Great news from iraq - NY Times Puts It on Page A-19

[red states rule]

You know the US military is kicking ass in Iraq when the NY Times puts the story on page A-19, and does not put al Qaeda in the headline

Tell me agin how there is no liberal bias at the NY Times


Militant Group Is Out of Baghdad, U.S. Says


By DAMIEN CAVE
Published: November 8, 2007
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.

General Fil attributed the decline to improvements in the Iraqi security forces, a cease-fire ordered by the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, the disruption of financing for insurgents, and, most significant, Iraqis’ rejection of “the rule of the gun.”

His comments, in a broad interview over egg rolls and lo mein in a Green Zone conference room, were the latest in a series of upbeat assessments he and other commanders have offered in recent months. But his descriptions revealed a city still in transition: tormented by its past, struggling to find a better future.

“The Iraqi people have just decided that they’ve had it up to here with violence,” he said, while noting that their demands for electricity, water and jobs have intensified.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of displaced families are returning to their homes, but a majority of them are still afraid to go back to neighborhoods now segregated by sect. “Clearly,” General Fil said, “it will take some time for Baghdad to restore itself to what it was.”

He and other military commanders have maintained for months that the conditions for national reconciliation have been met. They argue that Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, the homegrown Sunni extremist group that American intelligence agencies say is foreign-led, has been weakened. They cite in particular the rise of the American-supported citizen volunteers — 67,000 nationwide, according to military figures.

for thehttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/world/middleeast/08iraq.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin complete article

[gabosaurus]

Hard to compete for space against the daily road side bombs, record number of casualties and 80 percent of the country that is still being contested.

[red states rule]

Hard to compete for space against the daily road side bombs, record number of casualties and 80 percent of the country that is still being contested.

Libs just can't admit all their rants about the US losing in Iraq has come back to bite them on the ass

Dems invested their politcal future in the troops losing in Iraq - and it is blowing up in their faces

Much like the Gen Betray Us ad did

[Hobbit]

Hard to compete for space against the daily road side bombs, record number of casualties and 80 percent of the country that is still being contested.

Well, I happen to have a copy of the NY Times right here. Hmmm, nothing about roadside bombs here or some high casualty rate. I know it'd be here if it was even remotely true, because they love this stuff, but nope, most of the news is about how the economy is about to slow because more fed stimulation will result in rampant inflation and about Musharraf. Oh, and here's one about a Peruvian trade bill in Congress. Yeah, that's more important than kicking Al-Qis'm'ass out of Baghdad.

[Hagbard Celine]

You guys are completely incapable of seeing the big picture aren't you? Who the f*ck cares if there is one blurb of good news out of Iraq? EVERY other story is negative. It's a war. Over 3000 US soldiers have died, thousands more maimed for life. Tens of thousands of Iraqis are dead and maimed. US reputation worldwide is in the sh*tter. The middle east is on the verge of total collapse and for the first time ever, WWIII could actually happen. The US economy looks worse than it did before Reagan took office. The US dollar is losing more and more value every day. Almost 70 percent of Americans are now against this war. Wake up! The crowning achievement of this administration is a failed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage for Christ's sake! It's a frickin' joke!

[Sir Evil]

Hard to compete for space against the daily road side bombs, record number of casualties and 80 percent of the country that is still being contested.

Sounds like you are well overdue for a nice warm stream across the face. Imbecile.

[Hobbit]

You guys are completely incapable of seeing the big picture aren't you? Who the f*ck cares if there is one blurb of good news out of Iraq?

I'd call this a rather significant 'blurb.'


EVERY other story is negative. It's a war. Over 3000 US soldiers have died, thousands more maimed for life. Tens of thousands of Iraqis are dead and maimed.

So in other words, about a day's worth of either of the first two world wars. You said it, yourself, "It's a WAR!" Did you expect it to be all sunshine a lollipops.


US reputation worldwide is in the sh*tter.

Only among dictators and people who make money off them. Lots of people actually like us. Did you watch the '04 Olympics in Athens? The 2 biggest cheers at the opening ceremonies came for the Iraqi team and the American team.


The middle east is on the verge of total collapse and for the first time ever,

You mean other than during the Crusades, the rise of Islam, British Colonialism, etc. Face it, it's the most unstable region in the entire world and is always on the verge of collapse. This time, it's because a free Iraq is causing many of the dictators to lose their power base.


WWIII could actually happen.

That would be the Cold War, and it's over. We're in WWIV, and it's already started. Too few people have awoken to that fact, though.


The US economy looks worse than it did before Reagan took office.

You mean back when unemployment was double what it is now and rising, when we had 'stagflation,' as opposed to our falling unemployment numbers and rapid growth? I don't know what numbers you're using to equate our economy to bad. I guess if all you looked at was foreclosure rates, but that's hardly an economical cross-section.


The US dollar is losing more and more value every day.

Can't argue with you there. It's because the American tax code is oppressive and encourages spending more than you make, combined with a federal reserve system that thinks its job is to halt all market corrections.


Almost 70 percent of Americans are now against this war.

I think you're referring to the 70% of Americans who disagree with the way the President is handling the war, but that doesn't separate the peace at a any price nutjobs from the people like me who think he's going too soft on the terrorists.


Wake up!

I"m not the one who thinks a non-interventionist policy will actually stop terrorism. I'm quite awake, thank you very much.


The crowning achievement of this administration is a failed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage for Christ's sake!

Well, other than the economy-boosting tax cuts, end of the Taliban regime, end of the Ba'athist regime, women's suffrage in two countries, near-crippling of a world-wide terrorist network, and the liberation of millions of oppressed people, then you might be correct, but I'll have to go back and look. Also, as I recall, that amendment wasn't the President's idea, nor did it ever reach his desk.


It's a frickin' joke!

Yes, it is. Oh, wait, you mean the Administration. I thought you meant your post. My mistake.

[glockmail]

....US reputation worldwide is in the sh*tter. ....



President Sarkozy of France yesterday dazzled President Bush and Congress by proclaiming his love for America as he sought to rekindle a long alliance that turned soured over war in Iraq.

His address to both Houses of Congress was delivered in French. He began by breathing warm words of fidelity into the translation earpieces worn by almost all the US legislators.

To the first of many standing ovations he spoke of the shared values and history of the two nations, dating back to the War of Independence, and declared: “France is the friend of the United States of America.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2827519.ece

[red states rule]

More bad news for the left


November 06, 2007
Ten Months of Opinion Change on War and More

http://www.pollster.com/blogs/ten_months_of_opinion_change_o.php



Pollster.com: 'Remarkable' Positive Opinion Change on Iraq
By Mark Finkelstein | November 9, 2007 - 06:59 ET
Being against the war after she was for it, could it be soon be time for Hillary to be for it again?

The question arises in light of the findings by Charles Franklin [pictured here] at Pollster.com. According to his November 6th Pollster.com analysis, there has been a "remarkable" shift, in a positive direction, in public opinion on the war in Iraq.

Excerpts from Franklin's Ten Months of Opinion Change on War and More

Some interesting changes have taken place in opinion about the war, the president, congress and the country. It is too early, and the changes too modest, to declare this a "turning point" in opinion, but the changes are consistent enough to take a hard look and ponder if there is still potential for significant shifts over the next 52 weeks until Election Day 2008.

The single most striking shift is the change in opinion about how the war in Iraq is going. After four and a half years of steady downward trends, there has been a reversal of direction since July.

From January through June, the long running collapse in positive evaluation of the war (especially in the second half of 2006) halted. The flattening now appears to have clearly coincided with the change in command and troop levels.

This flattening didn't signal rising opinion on the war-- but after dropping over 13 percentage points in six months, simply arresting the collapse was a major plus for the administration. And this is a particularly striking thing given that the spring of 2007 was a focal point for critiques of the war in Congress, with Democratic leadership repeatedly pushing votes that would have required changes in Iraq policy of various kinds. And this flattening came at the same time that casualties rose.

The second phase of opinion change started in early July, when positive evaluations of the war took their first upturn since late 2003 (around the time of the capture of Saddam Husein). The trend estimate has turned up some 8 percentage points since July 1, still not back to early 2006 levels, but remarkable this late in an unpopular war and with a weak leader and determined opposition.

Republicans (including the president) have made real progress in swaying opinion to their side, while 10 months of Democratic efforts have failed to persuade citizens that the war continues to be a disaster. The war of partisan persuasion has tilted towards the Republicans and away from the Democrats, at least in this particular aspect.

How will the MSM cover this news? The New York Times didn't exactly splash it across the front page, but a discussion of the Pollster report did turn up yesterday in the Times's "Opinionator" blog. Opinionator Tobin Harshaw, after describing the Pollster report, offered a critique of it by Kevin Drum of the liberal "Washington Monthly." Observed Harshaw: "It’s a good point, but I suspect some will feel Mr. Drum shows a bit too much pleasure in making it."

Pollster.com is anything but a GOP front. Head honcho Mark Blumenthal logged 20 years as a Dem consultant, and Franklin is a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin, hardly a hotbed of pro-Republican activism. Judging from this bio, Franklin is a highly-respected polling expert, not a partisan. He is is the past president of the Society for Political Methodology, and works as an ABC election-night consultant.

Perhaps most notable is Franklin's finding that the best efforts of the Dems -- abetted by their MSM allies -- to persuade Americans that the war is a disaster failed. There's a long way to go from now till election day. But couple this news with yesterday's report that our forces have completely rid Baghdad of al-Qaeda-in-Iraq.

Do we detect the sound of Hillary's flip . . . flopping?

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2007/11/09/pollster-com-remarkable-positive-opinion-change-iraq

[theHawk]

Whats funny is Joe Lieberman called out the Democrats for what they are. They care more about attacking the President and his policies than actually winning the war in Iraq or even the war on terrorism(islam).

[BoogyMan]

Well, I happen to have a copy of the NY Times right here. Hmmm, nothing about roadside bombs here or some high casualty rate. I know it'd be here if it was even remotely true, because they love this stuff, but nope, most of the news is about how the economy is about to slow because more fed stimulation will result in rampant inflation and about Musharraf. Oh, and here's one about a Peruvian trade bill in Congress. Yeah, that's more important than kicking Al-Qis'm'ass out of Baghdad.

Dog gone it Hobbit, you beat me to it. LOL

Well said. :coffee:

[red states rule]

Whats funny is Joe Lieberman called out the Democrats for what they are. They care more about attacking the President and his policies than actually winning the war in Iraq or even the war on terrorism(islam).

With most Dems, it is power and party above everything else.

[theHawk]

Well, Rush was right. Good news in Iraq is bad news for Dems. There is no "civil war" going on as they repeated as fact just months ago. Iraqis themselves along with our military have driven out AQI from the capital, yet there is absolutely no praise coming from Dems applauding our troops or the policy change that brought this about.

[red states rule]

Well, Rush was right. Good news in Iraq is bad news for Dems. There is no "civil war" going on as they repeated as fact just months ago. Iraqis themselves along with our military have driven out AQI from the capital, yet there is absolutely no praise coming from Dems applauding our troops or the policy change that brought this about.

Dems invested their politcal futire in the US losing in Iraq and the US economy crashing

Now, it is all catching up to them

So much for loving America and supporting the troops

[red states rule]

It sems the Dems have not changed much since the Covil War

This from NPR


Literary and Historical Notes:

It was on this day in 1864 that Abraham Lincoln was elected to his second term as president of the United States, one of the few elections in world history to be held in the middle of a civil war. Lincoln might have tried to cancel or postpone the election until the war was over, but he said, "If the rebellion could force us to forego, or postpone a national election, it might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us."

The Confederate Army had recently gotten so close to Washington, D.C., that Lincoln himself was able to watch a battle, standing on top of a parapet with field glasses. On July 30, 4,000 Union soldiers were killed in a disastrous attempt to invade Petersburg, Virginia. The army needed 500,000 more soldiers, Lincoln would probably have to call for another draft, and the war debt was becoming unsustainable. On August 23, Lincoln wrote a memo to his cabinet that said, "This morning, and for some days past, it seems exceedingly probable that this Administration will not be re-elected."

The Democratic Party was running on a platform of ending the war. But this turned out to be a huge mistake when news arrived in early September that the Union Army had captured Atlanta and Mobile. Suddenly, the Democratic Party looked like the party of surrender when Union forces were winning the war. Lincoln carried every state except New Jersey, Delaware, and Kentucky.

http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/programs/2007/11/05/#thursday

What irony!!!!!!!!