Carol Platt Liebau: Things Are Improving; Let's Surrender!

Friday, August 24, 2007

Things Are Improving; Let's Surrender!

That's what John Warner seems to be saying in his widely publicized call for troop withdrawals from Iraq.

Here, however, a general in charge of one of the more troubled areas of Iraq explains why Warner's "symbolic" gesture is a profoundly bad idea.

In a word, it's because such tactics only slow the pace of political reconciliation, both because some Iraqis conclude it's unwise to work with the new government, which will be targeted by terrorists when the US withdraws, and because some Iraqis conclude that reconciliation isn't really necessary to effect a US withdrawal.
What's more, buried deep in a story replete with the trademarked LA Times agenda pessimism about the war is another clue to why all the vaporing politicians -- from Hillary Clinton to Carl Levin, John Warner and the rest -- might be well-advised to stop threatening an immediate pullout of US troops:

The report identifies two new elements that are further complicating political and military developments: expanded Sunni Arab opposition to Al Qaeda's affiliates in Iraq, and the widening expectation in the country of an eventual U.S. troop withdrawal.

The latter development is prompting local leaders to take it upon themselves to provide security in their areas, intelligence officials said. That could lead to a reduction in violence if the Maliki government can enlist their support.

But intelligence officials said that prospect is uncertain, and that more heavily armed and autonomous local groups could challenge the authority of the central government and further destabilize the country.


That's right -- the withdrawal threats are destabilizing Iraq.

Oh, and one more nugget hidden at the story's end: [T]he report concludes that the ability of groups affiliated with Al Qaeda to move and mount attacks in parts of Iraq has been significantly eroded by cooperation among Sunni Arab tribal leaders, who have been emboldened by successful U.S.-led operations and are increasingly dismayed by the bloody tactics of the Al Qaeda in Iraq group.

Helloooo? That's right, lefties -- Iraqis are emboldened by US military successes. How's that jibe with your plan to draw down our military forces?

4 Comments:

Blogger Chris Crawford said...

If things really are improving, then why shouldn't we be thinking about starting to withdraw some troops? If things really are improving, then by Christmas -- four months from now -- things should have become so good that withdrawing 5,000 troops wouldn't hurt at all -- right?

Also, this piece restates the classic pro-war argument that we shouldn't have a democratic debate about the war because that emboldens the enemy. Yes, it does embolden the enemy -- but if we don't discuss policy publicly and democratically, what's the use of having a democracy? It's certainly true that a dictatorship can pursue its policies without all the bother of dissent and disagreement, but do we want to suppress our freedoms in pursuit of a war that is supposedly being fought to protect our freedoms?

10:33 AM  
Blogger Earth to Carol said...

It is unwise for Iraqis to work with the central government because al-Maliki is pressured by the US to pass the hydrocarbon law that gives control and much of the future profit, of Iraqis oil to US petro industry.

Perhaps Bush and Cheney can round up the Iraqis and do with them as was done to American Natives, massacre them and what few remain, put them on barren reservations.

10:44 AM  
Blogger LadybugUSA said...

Coyote here.

Earth, are you venting again?

To quote Jane Austen, 'angry people are not always wise'.

11:24 AM  
Blogger Bachbone said...

Sen. Warner has been a pompous, gaseous windbag since he was squiring around Elizabeth Taylor several decades ago. He gets front page MSM coverage because he's now mimicking the anti-war crowd's line.

1:35 PM  

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