Petraeus: Troops in Iraq Counters Iran Influence

I have contended for some time (see here and here) that the worse thing we can do to Iran is to create a free and democratic Iraq. Here's soon to be head of CentCom General David Petraeus on the same subject:

Army Gen. David Petraeus, who is to assume control of U.S. forces
in the Middle East, says that a continued U.S. presence in Iraq is more likely
to blunt, rather than inflame, Iran's growing influence in the region.
In a
46-page question-and-answer document submitted in advance of his confirmation
hearing on Thursday, Petraeus says the U.S. must work on developing more
leverage — primarily diplomatic or economic — to pressure Tehran to abandon its
nuclear program. But, he notes, the U.S. must retain military strike options as
a "last resort."

And:

When asked by the Senate panel whether a lengthy deployment in Iraq
only strengthens Iran's influence in the region, Petraeus responded that the
opposite was true. It "has the potential to counter malign Iranian influence
against the government of Iraq, build common cause in the region and expose the
extent of malign Iranian activities to the world," he wrote.

I fear that many of the American Left actually want us to attack Iran. How can this be from a so-called Peace movement, you ask? We need only look to the Vietnam War, and President Nixon's invasion of Cambodia for the answer. While this attempt to sever North Vietnamese supply lines entering into the South gave the US Troops a short term tactical advantage, it so embolden the cause of the Anti-War Movement in the US that we were were soon forced completely out of the war by a weary and indignant public.

There is a rule in warfare of the dangers of over-extending a victorious army, examples being Hitler invading Russia in 1941, the Japanese attack on Midway in 1942, and MacArthur marching too close to the Chinese border after the victorious Inchon landing in 1950. Thankfully, President Bush understands the lessons of history, and what some may criticize as his stubbornness in many cases, at least on this issue he is exactly right to hold back.

Petraeus, Odierno for Top Commands

General David Petraeus

Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno

Here's the scoop on this major turn of events in the war, from Yahoo/AP:

Army Gen. David Petraeus, the four-star general who led troops
in Iraq for the past year, will be nominated by President Bush to be the next
commander of U.S. Central Command, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said
Wednesday.
Gates said he expected Petraeus to make the shift in late summer
or early fall. The Pentagon chief also announced that Bush will nominate Army
Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno to replace Petraeus in Baghdad...

GOP presidential hopeful John McCain, R-Ariz., said he
supports both Petraeus and Odierno. He called Petraeus "one of the great
generals in American history."

Think Grant and Sherman, Lee and Jackson, Eisenhower and Patton, each of which were battle winning combos without peer. How exciting to live in these times when American arms are once again triumphant over her enemies!

Dems Question the Timing of Positive Iraq Report

Updated below:

Some people can't take good news! Via the Raw Story:

A new classified US National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq paints a
rosier picture of the conditions on the ground than previous reports on the war,
The Wall Street Journal reported online Thursday.
The report was released to
a limited number of US lawmakers this week, one week before the commander of US
forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and US ambassador Ryan Crocker give a
progress report to Congress, the Journal said.
The daily said officials
familiar with the document describe it broadly as backing the "surge" strategy
that President George W. Bush had launched last year in which he sent 30,000
extra troops to Iraq...
The Journal reported that this has angering some
Democrats who say it was designed largely to bolster the Bush administration's
policy in Iraq ahead of Petraeus's testimony, the Journal said.

This is too funny! When the NY Times leaks bad news from Iraq during an election cycle, or before our generals report to Congress, no one from the Left seems to question the timing. Hypocrisy abounds!

Update-Wake Up America adds "The report shows us that recent comments from politicians like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton as well as Barack Obama about Iraq, requires us, the public, to have a "willing suspension of disbelief", that these politicians can see what is being reported, nor that they will have the basic understanding of what Petraeus will have to say because they are too blinded by their desire for surrender to keep their far left base happy."

Petraeus for McCain VP

This is a silly notion that keeps cropping up, especially with the Iraq War barely won. He must also stay within the region for the near future to ensure his reforms have staying power. Still, I like this comment from Tim Hames at the Times Online:

America has a long tradition of looking to military leaders in
times of turmoil. This has stretched through Washington to Grant to Eisenhower
and might have placed Colin Powell in the Oval Office in 1996 if he had been
prepared to stand. General Petraeus, who holds a doctorate from Princeton
University, is the greatest military thinker of his generation. He has managed
to take a vast army that was effective at conventional fighting but close to
useless when confronted with a guerrilla enemy and turn it into an organization
that can today do counter-insurgency superbly. This is an achievement that makes
turning a supertanker around on the high seas during inclement weather look as
easy as clicking one's fingers. General Petraeus is a genius.

Good idea. Poor timing. Maybe in the next decade?

Petraeus Art on Ebay

This is pretty cool, and only $250! Here's the description:

To honor my son's service in Iraq, I am offering a series of original works depicting the heroic efforts of our soldiers in harm's way. All works will be offered as signed and numbered limited edition giclee prints on canvas, and as slightly smaller open editions on heavy art stock paper. I am donating 20% of the proceeds of all of these works to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, managed by the Intrepid Museum.

Hoping the owner doesn't mind me using the partial photo of the art for the extra publicity, but I will remove it on request.

Giving Al Qaeda No Respite

General Petraeus's forces are continuing their campaign to drive the terrorists out of Iraq, with the ongoing Operation Phantom Phoenix. Here's Bill Roggio:

Despite the recent success in reducing the violence in Iraq, the fight against al Qaeda in Iraq and the Shia extremist terror groups is not over. Coalition and Iraqi forces have launched Operation Phantom Phoenix, a new operation targeting the terror groups throughout Iraq. The scope of Phantom Phoenix is nationwide. The operation is "a series of joint Iraqi and Coalition division- and brigade-level operations to pursue and neutralize remaining al-Qaeda in Iraq and other extremist elements," Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq stated. "Phantom Phoenix will synchronize lethal and non-lethal effects to exploit recent security gains and disrupt terrorist support zones and enemy command and control."...

Phantom Phoenix may also target the Iranian-backed Special Groups, the Shia terror cells targeting Coalition and Iraqi security forces, Iraqi political leaders, and civilians.

You may have heard through the Media of a massive increase in airstrikes in Iraq, but this is only part of the story. You can find further info via links at the Weekly Standard blog.

In a related story-Gateway Pundit writes VICTORY!... In Kuwait Bush Claims Surge a Huge Success!

One year ago this week President Bush announced plans for a troop and civilian surge to move Iraq forward despite great criticism from his political opponents who thought the war in Iraq was lost. The plan was a huge success- one of the great military victories of our time.

Today President Bush congratulated General Petraeus, Ambassador Crocker and the troops on their great success!!!!

Hallelujah!

UK's Man of the Year

The London Telegraph names an American, General David Petraeus as its top pick:

He has been the man behind the US troop surge over the past 10 months, the last-ditch effort to end Iraq's escalating civil war by putting an extra 28,000 American troops on the ground.

So far, it has achieved what many feared was impossible. Sectarian killings are down. Al-Qaeda is on the run. And the two million Iraqis who fled the country are slowly returning. Progress in Iraq is relative - 538 civilians died last month. But compared with the 3,000 peak of December last year, it offers at least a glimmer of hope.

This is an interesting endorsement, since he was overlooked by some of his own countrymen. But even this monumental achievement wasn't enough to rate this blog's Man of the Year. Stay tuned...

The Surge Top Story of 2007

This according to Michelle Malkin's Year in Review and I agree!

Let’s start with the beginning: January 2007. For me, what happened in January defined the rest of the year. We rang in 2007 with vehement Democrat opposition to the “surge” in Baghdad. In the ensuing 12 months, Democrats tried and failed repeatedly to sabotage and undermine this military campaign. Their poisonously partisan allies at MoveOn attempted to smear Gen. David Petraeus. Their fellow travelers in the MSM fought tooth and nail to obscure the successes of the counterinsurgency tactics with their relentless “grim milestone” drumbeat. But by year’s end, even anti-war Democrats and adversarial media outlets alike were forced to acknowledge that undeniable military progress and security improvements had been made.

Milbloggers have almost unanimously labeled Petraeus as Man of the Year, for his brilliant new strategy to defeat Al Qaeda and bring greater security to Iraq. His astounding success has also increased President Bush's own fortunes, despite the surprise Democrat takeover of Congress last year. Then, the resurgent liberal victory in the Elections was considered a humiliating defeat for the President, but now seems of little relevance in the ongoing War on Terror.

Petraeus: Man of the Year

Not content to wait for Time Magazine's annual choice, National Review names the commanding general who turned conditions around for the better in Iraq in a few months time:

Time magazine hasn’t announced its pick for “man of the year” yet, but we certainly know ours: Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the multinational force in Iraq and architect of the surge strategy that is turning the tide in the war. Petraeus formulated a brilliant counterinsurgency plan. He executed it with care and diligence. And when much of the country didn’t want to notice the security gains that the surge had wrought, he took the national media spotlight to defend his strategy and his honor. In all this, he was nothing less than masterly.

And I heartedly concur with their view! Petraeus helped to turn what could have been a shameful retreat before a murderous ideology which has held the world under siege since 9/11, Al Qaeda terrorism, into a glorious triumph for the West. Rather than a New Dark Age, we now have hope for a new era of peace in the Middle East, and a long-neglected opportunity for democracy to take root. For all this, plus keeping our troops safe, this country owes the General our heartfelt gratitude!

The Key Monk says "unless Time makes the same pick, NRO's will be better."

Kevin Gregory at the McClatchy Watch agrees with National Review.

Petraeus Plan Heads to Afghanistan

Iraq veterans are now combating the Taliban, but must be retrained for the specific Afghan terrain. This is from Michael M. Phillips via the Wall Street Journal:

Six years into the Afghan war, the Army has decided its troops on the ground still don't understand well enough how to battle the Taliban insurgency. So since the spring, groups of 60 people have been attending intensive, five-day sessions in plywood classrooms in the corner of a U.S. base here, where they learn to think like a Taliban and counterpunch like a politician.

The academy's principal message: The war that began to oust a regime has evolved into a popularity contest where insurgents and counterinsurgents vie for public support and the right to rule. The implicit critique: Many U.S. and allied soldiers still arrive in the country well-trained to kill, but not to persuade...Army officials say they've made great strides this year providing troops with Afghanistan-specific training before they reach the combat zone -- including counterinsurgency seminars for officers and scenario exercises for foot soldiers.

Now that the Battle for Iraq is almost won, look for greater efforts in the New Year to bring an end to the even longer campaign in Afghanistan.

Petraeus Picks New Generals

An encouraging story, proving our Army "gets it", concerning the new threats we face in the 21st Century. From the Washington Post:

The Army has summoned the top U.S. commander in Iraq back to Washington to preside over a board that will pick some of the next generation of Army leaders, an unusual decision that officials say represents a vote of confidence in Gen. David H. Petraeus's conduct of the war, as well as the Army counterinsurgency doctrine he helped rewrite.

The Army has long been criticized for rewarding conventional military thinking and experience in traditional combat operations, and current and former defense officials have pointed to Petraeus's involvement in the promotion board process this month as a sign of the Army's commitment to encouraging innovation and rewarding skills beyond the battlefield.

Called "unprecedented":

"It's unprecedented for the commander of an active theater to be brought back to head something like a brigadier generals board," said retired Maj. Gen. Robert Scales, former head of the Army War College. A senior defense official said Petraeus is "far too high-profile for this to be a subtle thing."

The other services should take notice:the Navy and Air Force. The best plane, tank, or warship is useless if you still cling to faulty battlefield tactics.

Washington Post: Petraeus Critics Were Wrong

The Post Editorial staff is reporting "Better Numbers":

So far during the Muslim month of Ramadan, which began Sept. 13 and ends this weekend, 36 U.S. soldiers have been reported as killed in hostile actions. That is remarkable given that the surge has deployed more American troops in more dangerous places and that in the past al-Qaeda has staged major offensives during Ramadan. Last year, at least 97 American troops died in combat during Ramadan. Al-Qaeda tried to step up attacks this year, U.S. commanders say -- so far, with stunningly little success...

...it's looking more and more as though those in and outside of Congress who last month were assailing Gen. Petraeus's credibility and insisting that there was no letup in Iraq's bloodshed were -- to put it simply -- wrong.

Hat Tip to Decision '08!

General Petraeus for the Nobel Prize!

He'd get my vote, if I could vote for the prize. This is from a New York Sun Editorial:

Vice President Gore is being mooted for the Nobel Peace Prize, but our nominee is General Petraeus. This is only a slight departure from our annual editorial calling for the Norwegians to award the prize to GI Joe. We've been advancing that idea ever since reading about it in an essay by Neil Kressel, a professor in New Jersey. It has seemed to us that the American GI is the greatest force for peace in the world today, and we say that without the slightest bit of irony. GI Joe and GI Jane always go overseas for reasons not of conquest but of liberation, to secure the hope of democracy, and always with the intent of returning home.

I don't see it happening, though. To my knowledge, Petraeus doesn't Bash Bush nearly enough to qualify! It does seem ironic, though that people like Carter and Gore get the prize, when really effective statesmen like Ronald Reagan are overlooked, who freed hundreds of millions from slavery by winning the Cold War. I guess, like the Queen of England so flippantly gives aways knighthoods, the Nobel Prize is mainly about celebrity rather than accomplishment.

61 % of Americans Favor Petraeus

Some telling poll numbers via Gallop and Cliff May:

A Gallup poll reports that 61 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of General Petraeus, up 9 percent in just one week.

Fifty-four percent of those surveyed said they believe Petraeus' plan for removing troops is the right pace or too quick. By contrast, only 33 percent view the withdrawal as moving too slowly.
Pew reports that nationally “57 percent of Americans who read or heard about Petraeus' testimony approved of his recommendations for Iraq, while only 28 percent of respondents said they disapprove.

You don't hear much of these numbers on the news, but there they are. This is more proof that a majority of Americans now support winning the war.

TV Alert!

Don't miss the Fox News Special on Our Man in Iraq, American Commander: Gen. David Petraeus, airing this weekend!

Sat., Sept. 22 at 9 p.m. ET and Sunday, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m. ET
Hosted by Jon Scott
Today's conflicts require that a modern American general be a student of history. Join us for this special look at the life and times of General David Petraeus from his childhood in Cornwall, New York to his historic mission in Iraq

Senate Condemns MoveON for Petraeus Ad

Sans Hillary and Obama, however. This is from Fox News:

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a measure condemning MoveOn.org for a newspaper ad it ran last week attacking Gen. David Petraeus. The move came as President Bush accused Democrats of cowering to the liberal political action group.

The measure passed in a 72-25 vote, with none of the Democratic presidential candidates supporting it. Sponsored by Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, never one to shy away from forcing Democrats to go on record on politically sticky issues, the amendment to the defense authorization bill did win the backing of 23 Democrats.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell launched the most scathing attack against the rogue liberal group:

"Who would have ever expected anybody to go after a general in the field at a time of war, launch a smear campaign against a man we've entrusted with our mission in Iraq?... "Any group that does this sort of thing ought to be condemned. Let's take sides. General Petraeus or MoveOn.org. Which one are we going to believe? Which one are we going to condemn?"

And President Bush weighed in:

"I thought the ad was disgusting. I felt like the ad was an attack not only on General Petraeus, but on the U.S. military. And I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democrat Party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad. And that leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org — or more afraid of irritating them than they are of irritating the United States military. That was a sorry deal. It's one thing to attack me; it's another thing to attack somebody like General Petraeus"

A little surprised this passed, but I'm glad the politicians are actually supporting the troops, instead of talking out of both sides of their mouths for a change. As for MoveOn, sometimes they can defeat their own cause. As seen here, they have actually helped General Petraeus and the war effort, which may not have been their intent.

Admiral Fallon Denies Conflict with Petraeus

The widely reported rift between General David Petraeus and his immediate superior at CentCom, Admiral Fallon is untrue, according to Navy Times:

Fallon was clearly irked by the stories about his supposed
disagreements with Petraeus over the pace of that withdrawal and all-around
disdain for the Army general published in outlets ranging from The Washington
Post to various blogs. One story cited an unnamed senior official who said “bad
relations” between Fallon and Petraeus was the “understatement of the century.”
Another quoted Pentagon sources as saying Fallon openly derided Petraeus during
their first meeting last March after Fallon took the CentCom reins.
The
latter story particularly galled Fallon, who called it “scurrilous,” adding that
the characterizations of a dysfunctional relationship with Petraeus are “just
absurd.”

Lack of fact-checking is an ongoing issue for these major news outlets. But as long as they plant a seed doubt, it will be enough for their agenda. Still, the Coalition to win the war is strong!

Thanks to Information Dissemination for the tip!

Edward's Wife Slams MoveOn

As welcome as this is, it makes you wonder where's the former Senator's courage if he has to get his wife to do it. From the Des Moines Register:

“Someone who’s spent their life in the military doesn’t deserve
‘General Betray Us,’” said (Elizabeth) Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate
John Edwards.

So, how about it John, Barak, Hill? Will you stand up for America's military and support the troops, as you often say you do?

Also this-Giuliani Also Gets Liberal Discount From Times.

Glenn Reynolds says " I don't think it counts as a Sister Souljah moment, even a quiet one, when it's your wife doing the criticizing."

"If"

Poem mentioned by General David Petraeus in an interview:

If you can keep your head when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on you,If you can trust yourself when all men doubt youBut make allowance for their doubting too,If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,Or being hated, don't give way to hating,And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;If you can meet with Triumph and DisasterAnd treat those two impostors just the same;If you can bear to hear the truth you've spokenTwisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winningsAnd risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,And lose, and start again at your beginningsAnd never breath a word about your loss;If you can force your heart and nerve and sinewTo serve your turn long after they are gone,And so hold on when there is nothing in youExcept the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;If all men count with you, but none too much,If you can fill the unforgiving minuteWith sixty seconds' worth of distance run,Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

Swiftboating Petraeus

Here is a term I hesitate to use, but I also applied the label "McCarthyism" last week to describe the tactics used by MoveOn and other radical liberals to defame the Petraeus report with slander before they even heard the speech. Listen to Froma Horrap at Real Clear Politics:

Democrats need their "Sister Souljah moment" with the outer
left, and they need it now. The MoveOn.org ad -- "General Petraeus or General
Betray Us?" -- was simply unacceptable. Not only was it dumb, but it created a
distraction for Democrats trying to challenge Bush policy in
Iraq...
Democrats showed great respect for Petraeus, even as they
asked hard questions. But they had that silly ad hanging around their
necks.
You can't get more "antiwar" than Illinois Rep. Janice Schakowsky. But
even she had to take time out to respond to reporters' questions about the
MoveOn ad, calling it "not an accurate statement."
Delaware Sen. Joe Biden
was on television calling Petraeus' claims of progress "dead, flat wrong." But
he, too, had to interrupt his message to distance himself from the MoveOn
statement.

So far none of the Democrat front runners for President has had the courage to denounce the MoveOn ad, though this wasn't true about the Party in 2004, as Extreme Mortman reveals to us:

MoveOn ran an ad questioning President Bush’s Vietnam-era service
in the Air National Guard. In August 2004 John Kerry denounced it. Kerry:
“The ad is inappropriate. This should be a campaign of issues, not
insults.”Three years later and the military-related insults haven’t
stopped. Who would have thought John Kerry would remain the sole marquee
Democrat with the courage to denounce MoveOn?

Likely it's from fear of losing the radical group's fundraising support, which has been substantial if you reread Horrap. But Republicans have used this fear of liberal backlash against the Dems, as John McCain proves:

Senator Clinton said that believing General Petraeus’
testimony requires a ‘willing suspension of disbelief.’ I think it willingly
suspends disbelief to not repudiate an advertisement run by a radical left wing
organization that impugns and dishonors the integrity of a man who has served
his nation with dedication all of his life. If you’re not tough enough to
repudiate a scurrilous, outrageous attack such as that, then I don’t know how
you’re tough enough to be President of the United States.

So now MoveOn has gone from a great asset to the Clintons' and other Democrats, to an Albatross around their necks. Time to let this bird fly or just concede the next election to Republicans, which would be fine by me, but I still believe in a 2 Party system of government.

Interesting-A Complaint has been filed with FEC over "Betray Us" ad.