Morality

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by marichiko

Where did you discover these objectives? Do you have an inside scoop from the pentagon or something? I would tend to agree with you that this is why we are really there, but the phoney excuses given for the current engagement are hardly palatable, either.

That's the original neo-con take on it. Even before W was elected, the PNAC encouraged the idea of permanent US bases in the ME, and placed Iraq at the top of their to-do list. I also like denBeste's strategic overview, which I've pointed to several times. W's pre-war speech to the AEI referenced some of these things as well, but it was not sound-bitten by the media very much.

I don't know where you get the idea that things are so rosey in Iraq, either. Casualties continue to mount and many of our soldiers are now on their third tour of duty over there. Moral amongst our troops is way down.

Well, I read the numbers about Iraqi troop readiness, and agreed with the bloggers that covered it, that the media got head-faked by one number and ignored the important numbers that show that the Iraqis are coming along. Very uneven, but making progress.

I understand that the Iraqis themselves were the first line of defense during the October constitutional election, for most polling places. A day that saw almost no violence.

Yesterday there was interest in a meeting between the Iraqi government and insurgent leaders. Wow.

And now there will be a trial of Hussein AND another election, and hopefully the country will crystallize around all that as well.

Oops, AP reports the White House is spinning to say they were the first with a troop reduction plan.