2009.07.01
Editorial: A sign of progress in Iraq
Iraq's sovereignty day
The future of a nation is in the hands of Iraqi's leaders and its people.
As American troops completed their withdrawal from Iraqi towns and cities on Tuesday, congregating mostly in forward operating bases where they can be called upon when needed, the Iraqi people expressed jubilation tempered with caution and doubt about whether their security forces can handle the responsibility that's been handed to them. Despite those reservations and an uptick in violence recently, the mood was undeniable as Iraqis celebrated a new national holiday, National Sovereignty Day.
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I will backtrack a bit from my comments yesterday.
I think regardless of your opinion of Bush or the Iraq war, he does deserve credit for keeping at it and changing his approach until he got it right. Heaven knows he took a lot of grief for his execution of the war, but here is no question the surge was the turning point. I also think it would be fitting for the administration to include Bush in any ceremony they may have here at home that has to do with Iraq or the troops. Sort of in the same way Bush showed courtesy to Bill Clinton at various times during his presidency. There is a time than rank partisanship can be put aside. I think it would be a nice gesture by Obama.
Comment by The Professor — July 1, 2009 @ 10:54 am
Professor...I'll be surprised if there is a ceremony of any magnitude here at home regarding Iraq.
Comment by BUD — July 1, 2009 @ 11:51 am
You gotta admit this is goofy. Everybody thinks our troops did a great job to get to this day, Iraqi Sovereignty Day. but our military's Commander-in-Chief has little recognition for their efforts. He was opposed to the surge and tried to stop it and wanted to "redeploy" our military immediately 2 years ago. I guess his position now is to tell the troops that they have done a good job doing something he was against from the beginning but instead of pulling them out he is going to have them remain in Iraq indefinitely as a continuation of the Bush administration's policy. Its hard to find the center of this.
Comment by wayne p. — July 1, 2009 @ 3:26 pm
Bud...
I'll bet there'll be one helluva big celebration when all of our troops come home from that sandbox as well as that hole Afghanistan.
Comment by Will — July 1, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
"Iraqi Sovereignty Day" is an Iraqi holiday celebrating getting us to finally leave their country. It's not an American holiday celebrating our great victory over there.
"Marchers shouted, "America has left! Baghdad is victorious!"
Explain to me how we should be "celebrating" this? It's like Moscow "celebrating" the fall of the Berlin Wall. Or Britain celebrating July 4th. This is not our holiday...it's theirs.
Comment by Kristen — July 1, 2009 @ 3:47 pm
in the middle east you can rent a mob to shout anything. Its their holiday, we provided it
Comment by wayne p. — July 1, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
Kristen #5 - Really? I find the leaps you made in your post a little far-fetched. I'd hope we would celebrate our troops coming home and a job well done. They deserve that....from all of us.
I'll eat your hotdog, Kristen, when I have the victory party at my house...
Comment by Danny — July 1, 2009 @ 4:01 pm
wayne I'd agree with both of those points. A snowball thrives in hell.
Comment by Kristen — July 1, 2009 @ 4:14 pm