Where The Fighting Isn't

[igloo]

WHERE THE FIGHTING ISN'T

By RALPH PETERS

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April 8, 2004 -- AS violence in Iraq dominates the news, imagine a Middle Eastern country in which the government works in simple offices and spends its money on education, a state in which the prime minister still lives in his parents' home and builds libraries instead of palaces.

How about a Middle East in which young men and women study together at a university where no political party rules the campus, freedom of speech is encouraged and internet access is unrestricted.

Try, if you can, to imagine a Middle Eastern population that regards America with respect and gratitude.

It isn't a dream. It's a reality.

Welcome to free Kurdistan.

As my former comrades in the military struggled against terror and violent rebellion in central and southern Iraq, I was embarrassingly safe in the same country. While mortar rounds were landing in Baghdad and our military displayed its power and resolve in Fallujah, I was sweating in a traffic jam.

It was a great traffic jam. In this case, it was a sign of the economic progress the Kurdis have been making. And the only "terrorist" is the occasional lousy driver.

People walk the streets and live their lives without fear. And women aren't attacked for dressing as they choose.

The Kurdish capital city of Suleimaniye can seem like a giant construction site. But in place of the corruption that plagues development elsewhere in the region, much of the work is done under rigorous government-private sector partnerships. The Kurds are even implementing zoning codes and thinking about the environment.

Anyone who has ever been to the Middle East knows that this is just short of a miracle. The prime minister, Dr. Barham Salih, doesn't fit the pattern either. Instead of fearing him or hating him, the people love him - he's the closest thing Kurdistan has to a matinee idol. And instead of using his popularity to enrich himself or establish a ruling dynasty, he's encouraging democracy. (He's even had a kebab shop named after him. I'm still waiting for Bush Burgers in D.C.)

The University of Suleimaniye, devastated by Saddam, has been rebuilt and now has over 7,000 students. And they're a lively bunch - serious, hardworking and, most important, full of probing questions. Female students can choose for themselves whether or not to wear headscarves. Most choose not to - but everyone respects everyone else - and they all sit and study together. American parents of college-age sons and daughters could only envy the intensity and hunger with which these young people pursue education.

Go to that university and, instead of hearing anti-American protests, you'll hear how the 101st Airborne Division got their Dell computers through to them, red tape be damned. On how many campuses in the world do the students regard an American general (in this case, Maj. Gen. Dave Petraeus) as a hero?

The United Nations stole the money the Kurds should have received under Saddam. Now, the United States has redirected the remaining Oil-for-Food funds and the Kurds are using them with an efficiency never before seen in the region. Astonishingly, the money is really going to the people. Instead of the U.N.'s outdated, overpriced medicine, the Kurds can now bargain hard in the marketplace for the goods the people desperately need.

Most importantly, instead of succumbing to the culture of blame that plagues the Middle East, the Kurds have gone to work to build a better future.

Their country is still very poor. But it's free. And freedom really does work.

Business is encouraged, the government stresses the future, not the past, and the leaders are trying their best to work constructively with old enemies. De- spite horrific suffering in the recent past, the leaders are hopeful, not vengeful. They know that a unified Iraq may not work - but they're determined that the failure will not be their fault. And they cherish freedom.

Isn't this what we claim we want in the Middle East?

At a time when elements within both Sunni Arab and Shi'a Arab Iraqi society are trying to kill the Americans who liberated their country and when there is no sense of gratitude for our sacrifices, how can the Bush administration fail to grasp that the future of the region lies in what the Kurds have done successfully, not in the Arab cult of failure?

The Kurds are far from perfect. So are we. We're all human. But this small people deserves our respect and support - no matter what else happens in Iraq. If we truly want to help spread freedom, we have to start by backing those who have made freedom work - against tremendous odds.

Almost 100 years ago, Lincoln Steffens, an American charlatan, returned from the brand-new Soviet Union. Disembarking from his ship on a New York City pier, he told a great lie. A radical socialist, he said, "I have seen the future, and it works." I hope I'm more honest than Steffens was, but I'll paraphrase his words and say, "I've seen what the future of the Middle East could be. And we should all hope to God that it works."

Ralph Peters is the author of "Beyond Baghdad: Postmodern War and Peace."

[siceone]

good read

[igloo]

Originally posted by siceone

good read

Most importantly, instead of succumbing to the culture of blame that plagues the Middle East, the Kurds have gone to work to build a better future.

You could only hope the rest of Iraq's ordinary citizens follow suit

[mr mahs]

Originally posted by igloo

Most importantly, instead of succumbing to the culture of blame that plagues the Middle East, the Kurds have gone to work to build a better future.

You could only hope the rest of Iraq's ordinary citizens follow suit

Good read and I mposted a aryticle from Al JAZEERA of all places that talked about how optimistic the Kurds were and how they condemn the insurgents as terrorists...

Iraqi Kurds dance to a different tune

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B078FEB0-8180-411F-A09A-EA2DBDAE316D.htm

I posted that article about the Kurds optimism and Raver had this to say...

Whats this about Kurds all the time? Dude, they are a minority, and DO NOT speak for all the Iraqi people. People attacking occupation soldiers is not terrorism, otherwise this country and countless others are based on terrorism.

[igloo]

Originally posted by mr mahs

Good read and I mposted a aryticle from Al JAZEERA of all places that talked about how optimistic the Kurds were and how they condemn the insurgents as terrorists...

Iraqi Kurds dance to a different tune

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B078FEB0-8180-411F-A09A-EA2DBDAE316D.htm

I posted that article about the Kurds optimism and Raver had this to say...

Whats this about Kurds all the time? Dude, they are a minority, and DO NOT speak for all the Iraqi people. People attacking occupation soldiers is not terrorism, otherwise this country and countless others are based on terrorism.

I think Raver was misguided on that one....

He talks about the Kurds being a minority.....yet at the same time does not want to recognize that the insurgency is a minority....

And unfortunately, the loud minority we are fighting gets the press, and knows exactly how to use the useful idiots to weaken resolve and will....

[mr mahs]

Originally posted by igloo

I think Raver was misguided on that one

I agree.

[kramadas]

Originally posted by igloo

I think Raver was misguided on that one....

He talks about the Kurds being a minority.....yet at the same time does not want to recognize that the insurgency is a minority....

And unfortunately, the loud minority we are fighting gets the press, and knows exactly how to use the useful idiots to weaken resolve and will....

I have a question - if the insurgency is only a miniority, and the rest of Iraq is completely against it, where are the numerous other clerics' protests against the insurgents? Where are the marches on the streets of Baghdad against the insurgents. On the contrary, there was a march toward (Fallujah, I think??) by civilians to give the city (and insurgents) food and medical supplies.

Only time will tell which is the minority and which the majority.

I have a question - if more and more people DID demand a US withdrawl, would you support it? As then, the US would be occupying a country against the will of the people there.

[mr mahs]

Originally posted by raver_mania

I have a question - if the insurgency is only a miniority, and the rest of Iraq is completely against it, where are the numerous other clerics' protests against the insurgents? Where are the marches on the streets of Baghdad against the insurgents.

Take the news out of Najaf where Governing Council member Sayyid Muhammad Bahr al-Ulum, himself a Shia cleric, has said that Muqtada al-Sadr refuses to speak with representatives of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani's religious establishment: Muqtada's petulant behavior counters any suggestion that he and Iraq's religious establishment will unite in a common front. Indeed, on April 7, Sistani's office issued a statement calling for calm, pointedly refusing to endorse Muqtada. News from other cities is also positive. In Nasriyyah, a predominantly Shia town famous as the site of the rescue of PFC Jessica Lynch, leading local Shia cleric, Wael al-Rukadi, explained, "Triggering the violent incidents were people from the outside, to be exact, from Fallujah and the Western part of the country... A withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq at this time would lead to an all-out civil war."

[BRIANC1046]

Originally posted by raver_mania

I have a question - if the insurgency is only a miniority, and the rest of Iraq is completely against it, where are the numerous other clerics' protests against the insurgents? Where are the marches on the streets of Baghdad against the insurgents. On the contrary, there was a march toward (Fallujah, I think??) by civilians to give the city (and insurgents) food and medical supplies.

Only time will tell which is the minority and which the majority.

I have a question - if more and more people DID demand a US withdrawl, would you support it? As then, the US would be occupying a country against the will of the people there.

Great question Raver!

[mr mahs]

Originally posted by bdanto4

Great question Raver!

Don't give SADR too much credit.

[mr mahs]

Originally posted by raver_mania

I have a question - if more and more people DID demand a US withdrawl, would you support it? As then, the US would be occupying a country against the will of the people there.

OK here's a question for you... If we go ahaed with the planned handing over of power on June 30th and the country plunges into turmoil who are you going to blame?

[siceone]

Originally posted by raver_mania

I have a question - if the insurgency is only a miniority, and the rest of Iraq is completely against it, where are the numerous other clerics' protests against the insurgents? Where are the marches on the streets of Baghdad against the insurgents. On the contrary, there was a march toward (Fallujah, I think??) by civilians to give the city (and insurgents) food and medical supplies.

Only time will tell which is the minority and which the majority.

I have a question - if more and more people DID demand a US withdrawl, would you support it? As then, the US would be occupying a country against the will of the people there.

If the the iraqis said thank you very much we can take it form here then yes I would support a pullout

and the people against the insugency are at WORK

[normalnoises]

Originally posted by mr mahs

OK here's a question for you... If we go ahaed with the planned handing over of power on June 30th and the country plunges into turmoil who are you going to blame?

Bush!! He made the bed. He must sleep in it.

[igloo]

Originally posted by raver_mania

I have a question - if the insurgency is only a miniority, and the rest of Iraq is completely against it, where are the numerous other clerics' protests against the insurgents? Where are the marches on the streets of Baghdad against the insurgents. On the contrary, there was a march toward (Fallujah, I think??) by civilians to give the city (and insurgents) food and medical supplies.

Only time will tell which is the minority and which the majority.

I have a question - if more and more people DID demand a US withdrawl, would you support it? As then, the US would be occupying a country against the will of the people there.

Funny you ask the question about where are the other Iraqi clerics protesting against the insurgents....it is actually laughable...

You do not seem to have a problem with "other" clerics in the Muslim world as a whole who say nothing about terrorism and the teaching of hate....As as matter of fact, when I point that out, all I hear is bullshit and excuses from people.....

Is not the reason I hear is that the "moderates" are the silent majority, and get no play in the media?......But the same can't be true in Iraq?....Let's also once again simply ignore polls that have been taken, including by the anti-war, biased BBC, that clearly show what is majority thinking...

I don't see you asking where are the Muslim clerics who don't speak out against Hamas and Hezbelloh and the like?

You don't seem to have a problem that the ordinary Palestinian people are not marching in the streets against terrorists, and those organizations who have hijacked their opportunity for peace....

According to you and others, Hamas is only a minority and the majority of the Palestinian people are just victims, right?

Why is not the Muslim people taken to the streets against AL Qaeda, especially in those countries where fellow Muslims have been murdered? Why are they not standing up for their true religion?

Aren't radical Islamics in the minority? Do not the majority of the Muslim word reject terrorists and the ideology of radical Islam? Are they in the streets?

If you can't understand the dynamics in Fallajuh and with Sadr, then you simply do not understand what is going on in Iraq....In addition, the influence of Iran and Syria on recent events can not be ignored.

Bottom line..the insurgency is the minority. If you do not believe that, you are blind.

But if you want a simple answer why you are not hearing from Iraqi clerics against Sadr....well, perhaps you recall that Sadr murdered one last year. hmmm......

I also noticed you ignored my recent post where it said Shiite leaders reject Sadr. Including the leading Iraqi cleric-Sistani.

And once again, those who are antiwar look to diminish anything positive (i.e. the Kurds).

Sorry Raver, but on this issue you are dead wrong. I know you were antiwar from the start, but you are misguided on this issue.

Don't stoop to the level of the other antiwar schmucks , who root for failure and jump all over every downturn with apocalyptic fury.

[mr mahs]

Originally posted by igloo

Funny you ask the question about where are the other Iraqi clerics protesting against the insurgents....it is actually laughable...

You do not seem to have a problem with "other" clerics in the Muslim world as a whole who say nothing about terrorism and the teaching of hate....As as matter of fact, when I point that out, all I hear is bullshit and excuses from people.....

Is not the reason I hear is that the "moderates" are the silent majority, and get no play in the media?......But the same can't be true in Iraq?....Let's also once again simply ignore polls that have been taken, including by the anti-war, biased BBC, that clearly show what is majority thinking...

I don't see you asking where are the Muslim clerics who don't speak out against Hamas and Hezbelloh and the like?

You don't seem to have a problem that the ordinary Palestinian people are not marching in the streets against terrorists, and those organizations who have hijacked their opportunity for peace....

According to you and others, Hamas is only a minority and the majority of the Palestinian people are just victims, right?

Why is not the Muslim people taken to the streets against AL Qaeda, especially in those countries where fellow Muslims have been murdered? Why are they not standing up for their true religion?

Aren't radical Islamics in the minority? Do not the majority of the Muslim word reject terrorists and the ideology of radical Islam? Are they in the streets?

If you can't understand the dynamics in Fallajuh and with Sadr, then you simply do not understand what is going on in Iraq....In addition, the influence of Iran and Syria on recent events can not be ignored.

Bottom line..the insurgency is the minority. If you do not believe that, you are blind.

But if you want a simple answer why you are not hearing from Iraqi clerics against Sadr....well, perhaps you recall that Sadr murdered one last year. hmmm......

I also noticed you ignored my recent post where it said Shiite leaders reject Sadr. Including the leading Iraqi cleric-Sistani.

And once again, those who are antiwar look to diminish anything positive (i.e. the Kurds).

Sorry Raver, but on this issue you are dead wrong. I know you were antiwar from the start, but you are misguided on this issue.

Don't stoop to the level of the other antiwar schmucks , who root for failure and jump all over every downturn with apocalyptic fury.

Great post Igloo....

I swear I read the NY TIMES and other liberal, biased media and from the reporting done it seems the whole country is against us.. Even last year the lefts portal's of bile were spewing this dooms day picture of death..

People ignore the Iranian connections to SADR, the fighting close to the Syrian border, and the foreign nationality of the corpses rotting on the ground of Fullajah, why?

Why is the media ignoring the great strides that have been accomplished in the Kurdish region? aren't they 2/3rds of the equation? Don't they matter? Why is the success being discredited?

These loons are praying that we get driven from Iraq, from the negative reporting, to the labeling of the operation as an "Occupation" Occupation? Everytime I hear this term to describe our efforts in Iraq it makes my stomach turn! I will say this again, the country could be turned in to a parking lot if we really wanted to, but thats not the goal...We have gloves on and it's only hurting our cause of bringing democracy to the Iraqi people...They're taking our kindness as weakness and to be honest with you, they can't fathom the military might of our country..

If the majority of Iraqi's were rising against us, thats 15-20 million against 120k, and the end result would be massive american casualties and thats not the case. The facts are, the malitia controlled by Sadar is a minority and the majority of Shiat's condemn the violence of this animal, unless you ask John Kerry who thinks of him as a "legitimate voice"

[mr mahs]

In the BBC eye's we've already failed...The BBC is at it again, reporting gibberish and casting the Syrians in a positive light, it's sickening

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3610413.stm

The growing unrest in Iraq is a source of worry for all Arab countries, but in Damascus there is also some satisfaction at the failure of the American experiment in bringing democracy to the Arab world.

As they watched statues of Saddam Hussein being toppled, many Syrians wondered whether the day would come when statues of the late Syrian president Hafez el Assad would also be brought down.

Syrian officials anxiously watched the events unfold and wondered whether they would meet the same fate as their Iraqi counterparts.

But one year on, if there is anything that Syrians and their government agree about, it is that the American way is not the way to bring about change.

Breathing space

Still, with American tanks just 250km (150 miles) from Damascus, Syrian officials must have had many sleepless nights over the last year.

President Bashar al-Assad's regime clings to the hope that the US will remain too busy in Iraq to look next door.

Other events in the Middle East are also giving Syria some breathing space.

US President George Bush had been about to slap sanctions on Syria when Hamas' spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin was killed - the sanctions were postponed so as not to increase tension in the region.

But even a week into the Iraq war last year, Washington's sights were already on Syria.

The US accused Damascus of supporting Saddam Hussein's regime by sending military equipment to Iraq and allowing Arab volunteers to cross the border to fight American troops in Iraq.

It has also accused Syria of supporting radical militant Palestinian groups such as Hamas.

Skirmishes

The border remains a source of friction, with the US repeatedly accusing the Syrian authorities of not doing enough to prevent fighters from crossing into Iraq.

For a few weeks during the war itself, hundreds of young Arab men were bussed into Iraq.

Syria says its border with Iraq is too long to control tightly and refers again and again to the difficulties the US faces in controlling its border with Mexico.

Last month, one American and one Syrian soldier were killed in skirmishes on the border.

Will statues of late Syrian president, Hafez Assad, be toppled one day?

Newspapers in Lebanon reported this week that, following the incidents, the US changed jurisdiction of Syria and Lebanon from US command in Europe to Central Command in Qatar.

One opposition figure in Damascus, who wished to remain anonymous, said Syria was wrong to think it could get away with doing as little as possible for as long as possible in terms of responding to American demands.

"This time Syria will not be let off the hook. The US is serious about its threats towards Damascus," he said.

"The US preparations for the Iraq war took several years, from setting up an opposition abroad, to sanctions and so on. But in just seven months, the US has already done all of the same in relation to Syria," he added.

Other observers say Washington will not do more than impose symbolic sanctions on Damascus.

Challenged

Still, there is a growing sense in Syria that the Baath regime can be challenged as it faces uncertain times following the collapse of its Iraqi counterpart.

Last month, Kurds in Syria rioted after several were shot by police during a football match.

In the following days, more clashes took place and statues of the late president Assad were defaced in the Kurdish areas in the north-east of Syria.

But as Syrians watch events unfold across the border, they are worried about the void that would be left behind if the regime was brought down or collapsed.

More and more intellectuals and human rights activists are openly calling on the Syrian regime to bring about change itself

[mr mahs]

Take a look at this article quoting a marine injured in Fallujah and describing what there up against. It's either the Republican guard,Alqeada or Syrian operatives, trust me.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4701323/

Knowing the enemy

Wounded U.S. soldiers give an inside look at the Iraq insurgency

By Preston Mendenhall

Correspondent

NBC News

Updated: 1:07 p.m. ET April 09, 2004LANDSTUHL, Germany - The hills of southwestern Germany, lush with fir trees and red-tiled houses, are thousands of miles from the theater of war. But for American troops wounded in Iraq, Landstuhl is a first stop on the long road to recovery.

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Wards at the U.S. military hospital here also offer rare and fresh details about battles in Iraq, as American troops face the most serious challenge to the U.S. occupation since the fall of Saddam Hussein one year ago.

Stretched out on hospital beds, the grime of war still visible on their bodies, soldiers and Marines described their battles against Saddam stalwarts and a Shiite uprising that flared this week.

Cash and BMWs

"They seemed like they were well-funded," said Garriman Woods, a 30-year-old Marine staff sergeant who was leading a unit guarding a bridge on the edge of Fallujah, the flashpoint in Iraq's Sunni triangle, where insurgents ambushed four American private security officers and strung up their charred bodies.

"We captured one of their vehicles. They had a couple hundred dollars in American money. Then they had a lot more money hidden in other places in their car. And they were driving BMWs. There were several vehicles coordinating with one another."

Woods, an Indiana native who served a nine-month tour in Iraq during the initial phase of the war, returned in January for another eight-month mission. On Monday, insurgents launched four mortars at his unit. Shrapnel hit his leg.

Doctors operated on Woods on Thursday. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Casualties increase

The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center has been a fixture on America's military landscape for more than five decades, serving as midway point for wounded troops returning home for treatment.

Since President Bush declared Iraq combat operations over in May 2003, nearly 3,000 servicemen and women have been wounded in action. More than half that number did not return to duty, reflecting the high number of combat casualties, and serious nature of injuries, from Iraq.

This week, as U.S. forces battled insurgents and a fierce Shiite uprising, the upsurge in violence has reverberated here in Germany. Hospital officials say there has been a dramatic increase in patients.

"I'm trying to catch up with all the new arrivals," said Army Chaplain Richard Ross.

Searching for support

Cpl. Richard Stayskal, a 22-year-old Marine from San Jose, Calif., arrived in Landstuhl Tuesday after being wounded by automatic weapon fire in Ramadi, west of Baghdad.

“I just kind of froze, my body clenched in the fetal position. I fell to the ground," Stayskal said.

Stayskal, a sniper, had been deployed to Ramadi to hunt down a "mad bomber," the unit's name for a man who had been seen planting roadside bombs targeted at U.S. and coalition forces.

With little warning, a group of 15 armed Iraqis descended on the lightly armed unit. The bullet that hit Stayskal ricocheted off his shoulder, through his lung and exited from his back. It came within inches of his heart and major arteries.

Countering the insurgency, Stayskal said, has been difficult for Marines on the ground. In his case, his unit was chronically short of ammunition, and his support unit got pinned down at the same time across town. The two units couldn't help each other.

"They weren't giving us nearly enough ammunition for the situations out there. Everyone was running out. Everyone was grabbing each other's ammunition."

Knowing the enemy

The Marines and soldiers interviewed agreed that the organization of the insurgency was impressive.

"We thought we would be up against guys, maybe one or two in a group," Garriman Woods said.

Lance Cpl.Miguel Martinez said the precision of the enemy clearly showed the insurgency was not launched by "civilians or anything like that."

"We don't really know who our enemy is," the 21-year-old from Simi Valley, Calif., said. "The only way we know to shoot them is they have an AK-47 and they pretty much point it at us."

The organization of the enemy, the Marines said, forced U.S. troops to hone their intelligence, and make sure it filters up and down the chain of command.

"When the daily intel comes in, we are sure to get it out there, out there to our Marines, so they can adjust their fighting tactics down to the smallest units that we have," Woods said.

"We want to make sure the smallest detail is passed down. It could be something as minute as kids playing in the streets. Or someone trying to target us."

[igloo]

Originally posted by mr mahs

Great post Igloo....

I swear I read the NY TIMES and other liberal, biased media and from the reporting done it seems the whole country is against us.. Even last year the lefts portal's of bile were spewing this dooms day picture of death..

People ignore the Iranian connections to SADR, the fighting close to the Syrian border, and the foreign nationality of the corpses rotting on the ground of Fullajah, why?

Why is the media ignoring the great strides that have been accomplished in the Kurdish region? aren't they 2/3rds of the equation? Don't they matter? Why is the success being discredited?

These loons are praying that we get driven from Iraq, from the negative reporting, to the labeling of the operation as an "Occupation" Occupation? Everytime I hear this term to describe our efforts in Iraq it makes my stomach turn! I will say this again, the country could be turned in to a parking lot if we really wanted to, but thats not the goal...We have gloves on and it's only hurting our cause of bringing democracy to the Iraqi people...They're taking our kindness as weakness and to be honest with you, they can't fathom the military might of our country..

If the majority of Iraqi's were rising against us, thats 15-20 million against 120k, and the end result would be massive american casualties and thats not the case. The facts are, the malitia controlled by Sadar is a minority and the majority of Shiat's condemn the violence of this animal, unless you ask John Kerry who thinks of him as a "legitimate voice"

The majority of the media has had an agenda since prior to the war...and their reporting has been shameful and transparent. On top of that, bad news outsells good news, sadly.

Of course, if a media outlet does report good news, they immediately get hammered by the left as part of the right wing conspiracy.......

The left has been rooting for failure since day one, and aided by agenda driven media, reach for anything in the hope of vomiting a "I told you so"....

Just to piss the lefties off here, Mr. O'Reilly:

There Is No Uprising in Iraq

Friday, April 09, 2004

By Bill O'Reilly

Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly. Thanks for watching tonight. A short "Talking Points" memo because we want to get right to the Condoleezza Rice (search) testimony. Once again, the elite media have misled you. On the front pages of The New York Times, The L.A. Times and The Washington Post, the words "uprising in Iraq" are featured.

One problem, it's not an uprising. The Berlin Wall (search) deal was an uprising. The regular folks rebelling against an entrenched authority is an uprising. Militant attacks in Iraq are an insurgency, not an uprising. This kind of stuff makes me angry. The elite media often spins information to make editorial points. And that's really wrong. Let me read you an e-mail from a Marine in the middle of the Fallujah fighting to put things into perspective.

"We are kicking their butts out here. We took the initial punch and responded. The enemy is dying in great numbers. We Marines are attacking with a fury I myself had not imagined. While we did not anticipate this surge, we're comfortable we'll win the fight. Semper, fi, pk.."

Today in Iraq, there was less fighting and no uprising. "Talking Points" is confident the American military will crush the al-Sadr militia and subdue the town of Fallujah. Again, somebody alert the elite media. There is no uprising in Iraq.

[BRIANC1046]

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