What We've Gained In 3 Years in Iraq

[Texas Gentleman]

What We've Gained In 3 Years in Iraq

 

By Donald H. Rumsfeld

Sunday, March 19, 2006; B07

 

 

 

Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side"and that "morale is down." Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned."

 

Who are they that have expressed these concerns? In fact, these are the exact words of terrorists discussing Iraq -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his associates -- who are describing their own situation and must be watching with fear the progress that Iraq has made over the past three years.

 

The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that history will show that to be the case.

 

Fortunately, history is not made up of daily headlines, blogs on Web sites or the latest sensational attack. History is a bigger picture, and it takes some time and perspective to measure accurately.

 

Consider that in three years Iraq has gone from enduring a brutal dictatorship to electing a provisional government to ratifying a new constitution written by Iraqis to electing a permanent government last December. In each of these elections, the number of voters participating has increased significantly -- from 8.5 million in the January 2005 election to nearly 12 million in the December election -- in defiance of terrorists' threats and attacks.

 

One of the most important developments over the past year has been the increasing participation of Iraq's Sunni community in the political process. In the volatile Anbar province, where Sunnis are an overwhelming majority, voter turnout grew from 2 percent in January to 86 percent in December. Sunni sheiks and religious leaders who previously had been sympathetic to the insurgency are today meeting with coalition representatives, encouraging Iraqis to join the security forces and waging what violent extremists such as Abu al-Zarqawi and his al-Qaeda followers recognize as a "large-scale war" against them.

 

The terrorists are determined to stoke sectarian tension and are attempting to spark a civil war. But despite the many acts of violence and provocation, the vast majority of Iraqis have shown that they want their country to remain whole and free of ethnic conflict. We saw this last month after the attack on the Shiite shrine in Samarra, when leaders of Iraq's various political parties and religious groups condemned the violence and called for calm.

 

Another significant transformation has been in the size, capability and responsibility of Iraqi security forces. And this is vitally important, because it is Iraqis, after all, who must build and secure their own nation.

 

Today, some 100 Iraqi army battalions of several hundred troops each are in the fight, and 49 control their own battle space. About 75 percent of all military operations in the country include Iraqi security forces, and nearly half of those are independently Iraqi-planned, Iraqi-conducted and Iraqi-led. Iraqi security forces have a greater ability than coalition troops to detect a foreign terrorist's accent, identify local suspects and use force without increasing a feeling of occupation. It was these Iraqi forces -- not U.S. or coalition troops -- that enforced curfews and contained the violence after the attack on the Golden Dome Shrine in Samarra. To be sure, violence of various stripes continues to slow Iraq's progress. But the coalition is doing everything possible to see this effort succeed and is making adjustments as appropriate.

 

The rationale for a free and democratic Iraq is as compelling today as it was three years ago. A free and stable Iraq will not attack its neighbors, will not conspire with terrorists, will not pay rewards to the families of suicide bombers and will not seek to kill Americans.

 

Though there are those who will never be convinced that the cause in Iraq is worth the costs, anyone looking realistically at the world today -- at the terrorist threat we face -- can come to only one conclusion: Now is the time for resolve, not retreat.

 

Consider that if we retreat now, there is every reason to believe Saddamists and terrorists will fill the vacuum -- and the free world might not have the will to face them again. Turning our backs on postwar Iraq today would be the modern equivalent of handing postwar Germany back to the Nazis. It would be as great a disgrace as if we had asked the liberated nations of Eastern Europe to return to Soviet domination because it was too hard or too tough or we didn't have the patience to work with them as they built free countries.

 

What we need to understand is that the vast majority of the Iraqi people want the coalition to succeed. They want better futures for themselves and their families. They do not want the extremists to win. And they are risking their lives every day to secure their country.

 

That is well worth remembering on this anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

 

The writer is U. S. Secretary of Defense.

[salim]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4821618.stm

 

Alawee interview with BBC. The former PM asked " We are losing each day as an average 50 to 60 people throughout the country, if not more - if this is not civil war, then God knows what civil war is "

 

My reply to this legitemate question is " I raq used to loss 100 people a day during the Iraq Iran war, Was that a civil war." The question is not if there is a war in Iraq. Ofcourse there is. But the question that Mr. Alawee is trying to twist is betwen whom. Today the war is between Iraqis and terror networks.. Is this a civil war. Every day there is tens of car explosions and suiciders who try to kill as many as Iraq, without diffrentiating if they are of this background or other.

In a news coverage , one of the main stream media went to descripe the milionic march to Kerbala by Shia as a sign of secterian division. This media never mentioned that many Sunnis had established centers along the 100's killometers long roads to help . It covered a single incident of some adamists and Qaeda terrorists of shot at the marching people near to Latifia and Yousifia.!

 

Alawee is right in one thing though, the situation is not bearable and need firm action by allowing and helping Iraqis to take charge on fighting back those who used to kill their beloved every day.

[Guest Appalling—But Not Hopeless]

Appalling—But Not Hopeless

 

 

So why have I not given up hope? Partly it's because I have been to Iraq, met the people who are engaged in the struggle to build their country and cannot bring myself to abandon them. Iraq has no Nelson Mandelas, but many of its leaders have shown remarkable patience, courage and statesmanship. Consider the wisdom and authority of Ayatollah Sistani, or the fair-minded and effective role of the Kurds, or the persistent pleas for secularism and tolerance from men like Ayad Allawi. You see lots of rough politics and jockeying for power in Baghdad. But when the stakes get high, when the violence escalates, when facing the abyss, you also see glimpses of leadership.

[salim]

http://nahrain.com/d/news/06/03/20/nhr0320r.html

 

 

An Iraqi writer commenting on Alawee claim of Iraq in a civil war.. The article title was

" Alawee builds his ampetions on civil war"

 

 

علاوي يبني اماله على الحرب الاهليه!!

 

علاء الهاشمي

alhashemy@yahoo.com

 

ليس لدي ادنى شك في ان التصريحات الاعلاميه المغرضه التي يطلقها اياد علاوي بصوره مستمره على الاعلام العالمي وخاصة فيما يتعلق بموضوع الحرب الاهليه يهدف من خلالها الحفاظ على الدعم اللامحدود له من قبل قادة الاعراب في دول الجوار وكذلك المكانه المتميزه والتقدير الكبير الذي ناله عند الساسه الامريكيين والتي جاءت بسبب مواقفه العدائيه الشديده والحقد الدفين لكل مايمت بصله للحركات الاسلاميه الشيعيه وهذا بالطبع مايلبي رغبات امريكا التي لم تبخل جهدا في دعمه سواءا من الناحيه الماديه او الاعلاميه نظرا لتقارب شخصيته القياديه من شخصية رفيقه

[Guest Guest]

Chalabi put responsibility on Bremer for not taking the Sadamists threat to new Iraq seriously. He accused him of paying a non realistioc attention to Alsader, some thing that proven to be wrong..

 

 

الجلبي يحمل بريمر مسؤولية إشتداد التمرد في العراق

 

 

 

 

20/03/2006 12:14 (توقيت غرينتش)

 

حمّل نائب رئيس الوزراء العراقي أحمد الجلبي، الحاكمَ الاداريَ الأميركي السابق في العراق بول بريمر، مسؤولية اشتداد قوة حركة التمرد لتجاهله التهديد الذي كانت تشكله منذ البداية، وفي تصريح على شبكة CNN إنتقد الجلبي تقييم بريمر طوال أشهر للمتمردين، على أنهم مجرد متطرفين يفتقرون إلى التنسيق أو الخطط المحددة ،وتركيزه على تهديدات تبين لاحقا أنها لم تكن واقعية. وقال الجلبي إن بريمر ركز على مقتدى الصدر وكأنه يشكل تهديدا أكبر من الإرهابيين

[Guest photos from Iraq]

/interactive/world/0603/gallery.portraitsofiraq/frameset.exclude.html','770x567','toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,res

zable=no,width=770,height=567

 

From cnn

[Guest photos from Iraq]

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/world/0603/...ontent.1.1.html

[salim]

Bush's comments on civil war

 

 

I would add that losers are looking forward for civil war. Winners always rocks! Just look around and find how Alzarqawee, Iraqi lossing political learders,, the liberal media and sadamees are propaganda for it.. All of them are losers and trying to find some way to bring attention to their

Also look around and look to Bush, Iraqi winning political leaders and most previaling Systani religious authority..

Yesrterday, Iraqis cellebrated three important days .. Religous Arbeaan day to memorize ImamHusain revolution againt Tyrany, Neurooz day, the Kurd new year, and the moment of their freedom that they had long waited for, a wait of more than two thousands years since fail of Iraq in hands of Persians! In Kerbala, there was a gathering of more than 5 milion Shia, who for the the third time in sequence had defianed the Qaeda teror threats .. They marched the roads from all over Iraq walking under sun and fear for hunderds of killometers, to say one word to the Zarqawee and Sadimist thugs "You can't break our will to get our freedom"

More than three million kurds celibrated their new year too which happened to be on same day this year.. More that 25 million iraqis rememberd the great day when some brave president of a distant far nation decided to give a hand of help to break their jail..

 

Please look around through the lossers media, and try to find out if there is any appropriat coverage on this.. Alwaeee said Iraq in a civil war.. a country that can manage such huge events without one incident, even car crash.. You call it in civil war..

 

 

The president admitted there would be tough fighting ahead in Iraq, but after referring to the sectarian violence that followed the bombing of a Shia Muslim mosque in Samarra last month, he said: "Iraqis took a look and decided not to go to civil war."

 

I didn't want war. To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong... No president wants war

 

George W Bush

"The army didn't bust up into sectarian divisions, the army stayed united," he said.

 

"Secondly I was pleased to see the religious leaders stand up. Ayatollah Sistani for example was very clear in his denunciation of violence and the need for the country to stay united," the president added, referring to one of Iraq's most senior Shia clerics.

 

Mr Bush said there were many voices that disagreed with Mr Allawi's view, including President Jalal Talabani and top US commander Gen George Casey.

[salim]

http://www.kuna.net.kw/Story.asp?DSNO=841751

 

In arabic.. Senator Waner "Rep" ,after a visit to Iraq with other congresmen, said in Turky that there is no civil war in Iraq. He added that most American officials that he met had same evaluation. He said that there is a war in Iraq but it is not a civil one.

He also added that all evidences proved that Iraqis are going for a unified governemnt and that the poloitical process is moving in the right direction.

[bdlwet]

As an american who believes Iraquis can be very free and democratic I believe everyone in Iraq should get rid of terrorists from other countries. There is no happiness in watching friends and relatives dying from explosions and gunfire. I was in Vietnam as a young soldier and didn't enjoy seeing the carnage and death. Where is the happiness of freedom seen in Iraq. Nowhere can one find peace unless the people see a future of peace. The military must bcome united in the faith that one country, one army, one people, (Iraq), one vision and one path will lead to the future. A future where people from all over the world come to visit, tour and enjoy your beautiful country. I say beautiful because one of my college instructors many years ago talked about how beautiful his country was before the dictatorship of Saddam. Yes, I know Iraq expatriates and they all view the future with return as their goal. Talented and intelligent people that know Iraq can succeed. Yes, Iraq could compete with any tourist destination in the world when this insanity is cleared up. What have you gained? A chance at a wonderful future. Good Luck and I will remain reading this forum. Many american people wish you luck and have a great hope for your future.