Do you want a touchdown dance? Maybe we should poll.
According to a recent poll over at CNN.com, President Bush has no "Victory Plan". Let me tackle that along with Howard Dean's comment, saying that the United States can't win the war.
First off, we have won the war. I do believe that the might of the US military defeated the Iraqi Army and Republican Guard (well, those that didn't hide anyway). Now, Dean would have sounded much, MUCH smarter, had he stated that we wouldn't win the insugency. Not that he would have been right, but closer to right. I personally, having been to Iraq twice, do not believe that the United States can win the insurgency in a timetable that Democrats request. If we plan on "beating" the insurgency, we will be there for much longer than say, two more years. The Iraqi people have to want peace, I mean really want it, in order to defeat the small, yet effective, insurgency. You have to remember, these people have been fighting for a very long time and will not stop just because we say so. This is what they know, and they are very good at it.
Second, I do believe that President Bush has a "Victory Plan", as some may call it. If you paid attention, from the beginning, he has stated that the important factor is rebuilding/preparing the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) for the long haul. That is the foundation of Iraq today. Without the ISF, as soon as the US leaves, Al Qaeda in Iraq will, and I repeat, WILL take control of that country. Of course along with other, smaller insurgent groups. Do not get me wrong though: No matter when the US pulls out of Iraq, there will continue to be a civil war (admit it, that is what is happening now...our troops are just caught in the middle.) It's how the ISF deals with the chaos that determines the future of that region. And it is for that very moment that we are preparing the ISF for.
After the first rotation of US troops to Iraq, it was made clear that the US moved from a Force Protection stand point, to a more vulnerable, yet very important realm of assisting Iraqis in the recontruction effort of the ISF. If we were to continue to remain in a Force Protection posture, we'd NEVER leave that theater of operations.
And lastly, what is UP with all of these damn polls anyway? Every week there is a poll on the Presidents approval rating. I think that I saw one on his favorite color (We in the Western cultures like to call that a joke). That is why he/she (Come on, you know Hillary will be our next President, haha) is in office for four years. If the POTUS were to fret over every poll that was released, they'd go crazy. I mean, the % drops below 40 (sampling error of + or - 3%, now) and the we're in a frenzy (I mean, the POTUS is drumming up support for the "War" as we speak). Get a grip, people.
First off, we have won the war. I do believe that the might of the US military defeated the Iraqi Army and Republican Guard (well, those that didn't hide anyway). Now, Dean would have sounded much, MUCH smarter, had he stated that we wouldn't win the insugency. Not that he would have been right, but closer to right. I personally, having been to Iraq twice, do not believe that the United States can win the insurgency in a timetable that Democrats request. If we plan on "beating" the insurgency, we will be there for much longer than say, two more years. The Iraqi people have to want peace, I mean really want it, in order to defeat the small, yet effective, insurgency. You have to remember, these people have been fighting for a very long time and will not stop just because we say so. This is what they know, and they are very good at it.
Second, I do believe that President Bush has a "Victory Plan", as some may call it. If you paid attention, from the beginning, he has stated that the important factor is rebuilding/preparing the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) for the long haul. That is the foundation of Iraq today. Without the ISF, as soon as the US leaves, Al Qaeda in Iraq will, and I repeat, WILL take control of that country. Of course along with other, smaller insurgent groups. Do not get me wrong though: No matter when the US pulls out of Iraq, there will continue to be a civil war (admit it, that is what is happening now...our troops are just caught in the middle.) It's how the ISF deals with the chaos that determines the future of that region. And it is for that very moment that we are preparing the ISF for.
After the first rotation of US troops to Iraq, it was made clear that the US moved from a Force Protection stand point, to a more vulnerable, yet very important realm of assisting Iraqis in the recontruction effort of the ISF. If we were to continue to remain in a Force Protection posture, we'd NEVER leave that theater of operations.
And lastly, what is UP with all of these damn polls anyway? Every week there is a poll on the Presidents approval rating. I think that I saw one on his favorite color (We in the Western cultures like to call that a joke). That is why he/she (Come on, you know Hillary will be our next President, haha) is in office for four years. If the POTUS were to fret over every poll that was released, they'd go crazy. I mean, the % drops below 40 (sampling error of + or - 3%, now) and the we're in a frenzy (I mean, the POTUS is drumming up support for the "War" as we speak). Get a grip, people.
posted by Zinga at 4:22 PM
