“Failure of Leadership”
Is what McCain is calling his Dem rivals’ campaign-motivated withdrawal demands. Also, “height of irresponsibility.” This is going to be a great campaign. via Herald. Meanwhile, guess which flag-pin eschewer is now wearing his AmeriKKKan flag on his sleeve. Big day ahead on the Hill for the candidates, Gen. David Petraeus, the United States military, the Iraqi people and all of us. Too bad there will be politicians involved.
On McCain’s point re Dems and withdrawal, Barack may actually believe in his ridiculous hasty-retreat positions, though thanks to his advisors, he may be becoming aware that mouthing off for adoring crowds and actually having any responsibility for lives and the future of nations are two very different things. Hillary, of course, has been nakedly engaged in irresponsible and despicable pandering from the start. It’s a Clinton hallmark. Do not expect this to change.
Anyway, with Petraeus in town to talk to Congress, the campaigns have all jetted into DC. Not only do we get to look forward to a grand day’s grandstanding, but as NYT notes, everyone is being provided with great opportunities to stick their feet in their mouths.
Washington Post: Petraeus to cite war gains, but will face a Congress that wants war to be easier. That’s how I’m reading that, anyway.
The delightfully monickered Mohammed Cohen in the Asia Times engages in an extended McCain and Bush bash, but cites Dem disconnect and ultimately gets around to what is basically the only question that matters: “How can the United States best help Iraq avoid becoming a failed state?” Another pressing question is, how have I gone all these years without knowing there’s a Mohammed Cohen in the world? It does sound a little familiar, but then I’ve known a few Mohammeds and a few Cohens …
Kagan, with another perspective: Why Iraq Matters. Losing wars is always bad.
Max Boot: Resist the urge to run screaming away …
Gateway weighs in for a key constituency. The grunts.
Malkin looks at Petraeus on the Hill and recommends another look at Ardolino’s series on Iraqi politics.
How will Petraeus fare? Just ask Don.
David Brooks makes some sense. Expecting al-Maliki and the central government to resolve anything, and threatening abandonment because they have failed to do so, ignores the potential of local and tribal power in Iraq as well as the real gains those forces have wrought. As we’ve already seen, peace in Iraq flows from the desire of ordinary people to have peace, the ability of their local leadership to recognize that, and much farther down the line, the ability of their national leadership to get on board. Conversely, however, Brooks fails to note that the Bush administration did have a lot of faith, too much faith, in the ability of a severely traumatized people to make good choices early on. Provincial elections could be an important step forward, though as we’ve seen they hold their own potential for violence.
Speaking of which, another fascinating move by al-Sadr. He’ll order his militia to lay down its arms if al-Sistani tells him to. Exquisite layering of his oft-shifting positions is hard to read at a distance, though it looks like he is once again on the ropes. Times of London suggests it’s just another last-minute survival ploy:
The sudden announcement — the first time that the rebellious cleric had offered to disband his forces — came as US and Iraqi troops were poised for a key offensive into his Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City.
Yesterday streams of refugees were pouring out of Sadr City as automatic gunfire and mortar bomb blasts ripped through the giant slum that is home to 2.5 million people. Terrified residents scuttled down side streets as tanks trundled along the main thoroughfares, shooting at guerrillas. A massive American and Iraqi security presence had ringed the area, with police and soldiers guarding every exit with many predicting a final, bloody showdown as popular support drained from al-Mahdi Army.
Ed at Hot Air notes Mookie’s called off the Million Mahdist March.
Austin Bay: No, Sadr did not win.
Roggio, Long War Journal, al-Maliki moves to sideline Sadr.
If there is going to be a truce, I’d suggest it be an ugly one. Doors kicked in; Mahdi Army members hauled away in their multitudes for a lengthy cool-down and questioning; Iranians, overly Iranicized Iraqis, leaders in their midst separated and charged with insurrection and other appropriate crimes; weapons collected and destroyed. Leaving the Mahdi Army intact to fight another day is ridiculous.
All that said, it’s great that al-Sadr is capitulating in the face of U.S. and Iraqi force just in time for Petraeus’ frontup to Congress. Meanwhile, Lowry at The Corner notes al-Sadr’s new role as a uniter, not a divider.
I can understand that some people will welcome any bump up in death and violence, but the developments do make me wonder why some people are calling it “turmoil in Iraq.”
OK, looking ahead, The Guardian reports a secret draft agreement that would allow an open-ended, no strings U.S. troop presence in Iraq. God, I hope so. Hard to argue with the logic that it is “in the mutual interest of the United States and Iraq that Iraq maintain its sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence and that external threats to Iraq be deterred. Accordingly, the US and Iraq are to consult immediately whenever the territorial integrity or political independence of Iraq is threatened.”
Many nations have made the mistake of fighting the last war. Ace notes the big lib goal is to lose this one, so they can win a five-year-old political argument.
Apropos of not much, I’ve now been alive five years longer than I expected to be. I don’t think I’m the only one. It’s been a long time and a lot of the intensity has faded, though I doubt that’s the case for those whose loved ones didn’t survive those days, and all that followed.
Everyone thinks April 9 is the big anniversary, but April 7 was the day some friends of mine took Baghdad. April 8, 2003 was a big day, too. On April 9, when the Marines pulled down the statue in Firdas Square, we were two miles north of there, where my GI pals were address some jihadi holdouts in a mosque who were rudely firing RPGs and machine guns up the street. Then, there was the sniper fire. It wasn’t real sniper fire, not like Hillary endured in Tuzla. It was just some idiot with a pistol.
UPDATES: Left goes wild* as the old geezer flubs! Left strangely misses Ted K lacking a clue.
Fox with a quick story and testimony pdfs: Petraeus calls for a 45-day moratorium on drawdowns after July, sites AQ and Iran. Sounds … conservative.
CBS: McCain and Hill steal the show. Not for lack of trying by Code Pink, looking sharp in those burkhas and death paintjobs.
Carpenter at Townhall with more detail: John, Hill and the General.
And the Guardian, much impressed by The Power of a Clinton’s Stare.
* If I blogged at Think Progress, I’d think twice before crowing about flubs.
BIG MAHDI UPDATE: Sadrist claims the Shiite bigs told him not to disband the Mahdi Army. I guess that means forcible disbandment operations proceed.
With thanks to Memeorandum and Real Clear Politics on several of the above links.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 7:29 am Comments (9) on Tuesday, April 8, 2008
9 Responses to ““Failure of Leadership””
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April 8th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Jules, you missed this prize in re Muhammad Cohen. He “is author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set during the 1997 handover about television news, love, betrayal, high finance and cheap lingerie.” His novel goes from the ridiculous to the ridiculous with a brief sojourn into the sublime.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Flag, in fact, is a symbol of Bush lied people died.
I thought it was very ironic that Barry (aka “the flag pin eschewer”) stood in front of a Giant bank of American flags to deliver his lengthy “how I relate to Jeremiah Wright” speech March 18.
April 8th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I wonder, has anybody bothered to ask Hillary or Obama what they will do as President if the Iraqis ask us to stay? (And I don’t mean in some fantasy Team America like strike force capacity.)
Good to see McCain not relaxing now that he has the nomination.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Web Reconnaissance for 04/08/2008
A short recon of whats out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
The Sistani gambit is to try and avoid having the humiliation of surrendering on his own.
I do not think Sistani will give the word.
Let the humiliation commence.
April 8th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
[...] Jules Crittenden » “Failure of Leadership” Is what McCain is calling his Dem rivals’ campaign-motivated withdrawal demands. Also, “height of irresponsibility.” This is going to be a great campaign. via Herald. Meanwhile, guess which flag-pin eschewer is now wearing his AmeriKKKan flag on his sleeve. Big day ahead on the Hill for the candidates, Gen. David Petraeus, the United States military, the Iraqi people and all of us. Too bad there will be politicians involved. [...]
April 8th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
[...] Jules Crittendon and Don Surber are both writing about the politics of the current situation, and Max Boot is explaining once again why we have victory within our grasp, if we’ll only be a little more patient. [...]
April 8th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I would think that flag pin would sit on Barry Oh! like holy water on a vampire, what with the lifetime of oppression we have put him through here, Ivy League law schooler and millionaire and all.
I’m also glad the GOP did not react to the myriad Democrat wars like the libs have to this one. That would be embarrassing.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Jules,
You’ve covered politics to know that the last thing the Democrats want to happen now is..
GWB announcing a substantial drawdown.
The Economy to magically bloom to its most prosperous ever.
That would raise the bar for the next president..
Nope…for all their whining..they need troops levels in Iraq to stay the same until after the election…and they need millions of people to at least fear losing their jobs until after the next election.
The last thing Obamasiah wants to inherit troops levels that have already been cut to ‘end state’…makes it impossible for him to demonstrate his ‘foreign policy genious’.
Lots of arm waving and whining…no action…until after November…
Patton got it right….Americans Love a Winner…as long as the Iraq war isn’t won on Bushes watch…the Democrats will be more than happy.