Al Qaeda Out Of Baghdad?
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Iraq, Military, WarThat’s what we’re saying, but are we sure?
See, we’ve heard similar claims before, but they ultimately just move back in. And since we’re going to draw down the troops who helped get the terrorists out, this feels like another case of temporary good news that could very well give way to chaos yet again.
BAGHDAD, Nov. 7 — American forces have routed Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, the Iraqi militant network, from every neighborhood of Baghdad, a top American general said today, allowing American troops involved in the “surge†to depart as planned.Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr., commander of United States forces in Baghdad, also said that American troops had yet to clear some 13 percent of the city, including Sadr City and several other areas controlled by Shiite militias. But, he said, “there’s just no question†that violence had declined since a spike in June.
“Murder victims are down 80 percent from where they were at the peak,†and attacks involving improvised bombs are down 70 percent, he said.
See, this is the problem with treating al Qaeda as if it were a nation. It’s not as if we pushed Germany out of France, and we all know the terrorists have simply moved into some other area with fewer troops. That’s what they do. And as we continue to stay in Iraq, new people will join al Qaeda and they’ll be able to move into Baghdad and begin to wreak havoc.
Yep, I’m a gloom and doomer, and it’s specifically because we’ve never figured out a way to solve this problem. Because folks, this isn’t a solution, it’s merely a band-aid. Sure, deaths have decreased in the short term, but our expenditures keep increasing and our all volunteer force is being decimated by PTSD.
And again, let’s not forget that the surge was meant to create an atmosphere so the Iraqis could build a solid government.
Has that happened?
And though Sunni extremist groups could revive and “reinfest very quickly,†General Fil said, Iraq’s leaders should now have the peace they need to build a trusted, cross-sectarian government. But progress toward that, he said, has been “disappointing.â€
Disappointing means no. And we’ll continue to see “disappointing” results and our soldiers will keep dying and we’ll continue to fall deeper into debt.
Again, it’s good that al Qaeda is out of Baghdad, but it should have been us out of their first.
This entry was posted on Thursday, November 8th, 2007 and is filed under Iraq, Military, War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
November 8th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
So let’s just say Baghdad pulls their act together and forms a stable government with the ability to enforce the rule of law.
America and it’s money call it a day and pull out…
So where again is the incentive for them to pull their act together?
November 8th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
No matter what, by next summer, our troop levels will be far below where they were at the first of this year. I’ve been reading Michael Yon’s dispatches for the past couple weeks. He has been covering the wars from within the forces on the ground since early 2005. According to him, there is much more cause for optimism now than there was a year ago, but it could all very easily still go south.
By their own actions, AQI brought about their demise with their senseless brutality & failure to live up to the standards they were imposing on the populace. In contrast, Petreous brought discipline & fair dealings to the locals when he assumed command, in spite fo the black eye Blackwater is giving us. (Google Michael Yon & read his dispatches for more detailed info)
But make no mistake; within the government & among the people, there is strong opposition to a permanent US troop presence there. In addition, we are forced by our shortage of personnel to reduce our troop levels starting right now. So the question is, will the Iraqis be ready to take over their own security enough to protect themselves before we are forced to reduce our presence even more? And will we be wise enough to settle for the best we can get?
November 8th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Forgot to mention Rob’s post. I believe it is less important for Baghdad to be ready than for those in the provinces. It appears there is really good progress in the provinces. When the people learn to work together for the common good locally, eventually the same is possible at the national level. Without local cooperation, national unity is impossible.
It appears the consensus in Iraq is a desire for us to leave after stability is achieved. Iraq is a normally prosperous country. With stability, our money is a drop in the bucket compared to their own possibilities. Except in the case for bribery, that is. That is one of the reasons many locals do not trust the current corrupt regime.
November 12th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
titcapyvehyve…
exrehunazyri…