Harry Reid would just like to say that this still doesn’t prove the surge was a success, since a Starbucks has still not been opened in Baghdad.
…
amerpundit on January 18, 2008 at 10:25 AM

WOT trivia: When the first American Special Forces landed by helicopter in Afghanistan in 2001, they were greeted by a CIA advance team led by Gary Schroen. Gary’s group treated the SF personnel to fresh brewed Starbucks coffee at their camp.

Source: “First In”, by Gary Schroen. Excellent account by the almost-retired CIA agent of his group – the first Americans into Afghanistan, 4 weeks after 9/11.

I hope my time in a MiTT in southern Iraq is spent on working up the Iraqis to finish the job!

This is the reason that 75% of Baghdad neighborhoods are now secure!

Browncoatone on January 18, 2008 at 3:42 PM

LOL!!!! Damn, you gotta love Marines!!!!

The survey you’re referring to was done by four different agencies(One a german tv station). They used about twenty one hundred Iraqis(from where?). They also show the stats of being from 2005 and now. What YOU don’t state is that ‘now’ was from Feb.-March of 2007.
Seems to me, violence was up at that time because the surge was in it’s first stages. Your ‘now’ is not Jan. 2008.
Oh, and WoosterOh on January 18, 2008 at 2:56 PM…..Cry me a river.

God bless our troops, the General leading them and our President. Let`s hope the progress holds and advances.

ThePrez on January 18, 2008 at 3:06 PM

Ditto!!! The Ayatollahs have really got sweating now.

Astonishing, yes, the surge has worked…. but also, from that same USA Today source…

*Most Iraqis New Orleanians say they have altered their daily routines to accommodate the realities of violence:

•More than two-thirds are careful about what they say about themselves to other people.

•Fifty-five percent try to avoid passing by public buildings, often the target of suicide bombers Gang Rapes.

•Fifty-four percent stay away from markets and crowded areas.

Four years of upheaval have taken a toll on Iraqis Philidelpians’ mental health. Most report symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Three in four say they have feelings of anger and depression, trouble sleeping and difficulty concentrating on work.

Steven Jackson, 31, a Sunni worker new Los Angeles, hides the fact he has a job to avoid being robbed — or worse. “I haven’t changed my car despite wanting to badly, but people were killed when they started to have new cars and showed they were well paid,” he said.

“I can say that my house is like a police station now,” said Samer Jaleel, 22, a Sunni Cleveland State student. “The outer wall is 2.5 meters (just over 8 feet) high. We changed the doors into higher and stronger ones. Not only us, but all the houses in the street did the same. Before, we had a very nice street where you could walk and see the gardens. Now it looks like many small jails in one street.”

By far, Iraqis Americans rate security concerns as the biggest problem facing their nation and themselves. Four in five say they have encountered violence near their homes:

•Close to half, 44%, say U.S. or coalition Police an the Government forces have been involved in unnecessary violence nearby.

•Four in 10 from East LA report kidnappings for ransom in their neighborhoods.

They will make a big stink complaining about the money that could have been spent on the children in the United States (the ones not aborted of course), healthcare, or other liberal government programs.

libhater on January 18, 2008 at 12:22 PM

“Zing!” for you. :-)

One of my translators in Iraq related how he had to keep his eyes down while walking past Saddam’s palaces because looking at them was a crime. Iraq’s mental health came pre-traumatized. That Iraqi’s can look at and talk to the police now is a great boon for the cause of civilization.

God bless our troops!

Weight of Glory on January 18, 2008 at 10:39 AM

Amen to that!

They will make a big stink complaining about the money that could have been spent on the children in the United States (the ones not aborted of course), healthcare, or other liberal government programs. If that doesn’t work they will absolutely claim credit for the success. That is too absurd and so far fetched to even contemplate but the media will back them totally to make it credible.

Notice how little is mentioned about Iraq these days in the media? Can’t make the Democraps look foolish heading into the election. It’s all recession talk to give the left an issue to save America because Iraq is old news now.

As someone who flies over Iraq everyday I can say that AQI is done for… I think that the numbers (75%) are even a little under what is actually the case.
Justin
Tikrit, Iraq
ColHogan on January 18, 2008 at 10:41 AM

Thank you for your service Col Hogan. You and your compatriots who represent America’s finest make this American extremely proud. Allow me to echo:

Hugs from this PGR member/Soldiers Angel!
upinak on January 18, 2008 at 10:52 AM

Here’s a ((((((((Justin)))))))) from another Soldiers Angel!!

Bout freakin’ time this made “mainstream” news.

Traitors.

They give the military success about 2 -3 seconds of lip service then go on continuously about how things are still grim on the political front in Iraq. Which is true but not long ago they were going off about how grim things were militarily as well but now that’s not mentioned. Odds of this hitting the front page of the NY Times anyone?

Yakko77 on January 18, 2008 at 11:52 AM

Slim and none, and slim just left town.

To all you left wing doubters and Bush haters – pucker up and get ready to smooch some lower cheeks.

Dr. Gecko on January 18, 2008 at 10:43 AM

They give the military success about 2 -3 seconds of lip service then go on continuously about how things are still grim on the political front in Iraq. Which is true but not long ago they were going off about how grim things were militarily as well but now that’s not mentioned. Odds of this hitting the front page of the NY Times anyone?