Redstate

Posted at 10:55pm on Jul. 8, 2008 Disconnect

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

This Washington Post editorial applauds Barack Obama for "adjusting" his Iraq policy.

Of course, Obama himself claims that there has been no shift whatsoever in his Iraq policy, which means that he and the Washington Post need to sit down and figure out just what on Earth the story actually is. Thus far, about the only thing that we can say is that Obama has actually done nothing to alleviate the concerns of centrist and center-right voters, while at the same time appearing to go out of his way to stick a thumb in the eye of his liberal base.

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Flip-Flopping | Iraq — Comments (1)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:58pm on Jul. 8, 2008 Thank You for Supporting Our Troops

By Congressman Mike Conaway

Thank you so much to the more than 4,800 of you who responded to the petition drive I started in support of General Petraeus and our troops' effort in Iraq. With your help, we were able to present this American hero with solid, heartfelt evidence of support for him, his troops, and their mission.

General Petraeus genuinely appreciated the gesture, and wrote the following letter of thanks for your heartfelt support:

Read on...

Posted in Congress | General Petraeus | Iraq | Petition | Victory — Comments (3) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 8:06am on Jul. 8, 2008 MI Morning Update: Stealth Petition Files Signatures - Why McCain is America's Best Choice - Nuclear Weapons in Iraq

By saul anuzis

119 Days until Election Day

July 8, 2008

MORNING UPDATE:

STEALTH PETITIONERS FILE SIGNATURES...but it's still a secret as to who funded it, who wrote it, and what special interests are behind it.  The rumor on the street is that Mark Brewer helped put this secret constitutional re-write together with the Trial Lawyers and UAW.  Does Obama support this kind of special interest gamesmanship?   I think at best this is a "deform" set of amendments.  Beware!

Posted in Barack Obama | Iraq | John McCain | Michigan Republican Party | Republicans | Saul Anuzis | Stealth Petition — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:55am on Jul. 7, 2008 Promising signs: United Arab Emirates forgives Iraqi debt, will send ambassador.

Well. "Promising" to folks who actually want to *win* this war.

By Moe Lane

(Via Hot Air) This is a good sign:

UAE to cancel Iraq's $7 billion debt

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Dubai has forgiven the nearly $7 billion Baghdad owes it, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced Sunday.

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan promised to "put out these debts," appoint an ambassador to Baghdad, and "help Iraq building the holy shrines that were targeted by the terrorists," al-Maliki said in a written statement.

As Ed notes, a lot of this is tied up in Shi'ite / Sunni relations, as well as the al-Maliki government's relationship with Iran (and how to minimize it), and the improving security situation in Iraq generally, including the improving political situation. It is to be hoped that other countries in the region follow suit, both in the debt forgiveness and in improved relationships with Iraq. As Jordan has already named an ambassador, with Kuwait and Bahrain expected to follow, this may be less of a forlorn hope than one might fear.

Moe Lane

PS: I should be fair and note that, yes, if we had listened to Barack Obama the UAE would never have withdrawn their ambassador in the first place. Mind you, that'd be because Saddam Hussein would still be in power - but then, you can hardly expect the junior Senator from Illinois to be more concerned about dead Kurds, Shi'ites, and Marsh Arabs than he is about the upcoming American Presidential election.

One must have one's priorities in order, after all.

Posted in Debt Forgiveness | Foreign Affairs | Iraq | UAE — Comments (0)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:59pm on Jul. 6, 2008 Deeply Encouraging News From Iraq . . . And Some Of The Reaction

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

First, let's go to the "deeply encouraging news part":

American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.

After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda's dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant "last stand" in the northern city of Mosul.

A huge operation to crush the 1,200 fighters who remained from a terrorist force once estimated at more than 12,000 began on May 10.

Operation Lion's Roar, in which the Iraqi army combined forces with the Americans' 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, has already resulted in the death of Abu Khalaf, the Al-Qaeda leader, and the capture of more than 1,000 suspects.

The group has been reduced to hit-and-run attacks, including one that killed two off-duty policemen yesterday, and sporadic bombings aimed at killing large numbers of officials and civilians.

[. . .]

Major-General Mark Hertling, American commander in the north, said: "I think we're at the irreversible point."

Read on . . .

Posted in Barack Obama | Iraq | John McCain | The Surge | War — Comments (2)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 6:45pm on Jul. 6, 2008 Okinawa Jack Murtha continues to act in an utterly unsurprising fashion.

I cannot, however, in good conscience endorse what Gateway Pundit called him. It was, in fact, uncalled for.

By Moe Lane

I am completely in favor of the female breast, you see; and so I feel that calling Murtha one utterly slanders what might be a perfectly innocent mammary.

Three comments (in all of which I do agree with Gateway Pundit):

1). Murtha really needs to learn to actually read his briefing materials. Or at least figure out what year it is: his talking points (5 versus 15 of 18).

2). Murtha really needs to apologize to the men that he's slandered in the past before he starts in with new slanders:

Murtha: I think the short term it [the Bush Surge] has reduced incidents. I'm not sure if it's because the Iraqis are just worn out but certainly the way they are doing it today it makes a big difference. It used to be we broke down doors. We went in and we killed people inadvertently. Now they're much more careful about it.

Charming fellow, no?

3). If you wonder why certain people wince at best, and laugh hysterically at worst, when the phrase "Democratic credibility in national security policy" comes up - it's because people like the person capable of 1). & 2). are given as examples of credible Democrats on that issue.

Moe

PS: By all means, Murtha: you just go ahead and support Senator Barack Obama. He almost deserves you.

PPS: I lied:

4). Lt. Colonel William Russell is running in this district.

Posted in 2008 | Iraq | Okinawa Jack Murtha | The Surge — Comments (2)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:37pm on Jul. 4, 2008 Will Obama win a war in order to win an election?

By Soren Dayton

John McCain has famously said that he would rather lose an election than lose a war. He seemingly sacrificed his Presidential ambitions in favor of our national interest.

In Barack Obama, it seems that we have the converse. He had declared the war lost and withdrawal an imperative when it was politically expedient. Now it seems that the reality on the ground (both polling in the US and the security in Iraq, in that order) has shifted, and Barack Obama is about to change his position.

Where John McCain put the war above his election, Barack Obama puts the election above the war, and everything else.

The lesson here is that Barack Obama is willing to sacrifice anything and everything for his political ambitions. No friend is too close, no promise so (seemingly) heartfelt, no principle so great will get in the way of his election.

Now there is a contrast with John McCain.

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Iraq — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:04am on Jul. 4, 2008 Walking Back The Cat

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

Of all of the major Presidential candidates, Barack Obama has been the one who most consistently opposed the war and most consistently garnered the approval of antiwar voters with his promise to end American involvement in Iraq in 16 months after his inauguration, should he win the Presidency. Indeed, several times in debates and on the campaign trail, Obama was asked whether he would reconsider his Iraq policies in the event that General Petraeus or other members of the military asked him to in light of what the conditions on the ground might be. And each time, Obama refused.

However, when it comes to his Iraq policy, Obama may now be softening:

Senator Barack Obama said Thursday the United States cannot sustain a long-term military presence in Iraq, but added that he would be open to "refine my policies" about a timeline for withdrawing troops after meeting with American military commanders during a trip to Iraq later this month.

Mr. Obama, whose popularity in the Democratic primary was built upon a sharp opposition to the war and an often-touted 16-month gradual timetable for removing combat troops, dismissed suggestions that he was changing positions in the wake of reductions in violence in Iraq and a general election fight with Senator John McCain.

"I've always said that the pace of withdrawal would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the need to maintain stability. That assessment has not changed," he said. "And when I go to Iraq and have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I'm sure I'll have more information and will continue to refine my policies."

Of course, the practical translation of the above is "get ready for the antiwar movement to be thrown under the bus." Just as Obama has cut his ties with longstanding political supporters--thus embittering some of them and just as Obama has decided to support FISA reform--thus embittering the netroots, Obama has now pledged to "refine" his Iraq strategy after having initially pledged not to.

Look, I understand that there are practicalities involved in politics. And Barack Obama now appears to be embracing those practicalities. That's fine and good as it goes but with each passing day, it becomes clearer and clearer that while Barack Obama is an eloquent man with a winning campaign trail style, there is nothing special or extraordinary about his brand of politics.

He's just another Democratic party politician. And because Obama has been selling his politics as some extraordinary new batch of leadership and policies, the more people realize that Obama is just another Democratic party politician, the more pronounced their sense of disillusionment with him is likely to be.

Oh, and see this, this and this. The Obama campaign had to call a press conference to try to kill any talk that he is changing his position, but you can tell that the press is not buying it and that they are calling him on a whole host of inconsistencies between his prior position and his current one. He also accuses the McCain campaign of "prim[ing] the pump" to somehow mislead the public on Obama's position, which is bizarre and unsupported. It is difficult to see how Obama can "refine policies" concerning a troop withdrawal without potentially refining the 16 month timetable that he set for himself so his claims that he would leave the timetable untouched even though he might "refine policies" makes no sense and can't even plausibly be offered up as promises. I realize there is a need to spin this as not being a big deal, but it just isn't going to wash, as this story indicates.

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Flip-Flopping | Iraq — Comments (4)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 8:28pm on Jul. 3, 2008 Obama is nothing. No Dem nominee since Fritz has been something.

By Mark Kilmer

Barack Obama is not any particular thing, ergo he is nothing.

He's ready to refine his position on Iraq and troop withdrawal:

Obama told reporters in Fargo, N.D., that he is “going to do a thorough assessment."

"When I go to Iraq and I have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I'm sure I'll have more information and will continue to refine my policies," he said, according to CBS News. “I have been consistent, throughout this process, that I believe the war in Iraq was a mistake.”

Posted in 2008 | changed his mind | Iraq | Obama | Troops — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:38am on Jul. 3, 2008 And so we wait for the Great Obaman Reversal on Iraq.

We also wait for everyone's June fundraising numbers, but that's a different issue altogether.

By Moe Lane

Like Glenn Reynolds, I am nigh-breathless from waiting to see how long it'll take for Senator Obama to finally integrate objective reality into his Iraq position, which is slowly but surely looking more and more absurd every day. As Brother Soren notes, Obama's surrogates are already doing an admirable job of muddying the waters, but the IDB/TIPP poll referenced (but not linked to) in the link above is grim news to anybody wanting to cut and run. When you have half of independents and 45% of Democrats now disagreeing that the war is lost, you have a problem with being a Democrat running on a campaign that the war is lost.

So... we wait for him to cave on his most fundamental, bedrock policy position. I expect that it'll be right after that trip to Iraq and Afghanistan that the VRWC shamed him into making. And when he does, the derision and mockery that will ensue over this last, best betrayal of the progressive netroots will make our reaction to the Democratic cave on FISA look like an Elks Club Amateur Comedy Night.

Just thought that I'd share.

Moe Lane

PS: Exit question, as Allahpundit would say: Do you think that the netroots support the Democratic Party in the same way that I was a New York Mets fan, growing up? Because damned if I can see how they're getting any practical return on their money, particularly when it comes to foreign policy.

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Iraq | Obamafiles | The Great Netroots Betrayal — Comments (12)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 8:10am on Jul. 3, 2008 New game: Try to figure out what the Obama campaign thinks about Iraq

By Soren Dayton

Over the last 48 hours, senior advisers in Barack Obama's campaign have articulated (at least) 3 separate positions on Iraq. Chief campaign strategist David Axelrod, campaign co-chair Senator McCaskill, and foreign policy advisor Susan Rice all expressed different positions. Watch them:

Today, all those advisors--and more--are trying to explain Obama's policies on the morning shows. Perhaps someone will be able to coordinate these chuckleheads, but it probably won't be the Obama campaign.

Perhaps you can try to figure out what their policy will be. They certainly don't seem to know.

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Iraq — Comments (9) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:35am on Jun. 26, 2008 Christians still persecuted in Iraq.

By Paul J Cella

The situation in Iraq is improving, alright, but we should never forget the persecution suffered by Iraqi Christians. This New York Times article details at length the re-reappearance of the jizya, the ancient method of extortion reserved for Christians and Jews under Islam’s celebrated system of tolerance for People of the Book. It appears that a refusal to pay the jizya is what cost Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, the leader of the Chaldean Catholics in Mosul, his freedom and then his life.

Meanwhile, a Canadian parliamentary committee has uncovered some horrifying details of the unspeakable campaign against Christians in Iraq:

Muslim militants are crucifying children to terrorize their Christian parents into fleeing Iraq, a parliamentary committee studying the persecution of religious minorities heard yesterday.

Since the war began in 2003, about 12 children, many as young as 10, have been kidnapped and killed, then nailed to makeshift crosses near their homes to terrify and torment their parents.

One infant was snatched, decapitated, burned and left on his mother's doorstep, the committee was told.

May our Lord give them strength, comfort, and that peace which passes all understanding. May His justice find their persecutors swiftly. And may the religion of fire and sword which enjoins this persecution be discredited and banished from the world of men.

Posted in dhimma | Iraq | Iraqi Christians | Islam | War — Comments (13)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 6:35pm on Jun. 23, 2008 Stunning, sudden, total, American defeat in Iraq!

One that even *I* have to admit to. And I can see sunshine anywhere.

By Moe Lane

But not now. This defeat is total. The shame and horror of it is epic, and only possibly approached by the fact that McClatchy gets to gloat about it, and in such a comprehensive fashion. As will the rest of the planet, probably. They've always known that we were doomed.

Oh, yes: I admit it, now that the magnitude of these losses have been revealed - this is not the first incident, you see; we're only just starting to hear about it now. I always feared that this day would come. No, I lie: I always knew that this day would come. We could never hope to win this sort of struggle...

You know, it feels so good to finally say that, you know? We've pretended for so long that we could do this, when everything about our history told us that we couldn't...

Moe Lane

Posted in American tradition | Breaking News | Iraq | Our Hands might as well be tied — Comments (20)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:02pm on Jun. 21, 2008 Michael Barone On The Surge

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

Read it all. As he points out, McCain has been consistently right on this issue and as of this writing, Obama has done nothing to acknowledge the facts on the ground in Iraq. Hardly deserving of the genuine meaning of the term "reality-based" but entirely in keeping with the Orwellian and ironic characteristics that have surrounded the term since its introduction into the public lexicon. (Via Glenn Reynolds.)