Retired U.S. Army officer Ralph Peters has a must read article up today at Real Clear Politics which addresses the various claims made by, ahem, the usual suspects regarding the state of Iraq. Here’s a preview:
During a recent visit to Baghdad, I saw an enormous failure. On the part of our media. The reality in the streets, day after day, bore little resemblance to the sensational claims of civil war and disaster in the headlines.
No one with first-hand experience of Iraq would claim the country’s in rosy condition, but the situation on the ground is considerably more promising than the American public has been led to believe. Lurid exaggerations and instant myths obscure real, if difficult, progress.
I left Baghdad more optimistic than I was before this visit. While cynicism, political bias and the pressure of a 24/7 news cycle accelerate a race to the bottom in reporting, there are good reasons to be soberly hopeful about Iraq’s future.
Much could still go wrong. The Arab genius for failure could still spoil everything. We’ve made grave mistakes. Still, it’s difficult to understand how any first-hand observer could declare that Iraq’s been irrevocably “lost.”
Consider just a few of the inaccuracies served up by the media:
Claims of civil war. In the wake of the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, a flurry of sectarian attacks inspired wild media claims of a collapse into civil war. It didn’t happen. Driving and walking the streets of Baghdad, I found children playing and, in most neighborhoods, business as usual. Iraq can be deadly, but, more often, it’s just dreary.
Iraqi disunity. Factional differences are real, but overblown in the reporting. Few Iraqis support calls for religious violence. After the Samarra bombing, only rogue militias and criminals responded to the demagogues’ calls for vengeance. Iraqis refused to play along, staging an unrecognized triumph of passive resistance.
Expanding terrorism. On the contrary, foreign terrorists, such as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, have lost ground. They’ve alienated Iraqis of every stripe. Iraqis regard the foreigners as murderers, wreckers and blasphemers, and they want them gone. The Samarra attack may, indeed, have been a tipping point–against the terrorists.
Hatred of the U.S. military. If anything surprised me in the streets of Baghdad, it was the surge in the popularity of U.S. troops among both Shias and Sunnis. In one slum, amid friendly adult waves, children and teenagers cheered a U.S. Army patrol as we passed. Instead of being viewed as occupiers, we’re increasingly seen as impartial and well-intentioned.
If you can’t read it in its entirety now, please print it and do so later today.
Hat tip: QandO.
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Does he walk around on his own, or with the military?
Comment by andrew @ 3/14/2006 - 1:12 pm
Truth, smuth - eh, andrew?
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 3/14/2006 - 1:25 pm
Thank you ST!
Being in the military for 6 years, I know one thing and that is that he (like others in the military generally) is probably one who LOVES this country and CARES about lives and freedom. Those with an axe to grind or an agenda or without knowledge or perspective about how BIG of an operation this is or Katrina relief was or anything really. Lack of perspective on journalists part is continued with lack of due diligence and negligence. And then people like Andrew will just dismiss what he says with a wave of the hand and true laziness. And what for? How does it further this country’s goals or the truth or a discussion? It doesn’t. But he will continue that pattern I see.
Comment by Baklava @ 3/14/2006 - 1:39 pm
Comment by tommy in nyc @ 3/14/2006 - 2:11 pm
without a veil is what Imeant to say sorry bout’ that.
Comment by tommy in nyc @ 3/14/2006 - 2:12 pm
That’s “Iran”, tommy.
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 3/14/2006 - 2:17 pm
Incidently, Ralph Peter’s daughter would be a lot safer in Sadr without a veil than, say, riding around in Boston or NYC with a “Bush/Cheney ‘04″ bumpersticker. Now that’s deadly!
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 3/14/2006 - 2:21 pm
“And then people like Andrew will just dismiss what he says with a wave of the hand and true laziness.”
Oh. Not dismissive. I want to know how safe Iraq is for mr. Peters.
Comment by andrew @ 3/14/2006 - 3:19 pm
70% of Republicans have become “dead-enders”, on the issue of Iraq. Support the troops, bring them home now. Peace
Comment by steve @ 3/14/2006 - 7:30 pm
When the mission isn’t done?
Leave a cesspool behind and the knowledge that America has no will and no ability to fight?
Good way to discourage the terrorists…
Comment by Karl @ 3/14/2006 - 7:39 pm
Apart from playing footsy with the kids at Kos, have you ever plated a single sport in your life, steve? It’s a serious question and if you answer, it will be the first time one has been addressed, so take care. You’ll have to get it from your own memory as it’s not posted anywhere.
The dismissive attitude belies your intent and that’s why you rate the level of disgust that you continue to manufacture, andrew.
Comment by forest hunter @ 3/14/2006 - 8:56 pm
Sorry about the misspell, I’ll try again, “played” and not plated, obviously in my previous post. I’ll use both thumbs next time.
Comment by forest hunter @ 3/14/2006 - 9:11 pm
Competitions are for horses, not artists…Bartok. We try to understand your ilk, you do not seem to extend the same civility to ours. Peace
Comment by steve @ 3/15/2006 - 10:24 am
Believe me, we understand your ilk just as well steve.
While real democrats we can have discusions with, have debate and actually understand and work with, the extreme left liberals are the ones that are left wanting, and we have no patience with extremists or those that the truth has a problem uttering from thier lips.
Comment by sanity @ 3/15/2006 - 10:47 am