Good News Bad News
Sometimes they make it sound bad when its good. Sometimes they make it sound good when its bad. Sometimes good is good, and bad is bad, but not for the reasons you might think. Â
Good news on Iraq: Senate Democrats are moving to rewrite history, by limiting the Iraq war authorization they voted in 2002. Good news how?  Well, if you’re a surrender enthusiast, it’s a step in the right direction! But if you believe the United States must fight and win in Iraq as in all the theaters of this generational war on Islamic extremism, then every move the anti-war Democrats make to undercut a wartime president and troops in the field is a shot in the foot that will drive Americans farther from them.  Â
More good news about Iraq: Sen. Joseph Lieberman says the Democratic measure to undercut the troops could make a Republican out of him. This highly principled Democrat’s moral stance is an example the rest of them should follow, but the bad news is, they won’t.  But Hillary’s new embrace of defeatism may be just the thing to underscore what a bankrupt position it is. She’s not the only 2008 hopeful playing politics with war.
Silly news about Iraq: Democrats who are fond of indignant rhetoric re the war in Iraq are rattling easy when it is applied to them, suggesting the wheels may be coming off the wagon.
Old News: nothing that new about the surgfe strategy except the size and the seriousness, says Austin Bay, which brings us to:
Good news in Iraq: Five of al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army leaders were arrested in two locations in Baghdad on Wednesday, according to the Kuwait News Agency. KUNA also reported two days ago that an al-Sadr office was being raided, which reportedly was confirmed by Iraqiya TV, but did not appear to percolate into other media. Another bit of good news is also bad news: Still no sign of the momentarily departed, Moqtada al-Sadr, respecter of surges.Â
More good news in Iraq: Reuters reports a drop in violence in Baghdad and other results … the 50-a-day pre-surge body count has dropped to between 5 and 25 a day. Known terrorists who won’t be down to breakfast are tallied at 42, and another 246 will be dining as guests of the government. An additional 84 suspected terrorists also have been provided with accommdations. Five hostages freed and 642 displaced families have returned how.
Bad news in Iraq: Insurgents are trying to figure out how to conduct chemical warfare. Good news is, they haven’t been very good at it, and one of their dirty-bomb factories just got shut down:
Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the No. 2 American commander in Iraq, said he did not think the attacks signaled a more capable insurgency. Instead, he said they were merely an attempt to provoke fear.
“What they’re trying to do is … adapt in such ways where they can continue to create instability,” Odierno said.
Bad news from Iraq: A Sunni woman’s claim she was raped by Iraqi police has stirred up still more sectarian rage. Al-Maliki called for an investigation but cancelled that, saying no medical evidence of rape and his Sunni opponents put her up to it. No good news here. A false accusation of rape can get the job done as well as a real one, but it isn’t clear whether its false or not. Then, there’s the red-on-red thing.
Good news bad news calculus necessary as Tony Blair announces troop cuts in Basra:
The bad news: the Brits are pulling back in this unpopular war without having established a beacon of democracy.
The good news: Their efforts have been so successful, they can pull back and go kill the Taliban instead!
Good news:Â Prince Harry is not one of the Brits who is being cut in Basra
More good news: The Australians aren’t going anywhere, and one Australian is worth 10 Pommie bastids, as any casual glance at the history of modern warfare will tell you.*
Bad news: Eight helicopters have been downed in the past month in Iraq, raising questions of whether new weapons and tactics are being applied to deny what had been a relatively safe means of transport. No answers yet on that. The good news, all nine on board the latest shoot-down survived a “hard landing.”
Good news: a Sunni sheikh in Anbar province does the math on America’s involvement in Vietnam and wants America to win. He’s not the only guy in Anbar who wants us there.
Bad news in Egypt: a blogger gets four years for insulting Islam and Hosni Mubarak, who needs to step in with some clemency and end this nonsense.  Â
Weird news: CNN, slapped around for cozying up to the dictator Saddam Hussein, still has a serious perspective problem. This time it’s Iran.
Sad news in Massachusetts: the first local woman killed in combat, USMC Capt. Jennifer Harris, was buried Monday. Her helicopter was shot down. Iranian-supplied missile? Six other Marines were killed, as well as three soldiers in milblogger Teflon Don’s platoon, as they cleared a path to the crashsite. TD, the best American combat writer in Iraq today, writes about it movingly here. With links to Boston Herald columns on Harris. Here’s another hero, and some cowards.
Ancient news, related to Persians: the graves of Athenian warriors who defeated the Persians in pitched battle at Marathon are being excavated by archaeologists and you will be able to visit and honor them one day, 2,500 years after they fell.
That’s the news. You have to take the bad, the sad and the weird with the good. Need a laugh? Take this quiz: “Do You Want the Terrorists to Win?” Â
Welcome Punditeers, etal! Come on in and crack a beer.  We’re mulling the deep affinity of the soul shared by Australia and America. Watch out, those chimps are packing. Who says soldiers don’t have a cute, cuddly side?  In Japan, anyway. Hey, what’s the commotion? … Nerd fight! Meanwhile, check out the word geeks on parade.
* Pure, unadulterated colonial pride. Whether as allies or on the field, it’s a matter of fine degree and the Poms really aren’t that bad.   Â
Topics: Good News Bad News, Iran, Iraq, Islam, media, military, pols
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 12:25 am Comments (28) on Friday, February 23, 2007
28 Responses to “Good News Bad News”
Leave a Reply
Trackback URLYou must be logged in to post a comment.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:41 am
Bah-the Dhimmicrats believe that anything can be massaged, finessed or triangulated so that they either appear to take a stand or never have to take a stand at all. The victory of style over substance that is so prevalent in modern life infects them to their rotten core.
Oh well, in the spirit of Jules’ post “Go and tell the Spartans, thou that passest by…”
No way to finesse that.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:49 am
Traditionally, giving direct and purposeful aid and support to our enemy during a time of war was a very fatal error.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:50 am
Oops-wrong Greek/Persian battle. I only wish I had established myself as a serial mead imbiber from Tim’s blog, so that I might have a convenient excuse.
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:11 am
Maybe the spear-wielding female chimps can replace the British?
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:23 am
Well, if we could get you to grip a spear, we’d send you in their place.
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:52 am
Wouldn’t that be a sight to behold. alphie trying to hump a spear.
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:54 am
New Surrendercrat Strategy: Betray The Troops — Update 11
Senate Dems Float Another Trial Balloon John Hinderaker Senate Democrats, still seeking ways to dramatize their opposition to the Iraq war–without, of course, actually ending it–have leaked a new idea, apparently to see what sort of reaction it draws…
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:30 am
Thanks, Jules. I can’t tell you how much I’m coming to appreciate your war news–the good, the bad, and the ugly. Would that the MSM would respect their readers in the same way.
CavMed, thank you for the biggest laugh I’ve had all day! It’s a good thing I had just swallowed my sip of brandy!
February 23rd, 2007 at 5:58 am
Well the Brits did their part which is more than can be said for the likes of alphie.
February 23rd, 2007 at 7:43 am
“Bad news from Iraq: A Sunni woman’s claim she was raped by Iraqi police has stirred up still more sectarian rage. Al-Maliki called for an investigation but cancelled that, saying no medical evidence of rape and his Sunni opponents put her up to it. No good news here. A false accusation of rape can get the job done as well as a real one, but it isn’t clear whether its false or not.”
When did District Attorney Mike Nifong, move to Iraq?
February 23rd, 2007 at 8:29 am
Jules:
Great Stuff!.. I am particularly moved by the plight of the speakerette whose patriotism has been maligned by the evil, devil incarnate, Dickster, and then ignored, ignored I say, by the ‘W. Everyone knows that her actions on the war are driven by the highest sense of patriotism and support for the troops, not to mention concern for the Iraqi people.
We are blessed as a nation to have such a person as our speakerette of the house defining the non-political policies of the dhimmis. It’ all about us, isn’t it?
February 23rd, 2007 at 8:32 am
If you are in the military, there is a site that has an Appeal For Redress in support of our mission in Iraq.
An Appeal For Redress is an authorized means for active duty military to submit a grievance to Congress. It can be signed by Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard military personnel.
It is authorized by DoD Directive 1325.6 and DoD Directive 7050.6.
To sign it, go to: http://www.appealforcourage.org
February 23rd, 2007 at 8:55 am
“Bad news in Egypt: a blogger gets four years for insulting Islam and Hosni Mubarak, who needs to step in with some clemency and end this nonsense.”
At one time it would seem the Egyptians** had an intellectual, civilized* and industrious civilization/society. So did Mesopotamia (uhhhh, forgetting that there is a dwarf who can’t handle (pun intended) a spear on this Blog Mesopotamia while larger in area, did include an area The Brits delineated as Iraq)…Until, something called Islam, infected them
*civilized in the context of, that sacrifices I believe did take place, much as the Inca** an Aztec **societies. In todays societies, those ‘termed’ sacrifices are now termed…ohhhh, hmmmm, terrorism, beheadings, stoning of those that do not follow a cult book, deliebrate starvation of ones own people (see, well, God knows how many examples there are, The Mongols, China, The Soviets and the North Koreans, even Iraq, pre OIF. Thanks for the help, U.N. come to mind) good old fashion murder and yes, even wars, but then, there were wars that took place then.
Of course, some would blame (see modern day Leftists of the world) those past atrocities and wars on the Bush Admimistration. After all, Bush, as a name has been present since a “burning” one.
** These people without benefit of say…cranes, bulldozers and other assorted and related to modern day building machines, (although these people did have the simple tools of construction, still used in todays world called, levers, pulleys, inclined planes and labor, lots of labor, some, if not most, called slaves) erected (don’t get excited dwarfish one) large edifices called Pyramids.
Thereby, giving the world the original, (and lasting to this day) Pyramid scheme.
Forward to today, with the cult if Islam, edifices are not constructed, but blown up. Reference the Taliban’s Buddhist sculpture destruction, for one example.
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:00 am
deliebrate=deliberate of course. BUT “deLIEbrate, somehow fits.
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:09 am
Supporting the Troops By Not Supporting the Troop
The sneaky Democrats just won’t give up their mission.
February 23rd, 2007 at 10:22 am
“More good news: The Australians aren’t going anywhere, and one Australian is worth 10 Pommie bastids, as any casual glance at the history of modern warfare will tell you.”
Hey?! I love the diggers too, but the RAF Regiment folks I served with ain’t too bad either.
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:20 am
The Greeks were forced to press their attack at Marathon, because there was a peace-at-any-price element in Athens that wanted to declare defeat and surrender to the Persians. That anti-war political pressure was building, and the Greek army, already in the field and faced off against Persian forces, was in danger of being stabbed in the back if they delayed much longer.
Sounds kind of familiar. Bush’s surge is either just barely in time, or just barely too late; we shall see.
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:22 am
Web Reconnaissance for 02/23/2007
A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention.
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:23 am
As the mother of 3 soldiers in Iraq, I must say the quiz has to be wrong. It said I was wishy-washy about terrorists. Don’t think that is the case. Thank you for the good news- bad news.
February 23rd, 2007 at 11:45 am
Army Mom
“As the mother of 3 soldiers in Iraq”
Bless you AND your 3 soldiers.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:23 pm
“A Sunni woman’s claim she was raped by Iraqi police has stirred up still more sectarian rage. ”
The idea that they could be more enraged than they already are is frightening. I raher suspect this is intended for westerners ho cannot follow the plot.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:25 pm
I forgot to mention that when Muslim women are rapped, their families kill the victim not the rapist, because she caused the crime by being a woman.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:32 pm
[...] Jules Crittenden has a lengthy link roundup of good, bad, and sad news in the war on terror. [...]
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:23 pm
[...] As Jules Crittenden brings us the good and the bad news from Iraq, the Democrats once again prove to the American public why they cannot be trusted with our national secuirty and why the military should run the wars and the politicians should do what they are best at…… ripping off the American peoples money. Good news in Iraq: Five of al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army leaders were arrested in two locations in Baghdad on Wednesday, according to the Kuwait News Agency and UPI. KUNA also reported two days ago that an al-Sadr office was being raided, which reportedly was confirmed by Iraqiya TV, but did not appear to percolate into other media. Another bit of good news is also bad news: Still no sign of the momentarily departed, Moqtada al-Sadr, respecter of surges. [...]
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:58 pm
If They Shoot At You, Don’t Shoot Back…Unless
“Congress has no business micromanaging a war, cutting off funding or even conditioning those funds,” said Rep. Jim Cooper (Tenn.), a leading Democratic moderate, who called Murtha’s whole effort “clumsy.”
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:00 pm
VP: I think in this matter Speaker Pelosi is not using sound judgement.
SP: How dare the VP undermine troop morale by impugning my patriotism.
Was she was able to arrange her facial expression to reflect the proper mix of outrage, disappointment, exasperation and motherly forbearance? I especially liked the “I’m gonna call your father. Then you’ll be sorry!” tack. My impression is that behind the scenes, Bush is playing her pretty well.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Good news.
When ‘they’ passed out brains, the left side of the aisle (and some of the right side) thought ‘they’ said trains and missed ‘theirs’.
Bad news.
‘They’ wound up in D.C.
February 23rd, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Good news.
It turns out NASA has a detailed set of written procedures for dealing with a suicidal or psychotic astronaut in space. The documents, obtained this week by The Associated Press, say the astronaut’s crewmates should bind his* wrists and ankles with duct tape, tie him* down with a bungee cord and inject him* with tranquilizers if necessary.
Bad news.
*rather sexist, isn’t it?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,254138,00.html