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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC Political Researcher



Iraq/Iran: Focus on Afghanistan?

Posted: Monday, December 17, 2007 9:07 AM by Domenico Montanaro
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The Washington Post writes, “With violence on the decline in Iraq but on the upswing in Afghanistan, President Bush is facing new pressure from the U.S. military to accelerate a troop drawdown in Iraq and bulk up force levels in Afghanistan, according to senior U.S. officials. Administration officials said the White House could start to debate the future of the American military commitment in both Iraq and Afghanistan as early as next month. Some Pentagon officials are urging a further drawdown of forces in Iraq beyond that envisioned by the White House, which is set to reduce the number of combat brigades from 20 to 15 by the end of next summer.”

More: “Bush's decisions on Iraq and Afghanistan could heavily influence his ability to pass on to his successor stable situations in both countries, an objective his advisers describe as one of the president's paramount goals for his final year in office. They say Bush will listen closely to his military commanders on the ground before making any decisions on troops but is unlikely to do anything he believes could jeopardize recent, hard-won security improvements in Iraq.”

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Just because he got 95% of the problems cured in Iraq doesn't mean he should pull out so quick....

I would suggest a few more bombing runs along the Afghan, Pakistan border and weed out all the morons and bomb them into oblivion.  
Agree or disagree with the Iraq War, I think it is possible to acknowledge that the war has been botched, mismanaged, whatever from the beginning.  There is also no denying that Pres. Bush has been the CEO and instigator of a mismanaged war, and he will be remembered for that.  So, for almost five years, the mismanagement has crept into peoples' minds, making them skeptical of any progress.  That is one reason people want the troops home, the other being that people just want the troops home--we Americans are not a warrior people, but we will strongly defend what we have.  Maybe if we had done it right from the beginning, we'd've been doing better if not well.  Maybe, the neo con agenda could be the right thing, though I doubt it.  I  still don't see real progress, but I am truly thankful that the violence is down for both Iraqi and American lives.


I truly hope Pres. G.W. Bush for once listens to his military and diplomatic advisers and accept/not politicize their advice.
95% of the problems cured in Iraq?? Really?? According to whom? Dick Cheney and Gw Bush?  If true, surely the Iraqis can handle the other 5% so why, exactly, are we still there with no intent or plan to withdraw as our troop losses continue, Iraqi citizens are still being blown up on a daily basis, and the cost of Bush's War approaches a trillion dollars?  
If you beleive that ruling the world with military force(dictatorial imperialism) is the American way then by all means vote repub, however, if you beleive in democracy and a strong self defence then you ill want to vote for someone other than repub.
If you beleive that ruling the world with military force(dictatorial imperialism) is the American way then by all means vote repub, however, if you beleive in democracy and a strong self defence then you will want to vote for someone other than repub.
"They say Bush will listen closely to his military commanders on the ground before making any decisions on troops"...that'll be the day.
People in Iraq have no running water, no electricity, no food, no infrastructure, no health care, no economy, and Bush says th ejob is 95% done?  Huh?
Reasonable goal George. Handing over a controlled level of carnage and damage mistakenly inflicted in a war of choice on a country with no connection to 9/11 to the next President. I'm sure he or she will appreciate the hard work that you did just has 70 percent of your subjects do. You are a real piece of work, W. I'm sure you will be able to sleep the sleep of the truly blissful when you leave office. What a great 1/2 an hour for America that will be as you board Marine One for the last time.
Well, the military always was better at knowing its own capabilities and limits than the politicians who told it what to do. Maybe this time they'll listen.
Weapons of mass destruction
War of choice
Bomb Iraq
In and out
Piece of cake
Rule the world with military force
Imperialism
                   George Bush   Dick Cheney


More bombing runs need along Afgan Pakistan border to weed out all the morons and bomb them into oblivion.

                            Jerry of Corpus

The US one day might have to launch surgical missle strikes into Iran and Pakistan to keep expremist from getting control of nuclear bombs.

                             Barack Obama



Jerry of Corpus, pick up the phone.

You're on the short list for Obama's vice president.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Where is Bush by the way...he can be called the absentee president.  
Time is running out, troops on their third and forth tours. Yes, it is reported that internal violence is down and the situation is more stable. But all that will change as the radical war lords regroup. Like mention by a congressman, it will take another ten years, and how many more body bags.

The clintons reside on conjecture and deception, thus we woud be deeper in debt to support their self serving agenda's.

The coming months will tell, the Brits move out and what will happen to the oil exporting, seeing this is the only income Iarq has at the present.

Stability in Iraq is corrupt and the US effort runs accountable in funding, where is the up side to what the future holds?
Mistake #1 in Iraq was drawing forces out of Afghanistan, where the terrorists were operating, supported by a bloodthirsty government whose subjects wanted someone to overthrow them.  We largely neglected a war with a reason, that we were capable of winning, with the support of the world, to fight in Iraq where none of that was true.  Now we're paying the price in both places.  Thanks, neocons.
Pat NY he was known as the invisible governor of Texas.
When Bush listens to his generals it is only to make sure they are parting correctly the words they were told to speak.
According to Jerry (the mole) GW's got 95% of Iraq's problems cured.  All I've got to say is bah humbug!!!
If GW had focused initially on Afghanistan in the 1st place, we wouldn't be in the predicament we are today.  He allowed Bin Laden escape in Tora Borah.  How convenient.  Imagine if we had captured Bin Laden then, the Iraq war would never have started.  How very, very convenient for GW and Darth Vadar!  
Oh the ''warlords are regrouping''in Iraq all right...To toss out al Qaeda.[more on this at the links following].
                 The problem is that most are seeing Iraq through a 2004-06 prism.[''no electricity,no water,no food,no economy,bad government''] Nearly zero of this holds any truth. Iraq now exceeds prewar electricity output. 330/400 kilovolt plants are located across Iraq with the largest in Baghdad,where there are 46 generators capable of supplying electricity to the entire city. Fallujah and Baghdad now has day-round lighting,thanks to the installation of two solar plants with local panels on each main street lamp. Same deal in Diayla,Mosul,Tikrit,Samarra and several other major Iraqi cities which have the new 330 KV plants each sending power to 9,600-11,000 homes per plant.
         Fresh water and sewage reclamation is nearly at prewar levels[expected to surpass this by Dec.31 of this year].Millions of tons of food,traded in petrodollars is spreading across the country,as are electronics,automobiles,furniture,clothing and disposable items from diapers to shaving cream.[and in an open,vice ''black''market economy]. Commercial flights have begun at Baghdad International for the first time since the war began to commence ferrying pilgrims to the Haj.
                       Domestic oil production now exceeds four million barrels per month,and is increasing. In a move designed to mute concerns of political corruption,the Makliki government on Dec.05,ordered a nationwide crackdown on members of the Muslim Scholars Assn.which was being used as an al Qaeda front with government prosecutors also going after the Mooks Mehdi Army members.[Trials set to commence immediately after the Haj in Ramadi.[Anbar Province. For the first time in over forty years,every single last village and city now has independantly elected mayors and town/city officials of both religious sects].
                More and more security is being turned over to the Iraqis. Eight provinces,encompassing an area larger than New England,have been placed into Iraqi hands beginning Dec. 14. This has had the effect of ending chronic wartime rotation for US forces. [The Ist of the 2nd ID and the Ist US Cav are already getting ready to come home. The US flag was lowered by US 2nd ID troops in Ramadi on Nov.27,and the Iraqi flag raised in its place]. Yet Ramadi ,like Anbar proper,remains largely quiet. Refugees by the tens of thousands continue to return to Iraq. Reports of ''massacres'',six in just the last six weeks,all proved false.
               Thus do errant accuasations of ''imperialist dictatorships''fall flat on their faces. What is occuring is neither ''imperialism'' or a ''dictatorship''. It is,however,offering Iraq a glimpse of how life without terror can be lived.

www.billroggio.blogspot.com

www.michaelyon.blogspot.com

www.iraqthemodel.blogspot.com

Lee Holmes, as usual you reply with detailed information which contradicts all reports from major sources and for which you provide no back up whatsoever.  While you're talking down to us, how about providing us some reliable links so we can cross check your claims.  All you're providing us is links to the home pages of war cheerleaders.
No political agreements yet from the "Little Democracy". Ain't no 'Victory' here yet folks.
Rice just had to have a 'secret visit' to get the Turks to move out of another soveriegn nations territory, sounds like more problems created than solved.
The Commander in Chief listening to his generals, I guess Petraus has proven to Bush that the military knows what it is doing.
Bush is going to Middle East to promote his Annapolis campfire song fest, anybody got the sheet music to Kumbuyya, better make sure he knows all the words, don't want to create an international incident.
95%, where the hell did that number come from?
I heard that people in Iraq are buying food again, you know everyone hibernates during war so food buying and less bodies in the streets are signs that things are going well for them.
Should we re-paint all the schools again, they are probably in need of a fresh coat.
AHHH, I wish for the old days of Rumsfeld, at least we knew how we were supposed to think. Now all we get is fake celebrations for everyday occurances.
John B: This,frankly,is a crock. Indeed,Mike Totten,another of these Roggio/Yon style of combat journalists is the ONLY ONE embedded with what is an entire Army division,the 2nd ID.[Yon is with the Marines,and Roggio is in Baghdad]. Thus,the only truth to be found coming from Iraq[you will observe that each and every single one of these recent ''massacres''printed by the NY Times,NEWSWEEK,CNN and others was a lie],is coming from those who have their boots on the ground. Thus what you have been provided with ARE the only ''reliable links''to be forthcoming from this nation. Involving not only dedicated American journalists,but Iraqis themselves.[Besides,your ''all major sources''agree with my assessment,when,[like the liberal National Public Radio,in November of 2007],actually take the time to report upon these phenomena,and when,[like NEWSWEEK,NEW REPUBLIC and the AP],they are not lying by the use of totally fabricated individuals or by the use of dishonest reporters. More here.

www.military.com :MILBLOGS [go and see for yourself how ''reliable'' the reportage from frontline soldiers is when stacked against some blond bimbo from CNN hiding behind vodka screwdrivers inside the Green Zone reporting on the latest ''massacre''].


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