Maybe this "Surge" thing is working...

[Rico]

Well George was just saying how many "positive developments" there have been in Iraq that show the "War on Terror-Against Weapons of Mass Destruction-Possible Iranian Mushroom Clouds" is on track. The "key" to this being, of course, the Iraqi people and Government taking the initiative and "taking the lead"....

Well, there is a sign, there may be an inkling of "Truth" to all of this...




8/30/2007  5:31 PM
Last Modified: 8/30/2007  6:06 PM

WASHINGTON -- A plane carrying U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe was fired upon Thursday as it left Bahgdad airport, according to an aide to the Oklahoma Republican.

Elizabeth French said several shots, including rocket-propelled grenade rounds, were fired at the plane, which also had U.S. Sens. Mel Martinez and Richard Shelby of Ala. and U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer of Alabama on board.

French said the plane was not hit.

She said the plane's crew has been credited for taking a number of measures to avoid being hit, including discharging protective flares.

A veteran member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Inhofe is visiting the war zone as part of a congressional delegation.

[YoungTulsan]

Hey, those guys shot at us.  We better pack up and leave!

[Conan71]

Geez.  Flying with Inhofe is just not a good idea- even when he's not the pilot.  You'd think he'd get the hint by now and buy a Prevost.

[RecycleMichael]

I got an alibi. I was nowhere near Bahgdad that day.

I was...uh...at the movies. Yeah, I remember now.

[cannon_fodder]

I thought this was going to be the recent news that Petreaus recently told the Austrlian that the surge was wroking...

quote:General Petraeus told The Australian during a face-to-face interview at his Baghdad headquarters there had been a 75 per cent reduction in religious and ethnic killings since last year, a doubling in the seizure of insurgents' weapons caches between January and August, a rise in the number of al-Qa'ida "kills and captures" and a fall in the number of coalition deaths from roadside bombings.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22337285-31477,00.html

Clearly its not a bed of roses.  But the complete lack of good news seems to be unfounded, at least I hope so.

[iplaw]

Don't worry CF.  Rico doesn't care if the surge ever works.  In fact, from what I gather from his posts, he's praying it won't.  As for this story, it's just a wet dream of Rico's to see Inhoffe die.

[Breadburner]

I think we should try and negotitate with them.....

[Chicken Little]

Why would anybody be surprised to hear the surge is yielding results?  It's simple math, more troops, more results.  But, is it enough?  They may be disrupting some things, but the country is still in chaos.  To get it under control would require even more time and more troops.

Whatever time they did buy for the Iraqi government has been wasted (month long vacation, only 3 of 18 benchmarks met).  How can anyone claim they are "stepping up"?  

The Iraqis are in a civil war that is closer to the beginning than the end.  We can't increase our troop levels to stop it...we can't even sustain the numbers we have there now for much longer.  To say that the surge is "working", or that there is enough "good news" to keep it up, is really, really, stretching the bounds of reason.

As for Inhofe, I'm glad he and the rest of the crew are okay.  But I wonder how he's so sure that it was Al Qaeda that fired on him?

[rwarn17588]

I'd like to know where Petraeus got his numbers on the sectarian killings after the surge. A 75 percent drop doesn't match *any* data I've seen anywhere.

And wasn't the whole purpose of the surge was to prop up the Iraq government so it could stand on its feet? The Iraqi government hasn't done squat.

So we're wasting money and lives, yet again.

[cannon_fodder]

You probably have better sources of information than the man who lives and works in Iraq, has daily contact with the government of Iraq, free access to all of Iraq, and commands the armies in Iraq.  Or maybe not.

And yes, the surge is meant to buy time and quell threats to the government.  And no, they have not done a good job.  And yes, we are wasting money and men...

but your first statement pretty well sucked all your credibility out of your post.  Why lead in with hyperbole then try to make a point?

[iplaw]

To all who say this is "hopeless" or things aren't improving, how do you explain this?

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, also a Shi'ite, traveled to Karbala and vowed to restore order.  And, Moqtada al Sadr later announced his militia would halt its activities for up to six months.

Al-Sadr call for cease-fire

Al-Sadr isn't doing this because he cares for the US, in fact we have squads patroling city streets looking to kill the guy as we speak.  Pressure is being exerted on him somehow and it's making a difference.  Personally I don't care who is making things better, but this is a great sign.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by Rico


She said the plane's crew has been credited for taking a number of measures to avoid being hit, including discharging protective flares.

Yeah, I'm sure the unguided ordinance would've killed them if not for the flares...

[iplaw]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:Originally posted by Rico


She said the plane's crew has been credited for taking a number of measures to avoid being hit, including discharging protective flares.

Yeah, I'm sure the unguided ordinance would've killed them if not for the flares...

I think by "flares" they meant to say precision guided, arab seeking missiles...

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

I think by "flares" they meant to say precision guided, arab seeking missiles...

But how many pieces of flare did they use?

[iplaw]

I can guaran-damn-tee ya it wasn't the "minimum."