**The only thing I was lazy about was adding the pink text indicating sarcasm. And, just curious…Which is “my side”? **
My apologies. I did not catch the sarcasm:) I have no idea what “side” you are on.
hey Art…look what CNN reported yesterday…I mean what the Pentagon reported yesterday…exactly as predicted, we surge troops into baghdad and the violence moves elsewhere. More whack-a-mole…I hope you’ve shaved already this morning.
You no doubt will find a way of proclaiming this a victory.
Violence in Iraq continues despite early operations to increase U.S. troops; Defense Department releases latest quarterly report
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Violence in Iraq remains at about the same levels as it did toward the end of last year, but the location of that violence has generally moved because of the Bush administration’s “surge” efforts, according to a Pentagon report released Wednesday.
The latest quarterly and congressionally mandated “Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq” report covers the period from February to early May 2007, roughly from the beginning of the troop increase toward the time when the final U.S. troops were entering Iraq as part of the buildup.
According to the report on the overall assessment of the security environment in Iraq during this time, the troop buildup, which the Bush administration calls a “surge,” was decreasing the level of violence in and around Baghdad, but much of the violence moved outward, north of Baghdad and further west, away from the majority of the U.S. and Iraqi forces and security operations.
Provinces like Diyala and Nineveh are seeing increased operations by insurgent and extremist fighters as they try to gain control of these regions, the report says. --From CNN Pentagon Producer Mike Mount (Posted 6:16 p.m.)
“You no doubt will find a way of proclaiming this a victory.”
Well, should that continue, yes, that is a victory.
The objective is to have a stable country. You can’t have that with excessive levels of violence in the city that makes up about 1/4 of the population. If you can get Baghdad stable, other areas will eventually fall in line.
20,000 more troops and no reduction in violence = victory?
You can’t argue with that sort of logic.
Petraeus says security crackdown working
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-06-13-petraeus-security_N.htm
BAGHDAD — When Gen. David Petraeus drives through the streets of Iraq’s capital, he sees “astonishing signs of normalcy” in half, perhaps two-thirds of Baghdad.
“I’m talking about professional soccer leagues with real grass field stadiums, several amusement parks — big ones, markets that are very vibrant,” says Petraeus, commander of the roughly 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. The scenes provide a sign that the new strategy in Iraq is working, although many problems remain, he told USA TODAY in an interview Wednesday.
Meanwhile, U.S. commanders have urged the American public not to pass judgment on the plan’s effectiveness until after all U.S. troops are fully deployed. That is due to happen Friday.
•Anbar province. This area in the heart of the Sunni Triangle has been held up by the U.S. military as a model for Iraq. “The progress in Anbar has actually been breathtaking,” Petraeus says.
•**Sectarian violence. **The number of unidentified bodies found in Baghdad — an indicator of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims — dropped from a high of 1,782 in October to 411 in April, according to an Interior Ministry official who declined to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
The body count spiked to 726 in May. So far this month, the numbers are again on a “downward trend,” Petraeus says. Although the bombing Wednesday of a major Shiite shrine in Samarra raises the risk of a new outbreak of sectarian violence, he says.
Whack-a-mole:
WASHINGTON, June 13 — Violence increased throughout much of Iraq in recent months, despite a security crackdown in Baghdad that at least temporarily reduced sectarian killings there, according to a quarterly assessment of security conditions issued Wednesday by the Pentagon.
The report, which analyzed data from February through early May, said it was too early to say whether the security effort in Baghdad would achieve lasting security gains. And it described in more detail than officials had until now how security conditions in other parts of the country had worsened when American and Iraqi forces shifted in large numbers into the capital.
“The aggregate level of violence in Iraq remained relatively unchanged during this reporting period,” the report said. “Violence has decreased” in Baghdad and in Anbar Province, which have long been the country’s most violent areas, “but has increased in most provinces, particularly in outlying areas around Baghdad and in Nineva and Diyala Provinces.” Attacks have also increased in Basra Province in the south, because of fighting between rival Shiite militants, some of whom fled Baghdad because of the security crackdown, it added.
Although precise data are not included in the report, attacks on civilians and Iraqi and American troops increased by 2 percent from the previous quarter, the report said. The average number of attacks has exceeded 1,000 per week since the beginning of this year through early May, the highest level since the American invasion in 2003, it said.
The report, which analyzed data from February through early May
“Thank you sir, may I have another?”
.
So you throw the report out the window and take the personal opinion of one man, a political appointee instead. hey john McCain said a downtown Baghdad market was like shopping in Phoenix or some such nonsense…must be true if he said so though. No more pesky reports with data and numbers and such, we want personal opinions from politicians to tell us how the war is really going.
I noted on the evening news last night that the White House is now poo pooing the idea of a surge review in September of this year…Tony Snow said they had no plans to review the surge policy or assess its success or lack thereof.
Perhaps they’ll have Art write another Mission Accomplished speech before the next election.
So you throw the report out the window and take the personal opinion of one man, a political appointee instead. hey john McCain said a downtown Baghdad market was like shopping in Phoenix or some such nonsense…must be true if he said so though.
Just what kind of shit do you smole out there Matt? If it is the really good stuff, I suggest finding something less potent. If not, then you better upgrade.
No more pesky reports with data and numbers and such, we want personal opinions from politicians to tell us how the war is really going.
Oh, you mean data and number like facts? Like this one for instance?
20,000 more troops and no reduction in violence = victory?
You can’t argue with that sort of logic.
From what I can tell of this thread, you haven’t posted any facts. I did, but everything I seem to post is invisible to you with respect to facts.
You obviously didn’t catch the reference in my reply to klenher, so I’ll repeat it for you. Both you and he made reference to a report that looked at actions in Iraq through early May. In the article I referenced (with link as well), it was noted that the surge buildup isn’t even complete yet, until tomorrow (June 15). Kind of throws your idiotic version of a number statement out the window.
I posted a Pentagon report which very clearly stated that there has been no reduction in violence since the surge began. it has just moved elsewhere which is what most of the surge critics said would happen.
if you don’t like those facts complain to the Pentagon, not me.
as said on Jon Stewart last night - - one indication that the war/surge is working is that the Mosque was bombed a second time - - they are finally running out of things and people to blow up
Did anyone else catch what that US General said - - that there is much dissapointment in the progress of the Iraqi Gov’ment. As far as benchmarks, he then went on to say specifially the signing of the new Iraqi oil law
The oil would be leased for 30 years to American oil companies, including Exxon, Conoco, Marathon and others.
There is no longer any question why we went into Iraq.