‘Civil War’ Is Uttered, and White House’s Iraq Strategy Is Dealt a Blow

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/washington/06memo.html?ex=1155528000&en=89929063b9313700&ei=5043&partner=EXCITE



Washington Memo
‘Civil War’ Is Uttered, and White House’s Iraq Strategy Is Dealt a Blow

By JIM RUTENBERG
Published: August 6, 2006

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 — Late last year, during a major address in Annapolis, President Bush introduced a new phrase for his Iraq policy: “Plan for Victory.” With those words emblazoned on a screen behind him, he laid out a possible exit path for American troops, who would gradually cede control to their Iraqi counterparts.

But that phrase has all but disappeared as scenes of horrific sectarian violence have streamed onto American television screens unabated. And when the United States commander for the Middle East, Gen. John P. Abizaid, addressed the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, his testimony that “Iraq could move towards civil war” if the strife would not end overshadowed any talk of victory.


Men in Najaf, Iraq, moved coffins of seven Mahdi Army members Saturday. The fighters were killed Friday returning from a pro-Hezbollah rally.


Those two words — civil war — further complicated what was already a daunting challenge for the administration: convincing battle-weary Americans that the war was winnable while acknowledging the grim reality of the bloodshed.

Bringing the public back behind the Iraq campaign has been a fundamental White House goal for at least the last year, crucial to reducing public pressure to withdraw troops before the White House believes the mission is complete. It would also bolster the Republican Party’s prospects during Congressional elections in November.

But the administration is to a point still battling early expectations — created in part by its own officials and supporters — that the fight would be relatively easy. And it must essentially make a retroactive argument that the campaign will be long and hard, with stakes that no longer address the threat of unconventional weapons that were never found, but, rather, the prospects for the fight between democracy and Islamic extremism in the Middle East.

[w4rma]

1. I don't really give a flip "what the administration 'must' do".

I want to know what Democrats "must" do to get these vampires out of power.

[Cha]

6. Zactly! The "administration" Must

be sent off to the Hague.

[Botany]

2. I remember that plan

I even read it until it started talking about coalition partners.

The Plan looked like this:

1.
a)
b)
c)

2.
a)
b)

3.
a)
b)
c)


but it was total nonsense.

[Tin Man]

7. ..it looks like it was another faith-based initiative

No logic or reason to support the plan, just the administration's faith that the plan would somehow come to fruition. W must be asking himself, why isn't it working????

[cliss]

10. GREAT point.

I love those empty items....mirroring Bush's empty head.

[Botany]

14. Might as well have been empty .... from bush's "plan for victory"

Victory in Iraq is Defined in Stages

* Short term, Iraq is making steady progress in fighting terrorists, meeting political milestones, building democratic institutions, and standing up security forces.

* Medium term, Iraq is in the lead defeating terrorists and providing its own security, with a fully constitutional government in place, and on its way to achieving its economic potential.

* Longer term, Iraq is peaceful, united, stable, and secure, well integrated into the international community, and a full partner in the global war on terrorism.

The rest goes on just like the above outline. total b.s.

[IntiRaymi]

11. To paraphrase a popular Slashdot joke:

They use this format for cracking sarcastic remarks about the harebrained business plans that the dot-coms had.

Strategy in Iraq:

1) Invade Iraq - depose Saddam, enjoy the gratitude of the good iraqi people,
2) Secure Oil production, install a 'democracy' in Iraq,
3) ???
4) Profit!!!

We are stuck at 3).

[rodeodance]

3. nyt: Baghdad’s Chaos Undercuts Tack Pursued by U.S.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/world/middleeast/06baghdad.html?ei=5094&en=bcb052da1167fab8&hp=&ex=1154923200&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print

August 6, 2006
Baghdad’s Chaos Undercuts Tack Pursued by U.S.
By DEXTER FILKINS

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 5 — Over the past year, as American commanders pushed Iraqi forces to take over responsibility for this violent capital, Baghdad became a markedly more dangerous place.

Now the Americans are being forced to call in more of their own troops to bring the city under control.

The failure of the Iraqis to halt the slide into chaos in Baghdad undercuts the central premise of the American project here: that Iraqi forces can be trained and equipped to secure their own country, allowing the Americans to go home.

A review of previously unreleased statistics on American and Iraqi patrols suggests that as Americans handed over responsibilities to the Iraqis, violence in Baghdad increased.

In mid-June 2005, Americans conducted an average of 360 patrols a day, according to statistics released by the military. By the middle of February this year, the patrols ran about 92 a day — a drop of more than 70 percent. The first Iraqi brigade took over a small piece of Baghdad early last year. Now, Iraqi soldiers or police officers take the leading role in securing more than 70 percent of the city, including its most violent neighborhoods. They control all of Baghdad’s 6,000 checkpoints.

[rodeodance]

4. “We are pulling out Coach Chiarelli’s playbook,

......American commanders say they are planning to embark on a plan to secure one neighborhood at a time. They say they are optimistic about it, in part, because it does not rely exclusively on military force. Iraqi and American leaders are preparing to spend $50 million to put Iraqis to work and restore basic services like electricity and water that are absent from much of Baghdad.

The new plan is the brainchild of Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the deputy commander of American forces in Iraq, who has long argued that the political and economic components of defeating an insurgency are as important as lethal force.

“We are pulling out Coach Chiarelli’s playbook, and we are finally going to implement it,” General Caldwell said.

The Americans and the Iraqis say they hope to see results within 90 days.

[Dervill Crow]

5. Something that makes sense. What a concept!

I can't believe the idjits in control would allow it.

[Tin Man]

9. So, in the event Iraqi security forces are incapable of "standing up"...

...does the US ever get to "stand down"? Because that's what is happening - Iraqi forces continue to be incapable of providing security - and it's only getting worse. At what point do we acknowlege that the current situation, the nacent Iraq civil war, has spiraled beyond our ability to repair it? Hell will likely freeze over before Iraqis can singlehandedly provide security for themselves...

[madrchsod]

8. always remember

it our troops that george bush has sent to die in a war that no one wanted and no one needed. only in the sick delusional world of bush`s mind does killing hundred thousand or more innocent people to further his dream of becoming better man than his dad justify such bloodshed

[oxbow]

12. Abizaid must be a DU'er

either that or he has been fooled by the liberal media. Why else would he be ignoring all the good news coming out of Vietnam, I mean Iraq?

Seriously though, I have seen Iraq's civil war discussed here just about every day for the last six months. It's nice to know that the GENERALS are finally able to see what the civilians have known for far too long.

[Tekla West]

13. Since when did reality matter to these guys?

No one who understood the history of the region, dating back to BCE at least, had even so much as a smidgen that any of that pep talk had any grounding in reality. If you go back to the start of all of this we are exactly at the place where the detractors said we would be. In this region, rolling in has been easy. Governing has been almost impossible. Even the most ardent supporters are now questioning the war. Yet, as long as they have oil, I don't see us moving out, unless its just to move over to Iran.

[McCamy Taylor]

15. Olberman called it a Civil War last December. Way ahead of the curve.

[sarcasmo]

16. Kick and Nom for Dealing a Blow to these Corporate Bastards.

[DallasNE]

17. Clear, Hold, Build

That was how that plan was summarized.

<http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/63423.htm>

After 3 1/2 years were are mired in the "clear" phase. If fact, Baghdad has never been less safe.

Since Tal Afar was cited as a shinning example of the success of the policy would it not be worthwhile to examine how Tal Afar stands today. Perhaps someone from Fox News can conduct some man on the street interviews from Tal Afar. Do I hear volunteers?