Sunni Arab Bloc Rejoined the Iraqi Cabinet

That’s ok, Scott.  There is still absolutely no politcal progress in Iraq.  Just ignore this.

Iraq’s largest Sunni Arab bloc rejoined the Cabinet Saturday after a year-long boycott.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki speaks during a recent press conference in Baghdad.

Saleem Abdullah, a spokesman for the Iraqi Accord Front bloc, said the parliament voted overwhelmingly Saturday to appoint six members of his bloc to Cabinet posts, including one as deputy prime minister.

The United States and Iraq have cited the inclusion of Sunni Arabs in Iraq’s political lifeblood as a major factor in restoring political stability and improving the atmosphere for national unity.

1. And ignore it he did.  A classic disappearing act by Mr. It. Didn’t. Work.

   I’ve come to expect it from him.

   Posted by on July 19, 2008 at 1911 hrs




2. He was right. Up until this welcome development, the surge had yielded precious little headway toward its stated goal, which was a political rapprochement. Nobody has ever denied that violence went way down, but that drop in violence largely occurred in a political vacuum.

   Posted by on July 20, 2008 at 1338 hrs




3. He was right.

   No, he wasn’t.  Unless you are so deluded that you think this political rapprochement just happened because someone woke up and the sun was shining today.

   Up until this welcome development, the surge had yielded precious little headway toward its stated goal, which was a political rapprochement. Nobody has ever denied that violence went way down, but that drop in violence largely occurred in a political vacuum.

   And you’re wrong too, it must have made enormous headway towards its stated goal, and it must not have been in a vacuum.  It sounds more like a very successful mission.

   Posted by on July 21, 2008 at 0044 hrs




4. Jason, I know you’ve made it your life’s work to shrilly disagree with Scott on every conceivable issue, but look at the post. Do you know what “until” means? Name a significant political milestone that occurred due to the surge before this one, which I freely admit is very important.

   Look, this is great news, no question about it, but it’s the first great political news since the surge began. However, it doesn’t mean that the surge is an unqualified success. It doesn’t mean that it’s been an unqualified failure up until this point either, for crying out loud, as the drop in violence proves.

   Did you ever hear of the term shades of grey? Jesus, everything isn’t black and white, either-or.

   Posted by on July 21, 2008 at 0848 hrs




5. Jason, I know you’ve made it your life’s work to shrilly disagree with Scott on every conceivable issue, but look at the post.

   Stop being a child.

   Do you know what “until” means? Name a significant political milestone that occurred due to the surge before this one, which I freely admit is very important.

   Why?  You’ll just dismiss it, like your boy scott.  I say that every day from the start of the surge until the announcement has led up to this point, with a million tiny little steps along the way to increase the security of the country, and getting the Sunni Arab Bloc the confidence to rejoin their government.

   Look, this is great news, no question about it, but it’s the first great political news since the surge began.

   And to that I say that you’ve been in a vacuum.  I don’t care that there haven’t been daily updates on CNN and others, this news qualifies the cost to me.  It also appears to me that you don’t feel that way, mostly because you weren’t given daily updates.

   Did you ever hear of the term shades of grey? Jesus, everything isn’t black and white, either-or.

   Oh the irony of you telling me this is going to rip a hole in the space - time continuum.  Your words here show that you’re only thinking in black and white.  Just about every sentence in your two posts on this topic have been “black and white”.

   Posted by on July 21, 2008 at 0918 hrs




6. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/ 07/obama-surge.html

   It looks like your boy Iraq is following your lead scott. 

   The parts that stressed his opposition to the 2007 troop surge and his statement that more troops would make no difference in a civil war have somehow disappeared.

   More revisionism from the left, what a surprise.

   Posted by on July 21, 2008 at 0919 hrs




7. And thanks to the “Wayback machine” we can still see what he had been saying.

   http://web.archive.org/web/20070711041024/http://origin .barackobama.com/issues/iraq/

   Senator Obama introduced legislation in January 2007 to offer a responsible alternative to President Bush’s failed escalation policy. The legislation commences redeployment of U.S. forces no later than May 1, 2007 with the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008—a date consistent with the bipartisan Iraq Study Group’s expectations.

   Well, good thing we didn’t listen to him, or we wouldn’t have the success now.  He would have removed all combat brigades 3 months ago.

   Posted by on July 21, 2008 at 0925 hrs