As violence continues to decline in
Iraq as a result of the Petraeus Surge, the leading Democrat presidential pretenders find themselves backed in an uncomfortable corner of their own making.
For months, and in some cases years, they have been undermining the
US mission in
Iraq and demanding immediate withdrawal and defacto surrender to Islamist Terrorists. After supporting the war when politically advantageous, Clinton and Edwards, like vanes in the political winds, have swung to anti-war / anti-Bush zealots shamelessly pandering to the rabid mouth-foaming Left. Hussein Obama touts his credentials of not having voted to authorize the war. In fact, he did not vote against it either. He wasn’t even in Congress then. Talk about experience!
Almost from the time boots hit the ground, anti-war Leftists have been demanding immediate withdrawal based on the violence and sectarian fighting in Iraq. Sunnis vs Shites with Americans caught in the middle. Never once have they acknowledged the cause of most of the violence was the result of Iran inserting itself in the mix continuously stirring the pot and providing arms to the warring factions. Nonetheless, the main reason they gave for cutting and running was the security situation and perceived civil war.
Then along came General David Petraus and his “Surge” strategy; Brilliant in its simplicity and amazingly effective. Of course, this was immediately labeled a failure by Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry (land deal) Reid with his proclamation, “This war is lost.”
Far from being “lost”, the Surge has routed al-Qeada in Iraq from Baghdad and inflicting on them an humiliating loss of face with the ‘Arab Street.’ Violence is down by more than fifty-percent in Baghdad and more in other parts of Iraq. Tribal leaders, tired of al-Qeada brutal tactics and imposition of strict Islamic Law, have turned against them and allied themselves with US Troops. Iran has even greatly reduced its influence in the theater as a result.
Unable to ignore the progress of the US Military, despite the almost complete boycott of positive reporting by the media, the pandering politico class are sensing a change of direction in the political winds and true to their character, or lack thereof, they are changing their tone. No longer to you hear the constant drumbeat of “violence”, “security” and “civil war” as reasons for immediate withdrawal, it is now “lack of political progress.” True, the federal government of Iraq, as not performed to the expectations of US advisors. In fact they have been almost dysfunctional. (It is really the height of chutzpa to see US House Leader Nancy Pelosi (d) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (d), leaders of the dysfunctional US Congress, point fingers at the Iraqis!)
What is happening is amazing political progress, not from the top down, but from the ground up! Local tribal governments have taken the lead and are making their towns and cities work. Oil revenues are being shared, despite a lack of a federal law mandating it. The northern Kurd region is, for all intents and purposes, autonomous and governing themselves quite nicely. Again without federal mandates. The point is, Iraqis are taking control of themselves and their lives without the “federal government” telling them how and when to do so. This is a lesson the United States might take to heart!
Not surprisingly, the Democrats, champions of big omnipotent government, decry the lack of a strong federal government in Iraq as the reason de jour to cut and run. I would venture to guess, that if the government in Baghdad shows progress, the next reason to cut and run will be the number of potholes on Main Street unfilled.
