AP declares: “The United States is now winning the war that two years ago seemed lost”
posted at 3:32 pm on July 26, 2008 by Allahpundit
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At long, long last, we’ve reached the mouth of the river Denial. I can’t quote much because it’s the AP, but there’s no earthly excuse not to read all of this one anyway. Do note the biographical info on the authors at the end, too. This isn’t a pair of stringers talking. These are their two top guys throwing their full weight behind the conclusion.
Insurgency effectively over, militias largely discredited, violence creeping ever downward, war supporters coast to coast knocking as hard as they can on wood:
This amounts to more than a lull in the violence. It reflects a fundamental shift in the outlook for the Sunni minority, which held power under Saddam Hussein. They launched the insurgency five years ago. They now are either sidelined or have switched sides to cooperate with the Americans in return for money and political support…
Iraqi authorities have grown dependent on the U.S. military after more than five years of war. While they are aiming for full sovereignty with no foreign troops on their soil, they do not want to rush. In a similar sense, the Americans fear that after losing more than 4,100 troops, the sacrifice could be squandered.
U.S. commanders say a substantial American military presence will be needed beyond 2009. But judging from the security gains that have been sustained over the first half of this year — as the Pentagon withdrew five Army brigades sent as reinforcements in 2007 — the remaining troops could be used as peacekeepers more than combatants.
If you’re unwilling to take their word for the fact that normalcy is returning to Baghdad, good news — you don’t have to. So unusual is upbeat reporting about the war (although it does exist, even in the New York Times) that I’m tempted to hunt here for a hidden agenda, but if this is designed to benefit Obama or the left, those boldfaced parts certainly are a nuanced way to go about it.
For your companion reading, devote three minutes to Michael Totten’s short but insightful analysis of the three Iraq wars. Two of them are already won, sufficiently so that, per MNF calculations, there wasn’t a single sectarian killing in Iraq in the past two months. As for the third war, like I say, read the AP piece. And since I’m more or less obliged at this point to include a partisan angle in all posts, here again is the transcript of McCain’s “audacity of hopelessness” speech delivered yesterday in Denver. You might be hearing some of those points again this week pegging off of the AP article.
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Way to scoop it AP!
AUINSC on July 26, 2008 at 3:33 PM
I can’t wait until the finally admit that Copernicus was right about that ‘earth revolves around the sun’ thing too.
AUINSC on July 26, 2008 at 3:35 PM
It seems the only way we can lose the war now is to elect Obama or put the dims in Congress where they can cut off the funding of the war. Anything can still ahppen.
volsense on July 26, 2008 at 3:38 PM
I have the feeling that the MSM press is preparing the excuse for Obama to remove the troops if he is elected: we won, let’s get out
Ropera on July 26, 2008 at 3:40 PM
John Burns is probably the MSM reporter with the most integrity re: Iraq (IMO). Very stand-up guy, even if he was in the employ of the NYT for many years.
Purple Fury on July 26, 2008 at 3:44 PM
FU AP
RobCon on July 26, 2008 at 3:47 PM
Omama makes one trip and the war is won. . . Messiah
spreads his wings . . .
Texyank on July 26, 2008 at 3:48 PM
Yep, I agree. He makes no bones about his politics but he also makes no bones about his view that the bad guys ARE bad guys. His last interview on Charlie Rose gave me a new outlook on him. He called progress progress and knocked me off my chair.
Limerick on July 26, 2008 at 3:48 PM
boy that AP, cant hide nuthin from them…
trailortrash on July 26, 2008 at 3:48 PM
Preparing for a dem victory in November, mark my words.
Let’s disoblige them by electing McCain, please.
Bob's Kid on July 26, 2008 at 3:50 PM
Obama craps in the Middle East, and peace bursts forth like tulips in the Spring.
Enoxo on July 26, 2008 at 3:55 PM
That’s a different Burns (John). This (AP) is Robert Burns.
McCain still needs to connect Obama’s dreadful error - which wasn’t just his opposition to the surge but his view that the presence of our troops was the chief cause of the violence (source) - to the dangers attendant with an Obama Presidency.
Forward John, not back.
SteveMG on July 26, 2008 at 3:58 PM
(reaches for the bottle, throws it against wall)
Ooops…sorry!
Limerick on July 26, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Tell me again why this is supposed to be a banner year for the Democrats? They have nothing to do with the success in Iraq and everything to do with rising prices and a slowing economy.
Greenhorn on July 26, 2008 at 4:09 PM
Yes, because I see this as a formal ‘end-of-life’ announcement by the MSM for Iraq war as an issue…it no longer helps their man, so it has no more ‘news value’…and if McCain doesn’t keep this in play, non-stop…he’s lost one of his few remaining cards. I hope he understands what is happening now, and doesn’t just say ‘Gee thanks, we can put that behind us and all be friends now!’
AUINSC on July 26, 2008 at 4:09 PM
Sounds good to me. Let’s start bringing the troops home. We can figure out later what we won.
MB4 on July 26, 2008 at 4:14 PM
knock on wood is right. I hope and pray things will continue to improve over there. And then when our troops come home, they can do it with pride.
Terrye on July 26, 2008 at 4:16 PM
AUINSC:
That speech of McCain’s on Iraq that Allah linked gives me the impression that he sees this as an ongoing issue.
Terrye on July 26, 2008 at 4:17 PM
Among other consequences, this is a major defeat for Al-Qaeda. The split between the Sunnis and AQ will reverberate throughout the Middle East. Already we see many former AQ leaders and other radical Islamists reconsidering their approach as a result, in part, of their defeat in Iraq.
As we know (or most of us), the Sunnis ran Iraq for decades. It was not conceivable at the time that AQ and the Iraqi Sunnis could once again dominate a predominantly Shi’a nation. Those who said that a Shi’a nation could never be run by the Sunnis ignore all this history.
AQ has been shown that they are not the future of Islam, that the infidels can defeat them on the battlefield, and they have nothing to offer Muslims except death and destruction.
Not to mention that we’ve prevented the mass slaughter of tens of thousands - if not more - of Iraqis who would have been caught in the wider sectarian war. As well as killed off by AQ.
Of course, those who don’t care about innocent women and children because they’re Muslims, simply couldn’t care less.
But those are sad people and who really cares what they think?
SteveMG on July 26, 2008 at 4:25 PM
The one thing that would kill McCain’s campaign, right now, is if Obama came out and said ‘You know, I was wrong about Iraq…let’s talk about how the racist Republicans have destroyed the environment and the economy…’ It would be all lies, of course, but it would be brilliant. Fortunately, I don’t think Obama is brilliant enough to do that…and his overblown ego would prevent it even if he was that brilliant.
AUINSC on July 26, 2008 at 4:27 PM
This could be part of the Dems “Move on. Iraq is just a distraction” tactic.
RINO Chuck Hagel recently said that we should quit talking about the surge [because Obama was wrong about it]. “We’re winning. It doesn’t matter who said what when. And Maliki thinks Obama’s timeline is the right one.”
I expect to see this meme in the future.
Wethal on July 26, 2008 at 4:29 PM
Not inconceivable…
Who needs “preview” anyway?
SteveMG on July 26, 2008 at 4:29 PM
Quite right. My mistake.
All the more shocking to see this in the AP, then.
Purple Fury on July 26, 2008 at 4:31 PM
I suspect three possible explanations for this;
1. The AP is trying to take the war off the table as an issue, saying in essence,
I am sure they would rather concentrate on domestic issues- like raising taxes and nationalizing oil companies, both of which Barry O is down with.
2.The fact that things in Iraq are now so bad for the side they were hoping would win (the terrorists), AP is trying a Hail Mary pass to convince us to bug out next year and leave them to regroup and conquer the country. Scenario; South Vietnam 1972-75. Considering the number of VN-war era antiwar types at AP, this cannot be ruled out, on the principle of “We pulled it out for The Forces Of Good (the communists) once, we can do it again.”
3. Or it may simply be that the reality of Iraq is so blindingly obvious to everybody, even the AP, that an editorial decision was made to “jump on the bandwagon” in an attempt to salvage what little credibility they have left. (Slightly less than Rolling Stone talking about the environment, IMHO.)
I figure the odds at about even money, any way you cut it.
cheers
eon
eon on July 26, 2008 at 4:31 PM
Heh. His base would stroke out.
Obama will not be admitting he was wrong about Iraq. Ever. As Click & Clack would say, that fact is metaphysical certitude.
Purple Fury on July 26, 2008 at 4:33 PM
I may be mistaken, but didn’t we just finish bringing the combat elements of the surge home? It looks like Bush beat you to the punch on that one MB4.
What about the troops that are actively engaged in training the Iraqi Army, Airforce and Marines? Shall we start bringing them home? And those who are rebuilding war-torn cities and utilities? Them too? Is there no job worth doing over there for American troops?
Tell me something MB4–if there is something inherently wrong or immoral with projecting power in strategic parts of the world, should we then dismantle and evacuate all American military bases not located on American soil? Japan? South Korea? Germany? Greenland? You tell me. I’m just some guy.
Immolate on July 26, 2008 at 4:33 PM
Aye.
SteveMG on July 26, 2008 at 4:33 PM
Sure, some would (not enough to severly dent his poll numbers)..but he would be hailed as the ultimate honest, pragmatic, centrist…he can afford to throw the far left under the bus now…given the extra-halo’s that would appear over his head… but he’s beyond the ideological phase now…it’s all about building the cult of personality. The anti-war left isn’t necessary for that anymore…plus, most of their opposition to the war was the fact that Bush led it. But, yeah, I agree, that his ego would never allow it and he’s not that bright,
AUINSC on July 26, 2008 at 4:42 PM
Immolate, you are wasting your time - MB4 has been singing the same old “leave, leave, leave” song since before I deployed here. He’ll be saying it when I get home too.
We’re finishing the job here, thanks very much.
major john on July 26, 2008 at 4:42 PM
If McCain had gone to Iraq last week, the lead story would’ve been “Iraqi’s struggling with ___________ “. The only reason they are now reporting this is because Obamuhhh went there.
It’s disgusting.
SouthernGent on July 26, 2008 at 4:42 PM
Original Headline:
We Tried To Surrender, But Bush Failed Us
(Got to keep it BDS negative.)
profitsbeard on July 26, 2008 at 4:49 PM
Thanks again for your service, Major.
bnelson44 on July 26, 2008 at 4:51 PM
Immolate:
Consider: If someone thinks all (or, at least, most) Muslims are basically corrupt, the religion is inherently evil, and Islam is at war with us and irredeemably hostile to outsiders, I guess one couldn’t care less about these reports out of Iraq.
To be sure, there is much in Islam that is appalling. But Muslims, like Christians and Jews and Buddhists and any other religion, are human beings. Some fully embrace the doctrines of their religion, other don’t.
I think there is evidence that there are many decent and wonderful Muslims who oppose the radicalism of AQ and other movements and wish to leave in peace with us.
I wish there were more of them. But letting the radicals win in Iraq sure wasn’t going to help us increase their numbers.
SteveMG on July 26, 2008 at 4:51 PM
“I’m tempted to hunt here for a hidden agenda, but if this is designed to benefit Obama or the left, those boldfaced parts certainly are a nuanced way to go about it.”
The hidden agenda is this: Things are going so fantastically well that we can pull out all the troops immediately. And then things there will go to hell in a handbasket and Obama can blame the Iraqis for it.
crosspatch on July 26, 2008 at 4:52 PM
The RNC should now get very aggressive with ads showing the Democratic Leadership (Pelosi, Reid, etc) saying the surge wouldn’t work and Murtha saying the war is lost. And then follow that with snippets of articles like this scrolling over the Democrats as they are speaking their doom and gloom. And at the end saying “Are these really the people you want in charge of your country for the next four years?”.
crosspatch on July 26, 2008 at 4:55 PM
You would think.
But where are these ads? What the hell are they waiting for? Why isn’t McCain harping on this message 24/7?
Purple Fury on July 26, 2008 at 4:57 PM
Steve:
I agree with that. It is true, allowing Islamic radicals to win in Iraq would have only given more ammunition to the haters. No doubt about it.
Terrye on July 26, 2008 at 5:05 PM
Purple Fury:
I would say this has been McCain’s most consistent message for years. We can not lose this war. He always put it that way, that this was something we had to do.
Terrye on July 26, 2008 at 5:08 PM
I just hope that Team McCain is savvy enough to understand that via the MSM, Obama is pretty bullet-proof when it comes to accountability on Iraq. Pinning recklessness on Iraq, as well as the war on terror, and national defense to Obama will take some very clever chess playing/cornering. Remember, the MSM is barely mentioning the “I was against the surge, and still am”; it’s going to take some mighty clever work to get him.
PLEASE, GET THIS CAPTAIN BS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
ParisParamus on July 26, 2008 at 5:10 PM
In fairness to McCain, and the RNC, it’s still, really just the First Quarter/the Third Inning. Reasonable minds can differ on how hard McCain and the RNC, and anyone else should be going after Obama right now.
ParisParamus on July 26, 2008 at 5:13 PM
I agree that has been his position. It has not always been his message — at least, not so far in this campaign.
He needs to be leveling broadsides of the sort that he released yesterday (http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives2/2008/07/021085.php) on an almost daily basis, and, as crosspatch says, the RNC needs to be hitting the “Iraq-is-lost” Dems HARD on this. DAILY.
Purple Fury on July 26, 2008 at 5:14 PM
Does anyone here think for a nanosecond that if things were not going well in Iraq, that the Dems wouldn’t be raking McCain over the coals on this, 24/7?
Purple Fury on July 26, 2008 at 5:16 PM
You know what pisses me off about this “declaration” by AP? For years we have heard, “What does victory in Iraq look like” by those on the left, in response to the Administration’s desire to stay in Iraq until we “win”. Every kook from those at the NYT to John Stewart have echoed that theme in the snarkiest and most annoying way imaginable. They asked the question as if it were THE question that would dialectically box in we, evil neo-cons. And now the AP, the glorious AP, comes along and not only has little trouble defining what victory is, but also has the ability to apply this newly minted definition to what they see in Iraq. UGH!
Weight of Glory on July 26, 2008 at 5:16 PM
It is important for the Assoc Press to change their position now that their hero, Obama, has shifted his position to now acknowledge that the surge worked. Although we have been winning for a while, Assoc Press worked diligently to portray just the opposite in an effort to support their anti-Bush agenda.
jediwebdude on July 26, 2008 at 5:16 PM
I agree with you 100%. This will be a killer for McCain if he doesn’t stay in this 24/7 and let’s Obama and the MSM sweep it under the rug…as they will do.
AUINSC on July 26, 2008 at 5:18 PM
Yeah, this is what frosts me about Obama.
He gets a free ride either way. If the surge and COIN failed, he would be saying, “I told you so.”
Now that it’s working, he’s getting credit for Maliki’s endorsement of his timelines.
There’d be no timelines if we didn’t have the surge and change in strategy.
Tactics that Obama opposed and voted to stop funding for.
SteveMG on July 26, 2008 at 5:22 PM
Advocating that certain politician on this site is inadvisable, Bob’s kid. You better think twice before you make another comment like that.
wise_man on July 26, 2008 at 5:40 PM
McCain (at the first Odebate):
Senator Obama, will you finally admit that you were completely and embarrassingly wrong about the Surge?
Obama: (tries to change the subject/meme) Blah-oblah-oblah…
McCain (interrupts): Will you just finally admit you were wrong, Senator? It’s small man who cannot admit a big mistake. And opposing the Surge was a Big Mistake.
Obama (going ballistic) You impugn my blah-oblah-oblah…
McCain: (interrupts again) How tough is it to just say “I was wrong” Senator?
(And so on…)
Keep on Barry’s weak butt.
Obama was and is a moron who endangered national security with his pandering folly.
Beat him with it.
profitsbeard on July 26, 2008 at 5:40 PM
Senator Obama made a different choice. He not only opposed the new strategy, but actually tried to prevent us from implementing it. He didn’t just advocate defeat, he tried to legislate it. When his efforts failed, he continued to predict the failure of our troops. As our soldiers and Marines prepared to move into Baghdad neighborhoods and Anbari villages, Senator Obama predicted that their efforts would make the sectarian violence in Iraq worse, not better.
And as our troops took the fight to the enemy, Senator Obama tried to cut off funding for them. He was one of only 14 senators to vote against the emergency funding in May 2007 that supported our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He would choose to lose in Iraq in hopes of winning in Afghanistan. But had his position been adopted, we would have lost both wars.” — John McCain 7/25/08
bnelson44 on July 26, 2008 at 5:48 PM
“In fairness to McCain, and the RNC, it’s still, really just the First Quarter/the Third Inning. Reasonable minds can differ on how hard McCain and the RNC, and anyone else should be going after Obama right now.”
Agreed. There still might be some last minute fireworks at the conventions. That is when things are really going to get started … once both candidates are “stamped” by their party at the conventions and they have both announced running mates. That is when it all gets going in earnest.
crosspatch on July 26, 2008 at 5:50 PM
You mean bring the troops home from Kuwait so that we can figure out that we won the 1991 gulf war?
Chakra Hammer on July 26, 2008 at 6:00 PM
crosspatch, I agree that it’s hard to believe, but most voters don’t really focus on candidates until the Conventions and after, especially after. Even “fireworks at the Conventions don’t mean that much.
ParisParamus on July 26, 2008 at 6:03 PM
An even sadder truth is that probably 90% of the population only get their political news at the top of the hour on the radio station they listen to on their daily commute and that’s about it.
crosspatch on July 26, 2008 at 6:16 PM
the “Club of Those Who See the Obvious” is getting so large now that even the slime-sucking whores at the Associated Press are joining.
Next they’ll have a story about how the West won the Cold War……..
Janos Hunyadi on July 26, 2008 at 6:19 PM
Not a fan, I’m guessing?
More seriously, despite the positive nature of this story, I don’t particularly care for reporters writing analytical pieces like this.
Reporters report; analysts analyze.
Keep ‘em separated.
SteveMG on July 26, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Fabulous!
Entelechy on July 26, 2008 at 6:29 PM
Wheezin’ Harry Reid (”the war is lost”) was not available for coherent comment.
Cicero43 on July 26, 2008 at 6:29 PM
Before I read the AP story I had a feeling it was to set the stage for BO’s time line, but that bit about this looking like the very beginning of a perilous peace makes me think they just want to grab a shred of credibility. Plus they got to take two more cracks at misleading their readers about President Bush’s 2003 speech aboard the Lincoln.
RW_theoriginal on July 26, 2008 at 6:40 PM
Interesting theory. Knowing that “admitting defeat” (there was no defeat, but they WERE spinning it that way) isn’t a good strategy for The Savior™, but salivating over a quick withdrawal to satisfy the hippies, this is probably the only way out.
capitalist piglet on July 26, 2008 at 6:42 PM
One of our local (Seattle) conservative stations uses ABC news for its breaks. The slant is just breathtaking sometimes. (Most of the time, in fact.)
capitalist piglet on July 26, 2008 at 6:45 PM
Hot Air reader William Amos has the AP video of Bob Burns saying that the winning side in Iraq has “been determined.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh81UACUvvw
ganeshpuri89 on July 26, 2008 at 6:45 PM
Here’s the vid on the AP YouTube channel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7lROml502U
The moonbats are seething.
ganeshpuri89 on July 26, 2008 at 6:51 PM
Hahahahahahaha. Sigh
Grow Fins on July 26, 2008 at 6:53 PM
Same old same old from this boorish troll.
SteveMG on July 26, 2008 at 6:56 PM
McCain does have support check out this blog and blog roll.
http://standupformccain.com/
Dr Evil on July 26, 2008 at 6:59 PM
Fantastic pictures at the link.
I thought as I viewed them, knowing that the park was probably open during “Saddam time,” now they can go to the park, in their park, without always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
PattyJ on July 26, 2008 at 7:36 PM
Know who has to feel pretty stupid right now?
Harry Reid, that’s who.
Lil’ Nancy may need to reconsider her “Total Failure” comment also…while studying the flatlining approval rating of the very congress her and Dingey Harry run.
There sure is a total failure in D.C. Nance, and it’s in you’re branch of the government.
SuperCool on July 26, 2008 at 8:25 PM
So you contend that the surge isn’t a success and that we aren’t really winning. And you’re laughing about it.
I guess that shows where you stand. Thanks for making that plain.
baldilocks on July 26, 2008 at 8:53 PM
The AP just figured out we’re winning the war? That must have been a painful realization.
Imagine their consternation when they discover (in no particular order), the Doobie Brothers have broken up, George W. bush actually won the 2000 election, dinosaurs are extinct, and, the Japanese dropped the bomb on Pearl Harbor.
Those poor people have a lot of grief in their futures.
trigon on July 26, 2008 at 9:19 PM
Finally. That whole “mission accomplished” thing was only, what, a year premature at least?
With that said it’s still nice to hear that we are winning.
Dark-Star on July 26, 2008 at 9:53 PM
Hallo, Entelechy
Hogy vary; hogy van
Janos Hunyadi on July 26, 2008 at 10:29 PM
I have a startling confession to make…
I HATE to “win”.
I wish the United States would lose this war.
I can’t stand it when the United States “wins” something; I wish we could just exist Iraq in disgrace, with our tail between out legs, with a Military shattered and disgraced beyond all repair, and thus enter a period of self-loathing, self-hate, disrespect for country, President, Institutions, etc., and began a period of sucking up to Dictators, crushing Free Speech, imposing PC’ness, High Taxes, High Unemployment, no economic growth, Stagflation, etc., etc….
Wouldn’t that just be fun?
Oh, I’m sorry, that’s what Obama (PBUH)(SAW)(SWT) and the Democrats already WANT!
I just put down my bong, smacked myself in between the eyes with a ballpeen hammer for 20 min; watched a Testtube pattern on the TV for 22 straight hours, dropped on the floor and did the Curly spin-in-a-circle-on-my-left-shoulder for 5min..Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk, read the collected works of Ayn Rand & Al Franken for 3 days straight, guzzled 3 cases of Red Bull, and then played auto-erotic asphyxiation with a clothsline on myself for 2 hours and Viola! I was able to think like an Anti-American/Pro-Jihadi Democratic Lefist Traitor Nutbag instaneously!
See, simple, it DOES work!
Dale in Atlanta on July 27, 2008 at 1:20 AM
It is amazing how the media become military experts whenever they want to.
MSGTAS on July 28, 2008 at 10:13 AM