There is lots of good news and plenty of bad news coming out of Iraq. How you look at the transition of power today in Iraq seems to me to be a case of glass of water half filled with water – it’s either half empty or half full.
Half full – Chuck Simmins compares the reconstruction of Iraq with the reconstruction of Germany, noting the success.
Half empty – David Anderson points out a Time article that indicates that the jihadist are transforming themselves into and international jihadist operation and are trying to turn Iraq into a new version of the Taliban’s Afghanistan.
Guess what? They’re both right.
The successes of the reconstruction will be quickly forgotten by history if the insurgency gains strength in the new Iraq. The next few months are the key. The new Iraqi government and their security force (the U.S. Military) must make substantial process in defusing the insurgency and the must do so quickly.
The problem with the second point, though, is that it was happening during the first Clinton term–it’s not a new failure but an inherited reality. Indeed, 9/11 and its aftermath have been the attempt to deal with that fact.
Enough is enough, get all our troops out of that ces-pool, those people will never change let them destroy themselves, but not at the cost of all these innocent people trying to make them understand the democratic society….what is there for us to gain..??? wheres O.B.L ??? If we give up saddam. he’ll just take back over..? so whats the point.. More lives will be lost for nothing… Push the button level it ALL.. then go put in a Walmart..
Comeon James, I would immagine that even YOU GUYS are tired of this same tired BS, yeah everything in Clinton’s fault. He planned this stupid invassion, assighned the number of troops to fight in it, HELL he even recruited the Jihadist that are wreaking havok. No body believes that bullshit but die hards who have their head so stuck in the sand that Bush could admit it was all a mistake tomorrow, and you would figure out a way to Blame that on Clinton. HELLLO, Clinton is NOT the anti christ. He does not have supernatural powers, and to his credit, he has been a strong supporter of Bush during this a “excellent Adventure,” worthy of Bill and Ted.
Not to pick a nit, but he did describe it terms of a somewhat commonly used time analogy (the president in office at the time). So our problems with Iraq go back to the elder Bush term, etc.
Actually his comment is a summary of a post at OTB which was plug for a more scholarly column. I’ll wait for that one before I accuse him a blaming Clinton.
FWIW, I don’t blame Clinton. Bush 43 and Clinton (as you note) were basically using the same playbook. 9/11 proved that we should have been working on a new ‘outside the box’ playbook…