Small victories - reasons to stay the course in Iraq

[92bDad]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20080902/ts_csm/oanbar


First congrats to the USA for turning control of Anbar over to Iraq...however as we can all read, they are far from being done.

It appears that the increased attention that the US has given Iraq has created success...however we can clearly see that establishing a "Public" timeline to bringing the troops home will only create a disastourous result in Iraq.

We must continue to bring about a smooth transition over time, being 1 month or 100 years...whatever it takes, it is in the best interest of both America and Iraq to take our time and do this right.

The people in Iraq understand and they fear what could happen when America leaves. The rise of Iraqi police has been quick and the opportunity for criminals to get into law-enforcement has been easy. These criminals will simply wait for their opportunity and most likely if we give them a timeline, they will simply wait until they know we will be gone.

The flip side, is that while we are there, we are able to help the victims of Iraq regains their lives and freedom...some for the very first time. They are great people living in fear of the criminals who have ruled over them and as they continue to gain ground on freedom on a daily basis they will gain strength and confidence to fight for thier freedoms on their own.

But again, it is key that we don't pull out too soon!!! This story helps to paint that picture.

Again, Great job by this administration for recognizing the threat and taking care of business, even when the "Media" odds have been against you!!!

[alexamenos]

I admit that I lost interest in Iraq a couple of years ago, but his story especially caught my attention because the last time I paid any attention to Iraq, I noticed a consistent theme -- "two terrorists disguised as policemen blew up this building"...."four terrorists disguised as policemen bombed that building." At some point you have to wonder whether these guys got their disguises by applying to the police force and receiving training and getting paid and then being issued police uniforms. Anyhoo....everytime I read these articles I come away thinking, "WTF?"

...the gist of the article is that security gains mean everything is better, right? so consider some pertinent statements in the article....

A year ago, "the terrorists controlled this town," says Mr. Gaaod. "...we have the police, the Army, and intelligence. The people are not afraid of the terrorists anymore..."

Since early 2007, the number of Iraqi police in Anbar has grown from 11,000 to 23,000.

"Because of the operational tempo [of Iraqi and US forces], Al Qaeda doesn't have a main operating area where they can regroup, plan, or resupply," says a senior US military official."

So far so good, right? We've defeated Al Qaeda in Anbar, and the Anbarnese have a grip on the security situation vis a vis their police forces, right?

"Many of the Al Qaeda operatives have just changed into a police uniform," says an Iraqi police colonel in Ramadi who has policed Iraq for 23 years. "Maybe they will go back to killing people if the situation changes."

WTF?!? That would certainly help get the number of police from 11,000 to 23,000. But if al qaeda wearing masks in Anbar was so bad for the US, then I can't see how al qaeda wearing police uniforms is so much better for the US.