Our commander in chief
sayeth:
[Bush] cited the work of Operation Ivy Focus, a series of raids by the Army's 4th Infantry Division, that he says has led to the capture of more than 100 former members of Saddam's government in a little more than a month.
"In other operations, those soldiers have also seized hundreds of weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition and explosives, and hundreds of thousands of dollars suspected of being used to finance terror operations," he said.
Hundreds of weapons?
Thousands of rounds of ammo? Is this a joke? In a country with millions of weapons (literally), and hundreds of millions of rounds of ammo, this isn't even a proverbial drop in the bucket.
The resistance is going strong, picking off our men and women seemingly at will. And while the "improvised explosive device" is still the weapon of choice against our forces (effective, morale sapping, and safe for the attackers who can simply walk away after pulling the trigger), mortar attacks are becoming more common, insurgents have been able to destroy at least one M1 Abrams tank in the past week (a marked escalation from small arms attacks).
And on Friday, Iraqi guerillas staged a day-long battle with US forces after a pro-Saddam demonstration turned violent. Given everything the US can throw against an enemy in a set-piece battle (heavy armor, artillery, and air support), the fact the rebels could hold out for an entire day speaks of a far more sophisticated enemy than previously seen.
Sunni clerics are further inflaming passions:
Further increasing tensions, some prominent Sunni Muslim clerics leading Friday Prayers at local mosques railed against the American occupation and the Iraqi political leaders who have been working with it. Banners calling for jihad, or holy war, against American troops, have been put up around many important Sunni mosques in the capital since the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, on Monday.
Today marks the beginning of the rumored "day of resistance" that's supposed to mark increased attacks against occupation forces over the weekend. And US forces are holing up, expecting the worst.
So who has the initiative? US forces, or an Iraqi resistance that can shut down an entire nation by mere rumors of an offensive?
Bush remains defiant.
"The United States will complete our work in Iraq," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "Leaving Iraq prematurely would only embolden the terrorists and increase the danger to America. We are determined to stay, to fight and to win."
Entering Iraq prematurely emboldened terrorists and increased the danger to America. But that aside, it's easy to talk tough when you have zero personal stake in the war. If Bush is so sure staying in Iraq is the right thing, why not ship off his daughters to the country? They don't have to serve in the military. Rather, they can do humanitarian work with the Red Cross or another international aid agency.
If it's the right thing, then Bush (and the rest of the Chickenhawk Cabal and their apologists) should be prepared to suffer personal loss in the name of the cause.
It's easy to send someone else's child or parent into the shredder. These people have no concern for our troops or their families.