Forget about Petraeus, forget about Crocker, forget about anyone else who wants to characterize the surge as a success. These are the words from the boots on the ground in Iraq:
"It bugs the hell out of me," said Sgt. George Lewis, Captain Veath’s platoon sergeant in Company B, Third Platoon, First Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment. "We don’t see any progress being made at all. We hear these guys in firefights. We know if we are not up there helping these guys out we are making very little progress."
NYTimes: Iraqi Unit Flees Post, Despite American’s Plea
What Sgt. Lewis was referring to was:
A company of Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions on Tuesday night in Sadr City, defying American soldiers who implored them to hold the line against Shiite militias.
The retreat left a crucial stretch of road on the front lines undefended for hours and led to a tense series of exchanges between American soldiers and about 50 Iraqi troops who were fleeing.
Capt. Logan Veath, a company commander in the 25th Infantry Division, pleaded with the Iraqi major who was leading his troops away from the Sadr City fight, urging him to return to the front...(NYTimes)
So there you have the unvarnished truth from somebody whose opinion counts. And this, on top of the defections and unreadiness seen in Basra last month.
But I'll keep this short and sweet.
This is a message for the clueless flag wavers and McCainiacs and any other seriously deluded folks who believe it makes sense to stay in Iraq.
You cannot win democracy at the point of a gun!
How else can we say this? How else can we get it through your thick, thick heads that the answer to Iraq is not a military one?
Will, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink?" work for you? Fine. We'll try anything, just please finally understand: We have got to get out of Iraq!
Meanwhile, we are at 4037. And THAT bugs the hell out of me.