media succumbs to o'hanlon and pollack surge

i wrote the following to npr.org

Your report this afternoon (is that all things considered, c. 6 cst?) on opinion makers believing that the iraq surge is making "progress," reports that pundits Pollack and O'Hanlon work for the "center-left" Brookings Institution. You don't note that many, including the original AP report that your report appears to copy, call them critics of the war. They are neither. They both supported the war in 2003 and they supported the surge. So how is the fact that they think the surge is working (after a jaunt organized and paid for by the Dept. of Defense) news? Pollack is employed by the Saban Center for Middle East Studies, and I will let you do your own research as to what issue Haim Saban finds most pressing.

I am disappointed by your report (on the most pressing issue in the run-up to the Petraeus Report next month--which, of course, will not be written by Petraeus) for two reasons:

1. Your reporter did not seem to do even elemental fact-checking (see the readily available analysis at salon.com.
2. the surge can and will make "progress" forever. The US is fighting a tiny force. But the surge cannot win the peace. Sunnis don't want us there. Shias don't want us there. By huge margins, even in the same Brookings Institution report which your reporter did not appear to bother to read.
   

We could, for example, still be fighting in Vietnam. Bring 'em home, and let the long road to peace begin.

success at the local level means more troops and oversight from washington at the national level??

president bush touts "successes" at the local level in iraq. trouble is, they are not successes due to u.s.a. planning

• "When things work — and they often do at the local or project level — they work in spite of a lack of any meaningful planning and management in Washington, or as yet in Iraq," said Anthony Cordesman, an Iraq expert at the Center for International and Strategic Studies, who recently returned from a trip to the country.
• "All have major problems in getting any action out of the central government and face a morass of local, provincial and tribal politics. The good news is that they are now being integrated with the military and are getting military support and protection, but it again is too early to judge what is really happening," Cordesman said. ("Bush stresses local successes in Iraq," By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer, 18 Aug. 2007)

(note Cordesman's full report "The Tenuous Case for Strategic Patience in Iraq: A Trip Report")
and, in any case, i don't understand the successes given the lack of infrastructure:

• In his report to Congress earlier this month, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction said rebuilding is being crippled by power plant problems, mismanagement, corruption and weak spending on capital projects by Iraq's central government ministries and its provinces.
• And in an audit released in July, the inspector general, Stuart Bowen Jr., found the Iraqi government has refused to take control of more than 2,000 U.S.-funded reconstruction projects since June 2006. That left U.S. officials to turn over the projects to local officials or to commit more money to keep them running. ("Bush stresses local successes in Iraq," By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer, 18 Aug. 2007)

infrastructure problems?

• Iraq's power grid is on the brink of collapse because of insurgent sabotage, rising demand, fuel shortages and provinces that are unplugging local power stations from the national grid, officials said Saturday.
• Electricity Ministry spokesman Aziz al-Shimari said power generation nationally is only meeting half the demand, and there had been four nationwide blackouts over the past two days. The shortages across the country are the worst since the summer of 2003, shortly after the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, he said.
• Power supplies in Baghdad have been sporadic all summer and now are down to just a few hours a day, if that. The water supply in the capital has also been severely curtailed by power blackouts and cuts that have affected pumping and filtration stations.
• Karbala province south of Baghdad has been without power for three days, causing water mains to go dry in the provincial capital, the Shiite holy city of Karbala ("Iraqi power grid nearing collapse," By STEVEN R. HURST, Associated Press Writer Sat Aug 4, 6:32 PM ET).
  

national problems; local problems. indeed, local successes are because localities are no longer playing with the national government. clear sailing ahead.

cheney and the logical quagmire of iraq (1994)

moveOn provided footage of dick cheney on iraq (1994). [thanks and a tip of the hat to roger.]

"Who cares how many neighborhoods of Baghdad are secured?" the official said. "Let's talk about the rest of the country: How come they have electricity twice a day, how come there is no running water?"

i haven't posted for a month; is everything looking better on the ground in iraq? are the billions we are giving to private contractor firms helping us rebuild the infrastructure there? no?

(Quote is from "Top general may propose pullbacks: Petraeus is expected to tell Congress that Iraqis can assume duties in some areas, freeing U.S. troops for other uses," by Julian E. Barnes and Peter Spiegel, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers, August 15, 2007)