Welcome to the Show!

Yochi J. Dreazen posts an article titled U.S. Delays Report on Iran Arms in the Wall Street Journal, May 21:


The U.S. military, in a shift, has postponed the release of a report detailing allegations of Iranian support for Iraqi insurgents, according to people familiar with the matter.

The military had initially planned to publicize the report several weeks ago but instead turned the dossier over to the Iraqi government, these people said. The Iraqis are using the information to pressure Tehran to curb the flow of Iranian weaponry and explosives into Iraq, these people said.

Me, writing here at Confederate Yankee on May 8 in a post titled Why You Won't See the Iranian Weapons We've Captured in Iraq:


...hopes of a diplomatic solution between Iran and Iraq have forestalled the U.S. military press conference displaying captured weaponry first expected in Baghdad over a week ago.

The press conference was delayed in hopes that an Iraqi delegation to Tehran bearing evidence of Iranian weapons captured by U.S. and Iraqi forces in recent fighting could resolve the issue as a matter between the two neighboring states.

Unsurprisingly, Iran has disputed the evidence, and as a result, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has ordered a special committee to compile evidence captured by both American and Iraqi forces. Once the evidence is compiled, it is hoped that this would help inform the committee in putting forth a coherent Iraqi policy on Iranian involvement in smuggling weapons into Iraq. That policy will be presented to the Iranian government in hopes of stopping Iranian smuggling of weapons and preclude a conflict between the two nations, according to U.S. military sources. Iran and Iraq fought a war from 1980-88 that claimed approximately one million lives when Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq, and the political goals of neither Shia-dominated government would be well-served by a return to conflict.

Perhaps by June, the media will also come to my conclusion on what this means to Iranq/Iran relations, as well.

It is getting harder and harder for the media to keep up with the turn of events in Iraq. Many had been wedded to the "quagmire" theory of assumed stasis leading to assured defeat and withdrawal, a theory still coveted by most senior Democrats and the online activist left. They bitterly cling to this theory because of the amount of political capital they have invested in it, even though that theory is being directly countered by evidence mounting at a blistering pace.

Iraq is not free from terror or outside influence and will not be for years to come, but the facts are that the insurgent groups, terrorist organizations, and rogue militias in Iraq are collapsing before the onslaught of increasingly fierce and competent Iraqi security forces, civilian-provided intelligence, and gutsy civilian leadership, backed by U.S. forces. We'll leave it for the historians to decide at which point the corner was turned and victory was assured, but some things are certain.

Anyone still attempting to claim that coalition and Iraqi forces are fighting in a lost cause or a endless quagmire as of mid-May, 2008, is doing so in direct opposition to the facts on the ground.

Your only response should be wondering what they are trying to sell you, and why.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 12:54 AM

Comments

1 CY - You deserve a big pat on the back for being ahead for your analysis.

One correction suggestion: "Perhaps by June, the media will also come to my conclusion on what this means to Iran/Iran relations, as well."

Iran/Iraq?

Posted by: Mark at May 22, 2008 10:36 AM (4od5C)

2 Obammy has married himself to defeat. McCain, whatever his many flaws and errors, has married himself to victory. I have long thought that Hillary, whatever her campaign stances, would fight the war aggressively once in office and responsible for our security. That, of course, is one of the things that dooms her in the primary. In any event, we will have a clear choice, at least on the war. That is if Barry doesn't walk back his positions any more. Maybe he is educable himself after all. Sadly, Dem primary voters are not.

Posted by: megapotamus at May 22, 2008 12:06 PM (LF+qW)

3 The elephant in the room is that the Left could concede the point that Iraq has been won, thank Bush for more or less destroying al Qaeda and quickly move on to the position it had on 10-Sept-2001.

The conservatives and Republicans would probably regret the day that this happened, but, thankfully, the Left see this as a lose-lose situation.

Posted by: Neo at May 22, 2008 05:01 PM (Yozw9)

4 Let me guess - the Iraqis do not want to make this a public issue yet because they do not feel secure in their own forces yet. As that belief in the steadiness of the Iraqi forces becomes stronger Iraq will take a harder stance towards Iran. Perhaps they are being over-cautious, but I guess they are putting the screws on the Mahdi Army and other groups so that they can then turn and publicly say "Butt out" and be confident they can make it stick.

Posted by: Mikey NTH at May 22, 2008 06:51 PM (TUWci)

5 "...move on to the position it had on 10-Sept-2001."

Move? They are already there.

Posted by: Mikey NTH at May 22, 2008 06:53 PM (TUWci)

6 ...thank Bush for more or less destroying al Qaeda...

And that right there, Neo, is why they'll never do it. The lefties will thank Bush for something about the same time lions become vegetarians, and not before.

Posted by: C-C-G at May 22, 2008 07:29 PM (WLr2t)

7 The Left in this country has never really gotten over our defeat of the USSR. For those of us who remember the Cold War, we remember how most Democrats were committed to losing that war.

Now we have a new war for them to try to lose. And winning this one is driving them completely around the bend (a short drive, admittedly).

Posted by: iconoclast at May 23, 2008 12:37 AM (xgHWw)

8 Your correct icono.They didnt like when we won over the russkis,they didnt like it when kicked ass on Tet,and they damn sure dont the fact that Pres.Bush has done something right in Iraq. Just saying.

Posted by: 1903A3 at May 23, 2008 08:17 AM (0JFRo)

9 PS.. I agree w/Mark CY, Outstanding job!

Posted by: 1903A3 at May 23, 2008 08:19 AM (0JFRo)






Processing 0.0, elapsed 0.0069 seconds.
18 queries taking 0.0046 seconds, 17 records returned.
Page size 10 kb.
Powered by Minx 0.8 beta.