kelticwizard wrote:Thanks, Set. Thought I was going nuts there for awhile.
This is amazing. For three years, the supporters of the Bush policy have been telling us how we have been building a stable Iraq capable of defending itself, yet you ask where this Iraqi army we have been building for three years has won a single battle or skirmish on their own without help from US forces, and nobody can step up to tell you.
They just treat it like you just asked an inappropriate question.
KW - One of the biggest complaints you'll hear from those serving in both Afghanistan and Iraq is that only the bad stuff gets reported in the mainstream media. That's the overwhelming consensus from there and it just compounds the frustration of those of us that support both the war and the troops. Progress is being made on practically a daily basis, but those covering the 'news' of it aren't printing it.
"If it bleeds, it leads" seems to be the motto of the NYTimes and they'll spare no ink to report on whatever circumstance they can to forward their agenda of
QUAGMIRE! - usually on the front page, above the fold. They make mistakes and they sometimes correct their mistakes, but don't look for those corrections to also be on the front page.
You won't read of those operations that are Iraqi-generated and/or Iraqi-led, because most of the MSM is too busy trying to fill up their pages with whatever bad news they can rustle up.
Despite that, I've managed to read during most of this Summer of the progress being made in the training of the Iraqi Army and also of the operations carried out by them without the assistance of the US or other multinational forces. Milestones are reached and the MSM just ignores them. FYI, the Iraqi Army is halfway to its goal of 10 divisions, but that's only a big deal to the soldiers that have poured their blood, sweat and tears into training them, apparently.
You whine about how long it's taken. Please remember how easily Saddam's army was rolled over when we took Baghdad. The standards of the U.S. Military are miles above anything you will find in the Middle East or anywhere else, for that matter. Of course it's going to take time to train them to our standards.
The Iraqi Army
is assuming responsibility for security -
and doing so without assistance - in many regions of Iraq. They've successfully carried out raids, arresting and/or killing insurgents and seizing weapons and explosives in many areas.
They've taken over the life-support functions for more than
80 bases throughout Iraq since April and are now responsible for providing food, water, cleaning, supplies, security, maintenance for facilities and equipment, morale items, and clearing of waste products, to name a few, for more than 130,000
Iraqi Soldiers.
If I limited myself to the NYTimes and the MSM in general, I'd know nothing - absolutely nothing - of the good that's being accomplished in Iraq - the units that are operating on their own and taking responsibility for their own security. I don't though, and it's beyond me why I should have to make any explanation to those who
do limit themselves so severly....by their own choice.
You're the one doing the whining and I merely pointed out that now, after you've admitted where you get your news, I can understand why.
If you have serious curiosity of what's really going on over there, do your own research. At the very least, stop the incessant whining. Just because you didn't read it in the NYTimes, doesn't mean it's not happening.
:wink: 
