This Is Just Sad

[Annie]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/headline/world/3231679

June 19, 2005, 1:11AM

General says Iraq goals attainable with support
Abizaid wants Congress to share troops' confidence
By MICHAEL HEDGES
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

"Debate's OK, don't get me wrong. I'm just saying, however you look at this thing, it has been hard, it has been difficult and it has been full of a lot of cost and sacrifice, but it is achievable."

Abizaid said he believed it was especially important for U.S. political leaders to support the war now, because it was likely that the drafting of a Iraqi constitution and new elections later this year would trigger more violence.

Iraq's National Assembly faces an Aug. 15 deadline to write a constitution, and Iraqis must vote on it by Oct. 15. If they approve the constitution, they must elect a permanent government by Dec. 15, and it must take office by Dec. 31.

"The process between now and the election is packed with political activity that is bound to create friction," Abizaid said. "The friction will create violence. We can work our way through that just like we worked our way through the last election."

Poll numbers
Abizaid, the top U.S. commander over forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, visited Iraq last week, stopping in Baghdad, Fallujah, Tall Afar and Mosul. He conferred with senior Iraqi military and political leaders and U.S. military commanders.

As he toured Iraq, new polls were released in the United States that indicated support for the war had declined.

A new Gallup poll found that nearly 60 percent of Americans favor a partial or full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and a New York Times/CBS Poll found that 51 percent said they thought the United States should have stayed out of Iraq.

Asked by a reporter in Baghdad last week if he was concerned about the slippage of support for the war at home, Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, who is in charge of tactical operations in Iraq, said, "Truthfully, yes. We have to make a better case of the facts to the American people."

Iraqi politicians expressed apprehension that the United States would not see the war through, Abizaid said.

"This is the first time that I was on a trip that various people have asked me whether or not there was a problem with support back home. And I took notice of that," Abizaid said. "If they think we're losing our will, guess what it does? It starts to erode their will as well."
​

Political process
The will of Iraqi politicians was on Abizaid's mind during his trip here. He emphasized to his senior commanders that the war would not be won by exhausting the insurgency and killing foreign fighters.

"We've got to make progress in the political process," he said Friday. "Because there is no strictly military solution to the problem, as you know."​

In the view of the Pentagon, the United States must strengthen Iraq's institutions under an elected government to reach a political solution.

In meetings with U.S. commanders in Iraq, Abizaid heard that while the insurgency remains strong, the ability of Iraqi forces to meet the threat is slowly growing.

"The most important thing I saw this time is that there is increasing confidence in Iraqi security forces to get the job done," said Abizaid.

Abizaid dismissed the notion that more American troops were needed in Iraq. "There are more troops on the ground than ever before," he said. "Iraqi troops are coming on line and they are fighting."
​

The United States maintains about 138,000 troops in Iraq. Twenty-seven coalition nations have deployed another 23,000. Iraq's new army has about 169,000 soldiers on its rolls, but most have not received adequate training. To speed training, the United States has assigned units to work in tandem with Iraqi forces.

Among Abizaid's other concerns was the danger of a civil war in Iraq. Abizaid said he expected some in the Sunni Muslim minority with ties to the insurgency to try to provoke a fight with the nation's Shiite majority. He also warned that some Sunni extremists might seek a marriage of convenience with foreign fighters.

Abizaid heard cautiously optimistic reports that the efforts of U.S., coalition and Iraqi forces were making life difficult for insurgents and Islamic extremists who follow Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

He also was told that the U.S. war effort would likely stretch into the indefinite future.

"It is like running a marathon. You hit the wall at 21 miles or 22 miles," he said Friday. "If you give up, then you lose the prospect for victory or success. We're not at the 21-mile mark yet, but we are heading for the wall.

"We need to work our way and fight our way through the wall. It is not going to be done without work and without sacrifice. And it is not going to be done without cost in blood and treasure."​

 

[archangel]

unless you are referring to the resemblance of the Vietnam era war...politicians even in the form of generals...keep saying it will take along time...damn... if they did it right and let the military do what is necessary to end the conflict...well they would no longer have to make excuses...before the inevitable pull out that is comming...that to me is what is sad... :huh:

 

[Annie]

unless you are referring to the resemblance of the Vietnam era war...politicians even in the form of generals...keep saying it will take along time...damn... if they did it right and let the military do what is necessary to end the conflict...well they would no longer have to make excuses...before the inevitable pull out that is comming...that to me is what is sad... :huh:

If we are to pull out, before they are ready to do so, let us show our weakness up front. Announce it tomorrow, have all the troops home within 5 months. Then resolve never again to leave our shores. Be done with it and live with the consequences.

 

[Adam's Apple]

Vines has got it right. The Bush Administration and the military do have to make a better case of getting the facts about this war to the American people. The liberals and MSM are very "religious" about keeping their anti-war propaganda before the public. The Administration should know by now that this cannot be allowed to go unanswered.

 

[Annie]

Vines has got it right. The Bush Administration and the military do have to make a better case of getting the facts about this war to the American people. The liberals and MSM are very "religious" about keeping their anti-war propaganda before the public. The Administration should know by now that this cannot be allowed to go unanswered.

So they should answer. Today it sounds like those that thought that Iraq and bringing terrorism back to the origins was a good idea, were wrong. So we need to live with that.

May be the best in the long run.