New York Times Columnist: Obama And Democrats Could Salvage Iraq War

• December 1, 2008

Never mind that the terrorists have been defeated, an elected government is taking over, we’re one step away from an agreement that will set a date for our troops to come home and that all of this happened under President Bush.
No, Democrats are the ones who can “salvage” Iraq according to Thomas Friedman.

I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect Iraq to have relations with Israel anytime soon, but the fact that it may be developing an independent judiciary is good news. It’s a reminder of the most important reason for the Iraq war: to try to collaborate with Iraqis to build progressive politics and rule of law in the heart of the Arab-Muslim world, a region that stands out for its lack of consensual politics and independent judiciaries. And it’s a reminder that a decent outcome may still be possible in Iraq, especially now that the Parliament has endorsed the U.S.-Iraqi plan for a 2011 withdrawal of American troops.
Al Qaeda has not been fully defeated in Iraq; suicide bombings are still an almost daily reality. But it has been dealt a severe blow, which I believe is one reason the Muslim jihadists — those brave warriors who specialize in killing women and children and defenseless tourists — have turned their attention to softer targets like India. Just as they tried to stoke a Shiite-Sunni civil war in Iraq, and failed, they are now trying to stoke a Hindu-Muslim civil war in India.
If Iraq can keep improving — still uncertain — and become a place where Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites can write their own social contract and live together with a modicum of stability, it could one day become a strategic asset for the United States in the post-9/11 effort to promote different politics in the Arab-Muslim world.

What’s sad is that once Bush is out of office the Democrats probably will take credit for our victory in Iraq. They probably won’t call it victory (because that would mean they’d have to admit they were wrong about the war being lost) but they’ll say they ended the war that Bush started and all is now well in the world. Thus denying all the US military personnel who worked so hard in Iraq for victory their due.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Politics

http://northerngleaner.blogspot.com/ Gene

I remember when Bush went into Iraq he said to stop the flow of Islam and terrorism we need a big bang, an earth shaking status quo changing victory. Iraq was that victory.

Afghanistan was too remote. Even had we completely subdued the whole country it would have been without much consequence. Iran without Iraq would have been impossible. Now with Iraq coming to life the “war” against Iran changes. It’s cultural. It’s regime changing. It’s political power.

Bush’s legacy is the victory and the world changing big bang. I am thankful for it.

Freidman is really late to the party.

And expecting bows from Obama for “Salvaging” this is stupid. But not unexpected.

I remember a little story that demonstrates this when people take credit for another’s accomplishment. I don’t recall it but it seems like it has to do with a train. Anyone?

I do know that Friedman would be ticked and probably sue me if I came out with a book that plagiarized his flat earth book (I’ll call it the World is Horizontal) and then liberally take credit for all the points he makes in his book and publish them as my own.

I’d be in court. Copyright infringement.

How is this any different?
robert108

Since Friedman is wrong on the facts, it is completely unnecessary to resort to personal attack. I leave that to you lefties. You have nothing else, since when it comes to economics, the facts are not on your side.
sc

It is always of interest to me that the Dems (and Dino agrees) have the monopoly on intelligence. Therefore since Dems are more intelligent they win by default when competing in the arena of ideas.

Dino: I have this math problem I am trying to solve?
What is the solution to the non-homogenus equation of y” + y = 0 ? I will be awaiting.
Dino

So is it time to start attacking Friednamn’s character like you do any pundit who doesn’t tow the nutjob conservative line?

Face it. There is no intellect in your party, never has been in your ideology. The few moderate intellectuals you did have on your side have all become OBAMISTS!

ALL HAIL THE ONE- OBAMA!
http://www.kenmccracken.blogspot.com/ Ken McCracken

So is it time to start attacking Friednamn’s character like you do any pundit who doesn’t tow the nutjob conservative line?

Who’s talking about attacking his character . . . except you?

Perhaps you are projecting.

The few moderate intellectuals you did have on your side have all become OBAMISTS!

Like who, exactly?

ALL HAIL THE ONE- OBAMA!

No wonder they call him ‘the messiah’. He hasn’t accomplished a goddam thing yet and you hail him as ‘the one’.
robert108

The job of our military is to defeat our enemies. When the enemies are defeated, they come home.
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

So is it time to start attacking Friednamn’s (sic)character like you do any pundit who doesn’t tow (sic) the nutjob conservative line?

So, Rob disagrees with Friedman, and that is transformed somehow into a “character attack” by someone clearly lacking any?

Friedman has been wrong on many things, extremely shallow on others. Our Dim-o has him beat by being wrong on everything, while giving new meaning to shallow!

Dim-o is also irony impaired. He calls people “nutjobs” while decrying imaginary character slights on others.
Mickey

Dino isn’t an accomplished troll. He’s more of a pest like a wood tic. As for Thomas Friedman, the left is always desperate for heroes and patriots so they bolster false ideology. Ho-hum. So what else is new?

Now that the hard work is done in Iraq here come the primadona dems.
richNJ

Great job Dino. Rob reports on what a NYT’s reporter says and right away you say he is starting to attack the reporters character. I see you are another defender of free speech. Only if it makes your beliefs look good that is. Any criticsim is hate speech. Way to go.
NoJelly

More proof that we’re getting closer to a state controlled media.

Some regimes simply sieze the press when they sieze power, America’s media is being taken over willingly. The recent surge of non-objectivity is, of course, regrettable, because the cards are now obvious and face up, but with the help of koolaid-by-enema minions like Dino any dissent can be easily waved away…

Yessir, here comes that change you ordered…Careful, that sickle is sharp…
syn

Well, it appears Progressives won’t get the ONE thing that matters to them most…an impeached president nor war crime tribunals.

Got to love this bamboozling over the Progressive, especially the Intellectuals; the ONE thing they wanted most of all is denied to them by THE ONE.

I am happy.
http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/ goon

Thomas Friedman is a moron anyways and there is no way for the Dems to take credit for the success of the troops in Iraq. In fact they should stay away so they don’t screw anything up.
http://www.motorcycle-fairing.com/ New Fairings

Either way the main point is that the military force will be back home. That is what everybody want doesn’t it?
WOOFX

Friedman has been saying that everything in Iraq will be cool in 6 months since we invaded.
He maintains a consistent record of mistaken apology.

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New York Times Columnist: Obama And Democrats Could Salvage Iraq War

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