“That myth was a reality a few months ago”. Am I to assume that since you refer to it in the present as a myth, that you now know it is no longer true ? And, since you claim it was a reality a few months ago, but do not state that it is currently the reality, are we to assume that the former reality is no longer the current reality?

I have to admit, it is fun to try and argue like you folks.

Oh this is rich. Myth? You know that myth that was a reality just a few months ago?

April 26, 2005:

“He prays because the four-lane, six-mile stretch of road leading from central Baghdad to the country’s main airport remains one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in Iraq, if not the world.”
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0426/p01s03-woiq.html

Nov. 4 2005:
“For 2 1/2 years, the road was, in many ways, a symbol of the U.S. failure to secure Iraq. Military convoys roared past in a frantic attempt to escape the looming dangers of suicide bombers, grenades, rockets and booby-trapped litter. But insurgents’ relentless attacks claimed a steady toll … Then, two months ago, the killings stopped …he turnaround was owed to simple, boots-on-the-ground military tactics, Army officials said.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/03/AR2005110302600.html

It took us two and a half years to finally, actually put “boots on the ground” on the airport road? So the road is safe now right? Wrong.

Nov 27 2005

Congressman Tim Murphy is expected to make a full recovery after his accident en route to the Baghdad Airport. However, these types of accidents aren t unusual on Baghdad roads, especially between the city and what used to be the Saddam Hussein International Airport …
 One of the leading causes of death and injury here are road accidents,” said D’Agata. “And although the airport road is now one of the most militarily secured roads in the country, it remains the most dangerous road.”
According to D Agata, the road has been damaged from many explosions and bombs.  In either direction  certainly going to the airport and certainly getting away from the airport  it remains very dangerous, D Agata explains.
http://kdka.com/local/local_story_331230656.html

Way to go JD.

A General states his primary goal and mission, and you proclaim him to be a liar. A bit full of yourself today, huh ?

Is there, or is there not primarily peaceful existence in 14 of 18 provinces. You classify this as some goofy statement when all it is is a statement of fact.

Nobody believes that? Nobody? Pretty broad assessment on your part. If I produce one person who believes that we are about to be pushed out of Iraq and Afghanistan, then you have demonstrably lied. Note that the General was speaking of his impressions, so unless you know his thoughts better than himself, you are just mind reading.

How about this. Go read some milblogs, not just the three that Kos and Atrios send you to. Read some things from the people on the ground that think differently than you. Try out some diversity of ideas, that is one of the things you like, right?

JD–any military leader is going to be extremely positive about the organization or mission he or she heads. The fact is if they aren’t–they’ll be replaced and it could be a career ender.

Anecdote: I worked with an O-6 who was on the fast track; everyone said he was a mortal lock for flag rank. Anyway, he headed a program that wasn’t in terrible shape nor was everthing running smoothly. One day, this O-6 gives an interview to one of the tech trade rags. In the interview, the O-6 was very candid about what was going great in his program and what wasn’t. All 100% accurate.

When the interview hit the street, the O-6 spent the better part of a month having to do the ‘rug dance’ for various flag officers and Pentagon officials. When he had concluded getting his face shot off–he was reassigned 2 months later to an admin position at a base that was in the final stages of a BRAC. His career was over.

Here is a summary of Abizaid’s speech

He said that the questions he getsfrom some in Congress convince him that they have the idea that we areabout to pushed out of Iraq and Afghanistan. There is no relationbetween this and the reality on the ground.

An absolute lie. Nobody–especially in Congress–thinks that we’re going to be forced out of Iraq. The point Abizaid hides is that we can lose in Iraq but maintain an indefinite presence in that country.

You will never see a headline in this country about a school opening or a power station being built and coming on line, or a community doing well. Only the negative things will get coverage in the media.

Abizaid shades the truth. Look, in any media outlet the bus accident that kills 20 is going to get much more play than the school that gets a new roof. And Abizaid really shouldn’t brag about power plants when post-invasion Iraq isn’t capable of providing the power output of pre-invasion Iraq after nearly 3 years.

The insurgency is in four of 18 provinces in Iraq, not all 18.

Another goofy comment by Abizaid. The fact is the insurgency is taking place in Iraq’s most populated provinces.

Again, if things are going so swimmingly why is it that 3 years after ‘Misssion Accomplished’ probably one of the most hazardous things you can do on this planet is to travel between downtown Baghdad and the Baghdad Intl. Airport?

Iraq now has more than 200,000 soldiers and police under arms, and

that number is growing.

How many of those troops are Class A ready? Abizaid knows the number is about 5% of that 200,000 figure.

Our primary enemy is not the insurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan; it is Al Qaida and their ideology.

Another outright lie. Our own military intelligence knows AQ or AQ-symps comprise less than 5% of Iraq’s insurgency.

I just don’t understand how anyone can honestly come to the conclusion that the only problem in Iraq is the opinion of the American public. That’s sort of f#cked up. On one hand, we’re being told that our troops our helping to nurture a democracy, yet some of us are willing to dismiss public opinion of our own country in the process. Geez…

Dugger Future News Service

Democrats need to continue to come out and say forcefully,  I voted to give the authority to start this war because I trusted my president, but he lied/misled us and the troops.

Vote for us: We’re Gullible!!!

Man, I love Dems…

To say that progress has been made in Iraq doesn’t make it a worthy fight. More progress would have been made on terrorism (you know, national defense) if we never went into Iraq.

Back to the actual topic of this thread, Democrats need to continue to come out and say forcefully, “I voted to give the authority to start this war because I trusted my president, but he lied/misled us and the troops.”

Let me see if I understand your standards around here, when General A says something, it is to be accepted as gospel truth, because it coincides with your prediliction to disagree with all things Bush, and we are to believe him because he is a General, boots on the ground, etc … When General B says something, that does not coincide with what you believe, he is a mindless drone that does nothing but say what the Administration wants to hear.