The first of a four part series by Michael Totten;
During my last trip to Baghdad I tried to figure out if the worst in Iraq is over or if the dramatic reduction in violence is just a long lull. Half the Iraqis and half the Americans I spoke to were optimistic. The other half think Iraq is probably doomed. I have no idea who’s right, and neither does anyone else. This is the first in a four-part series where I’ll present both cases and let you decide what to think for yourself. We’ll start with the good news.
Iraq is doomed.
It is an Islamic Republic with sharia the law of the land. It is only a matter of time before Ayatollah Khomeini or Taliban types occupy every seat in their government.
http://www.danielpipes.org/1595/islamic-law-rules-in-iraq
I hadn’t realized that Iraq was still attached to the planet. We haven’t heard a word about it since the surge started to work. I was thinking the country was jettisoned from the world along with reporter’s curiosity and interest.
I guess the media’s “grim milestone” parties are soooo last administration.
The biggest failure of the Americans is their pigheaded belief in “self evident”. They actually believe that Democracy is self evident and simply needs the opportunity to arise. Removing a dictator and holding an election does not form a democracy. There is a whole underpinning philosophy required to sustain democracy and unfortunately Islam is not such a philosophy.
The entire middle east is doomed because it’s heavily population by Muslims. Their nature is murder. Their holy book cheers them on. They thrive on that Kool Aid.
Someday when their oil finally runs out, they will be nothing more than camel dung on the sand, which is what they were before the oil. But they will still be murdering each other, because that is their nature.
Michael Yon was saying the Iraq War was over last November: http://www.nypost.com/seven/11242008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/iraqs_new_dawn_140418.htm
Obviously, he was premature in his assessment.
Refreshing to read something open and objective. Agree or not at least something you can chew over and help one come to their own decision, not one managed and directed by the Main Stream Morons.
Iraq better not “be lost” for BO’s sake. Dropping this ball will not be so easy to blame President GWB for, because even the left and MSM were conceding success(oxymoron?) in Iraq. The MSM will probably be able to ignore Iraq but I don’t think their influence reaches so far to be able to hide the truth. If Iraq becomes another Vietnam the world will not miss the opportunity to crucify America, BO or not.
Dropping this ball will not be so easy to blame President GWB for…yada, yada
I’ll blame Bush for the “loss” of Iraq and Afghanistan right now.
Bush sowed the seeds of their destruction with his “Islam is a Religion of Peace” horse pucky and then allowing Iraq and Afghanistan’s to walk Bush’s RoP talk.
The new Iraqi and Afghan governments should never have been allowed to establish these countries as Islamic Republics.
Islamic Republics have Sharia as the Law of the Land. That means the Judges have to be Ayatollahs or Imams and the lawyers have to be Ayatollahs or Imams and the laws have to be written, vetted, and interpreted by Ayatollahs or Imams.
And where do they look to to get these laws from?
The Koran.
Get it?
So the “appearance” of civility and democracy that they have now under American occupation is as advanced as they get and as soon as the Americans leave the Iraqis and Afghans are going to get that “Old Time Religion” quicker than you could ever believe.
All that blood and treasure has been for nothing.
Say what you will OZ, the perception that BO was handed a “sure thing” is there. As I said, even the left conceded it as a success. Has it been 100years since the Primaries? No, it hasn’t. BO will wear the failure of this war if it comes to that regardless of what you or I think reality is, because he didn’t stay for 100 years. You see the unintended consequences of playing “inside baseball” is: by harping on the “100 years” statement it’s been solidified in the minds of voters that there are at least two options, BO’s or the other. If Iraq collapses under BO’s watch everyone will know that it was his choice to leave Iraq. You seem to be under the impression that if Iraq does collapse after the Americans leave, the Americans can ignore Iraq. I disagree, BO himself said if the Taliban returned to Iraq once they’ve left that America would “reinvade”(paraphrasing). The Americans are obligated morally and politically to see this through to the end; Afghanistan not so much.
It seems people have a hard time separating reality from politics. Love or hate GWB he made two “brilliant” political moves on the way out. First, the aforementioned “sure thing”; and second, demanding repayment of Auto Bailout money that someone else is expected to collect. Both of these will continue to pain BO into the future.JMO
As I said, even the left conceded it as a success.
Well it wasn’t and isn’t.
Just because 2 sides agree doesn’t mean they are correct.
If our forces had pounded the crap out of both countries and made an example of them and came home it would be a success, but all of the extra years of blood and treasure is wasted.
It may be possible, for a time, to build the semblance of a democracy in a nation where Islam is the majority religion, but a country where Islam is also entrenched as the political and legal model of the nation itself is a wholly different thing.
They are Islamic Republics and if you can’t comprehend the ramifications of that fact then I shan’t bother discussing it further.
OZ
You are missing my point; and, you don’t know if I agree or disagree with your point.
“Dropping this ball will not be so easy to blame President GWB for…yada, yada”
I’m simply saying that Obama will wear what you feel are the inevitable consequences in Iraq. That’s it, just an opinion on optics and politics.
Do you concur? If not, why?
Furthermore, I suspect that we have similar views on how to discourage terrorism; but, were it you or I in the big chair I think that optics and politics would weigh heavily on our ability to discourage the aforementioned goons.
“Just because 2 sides agree doesn’t mean they are correct.”
YES IT DOES! In politics.
All three Canadian parties agree that AGW is a global crisis; therefore it is a global crisis.
Ok, Indiana Homez, let’s discuss whether Zero is going to “wear” Iraqi failure.
I think the economy is going to be on everyone’s mind. Americans especially. They aren’t going to care about Iraq except that it isn’t going to be such a drain on American resources anymore and that will be good.
I don’t see how Zero loses political points.
I do see that if Islamists are elected and reported to Americans to be elected in Iraq, Moqtada al Sadr for example, that if America cares at all, they will realize that “W” is the one who created the template that allowed it.
And yes, I know we have similar views on the whole.
I happen to think that George W. Bush isn’t going to have much of a legacy* and I think that Obama is going to have a really bad legacy, but pulling out of Iraq won’t be one of the sore points, especially compared to how bad the rest of his presidency is going to be remembered every time the American people pay their taxes for the next couple of generations.
Bush failed to do what was needed with Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac to protect the American economy.
*because Osama bin Laden is always going to be a loose string—Iraq and Afghanistan are set to descend into Islamism—about the best that can be said about the W Bush presidency is that there were no more major attacks on American soil after 9/11….that’s it…you could say that about a lot of presidencies before Clinton
Okay, we can agree to disagree on who will “wear it”.
wrt the war(s); unfortunately it is hard to determine if GWB prevented more attacks on American soil. I think we both know “you could say that about a lot of presidencies before Clinton” is not a strong argument. As was discussed in the Star Trek movie, once the timeline is changed there is no way to know what may have happened. Perhaps not taking it to the terrorists prevented them from committing more attacks, perhaps not. This situation is analogous to something a politician said regarding the bridge that collapsed in Minnesota. He said that campaigning on more “nuts and bolts”(maintenance) isn’t a winning political strategy; after all, it’s hard to prove the bridge didn’t collapse because it was maintained. Politically, a tax-cut or a social program is much easier to sell.
Bygones
So that’s what real journalism looks like; I’d almost forgotten. However if Totten ever wants to win a Pulitzer he’ll need lose about 20 IQ points and learn how to propagandize – honest reporting is so passe.
oops typo
“Perhaps taking it to the terrorists prevented them from committing more attacks, perhaps not.”
fixed
Politically, a tax-cut or a social program is much easier to sell.
I’d like them to sell us more tax cuts, please.
“I’d like them to sell us more tax cuts, please.”
That comment makes you a “right-wing extremist” buddy.
iraq hasn’t even begun yet.
iraq hasn’t even begun yet.
Neither has the finale of “Twin Peaks”.
Get back to me when it’s finished.
Nice to read some real news.