tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post2906864209192747061..comments2024-01-03T05:23:36.046-08:00Comments on The Citizens: Petraeus and CrockerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-31874620504271427472007-09-15T07:27:00.000-07:002007-09-15T07:27:00.000-07:00What troop level shall we define as being low enou...What troop level shall we define as being low enough to constitue having sunsetted the war? What if they pull most troops out but leave say 10,000 in place?Raised By Republicanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03461006522141969925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-59599455897746895442007-09-14T09:50:00.000-07:002007-09-14T09:50:00.000-07:00Any amount of money? This is looking up. What ab...Any amount of money? This is looking up. What about $100 bet that on or before April 1, 2008, the Congress will have passed a bill setting a timetable for withdrawal, setting a date to begin withdrawal, or setting some sort of "hard" benchmarks that trigger withdrawal if X, Y, or Z is not met.The Law Talking Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886791396468512490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-82019192840310803352007-09-13T23:48:00.000-07:002007-09-13T23:48:00.000-07:00I am increasingly optimistic that Republicans will...<I>I am increasingly optimistic that Republicans will begin to defect from Bush and insist on some sort of legislative sunset to the war.</I><BR/><BR/>I will bet you any amount of money this will not happen. But I appreciate your optimism.Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11022494336441129718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-41237985029002527972007-09-13T11:36:00.000-07:002007-09-13T11:36:00.000-07:00"Lives and money" was a deliberate choice for the ..."Lives and money" was a deliberate choice for the reason you expressed. "Blood and treasure" is a horrible, tedious phrase. Its metonymy also obscures the harsh reality of war.The Law Talking Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886791396468512490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-4136542795749716752007-09-13T10:25:00.000-07:002007-09-13T10:25:00.000-07:00Oh, and thank you for saying "lives and money" rat...Oh, and thank you for saying "lives and money" rather than "blood and treasure." I'm sick of that pompous phrase. Like "date certain" it is a phrase used by politicians to try to make themselves sound knowledgeable. And it really doesn't work.Dr. Strangelovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14407042105777411150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-85752950804829065652007-09-13T06:25:00.000-07:002007-09-13T06:25:00.000-07:00Speaking of missed opportunities, the Sunni tribal...Speaking of missed opportunities, the Sunni tribal leader who helped us turn the native Iraqi Sunni militias against Al Qaeda was murdered today. Presumably by Al Qaeda. He was blown up with a V.B.I.E.D. (see posting above). <BR/><BR/>Chicken Noodle News is all a-boil about whether this will derail our plans in Iraq...wait a minute, we had a plan!?Raised By Republicanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03461006522141969925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-10873790034357473222007-09-12T13:03:00.000-07:002007-09-12T13:03:00.000-07:00Bush blurs the distinctions between our enemies an...Bush blurs the distinctions between our enemies and sees all terrorist organizations as branches of the same tree. It has been pointed out by some of my colleagues that, by ignoring the divisions between our enemies, we miss an important opportunity.<BR/><BR/>Iran provides support to Shia militias, not the Sunni. Iran supports Hamas, not al Qaeda. Iran and al Qaeda in Iraq are enemies. <BR/><BR/>Conservatives pooh-poohed the idea of talking with Iran because they said--rightly--that Iran does not wish to help us. But if we are willing to let Iraq fall further into the Iranian sphere of influence, the Shia and their Iranian backers will get rid of competing and destabilizing forces. They will take care of al Qaeda in Iraq for us.<BR/><BR/>If we leave, the civil war will likely worsen for a time, but in time it is equally likely that the Iranian-backed Shia forces will prevail. While we remain, we prolong the war: we insist on "reconciliation" but provide no incentive, and we also prevent any side from winning. Meanwhile, al Qaeda in Iraq continues to grow and fester. When one pulls a knife out of a stab-wound, that will at first cause more bleeding, but only when the knife is removed can the wound begin to heal.Dr. Strangelovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14407042105777411150noreply@blogger.com