Comments on: Bush Takes Responsibility For Bad Intelligence http://donklephant.com/2005/12/14/bush-takes-responsibility-for-bad-intelligence/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:03:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: lgude http://donklephant.com/2005/12/14/bush-takes-responsibility-for-bad-intelligence/comment-page-1/#comment-4570 lgude Thu, 15 Dec 2005 05:56:25 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/12/14/bush-takes-responsibility-for-bad-intelligence/#comment-4570 I really can't find much merit in the Democratic response to Bush's speech. It seems painfully clear to me that the military is doing nation building successfully in Iraq. Murtha's previous claims that the military is broken and now that they can't do nationbuilding seem to me more reliving Vietnam than seeing what is going on in Iraq. When I read what the troops have to say they want to finish the job and see their work in the context of nationbuilding. And I think the time to urge the president to get things right in Iraq was around the time of First Fallujha - after that we have been getting it increasing right because we have been effectively training Iraqi troops who are now fighting well in increasing numbers. These actions are the successful blend of military and political actions that constitute nationbuilding, as opposed to the purely militarily crushing of resistance. Read Michael Yon's accounts of the many meetings with Iraqis that made up the work of the Lt. Col. Kurilla's work in Mosul. As to the stating the plan I get the distinct impression that the president did just that - even declassified an older actual plan in his Annapolis speech which clearly includes nation building as its central goal. As to telling the Iraqis to cooperate against the insurgency there is plenty of evidence that we have been doing just that, despite the fact that we can't just tell the Iraqis what to do, and that the Sunnis are getting a chance to include themselves in the government by voting. Some of the Sunni rejectionists and Al Qaeda are taking opposite attitudes toward the current election - striking evidence of progress. The balance of power in the new government will be more balanced. It remains to be seen how balanced and if it can protect minority rights - Sunni and Kurd as well as all the small minorities. I don't understand the timing of the Democrat's current wave of negative commentary on the war. They are in danger of looking foolish and in a way that will hurt them in 2006, and 2008. The struggle in Iraq is not over, but I think there is ample evidence that the insurgency has passed its high water mark and a unarguably legitimate Iraqi government is about to be put in place by the Iraqi people. This is not the time to be seen claiming things are hopeless. I really can’t find much merit in the Democratic response to Bush’s speech. It seems painfully clear to me that the military is doing nation building successfully in Iraq. Murtha’s previous claims that the military is broken and now that they can’t do nationbuilding seem to me more reliving Vietnam than seeing what is going on in Iraq. When I read what the troops have to say they want to finish the job and see their work in the context of nationbuilding. And I think the time to urge the president to get things right in Iraq was around the time of First Fallujha – after that we have been getting it increasing right because we have been effectively training Iraqi troops who are now fighting well in increasing numbers. These actions are the successful blend of military and political actions that constitute nationbuilding, as opposed to the purely militarily crushing of resistance. Read Michael Yon’s accounts of the many meetings with Iraqis that made up the work of the Lt. Col. Kurilla’s work in Mosul.

As to the stating the plan I get the distinct impression that the president did just that – even declassified an older actual plan in his Annapolis speech which clearly includes nation building as its central goal. As to telling the Iraqis to cooperate against the insurgency there is plenty of evidence that we have been doing just that, despite the fact that we can’t just tell the Iraqis what to do, and that the Sunnis are getting a chance to include themselves in the government by voting. Some of the Sunni rejectionists and Al Qaeda are taking opposite attitudes toward the current election – striking evidence of progress. The balance of power in the new government will be more balanced. It remains to be seen how balanced and if it can protect minority rights – Sunni and Kurd as well as all the small minorities.

I don’t understand the timing of the Democrat’s current wave of negative commentary on the war. They are in danger of looking foolish and in a way that will hurt them in 2006, and 2008. The struggle in Iraq is not over, but I think there is ample evidence that the insurgency has passed its high water mark and a unarguably legitimate Iraqi government is about to be put in place by the Iraqi people. This is not the time to be seen claiming things are hopeless.

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