<$BlogRSDUrl$>

Monday, December 26, 2005

Lying in the Sandbox 

I've been listening to CNN's reporting on Iraq recently, and it's depressing enough to make a red-blooded American contemplate suicide. The unchallenged assertions of three recent guests on CNN programs clearly illustrate the media's worst possible spin on what's really happening in "The Sandbox."

Sy Hersch, the New Yorker reporter of My Lai fame, claims that "Iraq at Thanksgiving 2004 was worse than Iraq in Thanksgiving 2003, and Iraq in Thanksgiving 2005 is worse than Iraq in Thanksgiving 2004." He's trying to illustrate a trend that the country's situation is in a downward death spiral. Yet an educated viewer has to ask, "What metric are you using to determine how bad things are?" If we use US casualties as the measure of failure (as the media is so keen to do,) Hersh is clearly wrong. US casualties for 2005 are lower than those from 2004. Perhaps Hersh should remember back to Thanksgiving 2004, when we completed the fight for Fallujah. Over 70 Americans lost their lives as justice was brought to Iraq's equivalent to Sodom & Gamorrah. We are certainly better off for having rid Fallujah of its Islamist rulers. So when Hersh claims that things are getting worse, I can only assume that his facts are as elusive as the anonymous sources he frequently cites in his reports.

Lieutnant General William Odom has been a loud voice for "strategic redeployment" from Iraq, a euphemism for a hasty withdrawal. The media leads us to believe he is a recent convert to this position, although he advocated the same thing during a Nightline episode in May 2004. He's also identified as a "Reagan Defense Official," although he's best described as a holdover from the Carter Administration. Odom downplays the effects of US withdrawal, claiming that civil war is already underway in Iraq. While sectarian violence is certainly present in Iraq, things could be far worse if the Shiie majority were suddenly motivated to purge the Sunnis from Iraq. His claims that "strategic redeployment" to other countries in the Middle East will heal the alienation of the Arab world are equally specious. After all, our presence in Saudi Arabia and other countries during he containment of Iraq only added credence to the arguments of Osama bin Laden and alienated the Islamic world. We have no reason to believe that returning to that position would achieve a different result.

Finally, we have Rep. John Murtha's belief that the US military has achieved the limits of what they can accomplish. While a purely-military solution is impossible, the military will have to play a supporting role in the country's political reconciliation. Iraqi forces will not be able to train or equip themselves; the US will have to back them up and guide them through the transition to full sovereignty. Likewise, it is unreasonable to think that inexperienced Iraqi forces will meet with initial success in breaking the networks of experienced Jihadists. If Iraq is to survive as a nation, it will need some degree of American assistance for years to come.

A voice of reason is provided by Fareed Zakaria in Newsweek magazine. He details the White House's plan as one of training Iraqi forces, assuming a less visible role for remaining American forces, dealing with the leaders of disaffected tribes, clearing out the insurgent-infested neighborhoods in Baghdad, and diplomatically engaging Iraq's nefarious neighbors. He has high praise for Secretary of State Condi Rice and US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad .

Unfortunately, the evolving Iraq strategy will be a tough sell. We are cursed with a president who barely knows how to speak, let alone defend an unpopular war, convince Americans that it will enhance our security, and assure Amercans that its military and government can get the job done. Instead, a majority of the American public has been defeated by Zarqawi's acts of inhumanity. If America is worth saving, its people can never lose their will to fight. Unless Americans can hold the line in Iraq,the Jihadists will roll on to victory after victory as America undergoes a Darwinian extinction through its own complacency.

Burned in the Amazon 

Next Christmas I will hopefully learn my lesson about shopping on Amazon.Com. Although I ordered my gifts on December 19, the company didn't even ship them from their warehouse until December 23. They're ot exprected to arrive at the house until January 9.

Jeff Bezos, if you are reading this, you will be boiled in your own pudding and buried with a stake of holly in your heart (Dickens would be proud.) I'll make sure to order my gifts with three fricking weeks to spare next year. Bah-humbug.

I hope my readers had a Christmas that was merry, not sucky.

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?