Quote of the day
posted at 10:47 pm on July 16, 2008 by Allahpundit
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what war? the bad guys are not in Iraq.
custer on July 16, 2008 at 10:52 PM
I said to my wife when the Surge started that if we could string together maybe 3 solid peaceful months where the power stayed on for most of the day that the Iraqis would start shifting to our side in force, realizing what the U.S. was offering was a lot better than AQ or Sadr had in store.
It’s pretty amazing when you look at what our guys have actually accomplished in the past year. Let’s hope it holds.
BadgerHawk on July 16, 2008 at 10:53 PM
amerpundit on July 16, 2008 at 10:55 PM
Not for the 140,000 American troops that are still there.
If it is over then I don’t know why that loon Obama wants to keep them there till at least May, 2010.
MB4 on July 16, 2008 at 10:59 PM
Now let’s surge in Afghanistan/Pakistan.
RMCS_USN on July 16, 2008 at 11:00 PM
First of all, you can’t just levitate them out. His 16-month timetable is logistically impossible not only because it doesn’t take into account ground conditions, but because we can’t get the troops and equipment out within 16 months.
amerpundit on July 16, 2008 at 11:01 PM
To me, the chart I found that showed the most progress, was the last chart. Weapons Caches found.
On pace to double last years Cache finds, which was up 4 times from 2004.
1833 in 2004
6957 in 2007
5667 so far in 2008.
They are getting the stored weapons away from the “innocent family men” since there are no “bad guys” in Iraq.
WoosterOh on July 16, 2008 at 11:03 PM
Yeah…………… just like the US Congress. Let Freedom Ring!
Seven Percent Solution on July 16, 2008 at 11:04 PM
Or just like Chicago.
WoosterOh on July 16, 2008 at 11:05 PM
I kinda feel sorry for the democrats. First John Kerry never got a chance to, and now Barack Obama won’t be able to surrender Iraq to the terrorists even if he gets elected.
It’s a huge blow to the terrorists, democrats, and now the liberal history book writers who were poised to pin the ‘failure of Iraq’ on Bush. Maybe they’ll find a way to pull some obscure quote from Pelosi and Reid to make it seem like they were actually for the war.
wise_man on July 16, 2008 at 11:07 PM
But what does that mean for the US forces and interests in Iraq?
AlexB on July 16, 2008 at 11:09 PM
Ethno-sectarian deaths from Iraq’s civil war plunged all the way down to ZERO in May and June 2008.
Any lefties wanna comment on this? Nah, didn’t think so.
Yon’s book “Moment of Truth in Iraq” is a Must Read for HotHeads!
Tony737 on July 16, 2008 at 11:09 PM
Well, now we have to win the peace.
Which is often harder than winning the war.
Especially for democracies.
SteveMG on July 16, 2008 at 11:11 PM
It would be great if Michael Yon could go on a
speaking tour,and have his opinion heard!
After all,this article is pure poison to
a Liberals ears!
And kryptonite to anti-war groups,especically
those pesky Pelosi lawn ornaments,the Code Pinko’s!
canopfor on July 16, 2008 at 11:12 PM
Obama is going to claim soon that he ended it, by willing it to never have started.
No matter who wins, bases will be in Iraq for at least the next 50 years.
Entelechy on July 16, 2008 at 11:13 PM
Ethno-sectarian deaths from Iraq’s civil war plunged all the way down to ZERO in May and June 2008.
Any lefties wanna comment on this?
Playing Devil’s advocate …
Well, that’s only because they’ve all killed each other off!
Tony737 on July 16, 2008 at 11:14 PM
Or invite him to the republican national convention to brief all in attendance.
wise_man on July 16, 2008 at 11:15 PM
No matter who wins,bases will be in Iraq for at least
the next 50 years.
Entelechy on July 16,2008 at 11:13PM.
Entelechy: Besides the Liberation of Iraq,I always thought
that the second reason was to have a bases in
Iraq,to reach out,at will, to smack Syria or
Iran!
And goodevening,Entelechy.:)
canopfor on July 16, 2008 at 11:18 PM
No matter who wins, bases will be in Iraq for at least the next 50 years. - Entel
Perfect location to hit Iran or Syria, and I predict someday they too will be ‘flipped’ over into the “Blue” column, hopefully from within. But Pakistan might be a tougher nut to crack.
Tony737 on July 16, 2008 at 11:18 PM
Yes, it’s that great? Just like Germany, and Japan, and South Korea. Each and every country that we are in flourishes.
wise_man on July 16, 2008 at 11:20 PM
Wow! Me and CanOp are like, TWINS BRUTHAS!
WONDER TWIN POWERS … ACTIVATE!
Tony737 on July 16, 2008 at 11:20 PM
Ooops! Twin Bruthas!
Each and every country that we are in flourishes. - Wise
Maybe someday we’ll be driving Iraqi cars?
Tony737 on July 16, 2008 at 11:23 PM
Or invite….
wise_man on July 16,2008 at 11:15PM.
wise_man: At the RNConvention,with all MSM wall to wall
coverage,now thats brilliant and outstanding!
Someone,get a hold of the RNC,let it be said,
so it will be,————–excellent.:)
canopfor on July 16, 2008 at 11:23 PM
Awfully convenient timing, don’t you think?
Chimpy McHitlerburton just happens to win the war right before the election?
\sarc
Can someone please explain to me how Harry Effing Reid is going to be reelected? It ought to disqualify you from working in government, in any capacity, to babble your fool head off about how America has lost a war that we’re fighting.
He’s a disgrace, and I’m wondering about the people who vote for him.
And canopfor: It’d be useless. They’re impervious to facts.
And if they can accuse Petraeus of lying, well OF COURSE some right-wing reporter’s gonna lie through his Cheney-controlled teeth.
misterpeasea on July 16, 2008 at 11:23 PM
Trying to think of what could possibly be more effective in assuring peace in Iraq, and the ME, for the next fifty years.
Maybe turning it all into glass.
misterpeasea on July 16, 2008 at 11:25 PM
That was just a friendly reminder for those of you to whom the names “Ramstein AFB”, “Yokosuka Naval Base”, “DMZ South Korea” and “Guantanamo Bay” are an alien concept.
52Ranger on July 16, 2008 at 11:28 PM
Oh, yeah - that’s a wonderful idea, being ten times worse than what hitler did to the jews. That’s an outstanding idea, misterpeasea
wise_man on July 16, 2008 at 11:29 PM
The WSJ featured very similar article.
New reality in Iraq
dmann on July 16, 2008 at 11:36 PM
Indeed, 52Ranger.
canopfor, et all, greetings from the heart of ‘liberalism’, Hollywood (business trip - no, not in the movies :)
canopfor, I always thought that we are there to keep the Iranians nervous, from Afghanistan and from Iraq…and in turn the Syrians and a few others in the region, aside from the oil (my current location made me say the latter).
Entelechy on July 16, 2008 at 11:40 PM
Tango bravo sierra.
The 16 months would be starting no earlier than January, 2009, which would mean 22 months from now and there is no reason not to start now if “the war is over”.
In the 12 months of 1971 alone over 177,000 American troops were withdrawn from RVN and there was no big sweat worked up in doing it either. And that was just an “army of draftees” not the professional army we have now.
MB4 on July 16, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Now is the time for McCain to call for a SURGE on drilling in America! That will work, now won’t it, despite the naysayers?
MsUnderestimated on July 16, 2008 at 11:42 PM
I’ll leave you to argue the point with the fine commanders on the ground who say it’s logistically impossible.
It depends on how much equipment you want to leave behind.
amerpundit on July 16, 2008 at 11:44 PM
Even WaPo acknowledged today that:
amerpundit on July 16, 2008 at 11:46 PM
I think this is the wrong “Quote of the day”!
The QUOTE OF THE YEAR is from Michael Yon:
WOW!
DPierre on July 16, 2008 at 11:47 PM
My next wish: Wal-Mart soon to announce mega stores in Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul.
SouthernGent on July 16, 2008 at 11:55 PM
You mean that the Americans aren’t there anymore?
/leftist BullSh!t
Tim Burton on July 16, 2008 at 11:56 PM
MB4 on July 16, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Can’t compare apples to oranges.
1) Our sealift and airlift capacity has shrunk drastically since the Vietnam era. Especially after the Cold War. Actually its pretty pathetic. Nevertheless, at the height of the cold war it was estimated that it would take about 30 days to get 1 division from the ConUS into the European theater of war. I’m not going to hazard a guess what that’s risen to right now.
2) The equipment in theater right now is heavier than anything we ever had in Vietnam. You rightly say the forces withdrawn in 71 were infantry formations but these would now be characterized as light infantry. In fact, those were the only measurable type of formations in Vietnam througout the war, while we have heavier mechanized infantry divisions now.
elduende on July 17, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Someone tell Dumsfeld that increasing troop strength until you overwhelm the enemy works.
Poptech on July 17, 2008 at 12:06 AM
Lets do a little rough math here.
In 12 months (1971) approximately 180,000 troops were withdrawn from RVN. That is at a rate of 240,000 for 16 months.
By January, 2009 we will have, oh say 120,000 troops in Iraq. We have what 140,000 there now, but Bush has talked about bringing some back soon, so I think that 120,000 in January, 2009 would be a reasonable estimate. This would be right back at about the number when the “surge” started. McCain actually said that we were down to pre-”surge” levels already, but I guess that was because Joe was not there to set him straight.
Now the troops in Iraq have more “stuff” there per troop but if 240,000 troops could be brought back from RVN in 16 months (again about 180,000 in 12 months, so about 240,000 in 16 months), with no big sweat worked up, and most of the “stuff” was brought back to the U.S.A, I would certainly thing that half that number could be brought back over the same amount of time now. If not then we need to go back to a draft and just about no one wants that.
Keep in mind also that the equipment would not have to be all shipped back, half way around the earth, to the U.S.A., a lot of it could be brought to Kuwait, right next door, for a time. It’s not going to rot anymore there than in Iraq, plus the Army uses a whole lot of contractors now that would no longer be need to support the war in Iraq which is supposedly “over”, who could help out.
And keep in mind that I just used Vietnam as an example and not WWII.
Talk about lack of a can-do attitude.
BTW, since when did ABC become so reliable? I thought they were part of the untrustworth drive-bys.
MB4 on July 17, 2008 at 12:11 AM
Would Hillary be for, or against, them?
Entelechy on July 17, 2008 at 12:11 AM
OK, compare this to the exact date of Murtha’s “come back and fight, we will run” speech.
What do you see???
allrsn on July 17, 2008 at 12:17 AM
Maybe someday will be driving Iraq cars?
Tony 737 on July 16,2008 at 11:23PM.
Tony: My twin bro,make sure my Iraq car is powered
by a rat,Chevy big block,572 cubic inch,800
horespower!
And always remember,fuel injection is nice,
but,
I would rather be (Blown)super-charged!haha.:)
canopfor on July 17, 2008 at 12:18 AM
Ok so now judge how many American and Iraqie lives the left caused!!!!
Should this fly by? or should Murtha be held accountable??
allrsn on July 17, 2008 at 12:18 AM
First of all, you’re basing your logic on comparing today’s withdrawal rate to a withdrawal from nearly 4 decades ago.
Second of all, I don’t pretend to have knowledge on the military. But I’m pretty sure that the commanders on the ground that understand current regulations and logistics are better prepared to pass judgment on whether something’s possible than political blog commenters.
amerpundit on July 17, 2008 at 12:19 AM
Murtha and Reid are barely living corpses, not worth much energy.
Entelechy on July 17, 2008 at 12:20 AM
History is what happened, not what anyone wishes that would have happened.
Entelechy on July 17, 2008 at 12:21 AM
It may be possible, with difficulty, to get the troops back in 16 months. But no equipment we come with them. logistics will not allow it.
allrsn on July 17, 2008 at 12:23 AM
Obviously you and the U.S. military have yet to read the MB4 plan for withdrawal.
amerpundit on July 17, 2008 at 12:24 AM
I always thought,re:Iranians nervous,
Entelechy on July 16,2008 at 11:40PM.
Entelechy: Agreed,and nervous they are!
canopfor on July 17, 2008 at 12:25 AM
Michelle my belle is now under the bus.
pjf626 on July 17, 2008 at 12:30 AM
http://drudgereport.com/flashmo.htm
pjf626 on July 17, 2008 at 12:30 AM
Jihad, meet the Strong Horse.
And as much as the cringing, treasonous, self-loathing defeatists (Harry Reid, Murtha, NY Times, Code Pink, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Michael Moore, Barack Obama, ad nauseam) in the West tried to lose, daily, while aiding their propagandizing Islamofascist buddies (Koran flushing at Gitmo! ) still they lost.
Their efforts to sabotage this front in the war against the Jihad failed.
Now on to ramp up Afghanistan and the “tribal regions” of Pakistan!
profitsbeard on July 17, 2008 at 12:33 AM
And if your paying for the reconstruction and other large chunks of infrastructure spending and gifts and tribute to tribal leaders and such, you can stay as long as you like.
BL@KBIRD on July 17, 2008 at 12:41 AM
The data speaks for itself. The war is not lost and it’s to the point that a long time observer of that war no longer refers to it as such. Now I wonder if those who opposed the effort our troops and the Iraqis fought so hard achieve will acknowledge this? The rhetoric of the ‘04 and ‘06 election is not forgotten by this voter.
Yakko77 on July 17, 2008 at 12:42 AM
2 years ago I predicted that the administration would have the war in Iraq pretty much under control by the summer of the election year in order to get the republican nominee elected.
Pardon me while I break my arm patting myself on the back.
Bwahahahaha…
csdeven on July 17, 2008 at 12:52 AM
We cant totally leave to soon…
Iraq doesn’t have an air force.. or really any type of equipment..
Chakra Hammer on July 17, 2008 at 1:03 AM
Hope is Good!
Travis1 on July 17, 2008 at 1:05 AM
I seem to remember it was called a civil war that we had no business being involved in.
But the shake out of the military proved that the right general needed to be in the right place. The status quo within the top brass may have either been unwilling, unable or unknowing how to conduct the war.
For as much as I liked Donald Rumsfeld’s personality and swiping banter with the MSM, it obviously took both Gates and Petraeus to shake up the four branches. Gates to fire some dead weight, and Petraeus to conduct the surge and it’s success.
A Commander in Chief couldn’t ask for more.
History, I’m sure it will be looked as a necessary war to bring democracy to the middle east. I hope it doesn’t take another act of terrorism like 9-11 to keep us awake to the dangers that are present and looking to strike us. Although, I think many on the left have short memories and attention spans.
Kini on July 17, 2008 at 1:08 AM
Ace has a link to a story about that action in Afghanistan the other day where we lost 9 paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade. I know it is a bit off topic for this post but folks should go have a look. What isn’t being told is that 45 US paratroopers and 25 Afghan soldiers defeated a well-planned coordinated attack by 500 Taliban and defeated the attack.
Ladies and gentlemen, this generation of young Americans are simply awesome.
crosspatch on July 17, 2008 at 1:28 AM
This is not the end. This is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
VolMagic on July 17, 2008 at 1:34 AM
We kicked their ass. Good over evil rules again.
Travis1 on July 17, 2008 at 1:46 AM
I didn’t know president Bush was that smart: and he didn’t even go to West Point.
Johan Klaus on July 17, 2008 at 1:51 AM
They are more than awesome.
Johan Klaus on July 17, 2008 at 1:52 AM
That is what they can do when their hands are not tied. They even do a good job when their hands are tied; it just takes longer.
Johan Klaus on July 17, 2008 at 1:55 AM
Who are all these “can’t do” commanders? Ones that ABC refers anonymously to? Has General Petraeus said that it’s impossible? Since when do we just take the “evil” drive-bys word? Only when it pleases us to do so? And then when they don’t say what we want to hear then its, “Oh, you can’t believe them”? Very convenient I would say.
MB4 on July 17, 2008 at 1:56 AM
Sorry to repeat myself, but this is too important.
allrsn on July 17, 2008 at 1:58 AM
Oh no, Lady E, reality is what happened and history is what the victors write happend. Until some University professor changes even that later.
MB4 on July 17, 2008 at 2:01 AM
If I thought that was the case, which I don’t, then I would say we need to go back to the draft.
MB4 on July 17, 2008 at 2:08 AM
Now it’s just the troops with difficulty? Like almost impossible? Now that part is beyond absurd.
Even if the number of troops in Iraq, come January, 2009, was still as it is now, 140,000 +/-, which it probably will not be, to get just the troops out would come to only an average of 300 a day and the troops would not all have to be flown all the way back to the U.S. right away. The troops could move to Kuwait or maybe some to Kurdistan (part of Iraq I know, but that’s not the point) , a few hundred miles away and just a measly couple of commercial charter flights could do that from Kuwait (and maybe Kurdistan).
Some seem to have a very low opinion of today’s Army.
MB4 on July 17, 2008 at 2:23 AM
We can afford it. We have a very large budget and trade surplus you know.
MB4 on July 17, 2008 at 2:27 AM
If their tour isn’t up, they’ll probably just re-deploy to Afghanistan. It would be a good airlift exercise to move their gear to Afghanistan with them. A battalion at a time.
crosspatch on July 17, 2008 at 2:29 AM
Yes they need an Air Force to shoot down any Israeli planes that might fly over Islamic Shiite Iraq on there way to Islamic Shiite Iran.
MB4 on July 17, 2008 at 2:30 AM
Well he managed to stay out of Vietnam so I guess one could argue that he’s smarter than me.
MB4 on July 17, 2008 at 2:33 AM
despite your fantasy, this is the fact of reality.
allrsn on July 17, 2008 at 2:35 AM
Awesome? More than awesome? Better tell that to those who think they could not get out of Iraq even to next door Kuwait, by May, 2010, unless they left all their equipment behind.
MB4 on July 17, 2008 at 2:42 AM
Totally vacuous response.
MB4 on July 17, 2008 at 2:45 AM
time you are drafted mb, maybe then you will discover reality. Ahhh forget it you will still think you are in a ice cream parlor!!!! NO HOPE FOR THE WEAK
allrsn on July 17, 2008 at 2:46 AM
OOO you want to claim you are NOT weak???? PROVE IT, join reality.
allrsn on July 17, 2008 at 2:47 AM
not surprised you ran away mb, don’t really blame you either, reality is not all that fun, I understand your addiction to a 30’s ice cream parlor.
allrsn on July 17, 2008 at 2:53 AM
Churchill!
Hitler!
I love HotAir.
misterpeasea on July 17, 2008 at 3:06 AM
OK, close enough.
I hate HotAir.
misterpeasea on July 17, 2008 at 3:09 AM
That battle may be over however we need to make more progress in the war on liberalism, socialism and communism. (Sorry for the redundancy)
Claypigeon on July 17, 2008 at 3:12 AM
B I N G O
a quote for the history books!!!!
allrsn on July 17, 2008 at 3:24 AM
B I N G O²
Kini on July 17, 2008 at 4:15 AM
Yes, and there will be a troop presence there for a long time to come, ie…Korea, Japan, Germany. I don’t understand your point.
labrat on July 17, 2008 at 6:58 AM
I think he is implying that the soldiers who volunteered are somehow victims, helpless victims.
jimmy the notable on July 17, 2008 at 7:10 AM
Not to belabor the obvious, but is the war over in Germany? Is the war over in Japan? Is the war over in Korea? Because we still have troops in all those places, a half century later.
Getting the last American soldier home is not a precondition for the war being over. They are there to make sure the war stays over.
gridlock2 on July 17, 2008 at 7:21 AM
“This war is lost…the surge is not accomplishing anything.”
Words of a wise man.
gzelmiami on July 17, 2008 at 7:25 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYZEGot-xU4
gzelmiami on July 17, 2008 at 7:29 AM
What you all don’t realize is that MB4 knows more than everyone on every subject, just ask him, he’ll tell you
Ltmousseman on July 17, 2008 at 7:29 AM
I learned that long ago. I’ve also learned that trying to reason with him is like arguing with a guy dressed in a dirty white bath robe and caring a sign that says the end is tomorrow. ‘Tis a waste of time and best to ignore him.
Rod on July 17, 2008 at 8:47 AM
If you define “peace” from the leftists’ point of view, you can never win it…
All your base are now belong to US!
urbancenturion on July 17, 2008 at 10:27 AM
I gather wash racks are the big stumbling point.
BL@KBIRD on July 17, 2008 at 10:39 AM
We cant totally leave to soon…
Iraq doesn’t have an air force.. or really any type of equipment..
Not quite right - they have rotary wing, but little fixed wing - the IaAF has grown 50% over the last year, and will do so again this year. Their Army is in obviously better shape.
MB4, I am quite sure you wouldn’t take my word that your estimate of the ease of leaving here in good order and with all property and equipment carefully brought with us is way off…
We will probably end up pulling some of the forces back from MNC-I, but leaving or even increasing the folks in MNSTC-I. Overall, we’ll probably draw down some thousands more before the end of the year (or at least start this). I know MB4 is in a rush to get out, but I prefer to wait on GEN Petreaus’ and his people at MNF-I’s opinions…about 45 days from now.
major john on July 17, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Sorry Barry, it looks likes the good guys will be putting Iraq in their win column. Is your wife proud of her country NOW?
Bubba Redneck on July 17, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Actually _B4, I believe there are more troopers in Iraq since the “Surge”. This situation is due to the despicable “stop loss” program and slower than normal troop rotation attributed to DOD incompetence or… specific retained program deployment?
You say! My guess!
J_Gocht on July 17, 2008 at 9:16 PM