The BlogPoliticsIraq

Sunday Roundup

Inthis week that the surge has "succeeded beyond our wildest dreams," Obama was buying into the Republicans' framing on Iraq. As the Shiite-run Iraqi government is rounding up the Sunni leaders of the Awakening who were at the heart of the reduction in violence, political reconciliation -- the actual goal of the surge -- remains a mirage. McCain'sholds that the outcome of the surge is the sum total of the Iraq scorecard -- wiping everything else clean. Forget invading over non-existent WMD, taking our eye off al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, war profiteering and the empowering of Iran. And forget that Gen. Petraeusto delay planned troop cuts because he realizes that widespread violence could easily return to Iraq. Success beyond our wildest dreams? Perhaps when Sarah Palin, "victory in Iraq is finally in sight," she was talking about a PR victory.
Open Image Modal
By 

Founder, The Huffington Post; Founder and CEO, Thrive Global

Founder, The Huffington Post; Founder and CEO, Thrive Global
|
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

In asserting this week that the surge has "succeeded beyond our wildest dreams," Obama was buying into the Republicans' framing on Iraq. As the Shiite-run Iraqi government is rounding up the Sunni leaders of the Awakening who were at the heart of the reduction in violence, political reconciliation -- the actual goal of the surge -- remains a mirage. McCain's amnesia platform holds that the outcome of the surge is the sum total of the Iraq scorecard -- wiping everything else clean. Forget invading over non-existent WMD, taking our eye off al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, war profiteering and the empowering of Iran. And forget that Gen. Petraeus wants to delay planned troop cuts because he realizes that widespread violence could easily return to Iraq. Success beyond our wildest dreams? Perhaps when Sarah Palin said, "victory in Iraq is finally in sight," she was talking about a PR victory.

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip