Here are some miscellaneous links of interest. Wouldn’t want you getting bored, after all. Following up on the story of Archdhimmi of Canterbury Rowan Williams and his desire to have UK law make space for Islamic Sharia law, Melanie Phillips…

Semper Fi, General Petraeus!

Supporters of the American troop increase in 2007 touted it as a way to stabilize the country, bringing Iraqi politicians the political space they needed to pass legislation that could pave the way for reconciliation between the sects. For months it appeared that little was moving on the political front, but now it seems that the decline in violence did contribute to a change in the atmosphere.

To any and all liberals,

“TOLD YOU SO!”

Someone notify Nancy “This was a failure! This was a Failure!” Pelosi.

BohicaTwentyTwo on February 13, 2008 at 4:50 PM

It was a failure…a failure by the press to let this leak out. OF course, I promise you that won’t mention again. Just once to cover their ass.

Pelosi: (fingers in her ears) “LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA!

ThePrez on February 13, 2008 at 4:56 PM

Hilarious!

The budget deal includes transfering two Peshmerga Divisions to the Iraqi Army.
25,000 extra troops in the IA…

That’s interesting. They’ve only operated, IIRC, in Northern Iraq.

Will they be under Iraqi command? I.e., Shi’a generals?

Interesting development.

Same with Afghanistan.

And any other zone of Mohammedan fruitcakes.

Smack a smilely face over the folly and buil\d up our military for the next round.

“We have a common goal,” says Mr. Abdul-Sattar.

If only we had politicians who could grasp that concept here.

And I mean a lot worse than in the US. Unfortunately, that seems to be the norm in Arab countries. Expect a lot of rags to riches stories amongst Iraqi parlimentarians.

Still, progress is progress; there’s nothing we can do about a culture that accepts corruption as the norm.

Absolutely. This is why McCain is the only nominee that the Republicans could offer who could mitigate some of this negativity.

He has credibility on the war issue. He was a critic of the lack of troops and the overall policy when we things were a mess. And the public views him, rightly or not, as a authority on national security and defense.

Romney or Huckabee would have to run away from the Iraq war. McCain has the crediblity of raising the issue, of pointing out the dangers if we just leave and allow the Islamists to use Iraq as a base.

Lots of problems with McCain on other issues, to be sure. But on Iraq, he’s the only credible candidate who can raise the issue against the Democrats.

I see one problem with defeating Paul in the GOP primary, which may well happen.
jp on February 13, 2008 at 5:03 PM

May happen? Yeah, and the Sun may well rise tomorrow.

Paul might run 3rd party, but recent indications are that he won’t- he’ll hang on till the convention so he can get one more opportunity to ramble a bit; he’s also openly hoping for a brokered convention even though he’d lose there too. I’ve no doubt that a number of Paultards will write him in anyways, but they’ll still be a non-factor.

It looks like he’s more concerned about winning re-election in Texas; unless he’s even more insane than he lets on, he has to know that he’s never going to be President, and certainly not in 2008.

now my conspiracy theory: Anyone think that at some point last year the Elite “establishment” in the Media and Govt. decided to start downplaying the War issue they have politiczied so much. Simply because they have a good shot at winning and would then have to actually govern? I’m reminded of the Bush call to Hillary and Obama about it back during the Fall that was reported then they both admitted in the following debate that troops would remain in Iraq by the end of their presidency.

Or maybe its the facts on the ground coming in, but somehow at this point, to me it seems they could still spin it negatively and get away with it. People have an immediate negative GOP reaction when they hear the word “Iraq”

I respect your views (except for the “McCain is a traitor” nonsense); but you’re not thinking this through.

Unfortunately, the lesson that al-Qaeda and the Islamists learn will be a different one than the one you want to send them.

And four years from now we can’t simply just send our troops back to Iraq to undo Obama’s/Clinton’s errors.

That’s if we have much of an army left.

“I believe … that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything”

-Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), August 19, 2007

Oddly I see a Paul campaign as hurting Obama more than McCain.

William Amos on February 13, 2008 at 5:04 PM

Agreed. I can’t possibly believe all those conspiracy nuts vote for the GOP if, indeed, they vote at all. Any campaign by Paul would force Obama to distance himself from the hard left, thereby costing him votes.

No, there’s no harm in getting rid of the Paultard in the primary. His nutroots can go support Paul’s left hand man Kucinich instead.

Total Failure Mr Bush. Bring the troops home.

That’s three more than Pelosi…. if you don’t count renaming post offices.

rw on February 13, 2008 at 5:00 PM

Hey, she changed the lunch menu, too.