Decision ‘08

“Our Objective In Iraq Is Victory”

The key to success in Iraq is providing security; and the key to security is defeating the Sunni insurgency. This will deny al Qaeda important support and remove the excuse Shiite militia have for taking action into their own hands. It will give the government the opportunity to rebuild the economy and to continue on the path to full democracy.

What is needed is a military campaign to defeat the insurgents. The campaign plan should determine subsidiary questions of the number, type and deployment of coalition forces. The prime minister’s announcement Wednesday of a major operation to secure Baghdad may be the first step in such a plan. We should seize the opportunity now to provide all possible support to the Iraqi government. President Bush said at his press conference that ultimate success depends on the Iraqis, and that is true. But he was also right to stress that we will do what is necessary to enable that success.

Some in America instead speak of setting timetables for the withdrawal of our forces. This would be an historic mistake. Withdrawing our troops before Iraqis can defend themselves would endanger American security by encouraging more terrorism. It would betray the democratic government of Iraq and dishonor the sacrifices of American service men and women.

All the audiences to the ongoing drama in Iraq–the Iraqi people, the American people and terrorists everywhere–must understand that our objective in Iraq is victory and that we will do whatever is necessary to prevail.

Quite right - if it’s not apparent by now, I’ve got a second wind on Iraq; and I’m not the only one. The feeling of a renewed determination is palpable. Let the 2006 election be held on Iraq; we’ll prevail in the less important election, and we’ll prevail in the far more important war.

The only country that can defeat the United States is the United States. If we keep our head in the game, the outcome is a foregone conclusion…

UPDATE 12:59 p.m.: The House rejected a timetable, as well, under a vote that was much less one-sided than that in the Senate:

In a 256-153 vote, the GOP-led House approved a nonbinding resolution that praises U.S. troops, labels the Iraq war part of the larger global fight against terrorism and says an “arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment” of troops is not in the national interest.

“Retreat is not an option in Iraq,” declared House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. “Achieving victory is our only option, for the American people and our kids.”

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California countered: “Stay the course, I don’t think so Mr. President. It’s time to face the facts.”

She called for a new direction in the conflict. “The war in Iraq has been a mistake. I say, a grotesque mistake.”

We’ll see; I don’t think calling the war a ‘grotesque mistake’ is a winning message in November…I say the Americans will choose positive over negative every time…

5 Responses to ““Our Objective In Iraq Is Victory””

1 Fargus Says:
June 16th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Positively wrong over negatively right, eh? Sounds like a winning strategy to me.
2 Mark Says:
June 16th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
We shall see…despite all the bad polling numbers, I don’t think the Americans are ready to write this war off, when it appears that the tide is turning in our favor…
3 Blue Crab Boulevard » Blog Archive » House Votes To Support Troops Says:
June 16th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
[…] UPDATE: Others: A Blog For All, Decision '08, Riehl World View and Sister Toldjah […]
4 megapotamus Says:
June 16th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
“Positively wrong” is a mere assertion. We thirst for details, oh how we thirst! This burp from Fargus though, is indicative. “Quagmire!” “Disaster!” “Fraud!” and a dozen other dire and slanderous characterizations abound and always are turned up to 11. But like the House and Senate votes show, force the Dems to actually DO something or even simply SAY something substantive on record and the choirs of crickets drown out any nearby jackhammers. Kerry tried to square the circle of the Democrats rhetoric of high standards on human rights, liberty, decency and expanded democracy with their actual voting record and came acropper. This is one thing I do not blame the Jr Sen for. He assumed an impossible task and is reviled for his failure to upend logic successfully. Sadly for the Reality Based Community there is Reality and then reality. One drives out the other eventually.
5 Fargus Says:
June 18th, 2006 at 8:50 am
I was just extrapolating, my man, what can be extrapolated from Mark’s comment that we should emphasize the positive over the negative all the time, rather than the right over the wrong.