GINA COBB

Biggest Shia Militia Quits in Iraq

By DemocracyRules
h/t Hot Air

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Pro Patria

Gates Sees Fewer Troops in Iraq in '09

By DemocracyRules

Good news from Operation Iraqi Freedom

Pro Patria

Displaced Iraqis Returning in Droves

By DemocracyRules

From Operation Iraqi Freedom website. Great news.

Pro Patria

One Year Ago Today on GINA COBB: Democrat Harry Reid: "This War is Lost"

Originally posted on April 20, 2008:  Democrat Harry Reid: "This War is Lost"

Democrat Harry Reid: "This War is Lost"

"We can't win."  "We've already lost." 

This is how losers talk.

Democratic Senate majority leader Harry Reid is the baseball "fan" who declares his team defeated when it's still a tie in at the bottom of the 7th inning.

Harry Reid is the surgeon who declares his patient dead when the man is still on the operating table with a beating heart.

Harry Reid is the sales rep who gives up after the sixth customer says no.

Harry Reid is the head of the cheerleading squad who rallies the fans to boo their own coach.

Harry Reid is the lawyer who realizes his client is unpopular and the trial will be difficult, and promptly withdraws from the case.

Harry Reid is the man who hears of deep evil being done to innocent people in a faraway land -- a place like Darfur or the Phililpines or Iraq -- and immediately returns his attention to the more pressing problem of his hangnail.

Harry Reid is the military officer who stares into the faces of vicious enemies who hate freedom and life itself . . . and concedes the battlefield.

Harry Reid is living up to the defeatist parodies of himself -- except that it isn't just himself and his party he is giving up on this time.  It is his country.

~ ~ ~

Let us recall how true leaders speak and act, even in difficult times. 

You no doubt remember the words of Winston Churchill during World War II on the subject of never giving up. 

Here is an excerpt from that speech given on October 29, 1941 by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, while visiting Harrow School.  Although some of the names have changed, the story is the same:

You cannot tell from appearances how things will go. Sometimes imagination makes things out far worse than they are; yet without imagination not much can be done. Those people who are imaginative see many more dangers than perhaps exist; certainly many more than will happen; but then they must also pray to be given that extra courage to carry this far-reaching imagination.

But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period--I am addressing myself to the School -- surely from this period of ten months, this is the lesson:

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

We stood all alone a year ago, and to many countries it seemed that our account was closed, we were finished. All this tradition of ours, our songs, our School history, this part of the history of this country, were gone and finished and liquidated.

Very different is the mood today. Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge across her slate. But instead our country stood in the gap. There was no flinching and no thought of giving in; and by what seemed almost a miracle to those outside these Islands, though we ourselves never doubted it, we now find ourselves in a position where I say that we can be sure that we have only to persevere to conquer.

You sang here a verse of a School Song: you sang that extra verse written in my honor, which I was very greatly complimented by and which you have repeated today. But there is one word in it I want to alter - I wanted to do so last year, but I did not venture to. It is the line: "Not less we praise in darker days."

I have obtained the Head Master's permission to alter darker to sterner. "Not less we praise in sterner days."

Do not let us speak of darker days: let us speak rather of sterner days. These are not dark days; these are great days--the greatest days our country has ever lived; and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race.

~ ~ ~

We are not losing in Iraq, Senator Reid, despite your efforts to deprive Iraq and America's troops of victory when it is almost within their grasp.

We are winning in Iraq.

This is how winning feels, in the early stages.  It feels like scorching heat, freezing cold, sweat, pain, agony, injury, and loss of life.  That is always how it feels in wartime before victory comes.

Did you think it would be easy?

Did you think it would be easy when you voted to authorize the Iraq war? 

Did you imagine that America would win a war against vicious, determined foes without any real loss of life, without enough funding to put a dent in the budget, and without any real inconvenience to anyone?

Sometimes winning a war is easy. 

More often, it is not. 

A wise leader, and a wise nation, are prepared for either possibility, and do not flinch from their duty when it is hard.

The blood of every American soldier who ever died on the battlefield cries out that winning a war is not always easy.

The blood of every victim of Islamic terror cries out too.  Can't you hear it, Senator Reid? 

Can't you hear hundreds of thousands of victims of Islamic terror around the world -- including thousands of Americans -- crying out?

In Iraq, we are fighting terrorists who are evil enough to booby-trap children's toys with shrapnel and saw off men's heads to place them in fruit boxes around town.

And you, Senator Reid, would let them win.

In fact, you want to make sure they win -- by abandoning the battlefield.

What spineless sea of jellyfish did you float in with, that you lack the backbone to see this difficult, necessary, sacred duty through to victory?

_________________________________________

Update:  Messages from the troops to Harry Reid in the wake of his shameful comments are here and here.  Kim Preistap at Wizbang points out that Reid's declaration of defeat is both predictable and premature -- since the surge has barely begun.

The New York Times, the Paper of Record for Losing the War, covers Reid's Defeat-o-crat talk here.

From Scrappleface:  Reid Supports the Troops Who Lost the War

"We can't win."  "We've already lost." 

This is how losers talk.

Democratic Senate majority leader Harry Reid is the baseball "fan" who declares his team defeated when it's still a tie in at the bottom of the 7th inning.

Harry Reid is the surgeon who declares his patient dead when the man is still on the operating table with a beating heart.

Harry Reid is the sales rep who gives up after the sixth customer says no.

Harry Reid is the head of the cheerleading squad who rallies the fans to boo their own coach.

Harry Reid is the lawyer who realizes his client is unpopular and the trial will be difficult, and promptly withdraws from the case.

Harry Reid is the man who hears of deep evil being done to innocent people in a faraway land -- a place like Darfur or the Phililpines or Iraq -- and immediately returns his attention to the more pressing problem of his hangnail.

Harry Reid is the military officer who stares into the faces of vicious enemies who hate freedom and life itself . . . and concedes the battlefield.

Harry Reid is living up to the defeatist parodies of himself -- except that it isn't just himself and his party he is giving up on this time.  It is his country.

~ ~ ~

Let us recall how true leaders speak and act, even in difficult times. 

You no doubt remember the words of Winston Churchill during World War II on the subject of never giving up. 

Here is an excerpt from that speech given on October 29, 1941 by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, while visiting Harrow School.  Although some of the names have changed, the story is the same:

You cannot tell from appearances how things will go. Sometimes imagination makes things out far worse than they are; yet without imagination not much can be done. Those people who are imaginative see many more dangers than perhaps exist; certainly many more than will happen; but then they must also pray to be given that extra courage to carry this far-reaching imagination.

But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period--I am addressing myself to the School -- surely from this period of ten months, this is the lesson:

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

We stood all alone a year ago, and to many countries it seemed that our account was closed, we were finished. All this tradition of ours, our songs, our School history, this part of the history of this country, were gone and finished and liquidated.

Very different is the mood today. Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge across her slate. But instead our country stood in the gap. There was no flinching and no thought of giving in; and by what seemed almost a miracle to those outside these Islands, though we ourselves never doubted it, we now find ourselves in a position where I say that we can be sure that we have only to persevere to conquer.

You sang here a verse of a School Song: you sang that extra verse written in my honor, which I was very greatly complimented by and which you have repeated today. But there is one word in it I want to alter - I wanted to do so last year, but I did not venture to. It is the line: "Not less we praise in darker days."

I have obtained the Head Master's permission to alter darker to sterner. "Not less we praise in sterner days."

Do not let us speak of darker days: let us speak rather of sterner days. These are not dark days; these are great days--the greatest days our country has ever lived; and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race.

~ ~ ~

We are not losing in Iraq, Senator Reid, despite your efforts to deprive Iraq and America's troops of victory when it is almost within their grasp.

We are winning in Iraq.

This is how winning feels, in the early stages.  It feels like scorching heat, freezing cold, sweat, pain, agony, injury, and loss of life.  That is always how it feels in wartime before victory comes.

Did you think it would be easy?

Did you think it would be easy when you voted to authorize the Iraq war? 

Did you imagine that America would win a war against vicious, determined foes without any real loss of life, without enough funding to put a dent in the budget, and without any real inconvenience to anyone?

Sometimes winning a war is easy. 

More often, it is not. 

A wise leader, and a wise nation, are prepared for either possibility, and do not flinch from their duty when it is hard.

The blood of every American soldier who ever died on the battlefield cries out that winning a war is not always easy.

The blood of every victim of Islamic terror cries out too.  Can't you hear it, Senator Reid? 

Can't you hear hundreds of thousands of victims of Islamic terror around the world -- including thousands of Americans -- crying out?

In Iraq, we are fighting terrorists who are evil enough to booby-trap children's toys with shrapnel and saw off men's heads to place them in fruit boxes around town.

And you, Senator Reid, would let them win.

In fact, you want to make sure they win -- by abandoning the battlefield.

What spineless sea of jellyfish did you float in with, that you lack the backbone to see this difficult, necessary, sacred duty through to victory?

_________________________________________

Update:  Messages from the troops to Harry Reid in the wake of his shameful comments are here and here.  Kim Preistap at Wizbang points out that Reid's declaration of defeat is both predictable and premature -- since the surge has barely begun.

The New York Times, the Paper of Record for Losing the War, covers Reid's Defeat-o-crat talk here.

From Scrappleface:  Reid Supports the Troops Who Lost the War

Iraqis Seize Moqtada al-Sadr Stronghold in Basra

Welcome news.  Iraqi forces, backed by British troops and artillery and supported by British and U.S. aircraft, have routed Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army from its long-time stronghold in Basra, achieving an objective that had eluded Iraqi forces during a crackdown last month:

IRAQI forces backed by British troops and artillery seized the main stronghold of the radical Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the southern port city of Basra yesterday.

The operation, which also involved RAF and American aircraft, forced the cleric’s Mahdi army militants to cede control of a district where they had fought off an Iraqi onslaught last month.

A senior Mahdi source in Basra said British soldiers - believed to be SAS troops directing attacks - had accompanied the Iraqis as they moved into the district of Hayaniya.  . . . .

The oil city awoke yesterday to heavy artillery and air strikes directed at Mahdi rocket launchers. The Iraqis then moved in with relative ease.

Witnesses said huge quantities of weapons, including hundreds of rockets and mortars, had been found abandoned. Some had been left in the street by fleeing militiamen.

Basra is 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad.

Moqtada al-Sadr, stung by the defeat, is already responding with a threat of all-out war.  In light of his recent defeat on the ground, however, it's unclear whether al-Sadr has the wherewithal to carry through on his threats.  Is this the last gasp of a petty tyrant and a step toward a strong and free democracy in Iraq?

The answer depends largely on the resolve and commitment of Iraq, Britain, and the United States.

Iraq Tightening Security, Isolating Muqtada al-Sadr

It looks as if Iraq is tightening up its security and isolating Muqtada al-Sadr.  It has just dismissed 1,300 soldiers and policemen who deserted during recent fighting in Basra.

BAGHDAD - Iraq's government moved Sunday to restore discipline within the ranks of the security forces, sacking more than 1,300 soldiers and policemen who deserted during recent fighting against Shiite militias in Basra.

At the same time, Iraq's Cabinet ratcheted up the pressure on anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr by approving draft legislation barring political parties with militias from participating in upcoming provincial elections.

Al-Sadr, who heads the country's biggest militia, the Mahdi Army, has been under intense pressure from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, also a Shiite, to disband the Mahdi Army or face political isolation.

Al-Sadr's followers are eager to take part in the local elections because they believe they can take power away from rival Shiite parties in the vast, oil-rich Shiite heartland of southern Iraq.

And in a new move to stem the flow of money to armed groups, the government ordered a crackdown on militiamen controlling state-run and private gas stations, refineries and oil distribution centers.

It is believed that gas stations and distribution centers, especially in eastern Baghdad and some southern provinces, are covertly controlled by Shiite militiamen dominated by the Mahdi Army.

A Shortage of Core Principles?

UNHCR: Over 1 Million Iraqis Need Shelter and Food

By DemocracyRules

h/t: xinhau.com

And UNHCR is offering to help.  They just need $1 billion to administer the program.  In the program, each of the 1 million Iraqis will receive $100.  Isn't that great?  $100 million given to the needy, $900 million left over for the not-so needy UN.  The good old UNHCR, always there to help. 

OK, I made the dollar amounts up, but when we finally see the budget, I predict that I will not be far off the mark.

The UN -- sucking on the poor since 1945.

Encouraging News from Baghdad

Truly a breath of fresh air:  Powerline has a report from an officer in the Army Reserve serving in Baghdad:

A year ago, the mere thought that the much-maligned PM would announce a major Iraqi-led offensive against fellow Shia would have been met with guffaws. Yet he announced it in late March this year, did not seek Coalition permission, and ordered 30,000 Iraqi Army and Police troops to deploy. More incredibly, they did deploy in good order, arriving in less than a week, with some units traveling hundreds of miles. And they fought. And they evacuated their own wounded using their own aircraft back to medical facilities.

Was the performance of the PM or the Iraqi forces up to our standards? Certainly not. Their pre-deployment planning was weak, as was their logistical support. As water and ammunition ran low, their ability and willingness to stay in sustained offensive small-unit combat wavered. The Iraqi units in Baghdad also fought against the Mahdi Army in supporting operations, exhibiting some of the same weaknesses.

To unbiased observers, this is significant progress. Critical to the Iraqi performance was the Coalition training teams in their midst (not all of them US), Coalition air support, and Coalition logistical re-supply. If you want to know what the future of the Coalition effort in Iraq might look like after al-Qaeda is defeated, this would come close.

Speaking of the Coalition, more than 30 nations still have boots on the ground here as official members of the Coalition, as part of the NATO training mission, or under UN authority. Unofficially, about 1000 Peruvians serve in a private security company that guards the perimeter of the US Embassy. Several hundred Ugandans working for another contractor also serve as guards at some Coalition bases. Another aspect of the coalition-of-the-willing that receives little mention are the nations that permit us to sustain our effort -- Ireland, Germany, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait -- even though they deploy no troops. Without access to airfields and ports in these countries, the global reach of the US would be much curtailed. After five years of war, this commitment still amazes.

Saddam's Three Stooges Exposed

Saddam Hussein's three stooges -- all Democratic Congressmen -- have been exposed.  (Did I mention that they're Democrats?)

Democratic Congressmen Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California visited Iraq in October 2002 in a trip that may have been paid by Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein.

From an AP report:

Saddam Hussein's intelligence agency secretly financed a trip to Iraq for three U.S. lawmakers during the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

The three anti-war Democrats made the trip in October 2002, while the Bush administration was trying to persuade Congress to authorize military action against Iraq. While traveling, they called for a diplomatic solution.

Prosecutors say that trip was arranged by Muthanna Al-Hanooti, a Michigan charity official, who was charged Wednesday with setting up the junket at the behest of Saddam's regime. Iraqi intelligence officials allegedly paid for the trip through an intermediary and rewarded Al-Hanooti with 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil.

The lawmakers are not named in the indictment but the dates correspond to a trip by Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California. None was charged and Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said investigators "have no information whatsoever" any of them knew the trip was underwritten by Saddam.

The Democratic Congerssmen didn't know that their trip was paid for by Saddam Hussein?  So it's the ignorance defense.  Somehow, that seems to fit.  The question is how much say over American foreign policy should be given to self-identified gnoramuses.

Sizing Up Sacrifice - Iraq War vs. Major Battles Since WWII (Gateway Pundit)

From Gateway Pundit:

"American forces have fought brilliantly in Iraq."

Iraq War (5 years)-- 3,990
Batan Death March (one week)-- 10,000
Battle of Guadalcanal  (186 days)-- 7,099
Battle of Guam (20 Days)-- 3,000
Operation Market Garden (9 days)-- 3,664
Battle of the Bulge (41 days)-- 19,276
Battle of Iwo Jima (39 days)-- 6,821
Battle of Pusan Perimeter (61 days-Korea)-- 6,706

More at Gateway Pundit

This is the sort of basic factual information that will be ignored by the old-fashioned media as they wring their hands today over the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq.

Two Years Ago Today on GINA COBB: More Evidence of Saddam-Al Qaeda Connections for Journalists to Ignore

Originally published on March 18, 2006:  More Evidence of Saddam-Al Qaeda Connections for Journalists to Ignore

Osama bin Laden requested Iraqi cooperation on terrorism and propaganda.  In January 1997 the Iraqi regime was eager to continue its relationship with bin Laden

Two Years Ago Today on GINA COBB: American Hostage Tortured and Killed; Activists Can't Work Up Any Moral Outrage

Originally published on March 11, 2006:  American Hostage Tortured and Killed; Activists Can't Work Up Any Moral Outrage

Iraq Mystery: What's Going on with Muqtada Al-Sadr?

Is Muqtada Al-Sadr deathly ill, or stepping down from leadership of his militia, or both?

We've heard from Newsmax.com that Muqtada Al-Sadr is hospitalized in comatose condition with a life-threatening illness, following food poisoning.

One Year Ago Today on GINA COBB: More Iraqi Terror: Let This Strengthen Our Resolve

Originally published on March 4, 2007: More Iraqi Terror: Let This Strengthen Our Resolve

More on Obama's Well-Considered Iraq Plan: Withdraw, Re-Invade, Whatever

Flopping Aces has great commentary on Barack Obama's presposterous statement that he would withdraw American troops from Iraq and then re-invade Iraq "if" Al Qaeda establishes a base there after the withdrawal, and John McCain's response. 

Recommended reading:

Iraq War Leaves Democrats at a Loss

The Timidity of Despair