Idiot of the Year

[Soldier's Dad]

via Senator Obama's Website

We are one signature away from ending the Iraq War.

Whose signature might that be Senator...the signature of Ansar Al Sunna, Jaish Al Mehdi, 1920's Revolutions Brigades, Islamic Army of Iraq, Hamas of Iraq, Al Quuds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Council, The Islamic State of Iraq????

Quite honestly sir....the level of your ignorance is beyond the pale.

Update: Michael Ware of CNN has a somewhat similar opinion -via NewsBusters

if U.S. troops leave now, you’re giving Iraq to Iran, a member of President Bush’s ‘Axis of Evil,’ and al Qaeda. That’s who will own it. And so, coming back now, I’m struck by the nature of the debate on Capitol Hill, how delusional it is.

Reality Lag

[Soldier's Dad]

Fred Kagan (A pretty smart guy...even if I don't agree with everything he says) observes here

I’ve been struck by the degree to which the debate in this town, in Washington, seems to be lagging behind reality in Iraq. And one would hope that with the briefings that the Congress is getting from General Petraeus and others, that we would start to catch up and realize that the world is different from the way it was in November, 2006. We’ll see.

If You missed...

[Greyhawk]

...the live stream of General Petraeus' briefing on Iraq, there will be an encore at 1500 (3PM) eastern time.

Another Re: New Perspectives

[Greyhawk]

A while back I mentioned this in a comment here responding to the "US abandoned Afghanistan for Iraq" talking point:

By the way, how would you deal with the influx of fighters to Afghanistan that our withdrawal from Iraq (in both freeing enemy "troops" from the "second front" and the resulting recruiting boon that follows) will encourage? That would be a 'change of dynamics' indeed.

Eventually that became part of a longer post here:

The harsh reality is that once we abandon Iraq we're going to have to put all the newly available troops in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda certainly will, and their recruiting is going to soar. Ultimately we'll lose that one, too, because they won't quit knowing full well that we will.

And I think that's an aspect of our retreat from Iraq that too few people are considering.

At least, in America:

“If America pulls out of Iraq, they will fail in Afghanistan,” Mam Rostam said.

Hardly anyone in Congress seems to consider that the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan might become much more severe if similar tactics are proven effective in Iraq.

That's from Michael Totten, in Iraq.

But I base my expectations on knowledge of the enemy. Here's Osama bin Laden, in his own words:

After our victory in Afghanistan and the defeat of the oppressors who had killed millions of Muslims, the legend about the invincibility of the superpowers vanished. Our boys no longer viewed America as a superpower. So, when they left Afghanistan, they went to Somalia and prepared themselves carefully for a long war.
<...>
America assumed the titles of world leader and master of the new world order. After a few blows, it forgot all about those titles and rushed out of Somalia in shame and disgrace, dragging the bodies of its soldiers.
<...>
Where was this false courage of yours when the explosion in Beirut took place on 1983 AD (1403 A.H). You were turned into scattered pits and pieces at that time; 241 mainly marines solders were killed. And where was this courage of yours when two explosions made you to leave Aden in lees than twenty four hours!

But your most disgraceful case was in Somalia; where- after vigorous propaganda about the power of the USA and its post cold war leadership of the new world order- you moved tens of thousands of international force, including twenty eight thousands American solders into Somalia. However, when tens of your solders were killed in minor battles and one American Pilot was dragged in the streets of Mogadishu you left the area carrying disappointment, humiliation, defeat and your dead with you. Clinton appeared in front of the whole world threatening and promising revenge , but these threats were merely a preparation for withdrawal. You have been disgraced by Allah and you withdrew; the extent of your impotence and weaknesses became very clear. It was a pleasure for the "heart" of every Muslim and a remedy to the "chests" of believing nations to see you defeated in the three Islamic cities of Beirut , Aden and Mogadishu...

So, should we abandon Iraq, don't expect the troops to come home - they'll be needed in Afghanistan, to confront:

In short, a flow of mujahadeen no longer restrained by any previous doubts of their own righteousness, our weakness, or their ultimate victory.

Played out against a background of unrestrained slaughter in Iraq. But surely our boys will know America supports them.

The Old 80/20 Rule

[Greyhawk]

Back to that Harry Reid sound bite:

BASH: The phrase "the war is lost" really touched a nerve.

Do you stand by that -- that -- that comment?

REID: General Petraeus has said that only 20 percent of the war can be won militarily. He's the man on the ground there now. He said 80 percent of the war has to be won diplomatically, economically and politically. I agree with General Petraeus.
<...>
General -- General Petraeus has said the war cannot be won militarily. He said that.

While I was already familiar with the Generals comment that you can't kill all the bad guys - some must be "reconciled", I wasn't certain on the origin of the specific 80-20 remark. Senator Reid seems to have used it more times in one interview than the General has in the past several months.

So I looked it up.

Short answer for the time challenged: It was Petraeus on an obscure radio interview answering a question from a guy who quoted this guy:

"General Chang Ting-chen of Mao Zedong’s central committee once stated that revolutionary war was 80 percent political action and only 20 percent military."