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Tangible Progress in Iraq?
As noted on the TPM front page:
"The leader of al Qaeda in Iraq has been arrested, an Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman tells The Associated Press."
Please don't slam me too hard on this, but I have to admit ARRESTING an al Qaeda in Iraq leader (versus identifying his charred remains by DNA testing) does represent a sort of progress in Iraq (in my opinion).
It's not that I get weepy eyed when they blow one of them up or anything, it's just that to me it does represent what should be happening in a more stable, functioning country. (Which, despite the rhetoric, is a good thing if our troops are to get out of there!)
(As an aside, who the hell applies for the job "Leader of al Qaeda in Iraq?" Those guys haven't had much of a life span....)
Comments (3)
Totally irrelevant and irreverent comment, but your aside at the end of your post made some inner voice in my head sing: "That's why I fell for....the Leader of Iraq".
May 8, 2008 10:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't get me wrong. My nephew is over there. OUR KIDS and fathers and wives and sisters and brothers are over there. So I hope that it is indeed a good sign.
For me it's just hard to see anything over there as a good sign....you know?
May 8, 2008 10:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes,
I do know what you mean. I guess what I'm getting at is that even though a "shell" game (pardon the oil pun) is being played with expectations in Iraq (more violence --we gotta stay, less violence we gotta stay), we should avoid being painted into the corner the propagandists are trying to put us in.
The idea is supposed to be that anyone who wants to bring the troops home is some kind of cowardly surrender monkey, etc...
Nope, we're not going to dance that way for you, Iraqi forces making arrests is progress (yes someone could lie about it, or it might turn out to be the wrong guy, but who cares?).
I'm not sure why you think the comment is irreverent, I'm saying that even if the Iraqis are trying to make it look like they are getting control it is a good thing.
Don't get me wrong, I think the claim is probably b.s., but maybe its time to take some of the b.s. and say "Ok, I'm gonna hold you to that..."
May 9, 2008 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
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