before Michigan lost its first 2 games.
:-p

Al
Posted by Frozen Al 2007-09-25 09:45||   2007-09-25 09:45|| Front Page Top

#9 Yeah, P2K, us Fighting (formerly of the Chief Illiniwek Illini) Illini are much more reserved.
Posted by Bobby 2007-09-25 09:57||   2007-09-25 09:57|| Front Page Top

#10 Bobby there's nothing worse than when my wufe makes this SEC boy go to Champaign-Urbana to see one of those games.
Posted by Beavis 2007-09-25 10:02||   2007-09-25 10:02|| Front Page Top

#11 RE: #1 - I'm not so sure, Mr. Vader. My staff is picking through it looking for cherries we might publish. Like, "Lt. Col. says 150 insurgents held off US Army for ..." (how long was it again? Weeks?)

And this one has promise: Anbar Province as a whole isn’t completely secured yet.

So Petreaus was lying! Samantha! Contact The New York Times! We got a story to create!
Posted by Dan Rather 2007-09-25 10:14||   2007-09-25 10:14|| Front Page Top

#12 Al Qaeda leadership outside dumped huge amounts of money and people and arms into Anbar Province. They poured everything they had into this place. The battle against Americans in Anbar became their most important fight in the world. And they lost.”

Wish we could hear/read more paragraphs like this in the Western Press!!!!!
Posted by Paul 2007-09-25 13:07||   2007-09-25 13:07|| Front Page Top

#13 Totten: "Al Qaeda Lost"

Of Super Nasty Shrillary Lies
We See Plumb Thru Her Super Thighs
By 2008 Everyone Will Be Sharp And Wise!
Posted by Scourge of Mr.& Mrs. Hectors y Hectares">Scourge of Mr.& Mrs. Hectors y Hectares  2007-09-25 18:44||   2007-09-25 18:44|| Front Page Top

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