Why Didn't Obama Say It? Petraeus Said that Iraq is Not the Sort of Action Where You Expect Victory
by Damozel | During the debate, I was squirming with exasperation that Obama didn't call McCain out on this point.
As ThinkProgress has frequently noted, the “great general” to whom McCain referred – David Petraeus – has explicitly suggested not using the language McCain seems so fond of. “This is not the sort of struggle where you take a hill, plant the flag and go home to a victory parade… it’s not war with a simple slogan,” Petraeus said. He added that he doesn’t think he’ll ever use the word, citing the “need for real restraint” in public pronouncements.
A couple of weeks ago, we posted the video of him speaking frankly to the BBC. Never mind; here it is again after the jump. Petraeus, who understands that the whole center could drop out of the "fragile" peace in Iraq, any time, saying exactly what TP says he says.
It matters because McCain is saying crap like this
McCAIN: By the way, on Friday night, did you ever hear the word victory from Senator Obama?
CROWD: No!
McCAIN: My friends, if we continue this surge under this great general, we will come home – and our troops will come home – with victory and honor. And not in defeat.
My friend, this great general knows that our success is made out of money paid directly to the Awakening Groups. And the Awakening Groups may well end up with a fresh grievance against the Maliki government. As Cernig said:
[T]here’s a growing storm of discontent among members of the Awakening. The US says there are 100,000 Sons of iraq but the Iraqi government only admits to 50,000 - and they only plan to find new jobs for 20% of those. The rest are to be cut off and told that if they continue to carry weapons they are criminals. You can guess how that’s going to go. If even 20% of the Sons of Iraq return to violence, they’ll comprise an insurgency equal in size to the highest US estimates of Al Qaeda in Iraq at its zenith. (C&L)
It could all cave in like a house built of toothpicks built on a house of cards.
Not that McCain is particularly concerned with what is true, or achievable. He just wants to cast himself as some sort of Leader of Men who will drag some glory out of the disaster. Some morons still think glory is possible. Petraeus, not being one of those, doesn't look at it that way.
Petraeus wasn't being modest when he said the situation is hopeful; he was telling the truth...progress, but with a long way to go. And---unlike McCain---he's not promising to bring us or John McCain anything we would recognize as a "victory."
Overall he summed up the situation as "still hard but hopeful", saying that progress in Iraq was "a bit more durable" but that the situation there remained fragile."(BBCNews 9-11-08)
General Petraeus said the average number of attacks was down to 25 per day from 180 at the height of the violence in June 2007, and praised the role of Iraqi and American-led coalition forces during his time in command.
He said: “I don’t use words like victory or defeat. In fact, I am a realist, not an optimist or a pessimist. And the reality is that there has been significant progress but there are still serious challenges.”
He said Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia “remains lethal, dangerous and barbaric, albeit in a degree of disarray, on the run and with a very damaged, completely destroyed reputation.” (NYT).
Bush himself doesn't disagree about the success of the Surge: ""The progress in Iraq is still fragile and reversible..."" (BBCNews 9-9-08) [BN-Politics]
Of course, if the facts aren't in your favor, lying and posturing is probably your only option.
Libby Spencer notes:
. It's useful to remember if you look at the definition of maverick, it's not a label that implies leadership, it implies stubborn dissent and not necessarily for any logical reason other than to be contrary. Even more illuminating are synonyms from the thesaurus (scroll down).
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