Some Positive Signs
Jack Kelly, via Real Clear Politics, points out several positive signs that the so-called surge in troops in Iraq is already producing some results. This despite the fact that the surge really hasn't begun. Still, there are at least some hopeful signs that need to be recognized.
Three interesting things have happened since President Bush announced plans to "surge" U.S. troops.
First, al Qaida appears to be retreating from Baghdad. A military intelligence officer has confirmed to Richard Miniter, editor of Pajamas Media, a report in the Iraqi newspaper al Sabah that Abu Ayyub al Masri, the head of al Qaida in Iraq, has ordered a withdrawal to Diyala province, north and east of Baghdad.
Mr. al Masri's evacuation order said that remaining in Baghdad is a no-win situation for al Qaida, because the Fallujah campaign demonstrating the Americans have learned how to prevail in house to house fighting, Mr. Miniter said.
"In more than 10 years of reading al Qaida intercepts, I've never seen (pessimistic) language like this," he quoted his intelligence officer source as saying.
Second, the radical cleric Moqtada al Sadr, whose Iranian-subsidized militia, the Mahdi army, is responsible for most of the assaults on Sunni civilians in Iraq, is cooling his rhetoric and lowering his profile.
I'd urge you to read the rest. One thing Kelly doesn't really touch on is the formation of a task force dedicated to disrupting the Iranian networks that are running guns and supplies into Iraq. That was one development my son was highly in favor of when I spoke with him. The troops see daily what our media and internal critics choose to ignore routinely. Iran's hands are behind much of the violence in Iraq today. They are supplying weapons and explosives to both sides of the sectarian violence and undoubtedly helping, directly or indirectly, to attack Americans. In other words, America's actions do not exist in a vacuum. There are other players in this.
By Ted Goldman, Tuesday, 23 January , 2007 @ 12:53 pm
Jack Kelly’s son is correct. The MSM ignores evidence that Iran supports terrorism in Iraq, and elsewhere.
As evidence of this, the January 23, 2007 LA Times has a front page article stating “little evidence supports the belief that Iran is involved in Iraq…”
Orwellian, to say the least.
Ted G.
By wf, Tuesday, 23 January , 2007 @ 1:59 pm
Of course Iran is supporting terrorism. Of course the media aren´t helping. I have to wonder why we were not prepared to deal with Iranian countermoves for at least two years? Why would this administration be surprised that Iran is acting like a member of the axis of evil? Or, if you like that better, acting in their self-interest.