Redstate

Posted at 12:42am on Jul. 6, 2008 Iraqi Army Defeats Al Qaeda in Mosul

By David Hinz

From the News You Won't Read In The New York Times Department:

With the support of the American 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, the Iraqi Army has defeated Al Qaeda in Iraq, driving them from their last remaining stronghold in the northern city of Mosul. The offensive known as Operation Lion’s Roar has seen the Iraqi Army kill Al Qaeda leader Abu Khalaf, while capturing over 1000 terrorist fighters. The terrorist numbers once numbered more than 12,000.

“I think we’re at the irreversible point," American commander Major-General Mark Hertling told Times of London reporter Marie Colvin.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was openly optimistic in his assessment of the situation. “They were intending to besiege Baghdad and control it,” Maliki said. “But thanks to the will of the tribes, security forces, army and all Iraqis, we defeated them.”

The situation in Mosul, the last Al Qaeda stronghold in the country, has improved to much that Colvin was allowed to stroll through the streets with an Iraqi Colonel as house to house search operations were carried out.

Last Friday I joined the 2nd Iraqi Division as it supported local police in a house-to-house search for one such bomb after intelligence pointed to a large explosion today.

Even in the district of Zanjali, previously a hotbed of the insurgency, it was possible to accompany an Iraqi colonel on foot through streets of breeze-block houses studded with bullet holes. Hundreds of houses were searched without resistance but no bomb was found, only 60kg of explosives.

Read the rest posted at:

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Posted at 7:11pm on Jul. 4, 2008 What Did You Do on Independence Day?

By streiff

GEN Dave Petraeus re-enlists 1,215 US soldiers at Al Faw Palace, Baghdad. July 4, 2008.

Sort of puts the typical fireworks display and barbecue to shame. If this brings neither a tear to your eye or causes a bit of a tingle to run up your spine you need to rethink what today is about.

(h/t to Bob Krumm from whom I pinched the headline)

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Posted at 4:08pm on Jul. 4, 2008 Celebrating Freedom

By Matt Sanchez

This Independence Day, I can't help but recall some of my past Fourth of July celebrations. On one 4th of July, I was at bootcamp in Parris Island. As platoon leader, I got to hold the American flag during the the festivities on the parade deck. It was a long day, hot weather and I had to remain perfectly still. There's nothing like a military ceremony to celebrate the Fourth of July and on that day, despite the heat, cramps and bugs, I was enormously proud of being an American.

Last 4th of July, I was in Baghdad with the 1st Squadron of the 4th Calvary on FOB Falcon. The neighborhood the 1-4 Cav covered was one of the most hostile areas in all of Baghdad and the residents had seen a lot of violence.

Anyone who has been to Iraq knows there are tons of kids everywhere. I liked asking kids questions because they give the most direct and honest responses. Here's what one kid told me about the American soldiers who patrolled his neighborhood.

I've often said that the best that the United States has to offer are serving in the military and in combat zones like some of the neighborhoods in Baghdad. Armed with little more than their dedication to their duty and to one another, the men and women of the United States military have turned the tide on what seemed an impossible situation. Their stories, on this day, the birth of our country, deserved to be honored and remembered.

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Posted at 7:57pm on Jul. 3, 2008 Existential Struggle: Thoughts On the Eve of Independence Day

By TheSophist

In a recent post of mine, I have had the pleasure to engage in civil, reasoned discourse about the propriety of using or not using torture in our War against Irhabis. In that discussion, it struck me that there is an unspoken assumption that underlies all of our thoughts about the War, about what's right and wrong, and about our policies.

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Posted at 11:51am on Jul. 2, 2008 A Policy for Torture: Responding to Christopher Hitchens

By TheSophist

The 59-year old chain-smoking auteur Christopher Hitchens has undergone waterboarding in order to experience it first hand. His conclusion? "Believe Me, It's Torture." That is the title of his article.

His conclusion is that we, the United States, should cease the practice of waterboarding. In all honesty, I can get behind that, but the reasoning that Mr. Hitchens uses to get to his conclusion strikes me as equal parts all-wet and civilized fantasy.

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Posted at 6:31am on Jul. 2, 2008 Start the stop watch. Prepare for an Obama flip.

By Erick

This is good news.

Iraq's efforts on 15 of 18 benchmarks are "satisfactory" — almost twice of what it determined to be the case a year ago, the White House reports in a new assessment to Congress. The May 2008 report card, obtained by the Associated Press, determines that only two of the benchmarks — enacting and implementing laws to disarm militias and distribute oil revenues — are unsatisfactory.

In the past 12 months, since the White House released its first formal assessment of Iraq's military and political progress, Baghdad politicians have reached several new agreements seen as critical to easing sectarian tensions.

I suspect that at any time Barack Obama will throw under the bus his former opposition to the war and declare it both a success and acknowledge that he always knew it was going to be successful.

But don't you call him on it. If you do, you are a dirty racist.

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Posted at 7:18pm on Jul. 1, 2008 A reminder.......................

By RollingThunder

On this, the eve of the vote to declare our independence from Great Britain, I give you a pictorial reminder of what fighting for freedom really means: Thank you Maryann.

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Posted at 1:34pm on Jul. 1, 2008 CNN Finds NEW Way to Count Body Bags, Now in Afghanistan

By Warner Todd Huston

We've taken notice that Iraq is suddenly out of the news now that things are consistently going so well for U.S. forces there. Well, since CNN can't find much bad to talk about in Iraq they've finally found some "bad" news they can use as a needle to stick in the Bush Administration's collective eye. In Coalition troop deaths in Afghanistan surpass Iraq, CNN has discovered that they can make a body bag contest out of casualties between Iraq and Afghanistan. Oh, joy!

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Posted at 2:00pm on Jun. 30, 2008 Seven Things You Won’t Be Hearing On The 6:00 News

By Repair Man Jack

Kudos to Ralph Peters. He brings us the seven things you won’t hear about Iraq from our trusted guardians of all that is true over at CBS News. Peters leads off his list of seven lies being told about Iraq with the following.

Whopper No. 1: America is less safe today than it was on Sept. 10, 2001.

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Posted at 8:50pm on Jun. 29, 2008 Did The New York Times Do It Again?!!

By Wubbies World

Right now over at the Drudge Report, there is this flash in the top of the right hand column (in red):

SOURCES: BUSH ANGER AT COMING NEW YORK TIMES STORY DETAILING HUNT FOR BIN LADEN... The newspaper is planning to expose a 'highly classified Pentagon order' authorizing Special Operations forces to hunt al-Qaida leader in mountains of Pakistan... DEVELOPING....

Did they do it? and will the story be on the front page?

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Posted at 1:34pm on Jun. 27, 2008 The Wrong War, The Wrong Place, The Wrong Strategy

By Dan McLaughlin

Is being stretched thin, bled dry, demoralized and defeated in the war for hearts and minds of the Muslim world by the war in Iraq a recipe for losing the war on terror?

Strategy Page says that for Al Qaeda, it is. Via Vodkapundit. I must say I'm a little skeptical of the statistic that only 4% of the jihadists in Iraq have been foreign, however.

Posted at 7:35am on Jun. 26, 2008 Christians still persecuted in Iraq.

By Paul J Cella

The situation in Iraq is improving, alright, but we should never forget the persecution suffered by Iraqi Christians. This New York Times article details at length the re-reappearance of the jizya, the ancient method of extortion reserved for Christians and Jews under Islam’s celebrated system of tolerance for People of the Book. It appears that a refusal to pay the jizya is what cost Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, the leader of the Chaldean Catholics in Mosul, his freedom and then his life.

Meanwhile, a Canadian parliamentary committee has uncovered some horrifying details of the unspeakable campaign against Christians in Iraq:

Muslim militants are crucifying children to terrorize their Christian parents into fleeing Iraq, a parliamentary committee studying the persecution of religious minorities heard yesterday.

Since the war began in 2003, about 12 children, many as young as 10, have been kidnapped and killed, then nailed to makeshift crosses near their homes to terrify and torment their parents.

One infant was snatched, decapitated, burned and left on his mother's doorstep, the committee was told.

May our Lord give them strength, comfort, and that peace which passes all understanding. May His justice find their persecutors swiftly. And may the religion of fire and sword which enjoins this persecution be discredited and banished from the world of men.

Posted in dhimma | Iraq | Iraqi Christians | Islam | War — Comments (13)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 10:45am on Jun. 25, 2008 Seeking Redstaters to Rise in Defense of State & the CIA

By TheSophist

Last night, I finally managed to finish Doug Feith's massive, and massively documented, War and Decision. It may have been the most illuminating book I have ever read about how our government actually functions, and it has the benefit of extensive documentation. Dough Feith tries hard to be fair, although given his central role as a player in the dramas (instead of just an observer), his biases are extremely evident.

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Posted at 11:39am on Jun. 24, 2008 "Cocksure Surge Opponents, Drunk on Their Own Vindication, Will Get to Enjoy Their Season of Humility"

By Bill Dupray

David Brooks has a brilliant piece in the New York Times. It is the most clear eyed, dead-on balls accurate analysis of how President Bush's unwavering leadership and courage, in the face of a storm of opponents in both parties and around the world, led to the successful resolution of the Iraq War. You realize by the end of the piece that Bush will go down on this issue, lefty bleating notwithstanding, as one of the most resolute and tenacious leaders our country has known. Take 3 minutes and read the whole thing.

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