Here is the most important thing Americans need to understand: We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms.
That sounds like the complete opposite of what the Democratic leadership is saying every time there's a camera and a microphone within reach. After unanimously confirming General Petraeus, they've done a complete flip-flop and undermined his leadership during the surge. Far from being demoralized as the anti-war portrays them, our armed forces are motivated, kicking butt, and taking names.
After the furnace-like heat, the first thing you notice when you land in Baghdad is the morale of our troops. In previous trips to Iraq we often found American troops angry and frustrated — many sensed they had the wrong strategy, were using the wrong tactics and were risking their lives in pursuit of an approach that could not work.
Today, morale is high. The soldiers and marines told us they feel that they now have a superb commander in Gen. David Petraeus; they are confident in his strategy, they see real results, and they feel now they have the numbers needed to make a real difference.
In summary...
Viewed from Iraq, where we just spent eight days meeting with American and Iraqi military and civilian personnel, the political debate in Washington is surreal. The Bush administration has over four years lost essentially all credibility. Yet now the administration’s critics, in part as a result, seem unaware of the significant changes taking place. . . .As two analysts who have harshly criticized the Bush administration’s miserable handling of Iraq, we were surprised by the gains we saw and the potential to produce not necessarily “victory” but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with.
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