An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Archive for Iraq
An Offer From Michael Yon
I wonder if any of them will take him up on his offer?
An Open Offer to U.S. Senators
Whatever we do in Iraq from here forward, we must strive to make better decisions than those made between 2003 and 2006. And one way to achieve that is by making certain that our civilian leaders are fully informed. All three candidates for President are extremely intelligent, but that doesn’t mean that all three are tracking the truth on the ground in Iraq. Anyone who wants to be President of the United States needs to see Iraq without the distorting lenses of the media or partisan politics. I would be honored to visit Iraq with Senator Obama, Senator Clinton, Senator McCain or any of their Senate colleagues.
I hereby offer to accompany any Senator to Iraq, whether they are pro-or anti-war, Democrat or Republican. I will make this offer personally to a few select Senators as well. Our conversations during the visit would be on- or off-record, as they wish. Touring Iraq with me, as well as briefings by U.S. officers and meetings with Iraqis, would provide an accurate and nuanced account of the progress and challenges ahead, so that the Senators might have a highly informed perspective on this most critical issue. Our civilian leaders need to make decisions based on the best information available. The only way to learn what is really going on in Iraq is to go there and listen to our ground commanders, who know what they are doing. Generals Petraeus and Odierno have years of experience in Iraq, and vast knowledge of our efforts there. But the young soldiers who have done multiple tours in Iraq also have unique and invaluable perspectives as well. These young soldiers have personally witnessed the trajectory of the war shift dramatically, and can articulate those changes in concrete and specific terms. It doesn’t matter if a soldier is only twenty-something. If he or she spent two or three years in the war, that person is likely to have valuable insights. The best way to understand what is really going on is to listen closely to a wide range of service members who have done multiple tours in Iraq. Some will be negative, some will be positive, but overall I am certain that the vast majority of multi-tour Iraq veterans will testify that there has been great progress, and now there is hope. Combat veterans don’t tolerate happy talk or wishful thinking. They’ll tell you the raw truth as they see it.
John McFeingold probably would. I think even the Shrilldebeast would consider it, although, no doubt, she’d have to dodge the sniper fire. B. Hussein? Well…..only if it would garner him some votes, and as long as he was totally surrounded by a large contingent of Marines. I’m afraid his opportunity for any respect from me is long past. He could join the military today, and I’d still consider him a “piece of……..work”.
Self Destructing
I have worked in or with every Congress since 1970 and it is now clear that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi continue to preside over the worst Congress in living memory. This is particularly true in the most serious area a legislator must tackle: national security. No intelligence bill has been passed, now for the second straight year. The FISA reform bill, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, continues to be bottled up. And the prospect of a Defense Authorization bill becoming law is also bleak. On the most important duty they are sworn to do — provide for the common defense — the Democratic leadership is AWOL.
Occasionally, it’s a good thing when those who are the “law makers” do nothing. This isn’t one of those times! The Dhimmis were voted into office, with the idea they’d actually do something concerning our national security, which is what their job actually entails. They have done NOTHING to ensure the security of this nation! Is it truly their intent to destroy one of the greatest nations history has ever known? With a B. Hussein, they will ensure such a destruction. Leadership is non existent!
As the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Bond, and his colleagues Burr, Chambliss and Hatch have noted, the report — highly politicized as it is — concludes “Statements by the President, Vice President, Secretary of State and the National Security Adviser regarding a possible Iraq1 nuclear weapons programs were generally substantiated by intelligence community estimates”, (p.15); “statements in the major speeches analyzed regarding Iraqi ballistic missiles were generally supported by available intelligence”(p. 57); “intelligence reporting highlights more than a decade of contacts between the Iraqi Government and al-Qa’ida based on shared anti-US goals and Bin laden’s interest in unconventional weapons…” (p. 63); “statements…regarding Iraq’s support for terrorist groups…were substantiated by intelligence information”, (p.71); and “statements that Iraq provided safe haven for …al-Zarqawi and other al-Qa’ida-related terrorists…and regarding Iraq’s contacts with al-Qa’ida…were substantiated by intelligence estimates”, (p.71).
But the report, despite stating the obvious that intelligence conclusions prior to the liberation of Iraq were flawed, spends considerable time denouncing the idea that Saddam Hussein had any connection to either terrorism or terrorist groups, especially al-Qa’ida. The report concludes that Saddam never “considered using terrorist groups to attack the United States.”
Obviously, this morning’s headlines were very misleading. Even I was sucked in. That pisses me off.
When the Senate report actually substantiates the the previous intelligence reports, why spend so much time denouncing it? BDS! Plain and simple. The Dhimmi led Senate would rather see the destruction of the Republican president, than Islamofascism. Even if Saddam wasn’t plotting against the U.S. directly, on our soil, he evidently supported hits on our people.
According to documents revealed after the initial liberation of Iraq, and compiled by the Institute for Defense Analysis recently, and summarized by Eli Lake in the New York Post, “In the same year, Saddam ordered his intelligence service to ‘form a group to start hunting Americans present on Arab soil; especially Somalia.’ At the time, Al Qaeda was working with warlords against American forces there. Saddam’s intelligence services maintained extensive support networks for a wide range of Palestinian Arab terrorist organizations, including but not limited to Hamas. Among the other Palestinian groups Saddam supported at the time was Force 17, the private army loyal to Yasser Arafat.”
Saddam is no longer, personally, a threat to the U.S. in Somalia, an aid to Hamas, or any other terrorist organization that seeks the destruction of Western civilization. THAT mission IS accomplished!
Read the rest of the column for yourself.
Personally, if this current batch of weasels are allowed to rewrite even more history, the future of our nation is seriously in the tank!
The Snake in the Palm Trees
The Slimes of The Times
President Bush will never live down “Mission Accomplished” — and should not. When the White House’s spinners spun that claim five years ago (remember the aircraft carrier?), it seemed cocky and premature. As Mr. Bush continues his $526 billion war-without-end in Iraq, it seems stunningly deceitful.
I don’t understand why there are some people who don’t understand the context of that “Mission Accomplished” banner. And WHO exactly put it up. Bush didn’t put it up there, although he did say it was ok. The crew of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln put it up, because it was true….THEIR mission WAS ACCOMPLISHED! Jiminy Crickets, are the editors at the Slimes so engulfed of their hatred of Bush they can’t see past the crap on their own shoes?
The only mission that needs to be accomplished is an orderly exit from Iraq, and Mr. Bush is no closer to acknowledging that reality. Neither is Senator John McCain. All Congress seems capable of is hand-wringing.
I wonder if the Times of the 40s would even recognize the Slimes of the 00s? Probably not. I reckons losers want everyone to be losers right along with them, and will do, and say, and publish anything to achieve that goal…..at the bottom of the dung heap.
Honestly, I’d love to see our brave men and women home with their families. I would love that not one of them was ever in harms way. They’ve been stretched to the limit, yet still are proud of who they are and what they do. Evidently, the reality of today’s world hasn’t hit a lot of folks. Claim defeat and that’s what you have….defeat. Over and over. No one will ever take use seriously, no one will respect us, no one will ever notice the “big stick” because it’s turned into a flimsy twig.
So it is up to Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton to revive the national debate on Iraq — and up the pressure on the White House. While it is clear that Mr. Bush has no intention of coming up with an exit strategy, there are things he could do to give his successor a better chance at containing the chaos after American troops leave.
I don’t suppose it has ever occurred to the Slimes that there are a few folks in D.C. that actually have more information about what’s going on over there than they do? Naw. In their arrogance, they have decided it’s ok for terrorists to take over the entire region, and it won’t do any harm over here. Well, it’s already doing harm here. We are being invaded, but they haven’t noticed, so focused on their hatred of the Bush administration as they are.
Do they actually believe that either B. or Shrilldebeast will lead us to a “dignified retreat”? Ain’t no such thing. Odds are, the Slimes will be taxed out of existence, or shut down due to the repeal of the 1st Amendment. (And yes, I do think the infringements are coming if there is a Dhimmi in the White House.)
A rational debate must first recognize that Iraq is still a very dangerous place. An increase in American forces last year initially produced a steep decline in insurgent attacks. But attacks in April killed more than 50 United States troops — the highest death toll for a single month since last September.
For there to be a “rational” debate, you’d have to be rational. I’m afraid the Slime doesn’t fall into that category.
Every death is a tragedy. Every loss of life is mourned by the nation. At least by those who don’t have their heads stuck so far up the MoveOn.org types hind end, they can play with their tonsils. It’s not the loss of life that the Slimes, and their ilk care about, it’s their irrational hatred of Bush because he beat their boy, the Boracle. Get over it already! As a nation, we should pull together, yet there are so many who are falling into the trap of defeatism.
We are encouraged that Mr. Maliki chose to talk to Tehran about its role in arming and financing militias. It is long past time for Iranian leaders to hear directly — and firmly — from their Shiite brethren in Baghdad that such destabilizing behavior must stop. The United States also needs to engage Iran, Syria and all of Iraq’s neighbors. They need to understand that more chaos in Iraq is not in their interest.
I find it amazing that a U.S. paper would be so joyful that a budding ally would talk to an enemy of the Western world. Creepy. Although, I suppose if they are in favor of Sha’ria, then it would make sense. You know, that set of Islamic laws that would cut the hand off a child for stealing a piece of bread? Yeah, that one.
Chaos in Iraq IS in the best interest of their neighbors. Don’t these people pay attention? Do they really think that a country who has threatened to “wipe Israel off the map”, or one that will not let another one create their own democratic government gives a happy crap about stability in the region?
SNAP OUT OF IT! Like it or not, we are going to be at war for a VERY long time. We are fighting a radicalism we have never had to deal with before, and the rules have changed. I don’t like it. Hell, no body with an ounce of sense likes it, but it’s a new reality we are going to have to deal with and everyone should arm themselves against defeat.
Both Iraq and the United States must take responsibility. Baghdad, awash in oil profits, must provide more aid to its own people. Washington must provide more aid and allow in many more than the 12,000 refugees it has pledged to accept for this year. We fear that it is unlikely to meet even that meager target.
I agree. The governments of both countries are responsible. We didn’t take out Sadr when we had the chance. Maliki caved to the extremist. As a result, there is more bloodshed in the streets. But let me ask….how are they going to get aid to those in need if foreign (Iran) fighters won’t let them? They can draw up all kinds of plans to share oil profits, for jobs and aid, but if they can’t implement those plans……?? I guess the Slimes forgot about those who are being kidnapped and killed for their part in trying to make their own country safe for their families. No. Until the Iranians, the Syrians, and whoever else is aiding the extremists, there can be no withdrawal. To claim defeat would not only be a loss for the U.S., it would also be a loss for Iraq.
Saddam should have been taken out long before 2003. We failed to follow through in 1992. A major mistake that has cost us dearly. Do we really want to make the mistake of abandoning the fight now?
Until the Islamonazis are defeated, there will be war. Perhaps if we showed a united front, we could actually accomplish that mission. The strategies of being too nice, politically correct, or kowtowing to the socialists in Europe haven’t worked. I don’t care if they don’t like us, what bothers me is that we’ve lost the respect of those who we have aided in times of need. And seriously, why should they respect us? We don’t follow through. Our news organizations whine and lament, showing a weakness of character that will soon lead to our defeat as a nation….. from within.
R.I.P. Hero
`Miracle’ Marine dies; badly burned in 2005 Iraq blast
A Marine sergeant who became a symbol of resilience as he strove to recover from a roadside bomb blast in Iraq that blanketed 97 percent of his body with burns has died, the Defense Department said. He was 22.
Sgt. Merlin German died April 11 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where he was continuing treatment for the injuries he suffered in combat on Feb. 22, 2005, the Pentagon said Thursday.
The former turret gunner was dubbed the “Miracle Man” for his determination in facing his wounds, which cost the former saxophone player his fingers and rippled his face with scars. He endured more than 40 surgeries, spent 17 months in a hospital and had to learn to walk again.
Meanwhile, he started a charity, Merlin’s Miracles, to aid child burn victims and considered college and a career.
“Sometimes I do think I can’t do it,” he told The Associated Press last year. “Then I think: Why not? I can do whatever I want. … Nobody has ever been 97 percent dead and survived, and lived to walk.”
Born in New York City, German moved to its suburbs as a teenager. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in September 2003, according to his charity’s Web site. He was medically retired four years later, the Defense Department said.
German had been stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that the state Capitol’s flags would be flown at half-staff in German’s honor, saying the sergeant’s “courage and unfailing loyalty serve as an inspiration to Americans everywhere.”
Was This Even On The News?
Cuz if it was, I must have missed it.
Fox, 2/24 unearths massive weapons caches
The Marines are grateful for the intelligence given by a local Iraqi, which lead to unearthing 6.5 tons of ordinance, ammunition and an abundance of enemy weapons from several cache sights; taking away an enormous amount of possible threats to coalition forces from the enemy.
“We sent out a platoon that regularly patrols that area out on an (intelligence) driven cache sweep and at first they found a couple caches,” said Maj. Guillermo Rosales, company commander, Company F, 2nd Bn., 24th Marines. “On a hunch, they started searching in suspicious-looking areas and found additional caches. The Marines developed a ‘nose,’ thinking like the enemy, which resulted in us exploiting and finding the caches.”
(…)
“Anything you can think of the enemy having, we found it,” said Capt. Jeffrey W. Wong, the executive officer for Company F. “Third platoon deserves a lot of credit, they were out there for almost five full days and just when they thought they had found everything, another cache would be dug up.”
In addition to the caches found Apr. 7-11, third platoon, Company F located another 29 enemy weapons caches near the Habbaniyah area Apr. 16.
Seriously, I’ve got to start paying closer attention. 
Interesting
Al Qaeda’s No. 2: 5 Years of U.S. Occupation of Iraq Brought ‘Failure’
Al Qaeda’s No. 2 leader claimed in an audiotape released Friday that five years of U.S. involvement in Iraq brought only defeat, and said President Bush will be forced to pass the problem to his successor.
Ayman al-Zawahiri alleged that by heeding advice of his top commanders in Iraq and guaranteeing a heavy American military presence after July, Bush was “covering up for the failure” of his Iraq policies.
“If the American forces leave, they will lose everything. And if they stay, they will bleed to death,” he argued.
Isn’t it odd that the enemy is quoting members of our very own Congress.
He called for Muslim support of jihad in Iraq, and for backing Al Qaeda’s affiliate there, the so-called Islamic State of Iraq.
Oh sure, why not support the very same pigs who are murdering them, their wives, their children.
He also reiterated a recent statement allegedly by Osama bin Laden, that from Iraq the mujahideen will launch a fight to “liberate” Jerusalem.
“Liberate” Jerusalem? From what? Seems to me, the Arabs in Jerusalem have a lot more freedom than they would if such as the likes of him were in charge.
Al-Zawahiri also slammed anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has ordered his militia to halt attacks on American and Iraqi forces. He “has become the laughing stock of the world” and is a “toy” in Iran’s hands, he said.
Maybe al-Sadr was tired of getting slammed by American AND Iraqi forces? Just a thought.
When all is said and done, the Pelosis and Reeds have built up this trash. The scum sucking Carter would prefer to see American dead, that offend the murderous Hamas. And we, those of us who still believe in this country, are basically, sitting on the sidelines, letting our nation be run into the ground, by individuals who only have their own self interest at heart.
Update on “Interesting”
This post had a comment from Trail Mix about General George Sada and Saddam’s WMD’s. I thought I would provide a couple of links.
Former Top Military Aide to Saddam Reveals Dictator’s Secret Plans (Thursday, January 26, 2006)
Saddam’s general: ‘WMDs were flown out of Iraq!’ (February 03, 2006)
This guy has been telling people where the WMD’s were taken BEFORE we went in to Iraq. Nobody seems to be listening. The left still shout about Bush lying, the MSM follows their lead, and members of Congress have been playing footsie with the folks who now have those weapons.
Now, I’m as ready for the war to be over as the next person. Mistakes were made, that’s a fact that has been admitted by the administration. There were too many so worried about being PC, they forgot why wars are fought…..TO WIN! Honestly, if this generation had been living during WWII, we’d all be speaking German, forced to shout “Heil Hitler”!
Interesting
‘Report on Sept. 6 strike to show Saddam transferred WMDs to Syria’
An upcoming joint US-Israel report on the September 6 IAF strike on a Syrian facility will claim that former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein transferred weapons of mass destruction to the country, Channel 2 stated Monday.
Furthermore, according to a report leaked to the TV channel, Syria has arrested 10 intelligence officials following the assassination of Hizbullah terror chief Imad Mughniyeh.
Well, if this is true, there sure will be a lot of crow pie that’ll need to be baked.
H/T: Sultan Knish
Cut It Out Before It Grows
Rest In Peace Hero
Father of U.S. Soldier Missing in Iraq Since 2004 Says His Remains Were Found
The father of a soldier listed as missing-captured in Iraq since 2004 says the military has informed him that his son’s remains were found in Iraq.
Keith Maupin says an Army general told him Sunday that DNA was used to identify the remains of his son, Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin, who went by “Matt.”
Matt Maupin was a 20-year-old private first class when he was captured April 9, 2004, after his fuel convoy was ambushed west of Baghdad.
Arab television network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape a week later showing Maupin sitting on the floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.
That June, Al-Jazeera aired another tape purporting to show a U.S. soldier being shot. But the dark and grainy tape showed only the back of the victim’s head and not the actual shooting.
Update: The Patriot Guards WILL be there to welcome home Sgt. Maupin! (H/T: Rustmeister’s Alehouse)
If You Don’t Think There Has Been Progress…..
…..read THIS!
A snippet:
Al Qaeda is still trying to spin Iraq into civil war, but whereas in 2005-2006 al Qaeda was succeeding, today al Qaeda is being shredded.
An Iraqi officer near Sinjar told me that recently a group of perhaps twenty “jihadists,†many of them foreign, descended on a Nineveh village. The Iraqi officer said the terrorists killed some adults and two babies. One baby they murdered was 15 days old.
Until recently, such terror attacks inside Iraq could have coerced the village into sheltering Al Qaeda. Yet this time, the “jihadists†got an unexpected reception. Local men grabbed their rifles and poured fire on the demons, slaughtering them. Nineteen terrorists were destroyed. Times have changed for al Qaeda here. Too many Iraqis have decided they are not going to take it anymore. Al Qaeda in Iraq is still fighting, and they are tough and wily, but al Qaeda Central seems to realize there are easier targets elsewhere, perhaps in Europe, where many people demonstrate weakness in the face of terror.
Give Us The WHOLE Story
Why don’t we EVER hear anything on the news about stuff like this?
Members of the Iraqi Civilian Watch (ICW) recover barrels of explosive materials that were found near other weapons caches outside of Subyhat, Iraq on March 13, 2008. U.S. Marines with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment (2/3), Regimental Combat Team 1 (RCT-1), and members of (ICW) recovered approximately 4000 pounds of explosive materials along with hundreds of other munitions. RCT-1 is deployed with Multi National Force-West in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq to develop Iraqi Security Forces, facilitate the development of official rule of law through democratic reforms, and continue the development of a market based economy centered on Iraqi reconstruction. (Official USMC photograph by Cpl. Brett Shemanski)
Full story here.
No, instead we get extremely bad news like this:
Remains of Kidnapped U.S. Contractors in Iraq Recovered
The FBI says it has recovered the remains of two kidnapped U.S. contractors in Iraq.
The agency identified the contractors Monday as Ronald Withrow and John Roy Young.
Withrow worked for JPI Worldwide when he was kidnapped in January 2007. Young worked for Crescent Security Group when he was kidnapped in November 2006.
The FBI says the investigation into kidnappings are continuing.
My heartfelt prayers go out to the families!
That being said, yes, I know we need to get bad news, but wouldn’t it be nice, just once in a while, if we could actually get some POSITIVE news out of Iraq?
An Interesting Piece of History
Via Bill Hobbs, I read an extremely interesting posting by, I am assuming because he says so, a vet:
Know Your Enemy 201 – The Abbasid Caliphate
Here’s a snippet:
Why is Iraq so important to Al-Qaeda?
As many of us have realized, historical glories and misdeeds are often used by politicians and radicals to rally the people to commit to new wars and atrocities. The wars in the former Yugoslavia truly highlighted how deep people will dig to find a reason to hate and kill. It was quite common for the warring sides to quote acts from the 11th century as grounds for their 20th century atrocities.
In the 21st century, the regional powers of the Middle East have a profound interest in keeping their huge neighbor of Iraq in a weakened state, not only to prevent it from becoming a new empire of the Middle East, but also to prevent a democracy from taking hold and succeeding. The latter would then erode the level of satisfaction that their own people have under their current forms of government. This includes our allies but moreso our enemies.
In the 21st century, Al-Qaeda sees the weakened state of Iraq as their best chance to obtain a national status, as opposed to their current stateless status. It is their desire to recover some sense of a “home base†that was lost following their miscalculations over the US and world response to 9/11.
But there are greater reasons to their focus on Iraq, particularly since they dropped focus on fighting us in Afghanistan. The first thing to realize is that despite the Koran teaching that all muslims are equal, it is not practiced. It’s easy to see that women are treated as lesser muslims, as the Koran requires that the testimony of two women to provide equal weight of testimony as a man, along with various other discriminations, in practice and in the writings of the Koran.
Read the rest here. It’s well worth your time!
THIS Is What They Do To Their Friends
Admiral: Al Qaeda in Iraq ‘killing off’ former allies
Video provided to CNN shows an al Qaeda in Iraq firing squad executing one-time allies — fellow Sunni extremists — who were not loyal enough to the terror organization, coalition military analysts said.
In the video provided by coalition military officials, armed men wearing masks are shown standing behind nine kneeling men, all of whom are wearing blindfolds or hoods with their hands presumably tied behind their backs. The video shows the men being executed.
“Al Qaeda in Iraq, which is foreign led and foreign dominated here inside Iraq, is killing off other Sunni groups that are certainly not supportive of the government of Iraq, currently, or of the foreign occupation, but are not sharing the same ideology that al Qaeda in Iraq has,” Rear Adm. Gregory Smith said.
The video was recovered late last year during a raid on a compound near Samarra that was being used for killing and torture, a coalition official said.
A number of documents — some found in the same raid — bolster the coalition notion that al Qaeda in Iraq is waging a violent campaign against its former allies, intelligence analysts said.
These are the same folks Cindy Moonbat and her buds call “freedom fighters”? How long would it take before their al Qaeda friends shot them in the back of the head, or cut them off altogether?
