Bush critics travel to Iraq

[Ancient]

And they are surprised:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/op...in&oref=slogin

VIEWED from Iraq, where we just spent eight days meeting with American and Iraqi military and civilian personnel, the political debate in Washington is surreal. The Bush administration has over four years lost essentially all credibility. Yet now the administration’s critics, in part as a result, seem unaware of the significant changes taking place.

Here is the most important thing Americans need to understand: We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms. As two analysts who have harshly criticized the Bush administration’s miserable handling of Iraq, we were surprised by the gains we saw and the potential to produce not necessarily “victory” but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with.

After the furnace-like heat, the first thing you notice when you land in Baghdad is the morale of our troops. In previous trips to Iraq we often found American troops angry and frustrated — many sensed they had the wrong strategy, were using the wrong tactics and were risking their lives in pursuit of an approach that could not work.

Today, morale is high. The soldiers and marines told us they feel that they now have a superb commander in Gen. David Petraeus; they are confident in his strategy, they see real results, and they feel now they have the numbers needed to make a real difference.

Everywhere, Army and Marine units were focused on securing the Iraqi population, working with Iraqi security units, creating new political and economic arrangements at the local level and providing basic services — electricity, fuel, clean water and sanitation — to the people. Yet in each place, operations had been appropriately tailored to the specific needs of the community. As a result, civilian fatality rates are down roughly a third since the surge began — though they remain very high, underscoring how much more still needs to be done.

...

Maybe we should offer all critics of Iraq a free trip over there so they too can realize that Iraq is a winnable situation? If those people begin to understand that and we all band together in a united opinion, those trying to destabilize Iraq will be in a world of hurt. The militants (and a few naysayers here in the US) thrive on public opinion. They know the only way they can win in the long run is by using public opinion to force the US to take their ball and go home before we're done. A unified American public that believed Iraq can be won would be a worse blow to the militants than any bomb or gun.

[4q2]

All we are saying..... is give war a chance!!!!!



Seriously though, it does seem that things are finally starting to go better over there and Patraeus does seem to be doing a much better job than his predecessor.

I guess if you call leaving Iraq with Iraq able to defend itself from its enemies and not spiraling into a bloody sectarian war winning then we may be able to do it. In reality we really don't know what the consequences of our leaving will be either now or in the next five or even ten years. That will mostly be left up to the Iraqi's themselves and on what they want to do with the chance they have been given.

[Athena]

I say we pull out early and not finish the job like Clinton wants us too. Who wants another ally like Japan out there? That is just crazy thinking.

[Riptide]

lol a free trip to Iraq? No thanks

While things aren't wholly bad, they are far from good. Looks like a pretty mixed bag to me.

http://www3.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index.pdf

[nVJoe]

None of this matters to those against this war because they are not against the war but against Bush.

[Riptide]

Originally Posted by nVJoe

None of this matters to those against this war because they are not against the war but against Bush.

I agree with this for the most part. I know a few people that count as exceptions to that generality however.