I Link
I haven't linked to Andew Sullivan in ages. Since after he lost his cahones about the War in Iraq. Well I'm linking today. And to what? This article on the changed situation in Iraq, suggested by Jennifer Rubin of Commentary. Via Instapundit. I'm sure this is white hot because in some respects it represents Andrew's return to sanity. We will see if I can shed some light on it from a different angle. Or from the same angle. Depending.
Here is what Andrew Said that got him a link:
Petraeus deserves the lion's share of the credit; luck and time and the self-defeating nihilism of the Jihadists have helped. But Bush and McCain equally merit points for pursuing the surge, even though the metrics pointed to failure. Obama needs to capitalize on these gains, not dismiss them.Props where they are due. That is an astounding turn around for Andrew. He finally gets it. Even if the War was a mistake a self governing, independent, prosperous Iraq is a good thing.
Now what about Obama? Boy, is the Good Judgement Man™ ever in trouble. He has been talking defeat in Iraq since forever. Whoops. McCain on the other hand has the distinction that, despite the unpopularity of his position, he was right. I predict a pivot - "I never knew how really vile those jihadis were. And I repudiate them for their obvious misjudgment. I have always been in favor of good relations with the Government of Iraq and no Republican is going to stand in the way of my achieving that goal. There are a number of companies in Chicago that would be excellent help in the effort to rebuild Iraq and they will have all my support." Aside to staff: " &#(*^@!~& Axelrod, where are my G-d Damn Tickets to Iraq? "
You know, I don't think Barry is going to have a cake walk.
Cross Posted at Classical Values
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2 comments:
I think that your assessment about Obama's reversal will only occur if the media resumes reporting about Iraq. It's kind of a catch-22. If things go poorly, the media will report it and Obama will seize upon news of dead Soldiers to bolster his campaign. If things continue going well - like they have been for months now - then the media will continue its silence and Obama will continue his current platform of BS.
ISF has wrested control of Basra from Sadr's militia and is now conducting operations along the Iranian border to dismantle Ramazan Corp EFP smuggling networks. Sadr continues hiding in Iran under the guise of getting religious education so that he can shed his title of Mullah Atari for the title of a more respectable cleric. Sadr's militia got slapped down in Kut, Najaf, Karbala, and now ISF controls most of Sadr City. Violence is way down, in terms of casualties for civilians, coalition forces, and ISF. And Special Groups operatives are being rounded up everyday. And AQI is almost completely wiped out, now hiding out in its last refuge in alleyways of Mosul and remote desert areas of Ninewa. And foreign fighter flow into the country is almost completely choked off.
Clearly there is no news to report from Iraq!
I have to disagree with your take on Sullivan. What he evinces is hardly a return to sanity. It is nothing more than a tactical recoginition of reality. Sullivan can still not get beyond the paradigm that the war in Iraq was wrong and must be treated as such. Indeed, in the remainder of the post you link, he argues for expeditious withdraw, presumably using the success of the surge as cover to get out while it can be said that Iraq is relatively peacefull and at least superficially stable. The emphasis is on "superficial" - because of Iran.
If Sullivan had returned to sanity, he would consider the ramifications of an "expeditious withdraw" in terms of the dynamic between Iran and Iraq, the larger strategic questions in the Middle East, etc. If Sullivan was sane, he would take stock of the surge within the world as it exists in 2008, not within the context of decisions made in 2003.
For what its worth, I wrote a post not long ago (its a bit over the top as I wrote it for the Carnival of the Insanities) that has several links to great posts at the Atlantic and from an Col. McMaster speech that discuss the current situation in Iraq and the Iranian involvement. http://wolfhowling.blogspot.com/2008/05/pelosi-crosses-line.html
Under those circumstances, if Sullivan is calling for expeditious withdraw because the war was wrong at inception, you are, I submit, mistaking sanity mere ideologically driven tactics.
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