Impressive!! The BRILLIANT Patraeus Expected a "Mini-Tet" in Iraq!

[leftchick]

I am so fucking impressed by this learned student of war and insurgencies! He was not caught off guard ONE BIT today by the mass killing in ONE Shiite market in Iraq that Killed over 100 people today! ONE HUNDRED! He EXPECTED IT!!! All hail our brilliant commander in Iraq! He has an answer for all of the death and destruction brought on by the US, oops I mean "al-qaida".

:puke:



Gen. David Petraeus, left, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, meets his field commanders in Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, Saturday, July 7, 2007. Sunni extremists are likely to try a series of high-profile attacks to grab the headlines ahead of a watershed report to Congress in September on political and military progress in Iraq, the top U.S. commander said Saturday. (AP Photo/Robert H. Reid)



http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-07-07-suicide-100_N.htm


<snip>

TUZ KHORMATO, Iraq (AP) — A suicide truck bomber blasted a Shiite town north of Baghdad on Saturday, killing more than 100 people, police said, in a sign Sunni insurgents are pulling away from a U.S. offensive around the capital to attack where security is thinner.

The marketplace devastation underlined a hard reality in Iraq: There are not enough forces to protect everywhere. U.S. troops, already increased by 28,000 this year, are focused on bringing calm to Baghdad, while the Iraqi military and police remain overstretched and undertrained.

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, told The Associated Press he expected Sunni extremists to try to "pull off a variety of sensational attacks and grab the headlines to create a 'mini-Tet."'

He was referring to the 1968 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Tet offensive that undermined public support for the Vietnam War in the United States.

The U.S. military on Saturday also reported that eight American service members were killed in fighting in Baghdad and western Anbar province over two days, reflecting the increased U.S. casualties that have come with the new offensives. A British soldier was killed in fighting with Shiite militias overnight in the southern city of Basra.

[C_U_L8R]

1. David H. Patraeus... GENIUS

watch out for falling anvils General.

[leftchick]

2. and flying shrapnel

he may find himself in the middle of his "mini-tet".

[sallyseven]

3. If Petraeus is such a genius how come

he is the last of the generals to be put in place. Where has he been for the last 4 years? Someone that smart should have been running this war from the start! Could it be he is the only one that is as crazy as bush?

[leftchick]

4. "Top commander expects big Iraq strikes"

Brilliant! Genius!!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070707/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_big_strikes_2

BAQOUBA, Iraq - Sunni extremists may try a series of high-profile attacks ahead of a September report to Congress on progress in Iraq, the top U.S. commander said Saturday, recalling the Tet offensive that torpedoed support for the Vietnam War.

"We expect they will try this — pull off a variety of sensational attacks and grab the headlines to create a `mini-Tet,'" Gen. David Petraeus told The Associated Press.

[Jed Dilligan]

5. He looks so boyish.

I would never want to follow a guy with that goofy smile to war.

He looks like he's trying to impress the rankers that he's "one of the guys."

Not a soldier at all but a typical corporate prick boss.

[Solly Mack]

6. That man is ALL about re-fighting Vietnam

and he isn't the only one

To him - and others - a "win" in Iraq would prove Vietnam could have been won if America had just "stayed the course"

[Disturbed]

7. If the Oil Deal becomes Iraqi Law the Draw Down will

commence. Rethugs and Dems are in accord with this plan.

[Solly Mack]

8. and they'll spin that as a win

Petraeus wrote a paper a few years back on how Vietnam could have been won if America had just stayed the course - he co-wrote the FM manuel on counter-insurgency - off his paper and his belief that had America just stayed the course and given Abrams more time, Vietnam was turning around and a victory was coming...

Petraeus reads a fellow named Lewis Sorley who wrote a book saying pretty much the same thing - blaming Vietnam on the people losing their will, the "politicians" pulling funding and backing from the President and the war effort - and failure to "stay the course"



Petreaus is so much a fan of Abrams(Vietnam / Abrams)- he even uses Abram's strategy from Vietnam ( Abrams' clear and hold strategy is now called clear, hold and build by Petraeus)

Iraq isn't a simple black and white/ cut and dry "why" - there were many plays in action - not the least of which is Bush's cultural war - his words....not mine. Bush thinks America lost its way in the 60's - you know..hippies, anti-war protesters, summer of love and all that. The nightmare of many conservatives who long for days that never existed - the father knows best days of TV.

Petraeus - and not just him - play into that ideal of America...

Petraeus because he does believe Vietnam could have been won ...and if it could have been won...then everyone else was wrong...so in proving that point in Iraq, they hope to erase or at least mitigate - Vietnam

Petraeus has an hypothesis he wants to prove...and so does Bush.

[leftchick]

9. so how long does his little game play out?

it is pretty damn obvious to all but the true believer that the US has LOST in Iraq. When do he and bush get the clue? In 2009?

:(

[Solly Mack]

15. In my book? It was lost from the word go

In their book? They'll lie as they always do regardless of the facts. I've said before that America will get out of Iraq the same way they got in - with lies. It looks as if many in government are opting to spin a win as only a politician can - the re-defining of the word "victory" - recall how Bush said "victory" won't look like it did in the past ...so they'll declare a victory more or less on some premise...and claim a compromise of some sort...with all contracts intact or still in favorable play, of course.

Not the victory expected but still a victory kind of thing...
We accomplished some major goals and the smaller ones just require a few soldiers in a few bases..etc, etc... for an indefinite period of time...

I don't know exactly how they'll spin it...I just know they will.

[spanone]

10. the 'generals' have been compromised. there is no one to believe in Iraq any longer.

all week the 'generals' have been all over the MSM saying that the surge is working and pulling out would be a disaster and blah blah blah.

bu$h* fired all the generals that spoke thier minds

this entire 'surge' episode is bullshit. delaying tactics. DEFUND THE FUCKING WAR.

[Canuckistanian]

11. Mini-Tet???? More like micro-Tet

The Tet Offensive involved more than 100 cities and towns for over 4 months back in 1968.

The residual effects lasted well into 1969.

The Tet Offensive was MASSIVE. And also TOTALLY UNEXPECTED.

For Petraeus to compare this with NV's attack is ludicrous, both in terms of the Iraqi war and Vietnamese history.

[calteacherguy]

12. Patraeus IS a good and brilliant man, but he's been given an impossible task. nt

[leftchick]

13. he is a disastrous Military leader

leading his troops into an endless quagmire. He is living in a fucking time warp and any competent CIC would fire him. But then he is doing the bidding of the incompetent CIC we currently have.

[calteacherguy]

14. No he's not. He's been given an impossible task.

His efforts are not being supported by stong diplomacy from the administration. The military cannot solve the problem alone. The failure in Iraq is a failure of the administratiion's poicy, not Patraeus.

G.W. Bush is the disaster, not Patraeus. Patraeus is doing the best he can with what he has been given.

[leftchick]

16. lol!

Defending the indefensible. The man would have to be a moron to not understand YOU CAN NOT DEFEAT AN INSURGENCY! He has drunk the koolaide of the imperial colonialists before him. His ideology is killing thousands of people every month. If he wasn't a true believer he would have said "uh, no, it ain't gonna work" to his CIC. Yes, the blood is on his hands as much as the rest of the true believer neocons.



'jim jones' patraeus says enjoy your kool-aide!

[calteacherguy]

17. What Patraeus is doing has a certain degree of nobility to it.

He has said the situation in Iraq cannot be solved militarily...said that himself.

But as long as the administration keeps troops in Iraq, SOMEONE has to be their commander, and Patraeus is a good one.

No, the blame for failure in Iraq will never lie at the feet of the soldiers and the generals on the ground...the failure lies with the policies of this administration. This administration supports neither the troops, nor the generals, nor the American people.

[leftchick]

19. again, you are misinformed

of brainwashed?

BEtraeus BULLSHIT from 2004.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1269702&mesg_id=1271073

In recent months, I have observed thousands of Iraqis in training and then watched as they have conducted numerous operations. Although there have been reverses -- not to mention horrific terrorist attacks -- there has been progress in the effort to enable Iraqis to shoulder more of the load for their own security, something they are keen to do. The future undoubtedly will be full of difficulties, especially in places such as Fallujah. We must expect setbacks and recognize that not every soldier or policeman we help train will be equal to the challenges ahead.

Nonetheless, there are reasons for optimism. Today approximately 164,000 Iraqi police and soldiers (of which about 100,000 are trained and equipped) and an additional 74,000 facility protection forces are performing a wide variety of security missions. Equipment is being delivered. Training is on track and increasing in capacity. Infrastructure is being repaired. Command and control structures and institutions are being reestablished.

<snip>

I meet with Iraqi security force leaders every day. Though some have given in to acts of intimidation, many are displaying courage and resilience in the face of repeated threats and attacks on them, their families and their comrades. I have seen their determination and their desire to assume the full burden of security tasks for Iraq.

There will be more tough times, frustration and disappointment along the way. It is likely that insurgent attacks will escalate as Iraq's elections approach. Iraq's security forces are, however, developing steadily and they are in the fight. Momentum has gathered in recent months. With strong Iraqi leaders out front and with continued coalition -- and now NATO -- support, this trend will continue. It will not be easy, but few worthwhile things are.

[calteacherguy]

22. What part of that statement made in 2004 do you disagree with?

It seems to me to be a reasonable and sober analysis of a very difficult situation at that point in time. Of course, it is now 2007, and the situation continues to evolve...or devolve, as the case may be.

Here's what Patraeus said before the escalation (keep in mind he escalation WAS NOT Patraeus decision, nor the decsion made by the administration to focus on the troop levels, not the overall strategy):

“Hopefully, we can create a window for opportunity for the Iraqi leaders so that they can bridge some of the differences achieve true national reconciliation. And if they can’t, then we gotta look each other in the eye and say it's not gonna happen and say we need a Plan B.”

http://op-for.com/2007/04/a_chat_with_general_david_petr.html

Alan Colmes: What do you think of Petraeus?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I like him. I think he's great. Look, think of it this way with Petraeus. You're... you're a football player; and you're on the bench and you played well on the junior varsity but now you're ready... you'd like to be the quarterback but no one's put you in. And suddenly the coach comes over, there's 10 minutes left in the game, you're behind by 20 points, it's pouring down rain, the other side are like monsters, your offensive line is crumbling, the fans are leaving and the coach says to you, "kid, I want you to go in there and win this game" he says, "and don't worry about how bad you run up the score, beat them 50 to nothing." What are you going to say? "Coach, let's do it.' You're going to go in, but you're not going to say "uh, coach... I, uh... it's hard to throw passes in this kind of weather and uh, you know, we really need some more emotional lift from the fans and, uh, I'm not sure we had the practice for me being quarterback this week and so I'm gonna do my best but I'll be the first one to tell ya when it can't be done.' I mean, you don't do that.

Alan Colmes: Uh huh. Yeah, yeah.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Petraeus's mission is to succeed. And... <crosstalk>

Alan Colmes: They haven't defined what "succeed' is. They haven't told us what success really is, we don't understand... at least I don't, the American...

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, get off Petraeus for that.

Alan Colmes: No, I understand.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Get on the administration.

Alan Colmes: Exactly. The administration has to define for the American people what success is, other than have the President say "we've got to win... victory, victory, victory.' Well, what is victory?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Petraeus would tell you victory is reducing the violence, bringing about a political solution and being able to cut down the numbers of troops that are there by some substantial number. That's what he'll be trying to do. The administration won't quite articulate it that way because... this is what I'm saying, the politics don't work. But they don't work on either side, Alan.

Alan Colmes: Yeah.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I mean, people don't want to hear the fact that we're in a real mess in Iraq, no matter who's president. It's not a matter of sort of saying "okay, get me 10,000 trucks, I want that stuff loaded out by 06:00. Line the troops up, we're leaving.' I mean, that's not going to happen.

Alan Colmes: What can you do then? What could a President do? What could General Clark do if you were in that position?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I'd really be working the diplomacy with Iran and Syria. I'd be trying to change the vision of what people have in the region. And then I'd carry a trick bag into the Iranians and say "here's my tricks – I can put more troops in, I can put "em right up on your border... I can, I can be worse to you or I can be better. We could even go so far as to recognize you. We can give you economic development assistance. We could even let Chevron Oil fix your whole energy sector so you're not running out of energy.' And, um... all that can happen. We just have to have a different understanding of what's going to happen in the region. And I think if you change the nature of the dialogue, you won't... you won't succeed right away but I think it's the only way you can begin to lay the conditions for success.

http://securingamerica.com/node/2446

Don't blame a good and honest soldier. Patraeus is telling it like it is...impeach the commander.

[Cruzan]

18. Betray-us long ago showed himself to be nothing more than a tool for Bush

when six weeks before the 2004 presidential election he wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post talking about all the 'considerable progress' that was being made in Iraq:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49283-2004Sep25.html

Exactly what the fuck is an active duty military officer doing writing thinly veiled attempts to influence a presidential election?

Edit: To say nothing of being as absolutely head-up-the-ass wrong then as you could imagine possible for a Princeton PhD.

[ShaneGR]

20. I don't mind that he's being honest.....

I'd rather have a military commander who will give you the facts than Vietnam style "all is well, nothing to see here" talk.

[calteacherguy]

23. I agree. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. All he needs is more time, more money, and more troops. Just like they did in '66

..and, '67, and '68, '69, and '70, and '71, and '72.

And, just like then, the generals and politicians are refusing to acknowledge a lost war.