Gen. Petraeus testimony today and the fallacies in reasoning

General Petraeus testified today that the cost to the war while expensive has been worth it. He also said he was not in agreement with Al-Maliki about the military actions against Al-Sadr's militia in Basra, as in his view the planning was not done adequately and that he was only informed a day before the actions were taken. The big question for me for the day is why is it that that Al-Sadr's Militia doesn't need similar training that other people in Iraq seem to need? Can anyone explain that? Is it because Iran is doing their training? If so, can't we outsource this job to Iran? I jest. :) But see my point. The arguments don't make sense by our Generals and political figures.

Ambassador Crocker thought that we had a strategic interest in being there (for the long haul). He said their was going to be a Status of Forces agreement between Iraq and the U.S. signed by President Bush in a bilateral agreement between the two countries.

There is a reasoning by both Petraeus and Crocker that suggests we can't and shouldn't leave Iraq as chaos would ensue and the gains made would be reversible. That is the same kind of argument that went on with ending the Vietnam war. In that war many suggested that the entire area of Asia would fall under Communist rule if and when we left. It didn't! Today Vietnam is a trading partner and it took less than 25 years to do it. Looking forward, I don't see Iraq being any different, UNLESS WE STAY! As the demonstrator said at the hearings, "Bring them home! Bring them home!"

Boycott the President's speech on Thursday night

The major networks did not carry the Petraeus and Crocker testimony in the House of Representatives on Monday or the Senate testimony yesterday. Only after watching it on C-Span could you get a true picture of the lack of real progress made in Iraq and the pathetic lack of strategic thinking General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker manifested. They appealed again to our fears and portrayed a picture for us of Iraq "falling apart" if we leave. Petraeus was a good soldier and kept his comments entirely within the scope of Iraq without commenting on some broader issues like whether the Army was broken, whether we were safer in America or not (a question pressed by Senator John Warner R-VA)

A message needs to be sent to President Bush loud and clear. That message: We're not listening to you anymore! Boycott his Prime-Time speech to the Nation on Thursday night and punish the major Networks for carrying it, rather than the testimony before Congress and the Senate they chose to ignore. Also, the President’s speech will be nothing but B.S. I would rather watch the PBR Bull Riding show for real entertainment, without the stench!

Violence down in Iraq: No, really, says Ambassador Crocker!

I don't know how Ambassador Crocker, U.S. Envoy to Iraq, can claim that given that so far, this month, U.S. fatalities in Iraq total 66 compared to only 43 for the same month last year. But here, in part, is what was reported this morning by STEVEN R. HURST, Associated Press Writer:

BAGHDAD - Washington's top diplomat in Iraq said Thursday that increased U.S. troop strength had brought down violence, but it was impossible to rush political reconciliation or to predict when conditions would allow the United States to begin reducing its involvement.

With less than two months remaining before Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, were to report to Congress about progress in Iraq, the top envoy also told The Associated Press that political reconciliation was going to be "a long, hard pull."

"The surge (increase of 30,000 American troops) has done very well indeed in making a difference in security conditions. There's no question, in the Anbar (province) and Baghdad area. But it's not a light switch. You don't just flip something up and everyone is reconciled," Crocker said in an interview in his office in Saddam Hussein's Republican Palace.

Pressed repeatedly on when he thought U.S. troop levels could be reduced and other American involvement might be scaled back, Crocker said: "It's going to take longer than September."

The metric is wrong here. It's more of wishful thinking and propaganda from the Administration for the war. I think the Administration would be well served if they dealt more with where the public is on this topic. They have used up any credibility they had and so even if it were true, many, including myself, won't believe it. Facts don't lie. Check the numbers below for US Fatalities:

July 2006 43, July 2007 66 (so far!)

June 2006 61, June 2007 101

May 2006 69, May 2007 128

April 2006 76, April 2007 104

March 2006 31, March 2007 82

February 2006 55, February 2007 78

January 2006 62, January 2007 83

The "surge" started to be implemented in February and so the net affect is that more U.S. soldiers are dying every day than any way you measure it. If that is a reduction in violence Ambassador Crocker needs to go back to school and study up on basic math.