Mark. You are just cherry picking a few stories here and there. Of course - there will always be a few instances of things that go well - and thats great.
The sad fact is that it just isn't representative of the overall situation in Iraq:

(1) while you tout that American causalities are down in July - they are really just back to normal after the spike in May and June

(2) in fact Iraqi civilian deaths are still quite high - higher this month then the past few

(3) politically the situation is a complete disaster. Groups have left the government and there is no reconciliation in sight

(4) 1/3 of the country still lacks basic services including sanitation, water, proper health care

(5) even the president admits that at most half of the benchmarks that were laid out - and by his own admission they are the less important ones

(6) it was just broke that huge supplies of arms are - "missing". Perhaps arming insurgent groups wasn't such a great strategy after all..

I am of course happy when we see improvements but unfortunately they are far and few between. Its really ridiculous to go around claiming these things. 4 years of complete failure and a couple small bright spots just don't turn everything around

That's exactly what they'll do - whine that it took so long.

What makes Liberals or Regressives (1) so despicable: they will continue to stubbornly attack this country.

It doesn't matter if Iraq becomes the most successful American victory in history, Liberals will still kick against the pricks.

(1) http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/boudreaux/s_521069.html

"...if next year..." Posted by Mark Noonan at August 8, 2007 08:51 AM

How convenient for you to use the word "if?" We have had five years of “if.” After September it will be if the American people will only wait until November, after November it will be if the American people will only wait until......

We kicked the butts of Germany and Japan in less time. After five years neocons consider success if someone can drive from Baghdad to the airport.

Everyone wants peace, but it is not going to happen with military force alone. Children who were 13 when this war began and have seen their parents killed in this civil war and don’t have much reason to be optimistic about the future are now coming into prime suicide age. Mark you are thinking in a bubble.

Mark. You are just cherry picking a few stories here and there.

And you Donkaroach kooks don't?

I am of course happy when we see improvements but unfortunately they are far and few between.

Why don't you go elsewhere, besides the drive-by media, for your news? Try a few blogs from the troops/contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, liberalTHC...

Mark

You are totally wrong... They are Demo-Publicans not defeatacrats.. (Althought if I use this theory of yours, I would instead call them "Lock-step"-ocrats)

The Yellow spineless Demo-Publicans have got in line with george w. bush and walked Lock-Step with his disaster in Iraq. And going against the will of the Citizens of this great nation of ours, the yellow Demo-publicans have allowed the Obstructionist Republicans to block a time table to get our forces out of there. (71% of citizens want our troops out by April 1 2008..GALLOP). They also cowarded and worried that george w. bush would use powers he does not have (Not even in the constitution) to keep them in session until his criminal wire tapping bill became law. The Demo-publicans rolled over and got in Lock Step with george w. bush and like the cowards they are, they voted for bush's illegal wiretapping laws.

Come november 2008, I am hoping that the majority in congress will be a Third Political Party, other than the libertarians.

Magnum Serpentine

"if next year the troops are coming home to joyous victory celebrations from a grateful nation, just what will you do? Tell us you were with us all along?"

Mark, just curious what color the sky is in your world? The military progress is undeniable, but the political arena is an unmitigated disaster. Unfortunately, rose colored glasses will not bring peace, harmony, and political reconcilement.

I'll tell you what... If next year, the tropps come home in joyous victory, I will not only happily admit I was wrong, but I will also write you a public apology for ever doubting you. But... if next year, the situation is still as bad as it is now, will you admit that you were wrong?

It appears that today is a watershed day with regard to US policy in Iraq. Democratic leaders now acknowledge that the surge is working. The only catch is, they say it's no surprise, they've known it for a while, and it's nothing significant.

OH REALLY? Known it for a while?

Of coarse out the left side of his mouth Sen Casey says:

"The problem here is the president of the United States continues to insist on a stay the course policy, no change in direction, no sense the American people can determine there's a light at the end of the tunnel."

Progress, yeah lets change direction Sen. Casey.

Mark: Ummm, lefties, if next year the troops are coming home to joyous victory celebrations from a grateful nation, just what will you do?

The alternative (and far more likely) question is obvious.

Please stop cheering so mindlessly Mark. Just like you did last year around this time you're setting up the faithful for a major disappointment. What's happening in Iraq is not the end of the end, or even the beginning of the end. It's best represented as the end of the beginning. And it is our last best chance. There can be no more corners to turn, no more final throes arguments. This is the beginning of the end game. And it's going to be nasty.

Two reports came out today. One was from the Pentagon, indicating that their estimate is that 75% of the attacks on MNF/IAF forces are instigated by Shiite militias. Given the fact that the number of attacks on MNF/IAF forces haven't gone down since the beginning of the year, that suggests to me that that statement may be more propaganda than fact, but if nothing else it does signal an immanent change in memes.

And that feeling is buttressed by the second of today's reports: IMF/IAF forces are starting to penetrate the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad. Apparently the clearing operation has begun. You thought running over an IED was bad? Try running over an EFP. The JAM is a completely different enemy than AQI is. Many of the JAM factions have more support than many of the AQI factions do. Perhaps more importantly, many of the JAM factions have more support among the central government, and among the IAF (particularly the police) than AQI ever did. So don't start cheering yet.

I just reread my last post and realized I contradicted myself. In one sentence I said it was the end of the beginning, and almost in the next I said it was the beginning of the end game.

It's confusing, but in fact I meant both. Militarily I believe that what's going on now is the end of the beginning. Politically though, I believe it is the beginning of the end. There can be no more excuses, no more simple talking points, no more papering over the hard realities.

Funny how back when it appeared--and I repeat, appeared--that the political situation was coming together, all the kooks did was bitch about the lack of military progress. Now that the surge is appearing--and I repeat, appearing--to show signs of progress, all the kooks do is bitch about the political shambles Iraq appears--and I repeat, appears--to be in.

Unbelievable. Actually, it is believable.

No Keefer I don't buy that there are "huge military gains". I think on the whole the situation looks quite bad militarily. There are somewhat smaller casualties this month - but its just back to what it was after the spike in the last few months. Further - we just heard that huge amounts of weapons are missing. Finally, we have armed Sunni groups which I am sure will come back to haunt us..

What is unbelievable is that 4 years into a complete failure all you can see is roses...

Actually, lefties, for quite a while now it is you who have had to cherry-pick out bad news in order to keep your anti-Bush fantasy afloat. The good news is just rolling in stronger each day in Iraq...heck, even Hillary is now hedging back towards a pro-war position as she sees the victorious writing on the wall.

This is your big moment - if you have any sense at all, you can start now saying that the victory was the result of your demands for change after the 2006...keep up the "war is lost" rhetoric for another month, and you'll just wind up looking monumentally stupid.

The last sentence says it all:

(Story compiled from Multi-National Corps-Iraq news releases)

This isn't "cherry picking", there isn't even an author attributed here. It's a government "news" press release.

Things are great in Iraq, if you get all your news from official government press releases.

D'oh!

On the upside, in the accompanying photo there are about a dozen AK47s. So that means there are only 109,988 missing rifles left to find, according to THIS DEFENSE DEPARTMENT REPORT.

Every little bit helps, right boys?