Voters' opinions about the wisdom of invading Iraq will determine whether John McCain or Barack Obama is our next president. McCain likes to brag that he was all for the "surge" (escalation) and that the US military has now "succeeded." "We are winning," he says without describing what he's talking about. Thankfully there has been a reduction in US casualties, and Iraq is slowly stabilizing into the predicted factions (Sunni/Shiite/Kurd) as the Shiite theocracy with close ties to Iran consolidates power. It remains to be seen whether Sunni militias will re-ignite civil war with the Shiite government, but McCain's boast seems to be catching on as a way to effectively bash Obama, who has now, much to my dismay, also called the surge a success, (Obama Says Iraq Surge Success Beyond `Wildest Dreams') although I hope he gave a more detailed answer than that.
Exactly how is the Iraq war a success?
A gullible, reactionary friend just forwarded the below to me. This is the viral spin that makes Bush/McCain look courageous and wise and paints Obama as a loser unable to lead.
We need to get Obama's back and reinforce the historically accurate answer to this fraudulent attack. First, the attack:
The email read:
COULD SOMEONE POSSIBLY GET THIS FORWARDED TO THE PERSONAL ATTENTION OF
OBAMA, REID, PELOSI, ET AL. AND MAYBE CLUE THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA IN AS WELL
London Sunday Times
Date: Saturday, August 16, 2008, 2:39 PM London Sunday Times assessment of
the War in Iraq.
The Investor's Business Daily editorial board ask , "What would happen if
the U.S. won a war but the media didn't tell the American public?
Apparently, we have to rely on a British newspaper for the news that we've
defeated the last remnants of al-Qaida in Iraq."
Actually, it was a strategic decision by Petreaus to quit killing Sunnis and instead pay them to kill al-Qaida, which they were doing already.
London's Sunday Times called it "the culmination of one of the most
spectacular victories of the war on terror." A terrorist force that once
numbered more than 12,000, with strongholds in the west and central regions
of Iraq, has over two years been reduced to a mere 1,200 fighters, backed
against the wall in the northern city of Mosul.
Of course, before Bush invaded Iraq there was no al-Qaida in Iraq, so they are back where they started and where they would have been if US forces had not invaded.
We can thank
President Bush's surge strategy, in which he bucked both Republican and
Democratic leaders in Washington by increasing our forces there instead of
surrendering.
We can also thank the leadership of the new general
Yada yada yada...
Things are going so well that Maliki has even for the first time floated the
idea of a timetable for withdrawal of American forces.
Meaning, Maliki is kicking us out of Iraq. But the crazy spin goes on...
The war in Iraq has been turned around 180 degrees both militarily and
politically because the president stuck to his guns. Yet apart from IBD, Fox News Channel and parts of the foreign press, the media don't seem to
consider this historic event a big story.
To which I respond:
WHAT HAS THE US WON IN IRAQ?
Iraqis NEVER liked al-Qaida. We've replaced a brutal Sunni dictatorship that hated western imperialists with a brutal Shiite theocracy closely tied to Iran that hates western imperialists. We have defeated the enemy of Iran and now they are done with us and are kicking us out.
At a cost of $1-2 trillion, 4,000+ US lives, 100,000+ disabled physically or emtionally, thousands of families destroyed, Iraqi and American children growing up damaged by war, US reputation and credibility lost, 1,000's of schools not built, teachers not paid, health care not provided, global warming not addressed. Even the most devious, greedy, imperialistic goals will not be achieved. There will be no permanent US bases or profit-sharing oil contracts or immunity from Iraqi law. We get Nothin!
So the answer to this insane spin is:
This is success? Are you nuts? Are you that gullible????