While Anti-War Groups Retreat on Iraq, Democratic Leaders Cling to Strategy to Ensure Our Troops' Defeat
Roll Call Column: "Will Democrats Ever Acknowledge Progress in Iraq?"
Washington,
Jan 17, 2008 -
Anti-war groups are throwing in the towel after wasting millions of dollars throughout 2007 on failed efforts to ensure our defeat in Iraq. In a story titled “Anti-War Groups Retreat,” today’s Politico reports the details:
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“After a series of legislative defeats in 2007 that saw the year end with more U.S. troops in Iraq than when it began, a coalition of anti-war groups is backing away from its multimillion-dollar drive to cut funding for the war and force Congress to pass timelines for bringing U.S. troops home.
“‘There was a consensus that last year was not productive,’ John Isaacs, executive director of Council for a Livable World, said of a meeting attended by a coalition of anti-war groups last week. ‘Our expectations were dashed.’”
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You would think that the Democratic Majority, which has done the bidding for the anti-war Left for the past 12 months, would take note of this retreat and recalibrate its own rhetoric. But that hasn’t happened. Instead, the Democratic leadership in both the House and the Senate has stubbornly stayed the course, refusing to give our troops and their commanders credit for the incredible turnaround in Iraq. Consider some of the most recent statements out of Democratic leaders:
- “Political progress has come to a near standstill, and most of the established benchmarks for progress – including provincial elections, the passage of de-Baathification laws, and a plan for oil revenue-sharing – are far from reach.” – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), press release, January 10, 2008 – just two days before the Iraqi parliament unanimously passed the “Accountability and Justice” de-Baathification law.
- “Like the American people, Democrats know that we urgently need a change of course in Iraq as political progress – the primary goal of the surge – remains out of reach.” – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), press release, January 8, 2008
Or how about this title from Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid’s January 8, 2008 press release?
“Pelosi and Reid: Bush Continues to Deny Reality in Iraq, at Home”
Quite to the contrary, it is the Democratic leadership that continues to deny reality, according to Roll Call’s Morton Kondracke in a column published this morning:
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“None of the Democratic presidential candidates – or Congressional leaders – will acknowledge that the troop surge in Iraq creates the possibility that the United States could actually win the conflict and that their calls for hasty troop withdrawals may be misguided…
“For sure, the surge is working militarily – U.S. deaths are down 80 percent; civilian deaths, 75 percent; car bombs and suicide attacks, 60 percent. Al-Qaida terrorists are on the run. Iraqi security forces have expanded by 100,000 and are now in charge of half of Iraq’s provinces.
“Politically, there is progress, too, especially at the provincial level. Former Sunni insurgents are cooperating with the United States and Sunni politicians may rejoin the national government. Shiite militants have declared a cease-fire.”
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al-Qaeda calls Iraq the most important battlefield in the global conflict between militant Islam and the free nations. Defeating them there will have far-reaching consequences. More than one year into General Petraeus’ strategy, it’s time for Democratic leaders to swallow their pride, join the newly-retreating anti-war movement, and – at long last – acknowledge the success of our men and women in uniform.
And it’s time for Democratic leaders to join congressional Republicans and an increasing number of rank-and-file Democrats in ensuring they receive the resources they need to continue routing al Qaeda in Iraq.
