As he prepares to depart Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus cautions against premature declarations of victory.
Comment: Simple logic show's theU.S.A.'s unfortunate misadventure in Iraq has created a huge ticking time bomb in the middle east from Egypt to Pakistan to be set off by the world economic collapse and U.S.A.'s impossibility to sustain it's military migt and presence.
Joe Schwarz --- Princeton B.C. --- Canada
Comment: Hey where did all those "the surge won't work!!!" crowd go? Hello anyone out there criticizing "General Betray Us"? The fact is kids, despite the liberal media and the traitors demanding the pullout of our military that only asked for time to finish the job in Iraq, we have achieved a victory over Al-Qaeda in Iraq and the sectarian violence.
Live with it. I know I know, there were so many people out there who wanted to bash Bush, and they wanted us to lose in Iraq (Our own citizens no less!) but guess what you were wrong and the president was correct. Shocking right? Now is the time to own up to it and admit you were wrong. But you won't. You'll still go on bashing, hating, and generally spouting venemous nonsense about how Bush was a Liar, a Murderer, worse than Hitler, blah blah blah. But please continue the flow of contempt and hatred despite the fact you were wrong. YOU are helping the Republican party, amazingly the nonsense and garbage coming out of the Liberal media and Left wing you try to force down the average citizens throat is pushing them towards voting Republican. So I applaud your efforts and ask you to redouble them.
A thank you gram from an Iraq War Vet
Comment: "You dont know what a strain it is!! ,,, This,,,this ,,unbelievable force I struggle against!!,,,Awake or asleep!!
,,,I just cant escape it!,,,,At night , sound asleep,,a dark decending cloud, two yellow eyes, a warm breath,,,
,,,a sound,,,starting as a whisper,,,,"say it",,,breath gets warmer,, "say it",,,,,then searing hot breath ,,,,
,,"SAY IT,,SAY IT,,SAY IT,,," and I wake up screaming ",,,I CANT SAY IT!!,,,,,I CANT SAY IT !! ,,,,I CANT SAY IT !!,,
,,PLEASE GOD HELP ME I CANT SAY IT !!!!,,!!!
For God's sake, Dave, you need help,,, here allow me,,,,,,,say ,,"vic".
"vic".
Great, Dave, now say "tor".
"tor".
"now say ,,"y" ,,,as if it were an "e".
"y".
now say ,,,,"Victory".
"victory",,,,,,,,Well I'll be go ta' hell ,,,, I can say it !!,,,,,I can say "victory " !!
Great Dave,,,,And now that you said "victory" we can call you a sneaky Bush-loving mouth piece!
Comment: It was reported today that Obama stated that the United States has not also set the best example to Russia with regards to invading countries. The obvious reference is to Iraq and John McCain retorted that our invasion of Iraq was proper and justified and can not be compared to the invasion of Georgia by Russia.
Here is a thought for the Democrat leadership on their position of no American support for Iraq.
Obama discussed and downplayed his recent harrowing experience with their chartered campaign aircraft that had elevator problems due to an accidental inflation of a rear exit slide. The media reported it was a serious event. United States military pilots experience harrowing events every day. Thanks to the recommended McCain troop surge and George Bush original decision to overthrow Sadaam Hussein, US Airforce and Navy pilots no longer have to provide a continuous no fly zone over Iraq. They had provided this no fly zone to prevent Sadaam Hussein from using his airforce and helicopters to slaughter helpless Kurds in the North of Iraq. Before the United States invasion under George Bush, this nofly zone had to be carried out from carriers and bases in Kuwait which involved distances and hazards. The successful overthrow of Sadaam has saved countless American pilot lives and harrowing military aircraft safety incidents similar to what occurred on the Obama chartered campaign plane. Democrats under the leadership of Obama would have us performing a no fly zone mission over Iraq for the next fifty years instead of going in and taking out Sadaam as we did and saving countless US military pilots lives over the next fifty years. McCain support of the war in Iraq was the right thing to do and will have the long term effect of saving American lives.
Comment: As a former Navy Pilot John McCain knows the dangers of flying military missions over a hostile country. I am sure Barack Obama with his recent campaign airline charter scare have a better understanding of the dangers. Barack Obama should have a special appreciation of the dangers also in flying in even nonmilitary nonhostile situations. It is a fact that United States Airforce and Navy pilots lives will be saved by not having to continue a nofly zone over a hostile Iraq for the next fifty years thanks to the support of John McCain for the war. The surge policy was the right policy and will save American military pilot lives.
Comment: Awe repigs, you're confused, if you don't vote for Obama, you a MORON not a racist. If you call him a MUSLIM, knowing he is not...you're a racist. If you're in that group of "older white males" who refuse to hear him, you're a racist.
As for "experience" ther are several 4 Star and lower Generals who say that being a prisoner does NOT a president make...and given mccains attendance record or rather his absence record of 61% gone, his congressional experience is questionable at best. Add to that the fact that for 8 yrs he has sided with bush 95% of the time and here goes the figures ;) :
25 yrs in congress
Present 38% of the time = 9.5 yrs out of 25yrs
VOTED with bush 95% of 8yrs = 7.5 yrs out of 8 (for a total of 6 mos out of 8yrs mccain did not agree with bush)
Let's see our final number shall we.
Time in congress where mccain was just mccain and not a lap dog for bush = 2.5yrs
2.5yrs of actual attendance that was not just BUSH yrs, hmmm who else has just over 2.5 yrs senatorial experience less all the corruption of a John McCain...hmmmm..
Comment: The fact still remains that the US has failed to defeat al-Qaeda. Another point to consider is that the US has shifted the goal post several times that is has lost its objective in invading Iraq in the first place. It is rather perplexing to understand how a powerful and sophisticated military the US is and yet it is not able to defeat the rag-tag, al-Qaeda after seven years of war efforts. The way Petraeus put it is more like the US is giving up on Iraq. On the other hand the US do not want to be pre-occupied with both Afghanistan and Iraq because it has to take on Russia now. Like all US military endeavours and as per latest example with the rag-tag al-Qaeda, the face-off against Russia is going to be a failure.
Comment: There is a good reason to not defeat al-Qaeda in Iraq. Geurilla warfare and underground organizations are by their nature hard to find and isolate from the civilian population. German Nazis ran into a formindable foe in the French underground. Another reason is that Iraq will be a more stable place if Iraqis are te ones to root out al-Qaeda in Iraq. That is happening. The threat level is now much lower, and it is less damaging to let al-Qaeda be done in by its own people.
American warships docked today or yesterday in Georgia to bring humanitarian aid. It sure looks like there may be little or no US military combat force needed in the Georgia situation. Political and economic conflict yes, military, no.
The trouble with timetables in underground warfare is that if the underground knows you are leaving they will simply wait until you are gone. We need parameters, but no fixed timetables, to evaluate out pullout.
Comment: Victory...Republicans???.....I seem to remember a certain republican landing on an aircraft carrier in a flightsuit declaring "mission accomplished" quite a while ago. On another note, Petreaus is just doing his job. I f he doesn't, he will be replaced. It is called following orders! Some of you commenting don't have the self discipline to wipe the cheese doodle orange off your faces after you're done writing your posts.....The war It is more like fixing a mistake or cleaning up a mess then being victorious, lets get real!
Comment: Victory? What a laugh. Attacking and occupying a third-world country whose resistance refuses to be silenced or defeated? What victory, Betraeus?
Comment: democrats need a courageous leader, so far, only replublican do well in winding up wars regardless which party began it
Comment: Hello:
The surge was a PR thing, the real action happened when the US through power of the purse payed the people pointing guns at the troops to point them at each other or someone else deemed a threat to the troops. Muqtada Al-Sadr should be a political candidate, develope a plan for what the country will survive on and how to make the country not just stable but the leader in the world with regard to education and etc........ All militant leaders must be asked the question "If you were to take over today, what would you do to make the people able to provide for each other while still bieng an upright society?"
Comment: WHAT a shock, Puppetraeus say he's not ready top agree with Obama's policy, and mccain, as if he has any authority, calls Puppetreaus one of the greatest military leaders of our time...
Doesn't matter what Puppetreaus calls it, those are words, mccain says his one war too late surge, worked, bring them home now, or the "surge did NOT serve it's purpose, now did it...
Puppetreausis waiting to hear what "V" is form Bush so ha can then speak the TALKING POINTSfor the white house and mcbush.
Comment: While I don't have anything to add to the complaints above my comment, I do wish to add historical substance to the discussion.
Hitler and the third reich. The Former Soviet Union.
When good men do nothing Bad things happen. We have no buisness Discussing The aid to a country where in it's former Regime was abused. now they have the freedom to make their own choices, the freedom to elect their own leaders, and the freedom to dream and have goals beyond scraping by and not ending up dead for having an opinion.
Our Goverment, misguided as it may be, is still one of the ONLY becons of hope in our poo poo attitude of a world. The Longest Standing Democracy.....it may be broken, but at least it still works.
Obama may be the tune up in order, he may not be. But we have no buisness saying we didn't do the right thing.
Comment: Bush and McCain will have the commanders recommend spending the amount of time to bleed the country dry of its resources. They're like bugs going from place to place feeding their insatiable appetite. Where there's money, there's a way. McCain wants money, war and blood. If it were up to McCain he would police the world. In the age of Comic Books he would be Apocalypse. Bush would be Mr. Sinister, Cheney would be Holocaust, Powell would be the Sugar Man, Rice would be Abyss and Rumsfeld would be Rasputin.
Comment: THE SURGE WORKED!.........................HOW, TO WHAT END?..............HOW DOES THIS BENIFIT THE U.S.A.?
AFTER ALL TO HAVE A GAIN FROM IRAQ THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WOULD ALL HAVE TO RECIEVE APPROXIMATELY 15-20 GRAND EACH (INCLUDING CHILDREN)! THEN THERE IS THE MATTER OF 4000 OR SO AMERICAN LIVES!.................A COMPLETE FIASCO! .................A LOSE-LOSE SITUATION!
THERE IS NO WAY TO SAY THE SURGE WORKED................IT IS LIKE A VIOLENT GANG GET TOGETHER
WHEN THERE ARE STILL POLICE AT THE GET TOGETHER................NOTHING WILL BE KNOWN UNTIL WE HAVE BEEN OUT FOR YEARS........................AND THERE IS NO WAY THERE IS A NET POSITIVE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO PAID FOR THE WAR!
IF WE WERE AT LEAST KILLING ALL THE MUSLIMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST(YES EVERY FREAKIN' ONE) THERE WOULD BE SOME SORT OF GAIN IN SECURITY!
OUT OF THERE NOW!.............NO REBUILDING, NO GUILT MONEY, NO 400 ACRE CONSULATE, NO SCHOOLS, NO WATER, NO ELECTRICITY..............NOTHING!.............
TIME TO LET THE IRAQI PEOPLE REAP THE CROPS OF PROSPERITY THAT ALL THEIR GENERATIONS OF BEING A COHESIVE SOCIETY HAVE FLOWERED INTO!...........NO REWARDING UNCIVILIZED BARBARIANS WITH TRUCKLOADS OF CASH AND AMERICAN LIVES.......................THEY WISH TO BE LEFT TO THEMSELVES..............SO BE IT! ....................BUT DON'T BE FOOLED.............NOTHING GOOD, EXCEPT THE DEATH OF THE HUSSEINS, CAME OF THIS DEBAULKLE!
Comment: Having two democratic countries in the Middle East is a huge benefit to the world much less the U.S. I find it hilariously ironic if Democracy was to spread to neighboring countries and George Bush was seen as the beacon of freedom in an otherwise backwards region of the world. Ahhh just like all those Reagan haters having to eat their words about the cold war. Silly Liberals, they try so hard dont they?
Comment: One thing you said takes away from your credibility. Kill all the Muslems? That would be horrible, to say that people are misguided yes that is true and because they are they do things unrational things true.
To say that you are joining them in there unrational behavior.
Otherwise what you said is just how most people feel about that war.
Comment: WAS GEN. PETREAS NOT PART OF THOSE WHO CONCOCTED THIS IRAQ WAR? HE AND JOHN MCCAIN KNOW WHY THIS WAY WAS LAUNCHED. THERE WAS NO AL-QIEDA IN IRAQ BEFORE THE ATTACKED IRAQ. SO AT THE END OF THEIR WAR, THEY SHOULD LIVE NO AL-QIEDA THERE
Comment: WAS GEN. PETREAS NOT PART OF THOSE WHO CONCOCTED IS IRAQ WAR? HE AND JOHN MCCAIN KNOW WHY THIS WAY WAS LAUNCHED. THERE WAS NO AL-QIEDA IN IRAQ BEFORE THE ATTACKED IRAQ. SO AT THE END OF THEIR WAR, THEY SHOULS LIVE NO AL-QIEDA THERE
Comment: If the money has been provided for the rebuilding of Iraq and all that is left is for the contractors to start work, then they are to do so.
Comment: Personally I dont want to pay some contractor in IRAQ an exhorbant amount to rebuild something that did not need to be detroyed in the first place. What a Joke. You pay for it.
Comment: Hello: I want to say somethings. First and foremost among them all this talk about time tables and withdrawls comes not because the administration has seen the light or subscribed to the ideology of Barack Obama. It is artful "cutting and running." The fact is that the US has no more money to spend on Iraq. Yes more than 700 Billion dollars has been spent for that country, but where has it gone? Has it gone to rebuild schools and vital infrastructure? NO! It has gone to the military to pay for bullets and guns and electronic surveilance that has made Iraq a Police state rather than a sovereign and "liberated" country. How many retinal scanners and finger-print ID readers have been sent to that country for use by the military? The Iraqis have been 'tagged' and can't make a move without the US knowing about it. Are we being told where the money is going when it reaches Iraq? I tell you that most of it must be going to pampering the Iraqi officials as well as paying the Sunnis as well as the Shia groups not to shoot at American troops. It wasn't any surge that made things calm in that country, it was the power of the US dollar in coaxing quiet. How can the men work to rebuild the country when most of them have been imprisoned on suspicion of being militants? Have they been released? How many people to they have ready and able to labour? Few, most of them are in jail and prison camps. Clean water, electricity and infrastructure. That is what the US must provide for them or provide the money for, but make them know that they are to build them. When they have a rebuilt nation, and the funds they have accumulated on the sale of oil during the past 8 years. Then, they are to be bade to stand alone. Until then they are to be treated as they deserve, the ward of the US with complete autonomy. Until they have the infrastructure and systems in place to provide for daily needs, they are not sovereign and it will be error to think that of them.
Comment: running? from what? mission accomplished. hahaha. but seriously sectarian violence and Al-Qaeda have been successfully removed from Iraq and we've been asked to leave. jobs done time to pack up and go finish up in Afghanistan. and you're on crack if you think most of the male population in iraq is imprisoned. seriously? you can't be serious about that right? these crazy statements make you and the left look silly, quit distorting fact and admit the surge work. cmon, you can, You know it's the truth, you sound just like Bush by refusing to admit you were wrong...
Comment: If you would like i could flood this forum with links to many deceptions made on the part of the worst dictator on the planet.
Comment: What do you mean Saddam Hussein is dead silly!
Comment: please this election has already gone on to long to get a Bush bomb please not a Bush bomb
Comment: Old CBS and News footage, Fox news footage, NBC footage.
Comment: "He's made these decisions not because he doesn't love America, but because he doesn't think it matters whether America wins or loses," McCain said. "I'm going to end this war, and I'm going to bring them home, and they'll come home with honor and victory."
McCains own words just yeaterday, today Bush gets a pull out date of 2011 that's only 3 years. what can happen 10,000 more wounded, 1000+- dead, 2+BILLION a DAY TILL 2011, I guess Bush and the party don't think it matters if we win or lose, and forgot to tell McCain..
question: how can we, or anyone for that matter, how can one WIN a war on an adjective? When by the new definition, describes many many groups inside our own borders? How do you WIN or ever say Victory with nuclear countries reverting back to what they once were, because we did not pay heed to yet another promise. to help remove nuclear componets from Russia, now they may rebuild every thing they had cause we did nothing. We worry about the Chinese might while we allow Isreal to sell China weapons against the arms bann. We have a major enemy in Saudi and sell them 900+ smart bombs so now they can build there own and find a way to use against us. You want to babysit a country while corporations make trillions paying hundreds. The final slap, is we went into Iraq to remove Hussain,his Black Guard,and his puppet masters, the Baath Party, you know the ones we are allowing back into politics,military,police,financial,all Baath Party fields,AGAIN. Pulling out, even now, means nothing, if you let the people we gave Americans lives to remove,back, it's a shot in the back. At least Obama will listen to the Generals on the ground, and act as they say. Not just noted and thrown away cause it's not profitable to leave. Iraq today has 50 BILLION in surpluss funds from last yr oil sales, and exspect 90 BILLION this year,mmm 50+90=140 BILLION and we are 102 BILLION in debt, as of last week, it grows by the second. As there was none when he started, and at the time we could have stomped,, Afganistan so hard OBL WOULD have been toe jam, and left we would still have change from the surplus!
Comment: Dont you know the debt is good for the US economy it helps the bankers make more money.
Hmm who would the bankers be?
It also straps the common man so he cant afford to piss in a bucket.
Comment: "That means someone like Al Sadr can run for President (I think you mean Prime Minister) of Iraq and win."
Technically anyone can win, but Al Sadr is in hiding in Iran while a U.S. ally, Al Maliki, is the Prime Minister of Iraq. It looks very likely that we're going to win in Iraq and you guys are just reaching for straws at this point. Do you really want us to lose that badly? If not, why are every one of you trying to convince people that we are failing? Of course no one can answer that.
Before the war the worst dictator on Earth, a terrorist-supporting mass murderer, was the President of Iraq. Today Iraq is a free and democratic Arab mixed Sunni-Shiite country that is the strongest ally the United States has against Jihadist radicalism on Earth. Sure, Western European countries are more powerful, but no country on Earth has killed of captured more Jihadist radicals than Iraq except the United States.
Comment: Yup we are going to show those WTC plotters, and Saudi terrorist, they will pay
So could you all join us in Iraq, so this can happen?
War on terror
Win what exactly?? how can we win a war against an adjective? If it is now a noun, why does the KKK or the Russian Mafia,or Yakuzza still roam our streets?? they are all terrorist, like Timothy McVeigh,oh i forgot the green card, thats right inside our borders if your American born it's a crime, right, not terrorism??? What do we win when it's concidered over, in the next 50 years as we basicaly own Kuwait, which BTW was a city IN IRAQ, prior to 91, now it's it own but full of American military. Iraq and the USA are also responsable for more collateral INOCENT deaths, than Hussain killed!
Comment: Collateral damage has been egregious, this is one of the reasons why if you're going to fight a war you obliterate the opposition so that its over more quickly. that being said I disagree that the US has killed more than Hussein. He killed millions, sometimes he pulled the trigger himself like with the kurds in the north and the Shua arabs down in the south. Sometimes he did it by pouring them in the Iranian Meat grinder. Sometimes he did it by denying his opponents basic necessities so the starved. I suggest that you not trust the numbers. The stats are bogus because of how they are being gathered. We're actually trying/allowing people to gather such stats. Hussein would have simply shot you for trying or held a gun to your head and told you to read from the prepared script. As far as the whole Mc Veigh thing goes he's in Jail waiting to be executed if I'm not mistaken. The point you need to realize is that there are bad people in this world who want to do bad things. They are of every color, creed, and philosophy and they are all quite mad, i.e. nuts. The question is whether you have the guts to stand up to them and arrest them or do you export your problems like the Paskistanies and the Saudis?
Comment: Ok thats your opinion.
My opinion is different i believe the worst dictator on earth is stll running the US to this day.
Anyone one that works for him as an acomplice to his lies.
Comment: So do something about it instead of ranting and raving big mouth.
Comment: If your not going to join in something that is wrong.
Then what you can do is protest it. And condem it, that is peacefull action, so I am doing something about it.
Violence and Killing only brings on more killing and violence.
He who lives by the sword will die by the sword.
Comment: If a thief where beating your door down to rob you would you join him?
If a thief had a gun and was threatening your family would you defend yourself? No brainer.
So why expect any different from someone else?
Comment: There is no honor in telling someone else to die for something they do not understand.
Basically Murder.
Comment: Politically Correct = Soft peddeled Lies
Comment: Good people die every day because they dont know who they really work for. Liars and thieves.
Comment: Marine Corps credo.followed by "don't ask"
Comment: The military has done a great job and is to be commended , but what Mr Bush and his neocon knuckleheads do not understand is that in a democracy , people ususally vote for who can keep them safe , who can provide jobs, who can provide electricity. That means someone like Al Sadr can run for President of Iraq and win. Dont think it can happen ?
Look at Palestine , They got democracy and Hamas won the next election.
Heck of a job Bushie.
Comment: I know your right don't forget Chaves in Ven. he to was democraticaly elected twice, and we made the mistake of a coup, without the backing of the people. they wanted him, we did not so again it could not have been democratic cause we don't like him. it happens your true to the mark
Comment: Petraus is much closer to the "L" word than the "V" word.
Comment: Hello:
Has the infrastructure been rebuilt? Does Baghdad still have only 4 hours of electrictiy daily? That you don't care about. You just wanted to install a puppet government and make sure that there weren't any militants left.
What conniving!? Rather than fight to establish a capitalist system in Iraq, the US will just leave saying "Fend for yourselves!" Then it will wait, knowing full well that the Iraqis will have to spend more money than it makes on oil in order to rebuild as yet unrebuilt infrastructure, most of the country that is. So the Iraqis will come as beggars to the USA, and they will then become subservient to it because the US will dictate terms. Where then is a sovereign Iraq?
Comment: The infrastructure has been deteriorating for decades. Hussein was more interested in building palaces with gold faucets than building sewers and power stations. Yes work has been slow and waaaay to expensive, but it is getting done. As far as dictating terms goes, I doubt it. Assuming the Iraquis manage to hold things together after we leave they'll have their own reality to deal with, a hostile neighbor to the East, Jihadies to the south, and bathists to the north. Plus the Turks/PKK thing. They're going to have enough on their hands juggling all that and I expect even the idiots in D.C. have the sense to recognize that.
Comment: If we audit what we spent and where and who the infrastructure and schools homes and such were bids paid for by us and not done by the contractor but an audit would ensure it would be rebuilt without begging we already paid for it at 2 BILLION a day plus more to contractors who need to start and finish what they have BEEN paid to do, and do it..
Comment: General Petraeus, Thank You.
Comment: 4 real
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