Iraqis prefer present to past

A recent ABC News poll of Iraqis find that they, unlike some Democrats, do not think of Saddam's rule as the good old days.

70% Say things are “Good” today in Iraq
56% Say their lives are better NOW than before the war
71% Say their lives will be better one year from now
72% Say schools are better today
56% Say household basics are better today
53% Say crime protection is better today
39% Support the presence of Coalition Forces in Iraq
51% Oppose presence of Coalition Forces but only:

15% Say the U.S. should leave now

10% Say the U.S. should leave in 6+ months

8% Say the U.S. should leave in a few months
78% Reject attacks on Coalition Forces
99% Reject attacks on Iraqi Police
79% of all Iraqis support a united, centralized government...
70% Trust Iraqi’s Religious Leaders, followed by the Iraqi Police and the Iraqi Army.

By the way: jobs, real estate prices, overall commerce and average wages are increasing.

Shhhh. No one tell Harry ("Land Deal") Reid.

Hat tip: Larwyn

IMF AND UN SEE A GOOD YEAR AHEAD FOR IRAQ

SOMEONE SEND A COPY OF THIS TO THE DEMS!

BBC:

Iraq faces a period of economic growth and political progress, according to assessments by the International Monetary Fund and the UN.

The IMF sees a 7% jump in growth in 2008 and a similar rise next year, and says oil revenues from buoyant exports should be up by 200,000 barrels a day.

The UN envoy to Iraq welcomed dialogue between the Sunni and Shia communities and praised the government's work. ...

The change in the political mood is largely down to the passing of a law on Saturday, enabling some members of the Baath Party of Saddam Hussain to re-enter the military and bureaucracy, our correspondent says.

They were barred from public service by one of the first acts of the US-run Coalition Provisional Administration.

The law reversing that expulsion, combined with the sharp fall in violence in much of Iraq, has led to greater optimism.

WE WON.

CAN ANNAPOLIS SUCCEED? NOT LIKELY. HERE'S WHY...

EU REFERENDUM HAS A POST ON A RECENT APPEARANCE BY RICHARD PERLE ON THE STATE OF AFFAIRS ON THE MIDDLE EAST. HERE IS AN EXCERPT:

The problem between Israelis and Palestinians goes beyond the diplomatic discussions that are likely to take place at Annapolis. It is not about land or the number of people who might or might not be allowed to “return”. (By the way, nobody is asking this but are we to assume that if right of return becomes part of the deal, the 800,000 Jews who were forced out of the Arab countries where they had lived for a couple of millennia and their descendants will be allowed to return and their land and property will be restored to them? No? Really?)

The real problem goes further into the psyche of the Palestinians and many of their Arab supporters (though none of the latter are prepared to fight for them, which is just as well). We need to look at the indoctrination that is carried out in Gaza, in the West Bank and in many of the Arab states; the songs of hatred children are taught to sing; the miniature suicide bombers’ vests that they are given.

Mr Perle did not quote Golda Meir but it is pertinent to recall what that indomitable old lady said: “There will be no peace in the Middle East until the Palestinians learn to love their children more than they hate Jews.” There will be no peace in the Middle East until the Palestinians will stop thinking that their children are to be sacrificed to the great Moloch of the Palestinian leadership. And there will be no peace until the Palestinians will understand reality and start thinking about genuine negotiations; not until they stop seeing themselves as the eternal victims.

These are the issues that the negotiators at Annapolis must address but will they? On past performance, one would say that is unlikely. So the answer to the question, is the Middle East ready for peace, has to be no, not for a long time.

I AGREE.

• THE CORE BELIEFS OF THE PALESTINIANS ARE ANTITHETICAL TO PEACE.

• IF PEACE TALKS, A PEACE PROCESS, AND PEACE TREATIES MADE PEACE THEN THE MIDDLE EAST WOULD BE THE MOST PEACEFUL PLACE ON EARTH.

• THE ENTIRE WORLD WOULD BE BETTER OFF IF BUSH AND CONDI AND GATES AND KHALILZAD WOULD SPEND THEIR ENERGY AND TIME ON GETTING THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON ALL OUTSTANDING ISSUES.

If the Levee Breaks... in Mosul, Iraq

Has someone elected Ray Nagin or Kathleen Blanco to be the Prime Minister of Iraq? Judging by this Washington Post story on the precarious nature of the Mosul Dam, you might think that the half million or so people who could die if the dam fails would be a fairly high priority of the Iraqi government. The Army Corps of Engineers reportedly wants to build a dam downstream to protect the city, and American officials have been advocating this, but the Iraqi ghavovernment thus far nixed the deal.

Of course, should the Dam fail during a Republican administration, the fact that the Iraqis ignored American advice would be right up there beside the Democratic-ruled State of Louisiana's refusal to build levees that would protect New Orleans from a Cat 5 storm, despite over 20 years of warnings that the levees would not stand up to a storm of that magnitude. Should the Mosul dam fail, the "small detail" that the Bush Administration has been pushing hard for the dam to be addressed as a high priority of the Iraqi government would be largely ignored by our red banner-waving media. If it does happen, expect Anderson Cooper to hop the first plane, get himself into a rubber raft, and go on and on whining about the barbarity of the Bush Administration--to be followed by Sean Penn, Danny Glover, Spike Lee...and (eventually) John Edwards. All this despite the fact that the Americans have been pressing the Iraqis to take action against this threat, and that those pleas have fallen mostly on deaf ears. The sad fact is--in this era of media complicity--hindsight being 20/20 does not seem to faze the so-called "objective" media from second guessing any tragedy that comes down the pipe--even those that America has no direct authority to correct.

Also--please forgive my cynicism--but is the WaPo not also highlighting this "weakness" in neon lights to any of our enemies? The mad mullahs in Iran--who if they didn't know about this weakness before, do now--no doubt can read the Post, and no doubt they are targeting some of their missiles as we speak, in case the US were to bomb them. To these maniacs, killing half a million Iraqis is nothing compared to a propaganda win over the evil Americans. Presumably the reporters at the Post know this. And so--while this story certainly cannot be compared to the scale of the same Washington Post and New York Times outing classified information about our own surveillance programs--it nevertheless appears from here to be a blatant attempt to head off a confrontation with Iran, even if hundreds of thousands of people die as a result of their "journalistic integrity."

Personally I would prefer that the President pull the plug on ALL War news to having crap like this come out every day that aids and abets our enemies. Maybe one of these days some President and/or Attorney General will actually have the courage to go postal on news organizations who openly help our enemies. Until then--if this story about the Mosul Dam is true--brace yourself for yet another humanitarian disaster to be portrayed as "Bush's fault." Blame seems to be the only game that Democrats still know how to play.

THE IRAQI ARMY DONATES TO SAN DIEGO FIRE VICTIMS

KIM PRIESTAP: This is a press release you probably won't see reported in the mainstream media:

From OPFOR:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RELEASE No. 20071026-01 -- October 26, 2007

Members of the Iraqi Army in Besmaya collected a donation for the San Diego, Calif., fire victims Thursday night at the Besmaya Range Complex in a moving ceremony to support Besmaya's San Diego residents.

Iraqi Army Col. Abbass, the commander of the complex, presented a gift of $1,000 to U.S. Army Col. Darel Maxfield, Besmaya Range Complex officer in charge, Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq, to send to the fire victims in California.

The money was collected from Iraqi officers and enlisted soldiers in Besmaya. In a speech given during the presentation, Col. Abbass stated that he and the Iraqi soldiers were connected with the American people in many ways, and they will not forget the help that the American government has given the Iraqi people. Abbass was honored to participate by sending a simple fund of $1,000 to the American people in San Diego, to lower the suffering felt by the tragedy.

• I GOOGLED IT AT GOOGLE NEWS AND GOT ZERO MSM HITS.

• THE MSM HAS NOT COVERED THIS STORY AT ALL.

• THE MSM IS SCUM

IRAQIS ANNOUNCE THEY HAVE MADE THE NECESSARY POLITICAL COMPROMISES

They have made the deals; now each faction "merely" has to deliver the votes in Parliament, which meets in a few weeks. (BBC here; FULL ROUND UP AT MEMEORANDUM.)

Of course - as everyone has pointed out, his means that the Dems will have to move the goalposts again.

I HAVE A SUGGESTION: Maybe it's time Bush moved the goalposts... TO TEHRAN!

Seriously: WHAT WILL THE DEFEATOCRATS WHINE ABOUT NOW!?!

Clyborn was right: they're in BIG TROUBLE.

UPDATE: I HAVE IT FROM RELIABLE SOURCES THAT THE ACCOMPANYING PHOTO SHOWS PRIME MINSTER MALIKI HAND-GESTURING THE SIZE OF HILLARY'S PENIS.

UPDATE #2 - 8/27/07: THE NYTIMES DIDN'T COVER THE STORY UNTIL TODAY, AND THEN THEY COVERED IT LIKE THIS:

Iraq Sunnis Say Deal Won't End Boycott

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A new political accord between Iraq's main Sunni Arab, Shi'ite and Kurdish leaders will not be enough to lure boycotting Sunni Arabs back into the government, a spokesman for the biggest Sunni Arab bloc said on Monday.

SHEESH: YOU COULDN'T POSSIBLY PUT IT IN A MORE NEGATIVE LIGHT. IF THIS ISN'T BIASED, THEN NOTHING IS.

WE CAN PRESSURE MALIKI WITHOUT THREATENING A SELF-DEFEATING WITHDRAWAL

Hilary Clinton recently threatened the democratically elected leader of Iraq because she's not happy with the lack of progress his government is making on vital domestic issues - issues which MUST be resolved if we are to win in Iraq.

(Critiques HERE and HERE.)





Senator Warner and others have recently called for us to begin withdrawals from Iraq in order to pressure the elected government of Iraq to make needed - if not OVERDUE - political compromises, and speed political reconciliation among the factions in Iraq.


(Critiques HERE and HERE.)

These policy suggestions from Hillary and Warner and others amount to nothing more than cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.

AND WE DON'T NEED TO THREATEN COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE AND SELF-DEFEATING POLICIES TO GET THE IRAQIS TO "MOVE THEIR ASSES."

HERE'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO:

Let's tell Maliki that UNLESS the Iraqi Government makes the necessary political compromises necessary - AS SOON AS THEIR PARLIAMENT COMES BACK FROM VACATION - we will seize the oil fields and quarantine the oil - and we will hold them until they do.

Basically, all they have to do is get the Parliament ratify the oil bill they rest of the Iraqi government signed on to months ago.

At the very least - until that happens, we should sell the oil and put the money into escrow until they make a deal.

This would put real pressure on the Iraqi government without undermining our counter-attack, the surge.

I Support Democracy In Iraq - Winner

We have a winner (finally!) of the I Support Democracy In Iraq contest. No more fitting day either.



Thanks to Karl Egenberger of Envision Design/ Plum Creative Associates, Towson, Md 21286, who did the design. And Coyote Organics who supplied the contest prize.

Instructions for joining the campaign and putting up the graphic of your choice are at Join Up!

Important Political Progress in Iraq

POLITICAL PROGRESS.

This as the surge takes hold.

WE ARE WINNING.

WE WILL WIN.

Unless the Dems pull the plug on Iraqis as they did the South Vietnamese, and the Contras.

JIMMY CARTER ON IRAQ AND BLAIR: DEPOSING A GENOCIDAL TYRANT AND REPLACING IT WITH DEMOCRACY WAS A TRAGEDY

BREITBART/AFP (VIA DRUDGE): Former US president Jimmy Carter on Saturday attacked outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair for his "blind" support of the Iraq war, describing it as a "major tragedy for the world".

In an interview with BBC radio, Carter was asked how he would describe Blair's attitude to US President George W. Bush. He replied: "Abominable. Loyal, blind, apparently subservient.

"I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world."

RANT ALERT:

APPARENTLY, CARTER - LIKE NEARLY ALL OF THE LEFT -

THINKS THAT DEPOSING A GENOCIDAL TYRANT,

AND REPLACING HIS LYING, CHEATING, BRIBING, MURDERING, ECOLOGY-DESTROYING REGIME

WITH A DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED CONSTITUTIONAL AND PLURALISTIC GOVERNMENT

WAS: "A MAJOR TRAGEDY FOR THE WORLD."

HE SAYS THIS EVEN THOUGH - FOR THE MOST PART - "THE WORLD" HAS STOOD BY AND DONE NOTHING TO HELP - AND HAS NOT BEEN HURT ONE IOTA BY THE CONTINUING BLOODSHED,

90% OF WHICH IS IRAQI-VERSUS-IRAQI OR MUSLIM-VERSUS-MUSLIM, AND NOT "OCCUPIER" VERSUS NATIVE.

THE FACT IS - NO MATTER WHAT IDIOTS LIKE CARTER SAY -

IRAQ IS WHERE THE FREE WORLD IS FIGHTING AND KILLING MOST OF THE JIHADISTS, AND WHERE WE MUST SUCCEED IF WE ARE TO DEFEAT THEM ANYWHERE ELSE,

FOR IF WE ABANDON THE NASCENT DEMOCRACY OF IRAQ - (THE WAY DOVES LIKE CARTER MADE US ABANDON THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND THE CONTRAS) --

A U.N. RECOGNIZED IRAQI GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS REQUESTED AND AUTHORIZED OUR CONTINUED PRESENCE, (ALONG WITH POST-WAR UNSC RESOLUTIONS) --

THEN WE SHALL SURELY NOT BE ABLE TO CONVINCE OTHER ALLIES AND POTENTIAL ALLIES THAT THEY CAN DEPEND ON US IN THE FUTURE BATTLES IN THE WAR AGAINST GLOBAL JIHADISM.

POLITICIANS LIKE CARTER - WHO CONTINUALLY ATTACK THE USA AND OUR ALLIES, AND MAKE THE EXACT SAME ARGUMENTS ABOUT OUR POLICIES AS DOES AL QAEDA - SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH TREASON AND TRIED - AND IF CONVICTED EXECUTED.

CARTER - LIKE THE REST OF THE LEFT - HAS FOR YEARS SUCKED UP TO, APPEASED CODDLED, COOED AND HUGGED NEARLY EVERY SINGLE TYRANT ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH - FROM KHOMEINI TO ARAFAT TO KIM IL SUNG TO FIDEL AND ORTEGA AND MUGABE AND CHAVEZ.

CARTER - LIKE THE REST OF THE LEFT - ARE NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF HYPOCRITICAL, COWARDLY ANTI-AMERICAN, LEFTIST SCUM.

Isn't It Ironic?

Isn't it ironic to see that the Democrats are against democracy in Iraq?

I have provided some ironic music to properly set the mood.

For those Democrats and others who don't wish to be so ironic there is the I Support Democracy In Iraq support group.





Cross Posted at Classical Values

BUSH'S "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" SPEECH - AN EXCERPT THE LEFT DOESN'T WANT YOU TO REMEMBER

BUSH:

Admiral Kelly, Captain Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans: Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.

And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country.

... We have difficult work to do in Iraq.

We are bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous. We are pursuing and finding leaders of the old regime, who will be held to account for their crimes.

... We are helping to rebuild Iraq, where the dictator built palaces for himself, instead of hospitals and schools.

And we will stand with the new leaders of Iraq as they establish a government of, by, and for the Iraqi people.

The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our work is done. And then we will leave — and we will leave behind a free Iraq.

WE ARE STILL ENGAGED IN THE WORK OF SECURING AND RECONSTRUCTING IRAQ. WE MUST STAY UNTIL WE DEFEAT IRAQ'S ENEMIES - THEY'RE OUR ENEMIES, TOO.

Bush Is So Evil...#1

This is going to be a series of posts.

===

So I'm discussing the war with a guy. We are exchanging e-mails. And he is whipping me hard with the "Mission Accomplished" sign. To which I reply.

The ship accomplished its mission.

Bush accomplished his. Making American Democrats want to give up Iraqi democrats to the death squads.

Bush is so evil he has made American Democrats abandon the Iraqi democrats. It doesn't get much more evil than that.

Wait until I explain to people Bush's latest evil, they won't believe it.

Me? I'm too smart to join in that evil. I Support Democracy In Iraq.

Cross Posted at Power and Control

Wanting Peace Bad Enough

So I'm visiting Netscape blog and the question of Iraq comes up. And a liberal mockingly implies that the surge is not working.

You tell me the surge is not working.

I believe you.

I'm glad you want to hand over Iraqi Democrats to the death squads. The beauty of your position is inescapable. The morality beyond reproach.

We CAN have peace in Iraq by handing over Iraqi democrats to the death squads. It is just that some people do not want peace bad enough.

===========

Me?

I Support Democracy In Iraq

Why Don't The Democrats Support The democrats?

I keep wondering why the Democrat Party in America doesn't support the democrats in Iraq? Perhaps they have something against democracy.

Me?

I'm an Animated Supporter of Democracy In Iraq.

Cross Posted at Power and Control and at Classical Values

The Balance Sheet

I have a rather long post up at Classical Values about why my support for the war and the Iraqi democrats is relentless. What I'm posting here amounts to the punch line.

==

In response to a commenter who says the war is not worth the effort I reply:

I understand your point.

The Iraqis are not worth even one American death. When we do the balance sheet on this war we must count Iraqi lives as worth zero.

Then once the Iraqis count for nothing it is impossible to justify any American effort.

"Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." Thomas Paine

So yeah, my fair weather friends. Give in to tyranny and despots.

Salve your conscience with "its only Iraqis". What are they worth to us?

Make yourself feel better by saying that once we are out the head choppers will not follow us home. After all we are strong and they are weak. Haven't we proved our strength by surrendering Iraq to them? Why would they ever think of following us home after we have given them what they want? And you know maybe they won't follow us home. Maybe they will just do death marches, and religious re-ed camps, and totolitarian governments. None of our buisness really. What should it mean to us? They are not our kind.

We have the example of the Austrian Corporal. Wasn't he satisfied with Czechoslovakia? Didn't the abandonment of Czechoslovakia bring Peace For Our Time?

Abandoning Iraq will bring us peace. This time giving in to brigands will get us what we desire. The fighting will stop. The killing will stop. For sure. At the very least from the time we leave our hands will be clean.

Well let me tell you that if any bit of your conscience lives after abandoning the Iraqi people your hands will drip with blood for the rest of your life. And like Macbeth nothing will out the spot.

Which is why I Support Democracy In Iraq.

Moran On Iraq

Armed Liberal at Winds of Change is all hot and bothered about Rick Moran's (they spelled his name wrong) suggestion that it was time to surrender to the Democrats and pull out of Iraq on the Democrat's time table.

The Answer Man has an answer for Armed Liberal:

Might I suggest joining:

I Support Democracy In Iraq

or if you are interested in a more animated version:

I Support Democracy In Iraq - The Animation

I'd love to see the Democrats argue against democracy. If nothing else just for the entertainment value.

Then in comment #4 Glenn Wishard says that despite all Bush's deficiencies including the House of Saud, he is holding firm.

My reply:

Totally with you on this one.

True, but the one thing Bush has not done is cave in to the defeatists like a rotten pumpkin, the very thing which Moran now advises him to find the "courage" to do..

As long as he doesn't cave we have time to change the terms of the debate.

It is the old "maybe pigs will fly" strategem. If we help maybe pigs can fly.

==

It is time to stop focusing on the doctors and the hospital and take a look at the real patient. Iraqi Democracy.

This is not about the "Iraqi people" such as they are. It is about the Iraqi democrats. Who may even be a minority. Doesn't matter.

It will be impossible for real Americans, even of the leftist variety, to repudiate democracy with any degree of conviction.

What will they say: Iraq is not ready? So what do we do, wait until they are ready and invade again?

Arabs can't do democracy? That is racism.

Then hit them with a good old JFK right between the eyes:

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

John F. Kennedy

I'd love to hear the Democrats argue against Saint John.

Cross Posted at Power and Control and at Classical Values

Never Again

My mother is Jewish. As I am.

She grew up in the 20s and 30s. She knew about Roosevelt's abandoning the Jews. She is a staunch believer in "never again".

And yet when I say that we can't abandon the Iraqi people to the head choppers all I get back is "I hate George Bush" and "America has no interest in Iraq".

Prompted by FlickMaven's discussion of Nazi evil.

While I don't quibble with the term, I think that many people miss the point when trying to apply the historical significance of the German "Final Solution" to our contemporary lives.

The point here is not that "monsters" perpetrated these acts. The point is that regular, everyday Germans did so, while going about their regular everyday business.

And so it is with the fate of the Iraqi democrats. The people who would abandon them are just ordinary. It is not like they want to see Iraqi democrats dead. It is more like indifference. Which is almost always the face of evil.

Me? I Support Democracy In Iraq.

H/T Instapundit

Cross Posted at Power and Control and at Classical Values

I Support Democracy In Iraq - The Animation

This was the first submission in our contest for a better logo: I Support Democracy In Iraq - Contest which also contains a link to some submission guidelines written by one of the judges. First prize in the contest is from Coyote Organics.

Thanks to bo ure who created it.




Cross Posted at Classical Values where the image is a little larger for those who need it.

A Political Deadline For Defeat.

Joe Lieberman has given an outstanding speech on the Iraq War funding bills now passing through the Senate. The video is about 3 3/4 minutes long and you can view it at Classical Values or at The Astute Bloggers. I highly reccommend it if you can spare the bandwidth. Joe asks why Oct. 1, 2007 was picked as the cut off date.

Well, naturally I have a few ideas about that. I'm sure Joe knows the significance of that date. It is a little more than a month from our 2008 election. The Democrats want badly to get elected and they think that what with their rabid anti-war base and a general population that gets the war on Islamic Fascism and the importance of Iraq as a theater of that war, they have to get the war off people's minds before the election. So they have to calculate how late they can force the withdrawal and yet not have a full scale civil war in Iraq on election day.

Now we know that the Islamics really like the Democrats. They say so. The withdrawal gets a lot of praise. So I would expect as a quid pro quo from the Islamics that they will hold off on attacks for the most part especially from the withdrawal date until after the election once a date certain for withdrawal has been set.

In other words I think the Democrats with all their recent toing and frowing in the Middle East have brokered a sell out of America and Iraq. They went direct to upper management. No fooling around with intermediaries or cut outs who might screw the deal or want too big a cut. Nope. Right to the top. When it comes to the Culture of Corruption I think the Republicans with their Jack Abramoff type scandals were pikers. They were only selling out one segment of the American people to another. These folks are selling out America to foreign powers. And not retail like Dubai Ports or similar examples. These folks are offering a package deal at wholesale rates. The scope is breathtaking. The chutzpah stupendous.

Cross Posted at Power and Control and at Classical Values