Richard WarnickThe ‘Strategic Success’ of the ‘Surge’
From Think Progress:
This morning, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) held a press conference to express their “pleasure” about President Bush’s statement this morning regarding what he described as “encouraging news from Iraq” and “the success of the surge.”
Warning! - malarkey levels unsafe for logical comprehension:
LIEBERMAN: That’s why Senator Graham and I are introducing a resolution recognizing the strategic success that the surge has achieved in a central front — the central front of the war on terror against the enemies who attacked America on 9/11/01, and expressing our thanks to our troops who’ve made that success possible.
…And we double-dare the Democrats to vote against thanking the troops! Hah! Bush rules! (I made that last part up).
What the so-called “surge” accomplished:
- Bush didn’t have to listen to the majority of Americans who voted for Iraq withdrawal in 2006- another victory for the democratic process
- Bush didn’t have to admit the invasion of Iraq was a mistake and the occupation was a failure– now he can blame his successor
- Bush and his allies could pretend (temporarily) that Iraq is “the central front in the war on terror”
Downsides of the so-called “surge”:
- It was an impossible mission that tied up five combat brigades (in addition to 15 already there), more than we could afford to send and not enough to even fully occupy greater Baghdad, much less all of Iraq
- Generals who tried to stop it got replaced with politically-pliable commanders, causing a chilling effect on the entire officer corps
- It made 2007 the bloodiest year of the entire Iraq occupation
- It cost hundreds of billions of dollars (on the Chinese credit card, to be paid later)
- Desperately needed ground forces were diverted from Afghanistan, leading to disaster on the real central front for counterterrorism (only two brigades were in Afghanistan)
- Military readiness suffered extensively, and will take a decade or more to recover
- Very few of the stated “surge” objectives were ever met, and Iraqi political reconciliation is as elusive as ever
Oh, and could somebody please tell Joe Lieberman that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11?
“This is the real world, muchachos, and we are all in it.” - B. Traven.
Previous One Utah posts:
Shocker: Iraq ‘Surge’ Not Really Working (February 1, 2008)
Juan Cole’s Top Ten Iraq Myths (December 27, 2007)
