In Friday’s Washington Post, columnist Charles Krauthammer lamented how good news in Iraq seems to be no news in Washington, married as the liberal establishment is to a narrative that Iraq was a "fiasco" (courtesy of WaPo’s own Thomas Ricks). The elections weren’t totally ignored, but the anti-Bush narrative is uninterrupted. Krauthammer elaborated on the good news:
A fabulous bazaar of 14,400 candidates representing 400 parties participated, yielding results highly favorable to both Iraq and the United States.
Iraq moved away from religious sectarianism toward more secular nationalism. "All the parties that had the words 'Islamic' or 'Arab' in their names lost," noted Middle East expert Amir Taheri. "By contrast, all those that had the words 'Iraq' or 'Iraqi' gained."
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki went from leader of a small Islamic party to leader of the "State of Law Party," campaigning on security and secular nationalism. He won a smashing victory. His chief rival, a more sectarian and pro-Iranian Shiite religious party, was devastated. Another major Islamic party, the pro-Iranian Sadr faction, went from 11 percent of the vote to 3 percent, losing badly in its stronghold of Baghdad. The Islamic Fadhila party that had dominated Basra was almost wiped out.
The once-dominant Sunni party affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and the erstwhile insurgency was badly set back. New grass-roots tribal ("Awakening") and secular Sunni leaders emerged.
All this barely pierced the consciousness of official Washington. After all, it fundamentally contradicts the general establishment/media narrative of Iraq as "fiasco."
Read the whole thing, and join in asking: will Obama mess this success up?
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Hadn't heard a word about this
February 13, 2009 - 09:41 ET by krendlerVery encouraging news, which I guess is why the networks didn't bother with it. Too busy praising His Worshipfulness and bashing Bush/Cheney/Palin.
btw, did NBC ever officially declare Iraq a "Democracy", like they did when Brian Williams went on air and declared it a "civil war"?
Thanks to Krauthammer for the update.
But you can count on plenty of media coverage.....
February 13, 2009 - 09:56 ET by Prester John....when BHO, as Commander in Chief, welcomes the first brigade to come home from Iraq and lauds their valiant service to our country.
The coverage he will get will be beyond sickening.
Of course, there won't be any coverage of this same unit as it deploys to Afghanistan.
Iraq Homecoming
February 13, 2009 - 10:02 ET by Sergeant ROCKHmm.. possibly, but I wonder if what will really happen is that there will be no fanfare at all? Not involving Obama anyway.
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Bolton/KEYES 2012
This is fabulous news
February 13, 2009 - 10:13 ET by general companyThis is fabulous news, really proud of our young men and woman over there, and congratulations to the Iraqi's as well. I think they are well on there way, and I hope they are beyond Obama'a reach now. If we were only so lucky.
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
But, wait, what about this?
February 13, 2009 - 12:51 ET by SeftonHarry Reid - "...this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything..."
N. Pelosi - "There haven’t been gains, Wolf, the gains have not produced the desired effect, which is the reconciliation of Iraq. This is a failure. This is a failure."
Obama - "I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there, in fact I think it will do the reverse. I think it takes pressure off the Iraqis to arrive at the sort of political accommodation that every observer believes is the ultimate solution to the problems we face there. So I am going to actively oppose the president’s proposal… I think he is wrong."
God bless our troops and their families.
Great Stories
February 13, 2009 - 13:45 ET by slickwillie2001If you want a great story, for the first time in Iraq some of our soldiers are coming back from a tour of duty without having had to fire their weapon. Too good a soundbite to pass up on? Don't bet on it.
Re democracy in Iraq, let's not forget that for the last thirty years, anyone that showed any political skills, or leadership, or significant dissent, was taken out and shot by the paranoid Saddam. This is how dictators stay in power. Castro has been doing it for his entire life. That's just another hurdle for them to overcome.
Read Some of the Leftists' Comments To Krauthammer's Post
February 13, 2009 - 16:34 ET by Rush FanThe United States has been described as a melting pot of nationalities and ethnicities. Unfortunately, this wonderful country is also comprised of many unhinged leftists. Some of them posted their comments to Charles Krauthammer's article:
[**] Here a couple of one syllable words that war pigs like you and Krautfascist might better understand --
SIEG HEIL!!2/13/2009 3:18:09 PM
[**] ..tell you what, "Chuckles", let's have Obama bring my sons home and send you in their place. A big brave conservative like you and you fellow right wing nuts, have brayed and cheerleaded this disaster so long, I think it's only appropriate that we arm you and Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh and your fellow lard butts and stick you on the front lines. Maybe you'll show us your true patriotism when your precious skin is laid on the line. What a shallow, stinking collection of cowards and yahoos you and your fellow sunshine patriots are. 2/13/2009 2:55:39 PM
[**] krauthummer apparently doesn't read his own paper. suicide bombing kills 35; truck bomb kills 16; 4 american soldiers killed; US troops shoot 12 year old girl: all in the past 3 days. this is SATAN's miracle. 2/13/2009 2:54:20 PM
[**] Yep! NO news is good news, but, Charlie Kraut, have you read the news on Iraq lately? Seems not, ya dumbF*. The only thing the Texas Moron did right....was to get lost, and so should you. 2/13/2009 1:19:28 PM
[**] Krauthammer: a sad fellow who celebrates death. Gains in Iraq? Pleeeze! Death, dismemberment, fround-up flesh, lives exploded in "Shock and Awe." Someone in Congress needs to stand up and express the truth: The Republican Party is the party of scattered body parts, cynical corruption, and boundless greed. Why would you want them in the building, much less in the Cabinet? Krauthammer's column has an odour to it that anyone who's been around unsanitazed death is all too familiar with. 2/13/2009 1:16:35 PM
Scary isn't it? These are some of the "citizens" of the United States who support the Democrat Party and President Obama. God help us!
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"They are actively promoting the decline of America." ~ Rush Limbaugh on liberals and Democrats