McCains ticket to ride could be revoked soon. Surge is backsliding.

[RonPaulFTFW]

http://www.washingtonindependent.com/view/security-gains-from

Iraq security statistics over the past 13 weeks, obtained exclusively by The Washington Independent, tell the tale. In Baghdad, improvised-explosive device (IED) detonations explosions in Baghdad have ticked up slightly to 131 in January from 129 in December—and the last week of January is not included in these latest figures. Countrywide, there was an increase in IED explosions to 2,291 in December from 1,394 in November, followed by a dip to 1,270 in the first three weeks of January. But the week ending on January 25 saw seven suicide explosions Iraq-wide, the most since the week ending Dec. 21, 2007.



It is too early to conclude that the security gains of the surge are unwinding. But they’re being put under stress in a manner not seen since the so-called "Surge of Operations" began in mid-June. Some speculate that the insurgency, knocked on its heels by the changing tactics of U.S. forces in mid-2007, is beginning to adjust, a few months before the surge draws to a close. "I think there’s some credibility to that argument," said Brian Katulis, a national-security expert at the liberal Center for American Progress. "It all begs the question of what’s the grand endgame."



Colin Kahl, a counterinsurgency expert at the more hawkish Center for a New American Security, said something similar. "The violence came down for four reasons," Kahl said, "what we’re doing, the decision the Sunni combatants made to turn against al-Qaeda, Moqtada Sadr’s ceasefire and the prior ethnic cleansing of 2006 and early 2007. All those things could unwind. We’re unsurging. The talk is that for the next couple of months, if the Maliki government doesn’t do enough to appease the Sunni groups [that have turned against al-Qaeda] and incorporate them into the Iraqi security forces, they could go game-on again," meaning they could resume attacks on U.S. troops. Kahl continued, "This kind of—pick your metaphor—ticking clock, or closing window, gives a reason to believe that if there isn’t a series of political compromises by when the surge brigades leave we’ll be in real trouble."

 

[TSOL]

My theory has always been that the number of casualties are dwindling due to operational siezing.

The less operations and troops movement, the less action.

The numbers were getting really bad there for awhile with the deaths topping a hundred month after month; everyone started to notice and they suddenly dropped ?

No. Lack of troop activity will lower the numbers.

The SURGE is not working, the War will never be won.

 

[rollingpig]

the root of the violence problem in iraq is our occupation, when will the public wake up to that fact????

 

[Dark_Horse_Rider]

Also money can be persuasive when people don't have nothing

 

[Jae0]

the root of the violence problem in iraq is our occupation, when will the public wake up to that fact????

A lot of people dont care! I've talked to so many people who are like McCain and say we have to be there so we can save face.

 

[scandinaviany3]

that is the real reason

Also money can be persuasive when people don't have nothing

yah..patreas had to pay off the sunnis for peace.

But there is other groups with unrest. Still others that money isnt going to work.

 

[Dark_Horse_Rider]

Ahh ! Saving face... that explains those reserves of his !

 

[TSOL]

A lot of people dont care! I've talked to so many people who are like McCain and say we have to be there so we can save face.

God

I've heard the same thing. Or that it'll worse off when we leave.

I think they were better off with Saddam in power.

 

[VoluntaryMan]

I wonder how much attention will be devoted to the fact the the "McChINA Surge" has actually been a strategic withdrawal? The definition of "The Surge is Working!" has always been interpreted to mean "a reduction in the rate of American casualties." If this is the new metric of "success in Iraq," (a reduction of US casualties), and it's withdrawal from the theatre of operations that is "working" to accomplish that goal, isn't the "McChINA Surge" just an admission that Dr. Paul was right all along?!

 

[Elwar]

I was out in Iraq and during the winter the attacks went down quite a bit...

it's just cold (ya, not super cold but not nice) and wet for months

I noticed the first couple of nice days starting around March the violence picked up.

They are definitely fair weather terrorists.

 

[Dark_Horse_Rider]

yah..patreas had to pay off the sunnis for peace.

But there is other groups with unrest. Still others that money isnt going to work.

Yeah I Agree

 

[RonPaulFTFW]

They will use the guns we gave them to fight us.

 

[Shink]

This shit is so stupid. This is NOT. A. WAR! Dumbfucks. I hope we get militarily occupied by China so they can stop radical republic extremism. Seriously, how sad are the state of affairs in the world when the only way for someone to even dare CONSIDER why use of force against anyone is bad is through example? You would seriously have to put a blade to the throat of a warmonger chickenhawk before they'd think it was wrong. And even then, they'd peg it as being the fault of whatever group they can categorize you as.

 

[Citizen Warrior]

A lot of people dont care! I've talked to so many people who are like McCain and say we have to be there so we can save face.

How about we already lost face in Viet Nam? Another "bug out" won't hurt our already tarnished reputation.

On the other hand, it will serve notice to some of our "on and off" again Allies, that they are going to have to learn to take care of themselves (and foot the bills for that privledge).

CW