Thread: How's Bush's Troop Surge Going You Ask?

It has not helped a thing. But, it has caused the past two months to be the deadliest two month period of the war for our troops.

What a disaster is this administration.

Iraq's Ominous Numbers Game | TIME

Iraq's Ominous Numbers Game

With most of the U.S. military's surge troops already in place, the numbers are starting to come in on how well it has succeeded in its goal of reducing sectarian violence in Iraq. And they aren't encouraging. Sectarian violence is nearly back to its pre-surge levels in Iraq — and rising. Recent weeks have seen greater murder rates. And the numbers seem unlikely to go down with so much of Baghdad still uncontrolled; U.S. commanders recently acknowledged that two-thirds of the capital remain unsecured.

According to figures compiled by the Brookings Institution at the end of May, the number of sectarian murders, carried out mainly by Shi'ite death squads against Sunnis, has risen noticeably in recent weeks after a drop-off that began in the latter part of February. Sectarian deaths are often described as "extra-judicial killings" (EJKs) and involve the abduction, torture and murder of the victim, with the body usually left on the street. In May, says the Brookings report, citing Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace, there were roughly 700 EJKs across Baghdad. While still lower than the pre-surge figure of 800 in February, that's a substantial increase from the estimated 500 in each of March and April, the first two months of the surge. So far in June, about 20 bodies have appeared on the streets of Baghdad a day; at that rate, at least 600 murder victims will surface in Baghdad by the end of June. Meanwhile, the number of bombings targeting civilians in Baghdad, the chief tactic of Sunni extremists out to kill masses of Shi'ites, has remained roughly the same since the surge began, at about 50 per month.

Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, the new spokesman for the U.S. military in Baghdad, argues that the latest statistics don't represent a long-term trend. "It will periodically spike up, like we saw with violence in May," says Bergner, who stressed that the overall level of violence in Baghdad has lowered since January. Nevertheless, he says, "that doesn't mean it's going to be a steady, downward trajectory." Progress, Bergner explains, will continue to appear uneven for some time.

From the beginning, however, the surge strategy relied heavily on the idea that the increased presence of U.S. forces would deter sectarian violence. That worked, for a time. The Mahdi Army, the largest Shi'ite militia, tacitly agreed to suspend its campaign of murder and intimidation against Sunnis as the surge got rolling in March and April. For two months, Shi'ite death squads largely checked themselves, even while Sunni extremists pressed a campaign of bombings that left 617 Iraqis dead in March and 634 dead in April. (In May, the fatalities from bombings fell to 325).

But the restraint that violent Shi'ite factions showed early in the new U.S. military plan seems to be disappearing. As a result, the deterrence card has now been played, and the gamble appears to be lost, just as the last of the U.S. troops sent for the surge get into place. As of last month, 13,000 additional U.S. troops were deployed in Baghdad as part of the surge, which ultimately will bring the number of U.S. forces in Baghdad to some 30,000. Bergner says the last of the U.S. surge forces will be in place in about two weeks, adding that it could be up to 60 days before all the forces are fully effective in their areas. That means virtually all of the surge forces have arrived, only to see sectarian violence spreading anew.

Here's another article that shows improvement in Iraq. This one is not "Time", it's from CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A new approach by American-led forces in Iraq is producing "breathtaking" improvements in security in some areas, says Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in the country, but al Qaeda in Iraq remains well-entrenched in some Baghdad neighborhoods.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Petraeus said the situation in Anbar, the restive Sunni province west of the Iraqi capital, has been "truly transformed in recent months, as the Anbaris and the tribes have decided to oppose al Qaeda and fight with the coalition forces against them."
"What's taken place in Anbar is almost breathtaking," he said. "In the last several months, tribes that turned a blind eye to what al Qaeda was doing in that province are now opposing al Qaeda very vigorously. And the level of violence in Anbar has plummeted; although there clearly is still work to be done. (Watch a CNN exclusive interview with Petraeus as he discusses Iraq )
"Our strategy has always been with this new approach to determine who are the reconcilables and to separate them from the irreconcilables, the extremists," he said. (Watch how some Iraqi insurgents are turning on al Qaeda in Iraq militants)

Originally Posted by Mabol zar Hari

Here's another article that shows improvement in Iraq. This one is not "Time", it's from CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A new approach by American-led forces in Iraq is producing "breathtaking" improvements in security in some areas, says Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in the country, but al Qaeda in Iraq remains well-entrenched in some Baghdad neighborhoods.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Petraeus said the situation in Anbar, the restive Sunni province west of the Iraqi capital, has been "truly transformed in recent months, as the Anbaris and the tribes have decided to oppose al Qaeda and fight with the coalition forces against them."
"What's taken place in Anbar is almost breathtaking," he said. "In the last several months, tribes that turned a blind eye to what al Qaeda was doing in that province are now opposing al Qaeda very vigorously. And the level of violence in Anbar has plummeted; although there clearly is still work to be done. (Watch a CNN exclusive interview with Petraeus as he discusses Iraq )
"Our strategy has always been with this new approach to determine who are the reconcilables and to separate them from the irreconcilables, the extremists," he said. (Watch how some Iraqi insurgents are turning on al Qaeda in Iraq militants)

I notice no link. What's the date on that article? Mine is today. I suspect this is old. But, I'm sure you will bring the link and date for us.

Either this is old or Patraeus is still telling an old story for pure PR purposes. The facts have reversed from what he is claiming here.

You may also want to look for my new thread on that supposed turn of the Sunnis against Al Qaeda. That has fallen apart as they have just signed a truce agreement so they can concentrate on killing our troops.

http://www.politicalhotwire.com/9645...gainst-al.html

Link please.

I think General Betrayus said that when the splurge first happened. I recall the righties crowing about it on some other boards.

Why does it sound like you two want things to go poorly in Iraq? Is that what would make you happy?

Originally Posted by mdmx96

Why does it sound like you two want things to go poorly in Iraq? Is that what would make you happy?

"Want" things to go poorly? Things "ARE" going poorly. I think what the world wants is this administration fired, condemned, then hanged.

Originally Posted by mdmx96

Why does it sound like you two want things to go poorly in Iraq? Is that what would make you happy?

Inky constantly gives me the impression that that is exactly what he wants. That he wants us to fail rather than to succeed.

Originally Posted by Inkslinger

"Want" things to go poorly? Things "ARE" going poorly. I think what the world wants is this administration fired, condemned, then hanged.

Maybe not hanged...

Originally Posted by Zarathustra

Inky constantly gives me the impression that that is exactly what he wants. That he wants us to fail rather than to succeed.

No little tyke. Inky knows the bullshit difference between what shit you ate & reality. There's no winning against an ideal that is fueled by imperialism.

Originally Posted by mdmx96

Why does it sound like you two want things to go poorly in Iraq? Is that what would make you happy?

Want it to? Are you kidding?

I didn't want us to be there at all. I am sickened that even one of our folks died for these lies. Any assertion that I want to see more is rediculous.

But, since Bush promised progress after all of these years if we just let him send even more of our troops into the meat grinder once again, it is certainly fair to point out that yet AGAIN, his predictions about progress in Iraq are bullshit.

If it were the first time one of his predictions of progress in exchange for more American blood did not work out, it would be one thing. But this is the 4th troop escalation that Bush promised would make the difference, "turn the corner", etc.

He is a disaster and his predictions are utterly without merit.

If America keeps buying his shit, he will just keep sending more of our folks to their deaths for nothing.

This better be the LAST time that anyone believes this idiot and his predictions for the future of Iraq. He gets nothing right. He has zero credibility.

It is WAY past time to get our troops out of the middle of this 1400 year old sectarian war.