As my colleague Brent Baker reported on February 15, of the three evening news programs offered by the major broadcast networks, only ABC's "World News" addressed the one year anniversary of the troop surge in Iraq, and did so by sharing with viewers how successful the strategy has been.
Yet, not all press members agree with ABC. In fact, some, like Michael Kinsley in Slate last Thursday, parrot the Democrat talking point "No, the surge is not a success" because troops aren't being aggressively withdrawn from the region.
With that in mind, what follows are two charts depicting events in Iraq that media members like Kinsley won't dare show American citizens:
(larger version available here)
Or, how about this one:
(larger version available here)
Think you'll be seeing such charts at a newspaper or television station near you any time soon?
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
I'm holding my breath...
February 26, 2008 - 12:17 ET by bluefeetbrewsI've got $5 says no way (Fox News excluded).
Any takers?
No way! ;0)
February 26, 2008 - 12:20 ET by rbosqueNo way! ;0)
Canadian are begging to be deployed longer
February 26, 2008 - 12:21 ET by Lame CherryI was listening to the Canadian General and he was begging the parliment to keep Canada deployed in Afhganistan till 2009.....as there is a surge there too and it is indeed working.
The troops on the ground in both theaters are kicking a** to use a quote from them. They have bled off the worst of the terrorists and with Condi Rice bribing her way to assassination victory in having Hamas on the run.............US Policy is a major victory in that region.
I have spanked Condi Rice often enough as she was not functional for years, but she has cleaned up the bumbling Rockefeller cartel work of Powell who started this mess in occupation instead of like Patton incorporating Nazi's to run Germany and settle it down.
That was all to punish Bush until the cartel could siphon crude oil again.........which it is doing.
US policy has been very good. It is disappointing in Iran not being overthrown, but Bush has worked a deal there too for now.
There are many facets of this surge which need to be noted. The lid is on in many areas which will no doubt blow off when deemed necessary, but even Obama's mentor Brzenski is in Syria for Rand now attempting to shut down the Russian naval bases in Syria for a coming dust up.
This has been a remarkable success in even the Turks blowing up the Kurds is not causing a problem for the United States.
Now if America could get it's head out of it's gluteous maximus in not allowing Kosovo to be a pay off for Muslim support which is going to ignite Russia into Serbia........we would be in a pretty good position.
The problem is Kosovo will bring atomic warfare and invasion into Europe..........where that activity in the Middle East only blows up and pollutes mostly sand.
All glory to God for the success though in Iraq as President Bush asked for enough prayers before rooting things around he is required to give God full credit for fixing things in blessing their efforts.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
A toast
February 26, 2008 - 12:23 ET by ThisnThatOur soldiers, Generals, and CIC all deserve a hearty toast for implementing this strategy and sticking to it in the face of the worst enemy this country has ever faced -- the Congressional Democrats.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
Agreed
February 26, 2008 - 12:49 ET by BlondeDavid Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Exactly TnT...I heard
February 26, 2008 - 13:17 ET by bigtimerExactly TnT...
I heard somewhere today that either the House or Senate is bringing up a withdrawal vote AGAIN sometime today...
Ahhh the good ol' enemy within never stops.
Burns me to no end.
Now I am adding on to this...Fearless Leader Harry Reid brought up Feingold's withdrawal amendment today...again for the 35th time since the dems became the majority...35th time...can you believe this, now when there is major progress to-boot...they are still bickering on the floor, who knows when or if they have an actual vote, most likely by the end of their session this week. The leftists make me ill.
Immune
February 26, 2008 - 19:06 ET by ThisnThatThey truly believe they are immune to any criticism, and cannot be held accountable for their actions to destroy our military and leave this country vulnerable to attack. We have an obligation to prove that they are not immune, starting this November.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
The surge is absolutely a
February 26, 2008 - 12:24 ET by ConservativeRexThe surge is absolutely a success. We've killed al queda by the truck loads, they are a shell of their former self, lowered to using cripples and the mentally retarded for their suicide missions.
I would like to see a Republican stand up on his hind legs and question the hell out of these democrats patriotism. Every single day on the floor of the senate. They do NOT want America to succeed. Tell them exactly how Un-American they are, because that's exactly what they are.
I am sick to death of playing pitty-pat with these Libs, just tired of it. Time to start knocking the hell out of 'em anywhere you see 'em.
These graphs need to be peppered with Obama's comments
February 26, 2008 - 12:26 ET by Dee Bunkon the Surge. This is the type of thing the McCain Campaign needs to do commercials on.
I suppose if he does they will be labeled as a smear. Quoting Obama's actual words and using actual photos are considered smears and or "silliness" of campaigns.
Wait, When did SURGE mean WITHDRAW? Eh?
February 26, 2008 - 13:02 ET by Six String Spiffleave it to a Liberal to come up with that interpretation. Yikes
Surge = success
February 26, 2008 - 13:13 ET by k9rescueI kinda understand both sides of this. Let's say I'm a contractor. I put forward a plan where you give my company $100,000. For that money, I propose that I will build you a school from which all students will graduate with honors (i.e., I define for you what constitutes success so it can be objectively measured) Now, I take your money and build the school. The graduation rate is more like 60% and only 10% with honors, but I point out that more kids are now going to school than ever before.
That's a success, right? Well, yes and no. It's good that more kids are in school, but you laid out the goalposts for how we define success - and didn't meet those goals.
That's a long winded way of saying that yes - violence is down in the surge area. That's due 100% to our men and women in uniform. But that was not the definition of success that was laid out in the plan. The goalposts were moved. Without the political changes (which were the original definition of success -- as far as I can tell) -- the results of the surge are not sustainable as we bring back troops.
Is it great that violence is down? No question. It's wonderful. Has the surge therefore succeeded?
Liberals shouldn't minimize what's been accomplished. Conservatives shouldn't ignore the stated goals.
Please don't try to take this example literally. I'm not drawing any moral equivalence between school graduation and soldiers/civillians being killed!
Comments? Rants? :)
Source for charts?
February 26, 2008 - 13:17 ET by dronetekI'd like to use these charts in an argument, but I need some kind of source to back it up? Any chance of getting that information?
I wonder if we could get the
February 26, 2008 - 13:22 ET by mattmI wonder if we could get the source of the information Murtha, Biden and Reid and Dodd used when they made their defeatist, ignorant, traitorous and incorrect statements....
No, you misunderstand
February 26, 2008 - 13:29 ET by dronetekI just want the source so I dont look like a bumbling fool when I show this to my liberal friends.
I thought that's what it
February 26, 2008 - 14:15 ET by mattmI thought that's what it might be...it is a good request. Sadly, however, I doubt if your Liberal friends will be swayed by facts...
the goal posts of war
February 26, 2008 - 14:21 ET by TruthMongermight also want to factor in the "slight" un-predictability of war vs. building a building?
A perfect way to display the comments
February 26, 2008 - 13:32 ET by kgA perfect way to display the comments. Now for some recent anti-surge comments.
"Forget change, I want improvement!"
Try new Instant Surge!
February 26, 2008 - 13:36 ET by Santino CorleoneK9...I think your analogy is off. Counterinsurgency and democracy building cannot be set to a rigid timeline like a building project? The building of our nation was not done over 8 years...and it was almost torn apart some 90 yrs later by a brutal civil war. For seditious senators to keep moving the goalposts to suit their politics of surrender agenda is beyond blasphemous in my book.
No matter how you slice it--to grade the surge based on the fact that the Iraqi govt is not humming along like a well oiled, democratic machine after a few years (after thousands of years of despotic rule and with most of the world rooting against it) is incredibly short sighted.
Securing the population is step one of this process which as of today has been very successful. The next steps will follow. Then we can guage overall success.
Speaking of Well-Oiled Machines....
February 26, 2008 - 13:47 ET by m36b1I would like to throw right in any a-hole congress-person's faces (especially Pelosi and her ilk) complaining about the Iraqi government the fact that our own government is by NO means a "well oiled, democratic machine". As tax-time is once again upon us, I am unfortunately reminded (way too much) that our government is well-oiled in the process of skimming large chunks of my money and wasting it on bloated beaurocracies and socialist agendas. Good Grief.
i think it was a fairly
February 26, 2008 - 14:21 ET by TruthMongeri think it was a fairly nice try - actually makes a good point - the "goal posts" for war success are virtually impossible to deal with
Our primary goal in Iraq was to boot Hussein
Mission Accomplished
Secondary goal is to leave the place in the good hands of the Iraqi people - but how do we measure that? Even without the petty left-wing politics hampering the process it's virtually impossible...
Still well worth fighting, but goal posts...? Anyone...? Bueller...?
K9rescue - who layed out the goal posts? The Dem Congress did
February 26, 2008 - 13:40 ET by Dee BunkThey put them far enough away that achieving them would be impossible. It's the same strategy most boss's use over their employees. They set unrealistic goals partly so that you will reach for the sky and try to achieve more and partly so that if they don't want to give you the promotion or raise they don't have to.
The difference between a boss who really wants good performance vs the Dems who don't, is that they also set realistic goals. So there are goals that at one level are considered acceptable, another level good and another outstanding. In the dems case you can be sure that the unrealistic goals were not at all about reaching for the sky. They were there for one purpose and one purpose only - to be able to claim failure.
There is no logical argument to say that the surge has not been successful. If the dems like benchmarks then why aren't they setting them for their own performance?
The purpose of the surge was
February 26, 2008 - 13:41 ET by robert108The purpose of the surge was to create the conditions wherein the Iraqis could then make political strides toward self-sufficiency. We did our part, now they need to do their part. It's disingenuous to claim that we are responsible for their political progress. The surge has worked, and continues to work.
really?
February 26, 2008 - 19:35 ET by Skypilot4808I hate to disabuse you of the notion this was a good analogy, but it stinks.
I understand the goal of the surge was to create an environment where four things could happen: 1. reduce combat deaths, 2. defeat the enemy's ability to sustain attacks, 3. transfer some military operations to the Iraqi military and 4. build infrastructure.
Your analogy...suggesting a promise of 100% graduation rate with honors...does not approximate what the surge promised. You were close. If you would have suggested that building your school promised an environment where all pupils had the "opportunity " to graduate with honors, you would have nailed it.
Plus...as I see it...the surge has been successful on all four stated objectives.
Chaplain Lee M. Thompson
Think you'll be seeing such
February 26, 2008 - 13:18 ET by bigtimerThink you'll be seeing such charts at a newspaper or television station near you any time soon?
Sure Noel...when pigs fly!
Kudos to ABC for being fair
February 26, 2008 - 14:01 ET by SupermanWe need more of that in the news industry.
Such impatience by the msm
February 26, 2008 - 15:14 ET by radiofitz34Such impatience by the msm and dems as noted by the charts. Apparently, we were supposed to "surge" and then retreat and pull out. Like "ok, well we surged and now we must be going (Groucho) so see ya Iraq". By the way, what ever happened to Harry Reid?
"Senate Majority Leader
February 26, 2008 - 16:55 ET by JoeBob"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that "a civil war rages" in Iraq and shouldn't be the responsibility of U.S. taxpayers."
Dingy Harry's still up to his old tricks.
Without recognizing the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man. - Confucious
Yep JoeBob... I heard
February 26, 2008 - 17:06 ET by bigtimerYep JoeBob...
I heard that too....I have a post quite a ways up that I updated about an hour ago from earlier this morning about this all if interested.
I have a feeling that this
February 26, 2008 - 21:33 ET by red_dragon311I have a feeling that this will evolve into
"The Surge failed......to end the war!!!!! We were lied to yet again by Bushco. we were all assured that the surge would work.....to end the war, but look we are still in a quagmire"
or somthing like that
I was a professional twice over - an analyst and a therapist. The world's first analrapist
Charts
February 26, 2008 - 16:33 ET by ammo johnThe MSM would rather show charts of their declining ratings than show success of the Surge.
If you take a second look, the Surge charts actually mimic the MSM ratings!
ammo... ROFLMAO!
February 26, 2008 - 16:38 ET by bigtimerammo...
ROFLMAO!
Funny thing
February 26, 2008 - 16:50 ET by well99You have all these Dems complaining about the progress of the Iraqi Goverment.Consider the conditions they are working under and now look at our Congress.How is that fence coming?
Excelent Point!
February 26, 2008 - 18:46 ET by c5thenYou have to wonder how many Representatives and Senators would show up for work if they ran the risk of being killed everyday because of it.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
c5then
February 26, 2008 - 19:35 ET by well99Are you kidding.You can hardly get them to show up now.That might not be a bad thing though.What happen to the Pelosi 5 day week?
Another chart of News Reports?
February 26, 2008 - 19:13 ET by ThisnThatNoel, isn't there another set of charts showing the number of Iraq stories hitting the news, and how that is also declining each month? (And doesn't that decline parallel the decline in deaths)?
Americans need to see the success. The MSM sure has shown a lot of the early problems -- shouldn't they now be showing the success? But I guess not -- when you have an agenda, you must promote that agenda. And their agenda is to show the U.S. as an absolute failure at everything.
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If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
No functioning government
February 26, 2008 - 20:01 ET by BlakeRThere is no functioning government in Iraq because the so-called national unity government is made up of 3 groups of people who have never willingly lived under the same government. The government has no political consolidation. People in the police and army are loyal to their militias so these institutions will not function.
January of 2007 was about when we started paying Sunni militias large sums of money (which they are using to buy guns) to lay low for a while. And so they have, but it is not a sustainable policy.
None of these Sunni militias support the government we created and the civil war will be that much bloodier because we used this policy.
And none of this has anything to do with Al Qaeda so stop giving them credit for it.