Eight U.S. Soldiers Are Killed in Iraq Violence - 23 in Last Four Days

It highlights the nature of the enemy who sense a weakness in character by those who want to pull out.

 

It highlights just how evil this enemy (insurgents/iraqi muslims who hate us) is. And that with thousands of years of demonic activity specifically in that region (since the beginning of civilization), why it will never be at peace (no matter how many troops are there) until Jesus comes to rule and reign.

 

Gen Petraeus has all his troops now and is putting them to work in major offensives across Iraq. That is why casualties are up. They are fighting the largest battles since 2003.

Michael Yon - "Our guys are tough. The enemy in Baqubah is as good as any in Iraq, and better than most. That’s saying a lot. But our guys have been systematically trapping them, and have foiled some big traps set for our guys. I don’t want to say much more about that, but our guys are seriously outsmarting them. Big fights are ahead and we will take serious losses probably, but al Qaeda, unless they find a way to escape, are about to be slaughtered. Nobody is dropping leaflets asking them to surrender. Our guys want to kill them, and that’s the plan...A positive indicator on the 19th and the 20th is that most local people apparently are happy that al Qaeda is being trapped and killed. Civilians are pointing out IEDs and enemy fighters, so that’s not working so well for al Qaeda."

If Petraeus is not careful, he's going to wind up winning this thing. Wouldn't that be awful.

 

Everyplace in Iraq that Al Quaida has been in charge, the locals have eventually turned against them (re: the Anbar Salvation Council, The Diyala Salvation Front ). It looks like the locals in Baghdad and the belts are now attempting to step up when they are supported.

Granted, it is not politically feasible for us to commit large numbers of troops to Iraq indefinately, as was the case in S. Korea for example. On the other hand, no one seemed too disturbed about US and NATO troops continuing to keep the peace after the Balkin wars of the 1990's. Even Hillary anticipates a reduced US presence in Iraq for some time to come.

Of course the US commitment to Viet Nam was much larger and deadlier than Iraq has been. Even after our folks were pulled out, the S. Vietnam government might well have stood, had Congress not stopped providing them the means to defend themselves.

 

al Qaeda loves these posts. These posts contribute to the insurgents and our leftists here, who's goals of insuring we leave Iraqis with no future but terror, and the terrorists with the terrible resolve of cleansing their country of sympathizers. With that victory will come renewed vows to kill infidels, (including us) because allah brought them victory. I still believe we must continue to kill insurgents, until such time they no longer pose a threat. Like GWB said in the beginning, it will take a long time.

 

I am for not reporting these American casualties because the leftist liberals here propagandize it, resulting in discord among our people and it aids the enemy. It has fooled you into thinking a pull out will be a positive.

 

Not reporting casualties is a good idea. While we're at it, let's not even report that there's a "war" going on. It only aids the enemy when it is suggested that the coalition of the willing is engaged in anything other than a little r and r in Baghdad and its surrounding areas.

 

Those pesky liberal facts!

 

What are you talking about? First of all, thousands of Iraqi policemen have died since 2004 (http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/06/iraq.main/index.html ) and I don't know how many soldiers, so you're being very condescending by suggesting that Americans are the only ones sacrificing anything.

Second, our troops are supposedly there for our sake, not for Iraqis'. Most Iraqis want us out of the country. We are not doing them a favor by staying.