'US Marines deny losing Iraq's biggest province'!

[leftchick]

this must have pissed rummy off.....

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/GRA243935.htm

<snip>


The Washington Post reported that officials who have seen a study by the Marines' top intelligence officer in Iraq say he described the situation in the province as lost. Iraq's Shi'ite-led government holds no sway there and the strongest political movement is the Iraq branch of al Qaeda, it concluded.

The Post said it was the first time a senior U.S. officer had filed such a pessimistic assessment from Iraq, and described it as having had an impact among policymakers in Washington.

But Major General Richard Zilmer, commander of the 2nd Marine Division, said the press reports "fail to accurately capture the entirety and complexity" of the situation in Anbar.

"The classified assessment, which has been referred to in these reports, was intended to focus on the causes of the insurgency. It was not intended to address the positive effects Coalition and Iraqi forces have achieved on the security environment over the past years," he said in a statement.

"In areas where the presence of Iraqi Security Forces is combined with an effective local civil government, we have seen progress made. Not just in the area of security, but in economic development and the establishment of social order and public services," he said.

[kenny blankenship]

1. We haven't lost it, we know EXACTLY where it is!

we just can't go there.

[Renew Deal]

2. This sounds like more lies, spin, and bullshit.

"In areas where the presence of Iraqi Security Forces is combined with an effective local civil government, we have seen progress made. Not just in the area of security, but in economic development and the establishment of social order and public services,"

What they don't tell you is that these areas don't exist.

[Dhalgren]

3. The general had to give a glaring caveat in his statement:

"In areas where the presence of Iraqi Security Forces is combined with an effective local civil government" - oh, in those areas. No shit? Point to place in Anbar where "the presence of Iraqi Security Forces is combined with an effective local civil government". You can't. That's like saying, 'Anyplace where there have been no killings is a place where there have been no murders'.

Everywhere in Anbar is peaceful where there is no conflict going on.

Everyone in Iraq who not sad is not unhappy.

This is just too silly to countenance...

[leftchick]

5. And that is why the Marine Officer who wrote the bad news

Said that Al-Anbar is lost POLITICALLY. And when you lose that, you can not win militarily. Smart dude that Officer.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. However, things are very peaceful in Camp Pendleton.

Where the marines have complete control.

[Dhalgren]

6. "Booo-yaaa!"