Al-Qaeda In Iraq Reported Crippled

[qrayjack]

Al-Qaeda In Iraq Reported Crippled
Many Officials, However, Warn Of Its Resilience
By Thomas E. Ricks and Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Staff Writers

The U.S. military believes it has dealt devastating and perhaps irreversible blows to al-Qaeda in Iraq in recent months, leading some generals to advocate a declaration of victory over the group, which the Bush administration has long described as the most lethal U.S. adversary in Iraq.

But as the White House and its military commanders plan the next phase of the war, other officials have cautioned against taking what they see as a premature step that could create strategic and political difficulties for the United States. Such a declaration could fuel criticism that the Iraq conflict has become a civil war in which U.S. combat forces should not be involved. At the same time, the intelligence community, and some in the military itself, worry about underestimating an enemy that has shown great resilience in the past.
MORE (http://www.washingtonpost.c om/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/14/AR2007101401245_pf.h tml)

[STEELMAN]

At the same time, the intelligence community, and some in the military itself, worry about underestimating an enemy that has shown great resilience in the past.
I would not toot my horn yet. I'm not satisfied with any "Victory" until we can honestly declare there remains NO Al-Qaeda left to challenge us. This is going to take a great concentrated effort on our part to hunt these vermin down and dispatch everyone of them.

This will take a longer time, but worth it, if we are to assure ourselves complete victory and safety. After that we must still be on guard constantly. What we don't want is a premature statement that later we will have to eat and return to do the job right when we should have done right the first time.

[Terri]

I think this is the left's latest strategy.

Declare victory and pull out the troops.

[qrayjack]

Good one Terri. And nobody said we've won, SM. I don't think saying al Qaeda is crippled is an exxageration.

[STEELMAN]

Oh, believe me, when I say the military has done an excellent job of kickin their a$$ and have crippled them extensively...no doubt about it.

When I was trained in the Army as a combat soldier my superiors told us that as long as the enemy existed to challenge us they were to be eliminated to the last one. Then, and only then, were we allowed to think of victory as complete. Dead enemies are no threat.

Realistically, however, this kind of enemy must be drastically reduced in size and any survivors must most certainly be convinced NOT to challenge us ever again. And that means HARD warfare and a lot of brainwashing so they will be afraid to return to their jihad. They must be totally and completely changed in their attitude towards us. That has to be our goal.

The only way to stop this enemy is to whip them and whip them hard to the last. They don't respect weakness. Anything less, I'm afraid, is just not acceptable and doomed to failure.

[JonCold]

Good job!

[schillerbjr]

Why isn't this reported in the MSM???

[qrayjack]

The only way to stop this enemy is to whip them and whip them hard to the last. Agreed, and apparently that's exactly what is being done.

[FEChancellor]

Grayjack:

I prefer, "Keep stepping on their neck until dead."

[Charie]

This article was in the Washington Post. It doesn't get much MSM'er than that, unless you're referring to TV. I can't tell you about that since I rarely watch.

Such a declaration could fuel criticism that the Iraq conflict has become a civil war in which U.S. combat forces should not be involved.

This has been blatted all over the place for the last couple of months, so what else is new?