Comments on: Ricks: Thanks To Bush’s Gamble, We’re Stuck In Iraq http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/02/17/ricks-thanks-to-bushs-gamble-were-stuck-in-iraq/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:42:01 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Jordan http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/02/17/ricks-thanks-to-bushs-gamble-were-stuck-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-89473 Jordan Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:54:55 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/02/17/ricks-thanks-to-bushs-gamble-were-stuck-in-iraq/#comment-89473 Um... so the recent elections, the destruction of Al-Sadr's movement, the tapes of AQ's 2nd in command saying Iraq was hurting them, the fact that AQ no longer has a base in Iraq and that we've signed a treaty to leave in 2012 means we're just leaving Iraq fragmented? Do you guys even read recent news or do you just like to recycle news from 2006? Um… so the recent elections, the destruction of Al-Sadr’s movement, the tapes of AQ’s 2nd in command saying Iraq was hurting them, the fact that AQ no longer has a base in Iraq and that we’ve signed a treaty to leave in 2012 means we’re just leaving Iraq fragmented?

Do you guys even read recent news or do you just like to recycle news from 2006?

]]> By: jps http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/02/17/ricks-thanks-to-bushs-gamble-were-stuck-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-61693 jps Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:48:48 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/02/17/ricks-thanks-to-bushs-gamble-were-stuck-in-iraq/#comment-61693 Oh, please. They only lost three candidates in their last election. Declare victory and split. Oh, please. They only lost three candidates in their last election. Declare victory and split.

]]> By: Midland http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/02/17/ricks-thanks-to-bushs-gamble-were-stuck-in-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-61561 Midland Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:23:36 +0000 http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/02/17/ricks-thanks-to-bushs-gamble-were-stuck-in-iraq/#comment-61561 There's no doubt taht, after all the rationalizations have been decoded, that the primary purpose of the Surge was to give the administration and Republicans political cover for upcoming election cycles. It certainly failed in that regard, as the American voters (if not the Chattering Classes) saw through the Potemkin Village of calm it presented. The Surge did, however, did stave off a slow-motion collapse in our position in Iraq that would have passed relentlessly on to choppers airlifting people off the embassy roof. Petraeus, by cutting deals with the insurgents and militias and turning over big chunks of Iraq to our "enemies," got us partially disengaged and in a position to foist responsiblity for further violence off on the Iraqis. That should allow us to reduce our commitment to a token "training" force in a very short time. Not a perfect solution, but politically workable and one that saves us a lot of lives and enormous amounts of money. Now, if we could come up with something equally clever to deal with the resistance in Afghanistan and the jingos and demogogues in the congress . . . There’s no doubt taht, after all the rationalizations have been decoded, that the primary purpose of the Surge was to give the administration and Republicans political cover for upcoming election cycles. It certainly failed in that regard, as the American voters (if not the Chattering Classes) saw through the Potemkin Village of calm it presented.

The Surge did, however, did stave off a slow-motion collapse in our position in Iraq that would have passed relentlessly on to choppers airlifting people off the embassy roof. Petraeus, by cutting deals with the insurgents and militias and turning over big chunks of Iraq to our “enemies,” got us partially disengaged and in a position to foist responsiblity for further violence off on the Iraqis. That should allow us to reduce our commitment to a token “training” force in a very short time.

Not a perfect solution, but politically workable and one that saves us a lot of lives and enormous amounts of money.

Now, if we could come up with something equally clever to deal with the resistance in Afghanistan and the jingos and demogogues in the congress . . .

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