Former NYC mayor Ed Koch, a staunch 9/11 Democrat, announces in a column today that he has abandoned support for the Iraq War. Without the time to dissect his arguments, I can say his disillusionment is understandable to some extent. However, his conclusion have left out some important pieces of the puzzle. For example, Koch omits mention of al-Qaeda. Yet ironically, we learn today through PajamasMedia: The U.S. command said Wednesday the highest-ranking Iraqi in the leadership of al-Qaida in Iraq has been arrested, adding that information from him indicates the group’s foreign-based leadership wields considerable influence over the Iraqi chapter. Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also known as Abu Shahid, was … [Read more...]

I share the heaviness of Jim's heart and El Presidente's disgust at Colorado's band of Surrendercrats. Short-sighted political pandering from both parties - but most especially the Democratic leadership in Congress - ignores the military realities of Iraq, and the promising success of Gen. Petraeus' "surge" strategy, which has been in full effect for scarcely a month. We need to move past our feelings about the current administration (mine aren't too positive) and recriminations about the earlier halfhearted war policy and the mismanagement that put us at a disadvantage. Stop the blame game, and let's get to victory first. And whatever we do as a nation, it's infuriating to see some of our leaders try to pull out the rug just as we're … [Read more...]

While I work on investigating more carefully a couple of issues in the world of Colorado politics, I decided to take the easy road this morning and link to an article that will challenge the defeatists in this country to keep an open mind about events in Iraq. To add a little dose of perspective to your mainstream news intake, I recommend you read Notes from Baghdad, from yesterday's Opinion Journal. (HT: Conservative Grapevine) Now is not the time to pull the rug out from under our military operations - a la the Democrat leadership in Congress. Let's not be afraid to give success a chance. … [Read more...]

Over at Thinking Right, Jim had the privilege of interviewing an American military man on duty in Iraq. Even though the situation over there is tense and difficult right now, we can't take our eyes off the big picture. We need to encourage our leaders to follow the path to victory, and we need to encourage our troops. Besides the ideas shared in the interview, you should also make your voice heard at Let's Say Thanks (H/T Jared). … [Read more...]

I usually leave the details of the bigger issues of the GWOT in the hands of experts more capable than I. If you want to pick a fight on this issue, take it up with one of them. Let me start by answering a few common questions about Iraq that get tossed about. 1. Have we made mistakes in prosecuting the war in Iraq? Yes (but isn't that every war?) 2. Is the violence in Iraq between Shi'ites and Sunnis troubling? Yes (but civil war can still be averted) 3. Are American forces viewed as friendly liberators by most of the Iraqi population? No (but many more are eager to make the democratic experiment work on a permanent basis) 4. Therefore, it was a mistake to go to war in Iraq, right? Wrong! 5. Were there other justifications for going … [Read more...]