Comments on: “Our troops have earned more time”

By: Michelle Malkin » “Why Obama must go to Iraq”

Michelle Malkin » “Why Obama must go to Iraq” — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:23:32 +0000

[...] can’t afford to risk any exposure to the inconvenient truths on the ground that led Democrats Brian Baird and Joe Donnelly to change their minds and oppose immediate withdrawal. Posted in: Barack Obama, [...]

By: Michelle Malkin » Another Democrat visits Iraq, sees success…and will soon be a MoveOn punching bag

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 01:04:23 +0000

[...] which has waged a vicious campaign against Rep. Baird since he returned from Iraq in August and announced his support for the surge, is no doubt [...]

By: PianoStrumenti

PianoStrumenti — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:29:55 +0000

PianoStrumenti…

Thanks heaps for this! if anyone else has anything, it would be much appreciated. http://www.pianodroit.xpcmusic.pl …

By: Michelle Malkin » Not joining the Katie-bashing just yet…plus, a shout-out to the citizen embeds who don’t make the nightly news

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:41:00 +0000

[...] Is she trying to boost her TV ratings? Sure. Who in tee-vee land isn’t trying to do that? Does she have a liberal agenda? Again, with few exceptions, who doesn’t have a liberal agenda in tee-vee land? Will she change her mind about the war? Probably not, but who knows? Look at Rep. Brian Baird. [...]

By: Michelle Malkin » The Left bashes Brian Baird

Michelle Malkin » The Left bashes Brian Baird — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:24:00 +0000

[...] highlighted Democrat Rep. Brian Baird’s op-ed last week in the Seattle Times arguing against precipitous [...]

By: Radio Left

Radio Left — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:00:02 +0000

Baird Turns To Conservative Media To Push New, Pro-Escalation Iraq Position…

Think Progress

Nearly two weeks ago, Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), who voted against the initial invasion of Iraq, returned from a two-day trip to the war-torn country, proclaiming that “we’re making real progress” in Iraq and that the es…

By: Minefeed.com

Minefeed.com — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:20:58 +0000

Baird Turns To Conservative Media To Push New, Pro-Escalation Iraq Position…

Nearly two weeks ago, Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), who voted against the initial invasion of Iraq, returned [...]…

By: Think Progress » Baird Turns To Conservative Media To Push New, Pro-Escalation Iraq Position

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:56:00 +0000

[...] pundits and politicians quickly latched onto his comments. Baird reciprocated by granting interviews to [...]

By: ArmywifeArmymom

ArmywifeArmymom — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:05:04 +0000

Thank you for that update! I love to hear the words from the men who are on the front lines. I have not talked to my son in a long time, and I don’t know how much longer it will be. He is also on the front lines, and is working very long hours. I hope they all stay safe and are doing well. Tell your dh I said “Thank you!”

By: SFWife

SFWife — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 08:19:28 +0000

Armywife/mom, you are correct all the way! All my friends here at MM, here is the latest and greatest from my hubby (an army sf company commander):

We have really been picking up operations against the insurgent terrorists in our area and while they have assassinated a few provincial governors and police chiefs lately (a typical insurgent tactic to intimidate other local political and civic leaders to stay compliant).
We have been extremely successful of late working with our Iraqi counter-parts, employing some new, aggressive techniques to capture many of the bad guys we’ve been after here for a long time. You can tell you’re having an affect on the insurgent network and hurting their feelings when they start dropping more mortars on your compound and begin to threaten or infiltrate your local guard force. We understand though that simply capturing/eliminating bad guys cannot solve this problem alone, there will always be another strong-man/criminal/thug/terrorist to take the place of the one we just removed.

The solution lies in empowering the Government of Iraq’s security forces (police, SWAT, Army and intelligence networks) and to an even greater extent… empowering the Iraqi people at the neighborhood and tribal level. Luckily GEN Petreaus has the right strategy, which he actually takes the time to get out and about to check, at the tactical level, to ensure his strategy and intent are being implemented and supported. This is a similar trait which Sir Gerald Templar used in the Malay Emergency in 1948-1958 which allowed the British to succeed against the Chinese communist insurgents there. Very different campaign, but similar leadership traits shared by GEN Petreaus.

To counter this insurgent effort our Special Forces company has begun holding medical calls in the local communities, starting first with our Iraqi soldiers/policemens’ families and children. This simple act, American SF medics patching up families and Iraqi children has had amazing results. The leaders of our Iraqi counter-parts have begun to be mobbed in the town traffic circles by excited families, thanking them for helping them to get their families treated. The Iraqi general I work with every day said this program, as well as the neighborhood watch program we are standing up has given him and his men new hope and that we should be able to start motivating the populace to take back their neighborhoods and help in the fight against the Jaysh al Mahdi insurgency.

We have also been called to large meetings with tribal Sheiks where I have spoken to large crowds, telling them that I did not come there to make them promises about more U.S. money, guns or training, but that they needed to stand-up to the few insurgents holding their families and tribes hostage and provide the Iraqi police and army with good information to defeat the insurgents hiding in their midsts. We are now building and organizing these “home guard” programs to empower the Iraqi people with the ability to stand-up to the few terrorists. Once we have built a successful model here, we will spread the word through Coalition and Iraqi channels and push these programs further and further out, at the same time stepping back further and further, allowing and encouraging the Iraqi Police/Military leaders to take the lead. We have already seen a renewed committment in these groups as they sense that the time for sitting on the fence is drawing to an end.

Well, I won’t paint too rosy of a picture. Things are tough over here, but the Iraqi people, the the soldiers and our servicemembers have sweat, bled and died to make this a better place. Things are tough, but none of the great endearvors our nation has ever accomplished has ever come easy. Thanks very much for your continued thoughts and prayers! Godspeed.

By: ArmywifeArmymom

ArmywifeArmymom — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 23:54:42 +0000

Bah! I am not even going there with the same old stupid sophomoric arguments. I am over it. We have men with their boots on the ground, living, fighting, bleeding and dying in the damned sand, and we can’t even talk about what they are achieving without it becoming a Bush-bash fest.

The fact of the matter is: Since the last pair of “surge” boots hit the sandbox we have had 3 major operations start and 2 finish. We have had Operation Arrowhead Ripper, Operation Lightening Hammer, and Operation Phantom Strike. These have been focused within the Diyala Province which has long been overrun with Al Qaeda operatives. So far, the residents of Baqubah are now free to walk around in their town. They are working to form their own security forces. Their residents are, indeed, actively fighting Al Qaeda with our forces. They don’t want Al Qaeda there.

The other operations are focusing on the Diayla province in general. They are sweeping Al Qaeda into the streets and either killing them or capturing them. They will not escape. The mantra is “Surrender OR die!” Operation Lightening Hammer just finished this past week, and was a huge success! Many Al Q leaders captured or killed, and many weapons caches seized.

We have made tremendous ground in areas that were previously run over by Al Qaeda. We have done this in less than TWO MONTHS! The truth is we needed the surge, and we needed Petraeus! Now is not the time to talk defeat or surrender. Give our men a chance. If we pull out now we are screwed, and the entire Diyala Province will have been won by Al Qaeda. Do you really want that? Trust me, you don’t.

I really wish that more politicians would pull their head away from their colon, like Baird has done, and separate their own fragile egos from the results of this war. Iraq will not be a win for Bush — it will be a win for America, and for our military. I think that a Democrat actually gets that now. He has kudos from me!

By: JWS

JWS — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 17:07:44 +0000

This is ridiculous. The Dhims don’t know what to do. So now, faced with evidence that we are taking control in Iraq, they are slowly beginning to voice just that. But it’s all in the hope of capturing the white house in ‘08. They’re banking on folks somehow miraculously forgetting the years of “we must lose!” bull crap. How anyone can even think of voting for these shameless traitors is beyond me…

By: James Felix

James Felix — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 15:15:24 +0000

What an eye opener. Post after post denies that Bush tried to associate 9/11 with Saddam or to use it as a reason to invade Iraq.

You still never answered me as to why the Democrats thought it was vital to remove Saddam in 1998.

Not that I expect you to, since there’s no way even the most deranged liberal could link it to a nefarious plan by Bush, Cheney or Rove.

What changed? Why was removing Saddam a good idea in 1998 but a bad one 2003? What happened during those five years that made it less imperative to remove a strategic threat to our country?

And let me remind you that “Bushchenyhaliburtonnobloodforoil!!” is not an acceptable answer.

By: James Felix

James Felix — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 14:40:21 +0000

Now what Britain needs is a 21st century Winston Churchill.

Wouldn’t mind one here in America, either.

By: Brian72

Brian72 — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 14:01:06 +0000

On August 25th, 2007 at 7:31 am, pgtips said:

Now what Britain needs is a 21st century Winston Churchill.

Truer words were never spoken.

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realised; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, “come then, let us go forward together with our united strength.”

First Speech as Prime Minister
May 13, 1940
to House of Commons

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!

We Shall Fight on the Beaches
June 4, 1940
House of Commons