By Dawn's Early Light

Political Will - Transforming Iraq (Part I)

Iraq.  Just the word in any conversation brings up a good deal of emotions and strong debate.  Here in America the war in Iraq has become a non-stop argument from the Main Stream Media to the halls of Congress to the conversations among family members, co-workers and friends. 

However, the Democratic Party leadership has decided that it is time to declare Iraq a loss and discuss timetables of withdrawal.  Here is a sampling of their comments and proposals:

• Sen. John Kerry (D-MA and former Democratic Presidential 2004 nominee) along with Sen. Jack Reid (D-RI) held a news conference according to the Washington Post. "'No one has ever suggested or believes that we should run in the face of car bombers or assassins," Kerry said, referring to a passage in Bush's speech. 'No one is talking about running in the face of a challenge. We're talking about how to win, how to succeed, how do you best achieve our goals? That's the choice here. And what the president did not do today again is acknowledge the fundamental reality of the insurgency.'"
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-SF and Democratic Minority Leader) introduced legislation to set a timetable to bring US service-members home according to this SF Gate article. "'From the start, I've thought this war was a grotesque mistake,'' said Pelosi, who voted against the autumn 2002 resolution authorizing Bush to launch military operations against Saddam Hussein's regime. 'The question now is about the execution of the war. It's hard for anyone to argue that the war meets the standard of a strategy for success.''" Ms. Pelosi, according to the WaPo link above also stated, "We should follow the lead of Congressman John Murtha, who has put forth a plan to make America safer, to make our military stronger, and to make Iraq more stable."
• Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) a former decorated Vietnam veteran and original supporter of the war said in a press conference: "When I said we can't win a military victory, it's because the Iraqis have turned against us. They throw a hand grenade or a rocket into American forces and the people run into the crowd and they -- nobody tells them where they are.  I am convinced, and everything that I've read, the conclusion I've reached is there will be less terrorism, there will be less danger to the United States and it'll be less insurgency once we're out."
• DNC Chair and former 2004 Democratic Presidential hopeful Howard Dean said "The idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong."

This is tantamount to leaders of the Republican Party in 1944 asking President Roosevelt for a timetable to bring the troops home from Europe and the Pacific Theater, which of course never happened.  It is impossible to argue that the war must be won while arguing for a timetable to retreat.   The Democrats listed above are far from the ideal of John F. Kennedy in his inaugural address who promised "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty." [see DEL post regarding here]

While a good portion of the Democratic Party has united behind a message of defeat on Iraq, there is one glaring exception: Senator Joe Lieberman.  Sen. Lieberman "In public statements and a newspaper column... argued that Bush has a strategy for victory in Iraq, has dismissed calls for the president to set a timetable for troop withdrawal, and has warned that it would be a 'colossal mistake' for the Democratic leadership to 'lose its will' at this critical point in the war."

The Democratic argument is made up of elements of the following:

The war is unjust

The War is unwinnable

Victory is not worth the cost

The Bush Administration is incapable of winning the war and is untrustworthy

These are major claims and need to be addressed along with the Bush administration's responses, the facts on the ground in Iraq, and the record to date. 

Part I lays out the Democratic charge of failure and call to withdrawal from Iraq.  Part II will address where we stand in the battle to secure a democratic Iraq and the political resolve of the Bush administration to win at what cost.

Bill Roggio Reports from the Front

Bill Roggio, reporting for his new ThreatsWatch site, took a ride with the "4th Mobile Assault Platoon, call sign Jackal 4, for a zero-dark-thirty patrol" in Husayabah, Iraq.

Also, don't miss his analysis from the day prior on the success the Marines are having near the Syrian border working alongside the Iraqi soldiers.  The Iraqi soldiers, besides adding more forces, are helping the Marines in another tactical way.  Read "Steel Curtain Unmasked" to see how.

Iran Protests American UAVs

Iran is protesting US UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) flights over their country at the United Nations, according to this Washington Post article.  Considering Iran's flagrant nuclear weapons program violations and activities against the Iraqi government and coalition forces, having UAVs over their country should not be their top concern.

However, the UAVs from the US over Iran sure explains this story from January of this year in Pravda, "Russia and Iran join efforts to struggle against invasion of UFOs".

"Unidentified flying objects continue terrorizing the Eastern hemisphere of planet Earth. No one knows what to do with them, although it is obvious that something has to be done with the problem. Russia and Iran agreed to join efforts to study the mysterious phenomenon. The news may seem to be ridiculous at first sight, but it is actually a rather serious matter: UFOs pose a big threat to Iran in connection with its growing nuclear potential.

The UFO mania has gripped Iran. The Air Force command of Teheran has recently been given an order to down any unknown or suspicious object seen in the air space of Iran. If a UFO appears in the sky above Iran, anti-aircraft systems will most likely down it.

Iranian mass media, meanwhile, are distributing more and more information about extraterrestrial threats to the nation's nuclear objects. The flights of unknown objects in the air space of the country have become much more frequent lately, the Resalat Daily wrote. According to the newspaper, unusual luminous objects were spotted above Busher and Natanza, where nuclear facilities are located. One of the objects exploded in the sky, eyewitnesses said. The Iranian defense department is trying to pacify the anxious population. "We have developed plans to protect nuclear objects from any danger. The Iranian Air Force is on alert and ready to fulfill the duty," General Qarim Gavani stated."

I hope the Iranians didn't pay too much to the Russians for the expertise.  It appears from the WaPo story that the UFOs may be US Shadow and Hermes UAVs.

"The latest Iranian protests identified one "alien" unmanned aircraft as a Shadow 200 (RQ-7), which it said crashed 37 miles inside Iran in Ilam Province at sunset on July 4. A second letter said that on Aug. 25 a U.S. Hermes aircraft crashed near Khoram Abad, about 125 miles inside Iran."

It is likely the UAVs may be serving two functions over Iran:

• taking air samples for nuclear particles and photos over Iran's numerous suspected weapon sites
• gathering information on Iranian border crossings into Iraq to assist the terrorist forces to destabilize the country

Condi's Suprise Return to Iraq

Secretary Condoleezza Rice made another suprise visit to the city of Mosul, Iraq, coming less than 6 months since her last trip in May [See DEL here].  In the May DEL post:

"Her primary goal, it would appear, is to support the legitimacy of the current elected government while encouraging the Kurds and Shiites to be as inclusive as possible with the Sunnis.  Her visit serves two other purposes as well:  to remove the spotlight from the recent bombings and refocus world attention on building a democratic Iraq, thereby reducing the media influence of the militants, and to buttress work being done on an acceptable constitution."

Secretary Rice's goals are similar, to bring about cooperation among the various factions in Iraq to promote Iraq's democracy and to refocus the media attention back to the long-run goals of the Administration.  The Guardian reports on her trip:

"'We do support the principles of democracy and support efforts to bridge the differences among Iraqis,' Rice said following a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

Divisions 'may be differences of history or tradition, culture or ethnicity, but in a democratic process these differences can be a strength rather than a handicap,'' she said."

To encourage democracy in the Middle East, the State Department has two initiatives.

"[I am] very much looking forward to going to the Forum for the Future in Bahrain. We are going to establish the first two institutions of the Broader Middle East Initiative: the Fund for the Future, which will be a set of equity investments in small businesses and medium size businesses to try and help stimulate private economic development. It is a fund that is anticipated to be at about $100 million. We will also establish the Foundation for the Future, and that foundation will make grants -- it's anticipated to be about a little over $50 million -- anticipated to make grants to democracy organizations, NGOs in the region that want to promote equality for women, that want to promote the development of political parties and free press, and so forth.

And the remarkable thing about this is that we're going to have Arab partners, Middle Eastern partners, in both of these ventures. And so I'm very much looking forward to that."

The dollar amounts however are small, but they are a start.  It will have to be Iraq as a model of democracy that, over time, will inspire change in the Middle East.  That is why winning the war in Iraq is a critical piece in spreading liberty and democracy and reducing instability and the threat of terrorism.

Rumsfeld and UK Defense Secretary Comments

The US-UK special relationship is the cornerstone of American foreign policy in Europe and arguably the Middle East as well.  This past November 7th, US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and UK Secretary of State for Defense John Reid gave a joint news briefing (the full text can be found here).

Sec. Rumsfeld thanked the British:

"Throughout much of modern history, the special relationship between the United States and Great Britain has dealt repeated blows to totalitarianism of various stripes.  The world is safer and our countries are safer because of the uncommon steel of the British people.  We're grateful for our partnership and for your friendship, Mr. Secretary."

Considering PM Tony Blair's extreme costly political efforts on behalf of the special relationship, it was the least the Secretary could say, and his words are well true.

Sec. Reid begins his address touching on the same subject while expanding on the threat faced to Western Civilization:

"I'm delighted to be here, and I hope the fact that we are standing together on so many issues -- which we've discussed today, from Iraq through Afghanistan and the many other theatres where we are working together; more importantly, our service men and women continue to work together -- is a symbol of our enduring relationship.

I think the thing which lies at the heart of that is shared values, and the struggle which is going on on the global sphere at present is indeed a battle of our values.  It is at heart an ideological struggle between those of us who adhere to 21st century values and those who are trying to impose seventh century values in large sections of the world.  Though it is ideological at heart, it manifests itself in the worst forms of terrorism -- innocent civilians targeted indiscriminately by people who have no constraints of morality, conventions or legality.  It therefore makes it a very, very difficult battle for the young service men and women who serve both our countries with such distinction, courage and fortitude."

It is important that the discussion of radical Islam be framed as a battle against the West on a "battle of our values".  From an American perspective, this distinction seems often lost on the European press, not to mention a few US publications as well. Sec. Reid goes on to attack those in the Main Stream Media (MSM) and elsewhere who argue that change in Iraq is going too slow, by putting it in a historical context.

"I've had some people say that the failure to achieve absolute unanimity within 18 months was indeed a failure.  Well, coming from a country, the United Kingdom, which has a similar continual discussion about the nationalities within a nation-state, and now in the 837th year of trying to resolve the Irish settlement in Northern Ireland and the 300 years just having settled the Scottish one, I think the Iraqis have done damn well to get where they have in 18 months quite frankly, Secretary Rumsfeld.  And to see 64 percent of the Iraqi population coming out in the elections, a greater turnout, despite the threats to themselves, than there was in our general election and probably your presidential election, is a sign of encouragement."

While the conference was a good opportunity for the two Secretaries to give their continued view and rationale for the direction of the campaign in Iraq, the question-and-answer session hit upon some interesting topics.

Joint Strike Fighter

Regarding the JSF program, which will be the largest ever US military purchase, spanning the AirForce, Navy and Marines with different versions of the JSF along with orders from the British and Japanese governments, the US commitment was called into question.

"[W]e're pretty confident that the United States, in their own interests, not just in ours, will make the sensible decisions on the Joint Strike Fighter.  It is true, it is a huge part of our future planning.  We don't have forces, or for that matter the budget the size of the United States.  But we do, I believe, have forces that are equipped, capable and active in terms of meeting the modern threats.  And part of that is the ability to reach out, to have sustainable reach.  And that is why we've ordered a final perusal of our plans to build two carriers which are three times the size of anything that we've got at present.  And if we have such carriers to sustain a presence a long distance from the United Kingdom over a long period, we need a good airplane to operate off them.  And the airplane we want to get is the Joint Strike Fighter, and I see no reason at the moment to be worried about that."

Iranian and Syrian Involvement in Iraq

On the issue of Iranian and Syrian involvement against coalition forces in Iraq:

"Q: Mr. Minister, the top British general down in Basra last week said that he was concerned and had solid evidence that Iran was moving technology and materials over into Iraq.  Can you elaborate on that and your concerns, especially in southern Iraq, with these explosives coming across the border?

SEC. REID:  Do you mean General Dutton?

Q:     Dutton.  Yeah.

SEC. REID:  Yeah.  Yeah, well, for obvious reasons I don't want to go into the technicalities of it, but it is our belief that the nature of the devices being used against British troops and possibly elsewhere in Iraq in recent months bear the hallmark of groups like Hezbollah and may well be connected with elements within Iran.  We don't have the evidence that says this is being backed by the Iranian government, but it is nevertheless worrying, and we've made representations to Iran, because it would obviously not be right for a country to be publicly supporting democratic self-determination in Iraq at the same time as it was allowing or in any way encouraging the use of terrorism or violence.

So it's as simple as that; we have put that.  And putting it in a wider context, of course, if we have those worries -- along with the duplicity which Iran has been using in the development of its nuclear capability -- as witnessed not by me or Secretary Rumsfeld, but by the International Atomic Energy Authority, and then the sort of statements that we've seen from the Iranian president about wiping off the face of the map another member state of the United Nations, then all of these items come together and they are worrying."

Bill Roggio's Interview with Col. Davis (Part II)

Bill Roggio again has another excellent must-read interview with Col. Stephen Davis, Commander of Marine Regimental Combat Team - 2, on Operating Steel Curtain.  The interview is good not only from the comments and analysis provided by Col. Davis but also the probing and knowledgable questions asked by Mr. Roggio.  An earlier interview with Col. Davis can be found here.

Here is just one nugget from the exchange on the Iraqi army:

"Bill: Last time we spoke, we discussed the morale of the Americans serving under your command. Can you give us a feel for the morale of the Iraqi troops?

Col Davis: The morale of the Iraqi troops is high. We are very fortunate to work with these soldiers and to watch them grow. The 2nd Brigade, 7th Division of the Iraqi Army is operating in the Hit/Haditha region, and the 1st Brigade, 1st Division is operating out west on the Syrian border. One of the battalions was engaged in Fallujah and Ramadi. There are some tough and battle hardened soldiers in these units. I am fortunate to have these two brigades directly under my command.

I dine nightly with [Iraqi Army] Colonel Razak, and we discuss the progress of the Iraqi troops and their ability to conduct combat operations. These units operating out here have good morale and show a high degree of proficiency in combat. They are in need of logistics assistance from us. These guys fight hard; I’ve lost six Iraqi soldiers since they have been operating out here.

The Iraqi troops are extremely helpful when it comes to identifying insurgents and al Qaeda. For example, outside of the displaced persons camp set up for citizens of Husaybah, Iraqi troops of the 1/1 picked two Saudis and a Qatari out of the crowd who were dressed as women, then engaged and killed all three. This is but one example of their proficiency."

I highly recommend the post to you.  While you are there, consider donating to Mr. Roggio's December trip "in country" to Iraq as he will be with the Marines of RCT-2.

Bill Roggio's Interview with Col. Davis

Bill Roggio, who is planning on going to Iraq to report firsthand on the Marines' efforts in the Anbar Province in Western Iraq, conducted an insightful interview with Colonel Stephen W. Davis, Commander of Marine Regimental Combat Team - 2.

There are many excellent nuggets in the interview, but Col. Davis' focus on seeing the big picture in waging the fight against the insurgents is clear.

"Saddam never controlled this region of Iraq. It is very tribal and fiercely independent. He sent in the army to kill and intimidate the population. He established two tribes in the region: the Salmanis and the Karabilah tribes, to further his goals and counterbalance existing dominating tribes. The Iraqis out west, particularly in Haditha, are well educated and are able to provide for their own needs. They have operated this way for centuries and can do so again with the proper security environment. We have a simple equation we use out here:

Presence = Security = Stability = the environment for self governance.

Our goal is to enfranchise the Iraqi security forces and allow them to provide for the security in the region and improve the lives of the Iraqi people. We will continue to conduct civil/military affairs operations to improve the lives of the Iraqi people. In Haditha, we are rebuilding the hospital the jihadis attacked with a car bomb and then used as a base of operation. We are working to enhance schools and other services vital to the people. We will continue to maintain a presence until the Iraqi Army is capable of standing on its own."

I highly recommend the article.

Please help Bill Roggio raise the $25,000 he needs to travel to Iraq and expand on his first-rate coverage of the men and women fighting the war and the global perspective of how the war for Iraq is progressing against the backdrop on the Global War on Terror.  Follow the link in the upper right.  For an updated list of Bill's needs for the trip, click here.  The list includes:

• Bullet proof vest with Level 4 API plates
• Tactical backpack
• Cold weather sleeping bag
• Rough weather/terrain computer
• Video camera
• Digital camera
• Extra batteries
• Audio recording device

It is a worthy cause supporting a man I know personally, who is a first-rate gentleman and brilliant thinker.  If you are inclined to and able to help (even just $15 will make a difference) please contribute.

Send Bill Roggio to Iraq

Tired of what you read in the Main Stream Media about Iraq and want a firsthand, reliable account?

Well, now you can do something about it!  Bill Roggio of the 4th Rail is embarking on an exciting adventure.  He is taking a leave of absence and is going to go to Iraq for a month to report firsthand.  As a former US Army soldier, he will be in good company as he will be with Regimental Combat Team - 2, 2nd Marine Division.

However, Bill needs our support.  Please visit his blog or click the link to the right and give him your financial support.  Read his post here and click on the PayPal link.  It will be the best money you spend all day.  Bill's commentary on Iraq is literally second to none.  My wife and I are contributing, and I strongly encourage you to do so.

Keep him and his family in your prayers as he prepares to leave his job unpaid for the month and gather support for his trip over to Iraq.

I plan on posting more information about his trip and his new adventure with ThreatsWatch.org as information becomes available.

Update for Bloggers who support Bill Roggio.  Please feel free to use the button above.  For information on how to use it:

1) Copy image onto your server (this will save me some bandwith)

2) This is the code I used "<a href="http://billroggio.com/archives /2005/10/a_journey_to_an_1.php><img title="Billroggio_iraq" alt="Support Bill Roggio's Trip to Iraq" src="http://[INSERT YOUR FILE LOCATION OF IMAGE HERE]" border="0" /></a>"

If you would like a different file size or format, email me at the link on the upper left, and I will send it to you. 

Operation Spear

Operation Spear began today in Iraq.  I highly recommend Bill Roggio's piece at Winds of Change.  The whole piece is well worth reading to get a good grasp of this important assault near the Syrian border.  However, this portion of his analysis speaks volumes as to how the US and Iraq are progressing in dealing with the insurgent terrorists:

"The operations in Anbar must also be looked at from a political perspective as well. The coalition struck a serious (but not fatal) blow to al Qaeda with the capture of Abu Talha. The terrorists continue to lose their appeal with the Iraqi people. The Iraqi Assembly has successfully completed negotiations with the Sunnis to participate in creating the Constitution, generously ceding 15 seats on the committee to a party that boycotted the elections. Negotiations with Sunni groups at the national level and the local level (particularly in Anbar) are accelerating, as the government attempts to offer the Sunnis an option to end the violence and participate in the government. The Iraqi Army is making the long, uphill climb towards becoming an effective fighting force, and is increasing its participation in combat operations against the insurgency."

This type of summary is often missing in the mainstream media.  There is progress in Iraq.  Operations such as Spear, Matador and New Market are further diminishing the insurgents' ability to kill Iraqis and terrorize the citizens of the cities they corrupt. 

Our prayers and support are with the US and Iraqi forces, who are engaged in an important battle.

Secretary Rice in Iraq

Secretary Rice made a surprise visit to Iraq, stopping first in the north for a meeting with the Kurdish leadership and then traveling on to Baghdad.

Her primary goal, it would appear, is to support the legitimacy of the current elected government while encouraging the Kurds and Shiites to be as inclusive as possible with the Sunnis.  Her visit serves two other purposes as well:  to remove the spotlight from the recent bombings and refocus world attention on building a democratic Iraq, thereby reducing the media influence of the militants, and to buttress work being done on an acceptable constitution.

The recent anti-US protests in the Islamic world, especially over the faulty Newsweek reporting of Gitmo religious abuses (See Bill Roggio's excellent piece today on how this plays right into al-Qaeda field manuals of detention) only makes the Secretary's visit more timely and important.

Before an audience of American and Iraqis working in Baghdad's green zone, she said:

"People don’t want to be suicide bombers, people don’t want to be suicide hijackers, but somehow the ideologies of hatred in this region have become so great that human beings have been willing to do that to other human beings. The answer to that, as the President has said, is to give people a chance at freedom and liberty. And for many many years, the United States, along with the rest of the free world, believed somehow that people in this region didn’t care about freedom. We cared about stability, and what we got was neither freedom nor stability. We got a malignancy that was growing, that came to haunt us on that fine September day.

Now as we work with the people of Iraq to develop a strong and vibrant and vital democracy here in the heart of the Middle East, we can do so assured that these values are universal. There is no point on the Earth where people do not want to be able to say what they think, where people do not want to be able to worship as they please, where people do not want to educate their children, boys and girls, and where people do not want to be free of the knock of the secret police at night.

Those are universal values, and America has always been at its best when it is securing, and providing for, and bringing those values to the rest of the world. Because you know something, when freedom is on the march, America is more secure, and when freedom is in retreat, America is more vulnerable."

While many in the press may see her words as platitudes and the usual diplomatic verbiage, there is a great deal of wisdom in these words.  She takes Cold War American and Western foreign policy to task for promoting stability over a moral expansion of liberty for all, not just the former Communist regimes.  She rightly claims we received neither stability nor greater security.  America is at its best "when it is securing, and providing for" freedom throughout the world. 

In answering questions from Al Iraqiyah, Dr. Rice restated America's intent to see the job through:

"The President has always said that we do not have an exit strategy; we have a success strategy. And the success strategy is when Iraqi forces are strong enough to defend this young democracy. The Iraqi Government has said -- first the interim government and now this government -- that it needs the help of the international community at this point, it needs international forces to fight off the terrorists and to help defend Iraq.

But we want to stay only as long as we are needed. I can assure you that it is the goal of the United States and of other coalition forces to train Iraqi security forces so that Iraq can take care of its own security."

US credibility is strengthened when America promotes, defends and stands by its principles and founding ideals.  The Bush Administration is putting action behind its diplomacy, and Secretary Rice is doing an excellent job conveying this important vision around the globe.