Bringing It On

From the WaPo:

U.S. Cites Big Gains Against Al-Qaeda
Group Is Facing Setbacks Globally, CIA Chief Says

Comments

[kim]

The Anbar Awakening resonated throughout moderate Islam. This religion, a comfort for much misery, is not irrational. For years I've said the Mullahs in Iran are not crazy, but Ahmadi-Nejad is; now it appears they are raising a rival to him.

In Sistani We Trust.
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[Danube of Thought]

Remember, Obama introduced legislation which, had it passed, would have begun an immediate US withdrawal over a year ago, and would have had all US troops out by March of this year. And he voted against funding the surge.

On the brink of this victory, he cast his vote for surrender.

[Pofarmer]

Endless war?

[Jim]

Lots of al Qaeda went into Iraq and stopped breathing, with only defeat to show for it now. I think it had a debilitating effect on the organization. It's almost as if the Worst President in History went and had a war and almost as if he's winning it. 50 years from now the only thing school kids need remember about 43 is "decent first CIC in WoT." Only history buffs will know more, like the part about his getting pilloried for it.

God bless all troops involved. I hope my boys grow up to be like you.

[kim]

Obama will think this is 'Endless Summer' if the big waves keep swamping him.
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[Cecil Turner]

"Despite this 'cause célebrè' phenomenon, fundamentally no one really liked al-Qaeda's vision of the future," Hayden said. As a result, the insurgency is viewed locally as "more and more a war of al-Qaeda against Iraqis," he said. Hayden specifically cited the recent writings of prominent Sunni clerics -- including some who used to support al-Qaeda -- criticizing the group for its indiscriminant killing of Muslim civilians. [emphasis added]

That's the bottom line, and it's always been the bottom line. Any attack against Al Qaeda (hiding amongst the civilian populace) will necessarily kill the occasional bystander, and the attackers will suffer in PR. Hence the very real worry whether we're killing them faster than they're being recruited.

Conversely, all AQ has is attacks against civilians/infrastructure. If they're conducting them in the West, the radicals cheer the death of assorted infidels (and moral lepers like Ward Churchill can characterize them as blameworthy for working in US industry) . . . but when operations are conducted amongst believers--where they're exclusively killing fellow Muslims--it's lose-lose for the radicals. In short: fight 'em there, and we win.

That's the nut of the "flypaper strategy" or "Bring[ing] it On"; and it's working. Or we can run away and establish a "strike force" somewhere near Guam. Tough choice.

[MikeS]

On the brink of this victory, he cast his vote for surrender.
Obama's answer for war is surrender. His answer to the energy crisis is to lower our standard of living.

If he was President, we would have already pulled out of Iraq and chased al Qaeda in Pakistan into the vacuum he created in Iraq.

Someday soon Pelosi will be explaining that Iran defeated al Qaeda.

[Neo]

My eyes kept reading the title as ..

U.S. Cities Big Gains, Thanks Al-Qaeda

[Barney Frank]

This religion, a comfort for much misery, is not irrational.

Well, actually it is rather irrational and contradictory and is founded on a set of documents of which there are quite a number of remarkably differing variations; a relatively obscure point that Moslems are loathe to acknowledge.
When its warts and incoherance are tempered with the good will of rational Moslems who just want to get on with their lives peacefully it becomes much more rational and much less of a threat to its neighbors, perhaps even a comfort to some.

[Neo]

Obama's answer for war is surrender. His answer to the energy crisis is to lower our standard of living.

Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed.

Now I understand that statement.

[ain]

Obama never recovered from his cults and would put you in one. The cult demands a commune type of picture and participation; Dems seem to be like this. Notice some problems with dems and lucifer?

[MarkO]

Reading along this morning I was struck by a pattern many of you probably have already discussed on another thread, but here goes for the slow.

Could it be that the Young Prince is really the “do nothing” candidate. No military intervention (bring everyone home), no economic advances (learn to live at a lower standard of living), no advancements in science or in mineral production (take the profits from the drug companies and the oil companies), no advancement of American interests (multinational agreement on everything). There is likely more. But, it does help me understand why he thinks he is qualified for the job. Almost anyone would be for the description he gives it.

[Neo]

Today's Arabic word .. Aydee Fic

AFTER racing to a debut win at Toowoomba last Saturday, two-year-old thoroughbred Aydee Fic galloped into a storm of controversy because of his risque name.

Although he won only a lowly maiden race at the Queensland country track, Aydee Fic's win has left racing officials red-faced.

There is no delicate way to explain it, but the loose translation of the Arabic phrase Aydee Fic means "f . . . you".

[kim]

MarkO, you make me realize Obama is as fit for rule as Prince Charles.
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[Cecil Turner]

Just in case folks missed it, John Hinderaker lays it out again:

* Al Qaeda's designation of Iraq as the central front in its war against the West may have distracted terrorists from attacks on the United States.

* The gathering of al Qaeda loyalists in Iraq, where they've been decimated by US and Iraqi troops, may have crippled their ability to launch attacks elsewhere.

The "war has made us less safe" meme has exactly zero evidence to support it, whilst data accumulates for the contrary position.

[Pofarmer]

Just heard Michael Bloomberg talking about the crane accident today in NY.

He said "I think what has happened is unacceptable and intolerable,".

Why use that kind of verbage?

[kim]

Ah, Barney, your theology surpasses mine. I guess the origin of my characterization of 'rational' is that belief in a supernatural afterworld is a rational response to the absurdity of the natural world.
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