End the War - Right Message - Wrong Target

Since our Congress, in its wisdom, and the peace movement, in its kindness, wishes to send a message, this gentleman who is a citizen of Iraq, states that both of them are talking to the wrong people:

Excerpt:

What did the last wave of terror attacks and the many crimes committed against our people all this time reveal?If we look at how the media handles the situation we'll find something like this almost everywhere;

Dozens killed, scores wounded in attacks suggest failure of security measures…

It's as if the speaker here wants to only emphasize the defect in security measures in a way that honestly angers and disgusts me.When shall they realize, if ever, that we are dealing with brutal crimes against humanity, a genocide against the people of Iraq? Why don't people talk about the cruelty of the crimes and expose the obvious goals of the terrorists behind the crimes?........
Instead of telling us to stop fighting back, I'd like to see some people stand up and protest the crimes of the terrorists and tell them to stop the killing and destruction…turn the stop-the-war campaign against the terrorists, is that too much to ask for?Tell the criminals to stop killing us and stop attacking the people who are risking their lives fighting for liberty and equality.We're not asking the media and the stop-the-war crowd to carry arms and shoot the terrorists; we just want them to stop shooting at us.

Since Surrender Harry has been dispensing his knowledge of military strategy and tactics, I thought you readers would like to hear from another expert, that has a slight different point of view:

Doesn't Look Lost To Me
(read the whole thing)

Monday, 23 April 2007
Just back inside some civilized wire (Camp Fallujah) and am reading Harry Reid's declaration then track back on the war in Iraq being lost.
The odd thing--is that I think there are parts of Al Anbar province where the war may be over and we just don't realize it.
The following post explains.
Tribal Mojo
Driving along the four-lane highway from Habbaniyah to Ramadi there are the usual coalition check points, Iraqi Army Outposts, markets, black market gas stations and Police Stations.
But, off the main highway, on the access roads leading back into the Euphrates canal country, every half mile, gun men wearing Keyfahs and wielding AK-47s man road blocks--and they are the best allies we can have against the jihadists.
THE AWAKENING
Last Summer few Sheiks, notably around Ramadi flipped to the coalition and government side of the conflict.
The tribes sent levies to the Police Academies in Baghdad and Amman, Jordan. They have also started taking matters into their own hands with some men from each clan and tribe defending their villages.
What I saw in Husabayah Jawal was not the Iraqi Police or the Iraqi Army, but the beginings of the end of the insurgency in Iraq. Whether they are the Sons of Al Anbar, Sawa, TAA, the militia or the Tribal Neighborhood Watch, tribes and clans across across the Euphrates river valley are taking charge of their own security with back up from the Marines.
PATRONAGE
Are the militias rag tag looking? Yes. Are they professionally operated? No. Do they conform to Western standards? No. Are they effective against the jihadists? Yes.
So effective that the Marines who actually work the patrol bases and combat outposts say everything is really boring and their main job is as QRF for the neighborhood watch.
As for my time in Husabayh Jawal and Khalidiyah, it was really boring, but boring is good.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A Marine Officer offered this thought to me, "could it be that we have won the war but are too dense to realize it?" From what I saw in Khalidiyah, I would say we are on track. Time will tell if the watchmen and IP will continue to progress and eventually choke out the jihadists. But from what I saw in my time, maybe they already have.