Be Not Afraid
As U.S. forces engage in Diyala, Michael Yon weighs in with the reverence of someone headed into major combat, and with stark clarity and deep personal knowledge on the war in Iraq and the debate among knowledgeable parties on its future. Yon respectfully disagrees with our mutual friend, veteran war correspondent Joe Galloway, on the way forward in Iraq. He pins all hope on Petraeus as savior general, whom I’d suggest has brought the aggression and insight essential to a successful outcome in Iraq, but is not the only key player. There’s a fight over here, too, and we could use a Petraeus to sort that one out.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 10:10 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2007
9 Responses to “Be Not Afraid”
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June 19th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
I think that as the Iraq Study Group recommended, we have to be focusing on training the Iraqi military and police forces. Why are we not making better progress there? Another critical component is the failure to get political agreement between Shi’ites and Sunni’s. When are these guys going to get together and agree on something and then stamp out the insurgents? The Shi’ite have to get the Sunni onboard somehow.
June 19th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Whenever I read “the Iraq Study Group recommended,” I have to ask myself: Who the hell are the members of the Iraq Study Group”.
I don’t see how a group of washed up political hacks and a hugely discredited former SoD can be viewed credibly at this hour of need.
Study groups et al rely on consensus, crossing the political divide amongst them. But each participant brings his/her own chestnuts, bias, and perspective, hoping to sell the others. I’ll take the contemporary perspective of Petraeus anyday.
June 19th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I have great respect for Yon’s take on the war in Iraq, and I think his assessment of how we’ve gotten into such a state in that war is correct. But I think he leaves out the very important parallel war that is taking place in this country. The rancid rhetoric that poses for real debate, and that allows the propaganda of the enemy to determine the content, has given the enemy hope of a victory they could never accomplish on the battlefield. Until we do something about that, unless we find serious adults to steer this country in a sure direction, we will continue to flail around, and all the valiant efforts of the best generals and our men on the ground will amount to nothing but a sacrifice on the altar of the preening vanity of myopic political power-mongers.
If General Petraeus can manage a victory in the midst of this war among the multitude that have become his civilian bosses, he is indeed a supreme commander. I wish him all good.
June 19th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Iraq Embeds:Risking Life and Limb to Bring Us Trut
We are a nation at war…. perhaps it is time to declare to the world as one, that we will not surrender and we did not start this war, but we sure as hell intend to win it. That is a message I have not heard from one Democratic politician, even thos…
June 19th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Petraeus blew it from the start by attacking al-Sadr’s people.
Could we please back some winners for a change?
June 19th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
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June 19th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Galloway has tainted an otherwise notable career by becoming an absolute crank on the Iraq thing.
June 19th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Well said Salt. It’s Pogo all over again, though Kelly would not recognize it as so.
June 19th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
2007.06.19 Iraq/Iran Roundup
10,000 US Troops Launch Iraq Offensive BAGHDAD (AP) - About 10,000 U.S. soldiers launched an offensive against al-Qaida in Iraq northeast of Baghdad early Tuesday, killing at least 22 insurgents, the U.S. military said. The raids, dubbed Operation Arro…