But..but..we shouldn't believe the Iraqis when they report good news. Let's wait till they say something critical, then they should be listened to.

It appears we have to go to the Iragis to GET balanced news. period. Lorie, thanks for the highlight!

The real question is: where did the bad guys go as we moved into Baghdad? We've seen this pattern repeated over and over again in Iraq. We telegraph our punches far in advance (for domestic political reasons) and the bad guys simply move out of the way so they can regroup elsewhere.

My guess is that they are rotating up toward Kirkuk. The Nov referendum on the status of Kirkuk that is enshrined in Iraq's disastrous Constitution is undoubtedly going to trigger a wave of sectarian violence in that area.

The bad guys may have taken a holiday, but, unfortunately, they'll be back. Most of them live there after all. They've got nowhere else to go.

"They've got nowhere else to go."

How about HELL?

It might be different this time Larkin,

1) Take and hold. Iraqi forces will stay this time with US in support. Yes, the bad guys will come back but it will be much harder for them to have anything like the organization they had before.

2) Control of key entry points on the Iran and Syria borders.

3) Open season on Al Sadr forces (previously protected).

4) Key Sunni leaders are now in support because of the oil sharing deal, and thousands of Sunni have joined the police and army in the last two weeks.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Two car bombs exploded in an outdoor market in Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 56 people and injuring scores in the deadliest attack since U.S. and Iraqi forces began a major security push around the capital last week.

Well that didn't last long.

Barney.

Bingo.

All they do is move.

Foolish Americans.

3) Open season on Al Sadr forces (previously protected).

I don't see any evidence on that. In fact, the AP reported that the Shiite areas of Baghdad have been left largely untouched during this operation.

Make no mistake, this operation is just like all the others that preceded it. It's designed to bludgeon the Sunnis into submission at the behest of the Shiite-dominated government. I'm certain he vast majority of those killed and captured will be Sunni.

FOX Sunday just pointed out that Feith lied in last week's show regarding operational links to al Qaida. BUSTED

Let the spinning begin.

OOPS, I'm wrong.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Two car bombs exploded in an outdoor market in Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 56 people and injuring scores in the deadliest attack since U.S. and Iraqi forces began a major security push around the capital last week.

The death toll was reported by police and ambulance service officials on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media. At least 127 people were injured, they reported.

The explosions toppled wooden vendors' stalls and utility poles, and blood pooled in the debris. Victims were carried into hospitals on makeshift stretchers or in the arms of rescuers."

Guess the insurgents decided not to move out.

Foolish Americans. Let's plan a surge.

Thank goodness that peace and prosperity are just around the corner in that hell hole Iraq. Hopefully our loser-in-chief can now provide some focus on the failing conditions in our own country. Imagine what 1 trillion dollars could have done for the good people of this country. Instead of attacking a country that didn't attack us and which was based on outright lies to scare losers like the members of wizbang to fear everything with brown skin and that didn't worship Christ. WWJK???

So, with this being our 3rd or 4th surge since the beginning of this illegal and immoral war, it remains unclear what will be accompished. The tribes that we are trying to pacify were there thousands of years before we arrived and they'll still be there thousands of years after we leave. Unless ofcourse you believe that failure there will lead to catastophic results here. Then we will have to be there forever. Sounds like our loser-in-chief's plan. So his buddies, like those at Halliburton, can continue their vile war-profiteering.

So, if you think that a small temporary increase in troop strength is going to have ANY long-term effect, keep drinking the kool-aid - you truly sad deluded souls.

"I haven't seen much evidence of that"

Maybe you haven't seen it Larkin - or don't want to - but what do you make of the fact that Al Sadr has disappeared or gone underground? You think maybe he's on vacation?

There have been several fairly successful strikes recently against them.

If you don't believe me, here is an AP story, reported by CNN, that support has been dropped. (http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/22/maliki.sadr.ap/index.html)

Your statement is a fairly weak argument Larkin, if it can be so easily refuted by your own side.

No mistaken the cowardly bastards here. Wonder if they are really Americans? They never miss a chance to degrade the country they live in and give them the freedom to say the traitorus shit they spew on any subject that might support our troops. Naaw it's all Bush's fault. Piss on all you liberal bootlicking assholes. Now lets go watch the race.

Do the libs even want us to win in Iraq? Nah--too much credit would go to Bush.

Libs - understand this: THE WAR IN IRAQ IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR OUR SECURITY AND FREEDOM AND WE MUST WIN! That's the overarching driver - period.

gc

"Attacks and killings in Baghdad have dropped by 80 per cent since Iraqi and US forces launched their security plan for Baghdad, Iraqi army spokesman Qasim al-Musawi said today."

"Terror operations in Baghdad dropped by 80 per cent," since the Iraqi Government officially launched a broad plan aimed at snuffing out sectarian violence in the capital, Mr Musawi said."

Great! Fewer innocent Iraqis being blown apart is definitely a good thing. Nobody's got a problem with that.

And I guess this means we'll soon be ready to scale back operations and start bringing some troops home, right? No? Soon? How soon? When? What is the benchmark?

There are no answers to those questions because there is no articulated plan, and never has been. Ever since 2003 the administration's effort in Iraq has been guided by a domestic GOP political agenda -- notably the desire to maintain political power in the White House and Congress through the the 2004 and 2006 elections.

They succeeded in 2004, but failed in 2006. Immediately after the 2006 election they shifted gears, fired that rube Rumsfeld, and here we are just a matter of days after the launch of this security operation and we're already seeing dramatic results.

Why did it take losing the 2006 elections for the White House to get serious?

What's to prevent the Republicans from dragging this out until - say 3-4 months or so before the 2008 elections to start the ticket-tape parades and proclaim once again that "Mission Accomplished"?

How many Iraqis and US soldiers will die as the GOP continues to manipulate the war effort for political gain? Anyone out there care to guess?

We've already seen decreases in violence turn sour in Iraq, with violence going up again. One peeve I have with the surge plan is that it really only addresses Baghdad, give a momentary glance to Anbar province, but seems to leave the rest of Iraq up for grabs by not surging the troop totals elsewhere. So when insurgents are squeezed out of Baghdad the violence will decline, but those insurgents will just go someplace else -- but they still exist. Instead of solving the problem we're just delaying it. I know the other part of the surge strategy is to strengthen the Iraqi military so they can defend their own country, but the Bush administration has proported to attempted doing such since 2003 and they have made very little progress.

Dems/Murtha: "Out of Iraq now, before victory is announced! Hurray!!"

Sunday morning "Tail-chasing Trolls".. what's wrong with you guys going back to DU or Kos.. Or start your own blog and park between them. I know.. the witty comebacks will be here any minute.

One point missed by the delirious Left:

We don't lose unless we leave. Period. Jihadis have nothing if we remain engaged in Iraq.

Here I thought the antique MSM had stopped hyping the Iraq war and doubling/tripling the attack/death count because they were busy hyping a dead hooker and a baby with 6 or 7 fathers. Are the attacks really down?

Hey Marty,Barney,Larkin,and Civil

Like your liberal friends in Government,do you
have ideas or direction for defeating the terrorist?
Any child can point fingers,whine and retreat.
There are car bombings in Iran,Europe,Africa,India,Pakistan,and Saudi Arabia

Are all these countries a lost hope too?

The 80% cut in violence news comes straight from
the people of Iraq.The people that this president
and our military are doing everyting they can
to ensure that they can enjoy the freedoms of self-government and the faith to live in a peace.
Your whimpering,protest signs and "I hate Bush"
has not stopped one terrorist or brought freedom
to anybody.
A vote for withdrawal in Iraq is a vote for
Genocide in Iraq.
Genocide in Iraq is okay for liberals like
Barney,Marty,and Larkin as long as they can hang it on Bush.
Your liberal agenda that puts you on the side of
Genocide has made you totally irrelevant to any logical debate on what is best for America or the
people that live under terrorist dictators around the world.
God bless America and God bless the people of
Iraq.
Baxter

One point missed by the delirious Left:

We don't lose unless we leave. Period.

This is the dangerous view of the right. Like children refusing to leave the baseball field after a game. We can't win in Iraq, but if we stay then the game isn't really over, is it? If we leave then we lose. So we should stay and keep getting soldiers killed, just so we can claim we didn't lose.

This is some pathetic "support" for the troops.

I don't know whether or not any news organizations will deem it relevant to refer to this report when reporting the non-binding resolution debate in the Congress

Wait, I thought the bipartisan Congressional resolution was supposed to embolden the terrorists and result in increased violence. So much for your punditry.

Not a game, and NOT kids!.. I heard and experienced all this tripe in Nam. But I must have missed the part where the Dems took FULL responsibility for the millions of deaths after funding was yanked from an unjust war. Will those deaths be blamed on Bush too? Will it be like Brownback said?.. "This is Bush's war" but we're going to pull the cash, and sit back and watch the fun. Murtha's "Slow Bleed".. what a crock!..*Let the Lib SPIN begin*

Who said old "pucker puss" (lee lee) (resident turd polisher) (resident moron) fell and hit his head? He's back with his "ditto" key still working.Same old same old. This guy (or gal) drolls over anything that makes Bush look bad.
You ever notice he is not around unless it is about Bush. Just another left wing bootlicking liberal that hopes we lose so he can yell--Bush's fault.

As far as "brain-less" goes there is nothing left to say for someone whose hero is "Dingy Harry" the runt of the litter. (Duck-here it comes)

"martyarrow' hasn't washed his "socks" lately.

Only 20 bodies a day going to the morgue lately?! I'm breaking out the champagne!

Lorie

You'd make a lousy chicken farmaer down there in ole NC.

Ever hear of, "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched?

Pukeface your linkie is no go. Hmmm N.C.? Reckon pukeface blogs for Edwards? He sounds just like those 2 bitches that got canned.

Ran -

Yes, if we pull out there will be a sectarian bloodbath - but that doesn't matter.

Why? Becuase the little brown brothers over there don't vote! They can't give the Dems one single damn vote, so who gives a shit about them? They're friggin' WORTHLESS in the grand "We've got to grab power" scheme of things! What can they do for Kennedy? Kerry? Clinton? Nothing, so why do anything for them at all?

So you see Murtha and them trying to 'starve' the war effort - approve the surge by approving the general who'll run it, then set up the effort to fail politically, pull back on the manpower and money, then they can point fingers and go "SEE! We TOLD you it couldn't be done!" oblivious of the fact that THEY were the ones who made it impossible.

They're setting up a replay of VietNam. Only we won't get off nearly so easy this time around as we did then.

The lefties solution for everything that challenges: RUN,RUN,RUN. Whey they watch sporting events, if their team goes down a couple of points they think the game should stop. If there is a bully in their neighborhood, they should sell their house instead of confronting the bully. RUN. The motto of the left. ww

1)Everyone except the sheep know the mainstream media is biased (far left).
2)I have news for you casualty counters. We are at war. People are going to be killed. Don't disgrace those who fight and die for your freedom by quoting their deaths to make your Bush-bashing point. It is noble to share freedom and dimocracy to other human beings. I am glad Bush has the courage to help others. I'm glad that he has decided that America will decide its own fate and not the terorists. If we win or lose in Iraq is irrelavant, at least we are proactive in bringing the chance of a better future. That's a million times better than condemming freedom. That's un American!