The IED vs. Democracy.

[joanc1963]

http://www.victorhanson.com/articles/hanson022406.html

"The insurgency in Iraq has no military capability either to drive the United States military from Iraq or to stop the American training of Iraqi police and security forces — or, for that matter, to derail the formation of a new government. The United States air base at Balad is one of the busiest airports in the world. Camp Victory near Baghdad is impenetrable to serious attack. And even forward smaller bases at Kirkuk, Mosul, and Ramadi are entirely secure. Instead, the terrorists count on three alternate strategies:"

"...the terrorists have an invaluable ally in the global media, whose “if it bleeds, it leads” brand of journalism always favors the severed head in the street over the completion of yet another Iraqi school."

"Again, the question now is an existential one: Can the United States — or anyone — in the middle of a war against Islamic fascism, rebuild the most important country in the heart of the Middle East, after 30 years of utter oppression, three wars, and an Orwellian, totalitarian dictator's warping of the minds of the populace? And can anyone navigate between a Zarqawi, a Sadr, and the Sunni rejectionists, much less the legions of Iranian agents, Saudi millionaires, and Syrian provocateurs who each day live to destroy what’s going on in Iraq?"

"The fate of a much wider war hinges on the answers to these questions, since it would be hard to imagine that bin Laden could continue to be much of a force with a secure and democratic Iraq, anchoring ongoing liberalization in the Gulf, Lebanon, and Egypt, and threatening by example Iran and Syria. By the same token, it would be hard to see how we could stop jihadism from spreading when an army that is doing everything possible still could not stop Islamic fascism from taking over the ancestral home of the ancient caliphate.

Can-do Americans courageously go about their duty in Iraq — mostly unafraid that a culture of 2,000 years, the reality of geography, the sheer forces of language and religion, the propaganda of the state-run Arab media, and the cynicism of the liberal West are all stacked against them. Iraq may not have started out as the pivotal front in the war between democracy and fascism, but it has surely evolved into that. After visiting the country, I think we can and will win, but just as importantly, unlike in 2003-04, there does not seem to be much of anything we should be doing there that in fact we are not."

©2006 Victor Davis Hanson

[REITman]

Great article Joan. Thanks for posting it. :)

[Anaconda_Dinar_Sheik]

We are at a standoff of sorts, as we cannot yet stop the fear of the IED, and they cannot halt the progress of democracy.

This writer believes the pen is mightier than the sword... Well, I hate to inform them that the IED is slowing down, if not halting democracy. It causes the casualty rate to escalate, which turns public opinion against the war.
We have civilian truck drivers coming back from Iraq with combat stress caused by these IED that the public knows very little about. As PTSD increases in the returning civilian work force from Iraq and Afgan, the medical cost will escalate in the future and cause further burden for the families of the civilians with PTSD! This then causes a problem for our democracy at home, because no one is educating the returning civilians to where they can turn for help.


Democracy: government by the people, directly or by repersentitives 2 A country,ETC. with such government 3 equality orights, opportunity, and treatment

[joanc1963]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/intro/ied-iraq.htm

Iraq is one of the most heavily mined nations in the world. As of early 2003, it was estimated that there were over 10 million mines already in the ground—8 million antipersonnel (AP) and 2 million antitank (AT), with Iraq both a producer and exporter of AP mines.

[Anaconda_Dinar_Sheik]

At least 8,000 members of the all-volunteer U.S. military have deserted since the Iraq war began, Pentagon records show, although the overall desertion rate has plunged since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060307/ts_usatoday/8000desertduringiraqwar

The IED is meant to put fear into the enemy, I,m not saying its the total cause of desertion, but it is a factor.

[SaraDinar]

Iraq Weapons -- Made in Iran
Intelligence Officials Say Weapons Responsible for Increasing U.S. Deaths in Iraq
By BRIAN ROSS, RICHARD ESPOSITO and JILL RACKMILL

March 6, 2006 — U.S. military and intelligence officials tell ABC News that they have caught shipments of deadly new bombs at the Iran-Iraq border.

They are a very nasty piece of business, capable of penetrating U.S. troops' strongest armor.

What the United States says links them to Iran are tell-tale manufacturing signatures — certain types of machine-shop welds and material indicating they are built by the same bomb factory.

U.S. officials say roadside bomb attacks against American forces in Iraq have become much more deadly as more and more of the Iran-designed and Iran-produced bombs have been smuggled in from the country since last October.

"I think the evidence is strong that the Iranian government is making these IEDs, and the Iranian government is sending them across the border and they are killing U.S. troops once they get there," says Richard Clarke, former White House counterterrorism chief and an ABC News consultant. "I think it's very hard to escape the conclusion that, in all probability, the Iranian government is knowingly killing U.S. troops."

U.S. intelligence officials say Iran is using the bombs as a way to drive up U.S. casualties in Iraq but without provoking a direct confrontation.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/IraqCoverage/story?id=1692347&page=1

[Anaconda_Dinar_Sheik]

U.S. Spending Billions to Stop Iraq IEDs


BAGHDAD, Iraq - The United States is pouring billions more dollars and fresh platoons of experts into its campaign to "defeat IEDs," the roadside bombs President Bush describes as threat No. 1 to Iraq's future.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060313/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_threat_no1


Cost pennies to make and billions to fight, if only we could get a return on the Dinar like that!!!...

[joanc1963]

U.S. Spending Billions to Stop Iraq IEDs


BAGHDAD, Iraq - The United States is pouring billions more dollars and fresh platoons of experts into its campaign to "defeat IEDs," the roadside bombs President Bush describes as threat No. 1 to Iraq's future.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060313/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_threat_no1


Cost pennies to make and billions to fight, if only we could get a return on the Dinar like that!!!...

We will!Keep the faith.

[dukece]

It was reported on FOX morning news today, that the LA Times published how the US has a new avenue to detect and disarm IED's over in Iraq. From the report this morning, they went into great detail on their web page how we set electronic frequencies to accomplish this task and save lives and property. WELL, now so does the insurgency !
Now apparently , that will put us back to square one ! Thanks LA Times and the lives and blood of our soldiers THANK YOU ! Sorry, I don't have a link, just repeating what I saw and heard this morning and I could go on, but I am pissed off. Any wonder why ??????????????????

[apostle]

At least 8,000 members of the all-volunteer U.S. military have deserted since the Iraq war began, Pentagon records show, although the overall desertion rate has plunged since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060307/ts_usatoday/8000desertduringiraqwar

The IED is meant to put fear into the enemy, I,m not saying its the total cause of desertion, but it is a factor.

Not quite the article for IED vs Democracy ..... what, they do a tour of duty.... go home and desert? So why did they desert BEFORE the war? seeing that the number of desertions are down.

There is also this in the article:

Opposition to the war prompts a small fraction of desertions, says Army spokeswoman Maj. Elizabeth Robbins. "People always desert, and most do it because they don't adapt well to the military," she says. The vast majority of desertions happen inside the USA, Robbins says. There is only one known case of desertion in Iraq.

Just the facts maam, just the facts. Joe Friday

[apostle]

It was reported on FOX morning news today, that the LA Times published how the US has a new avenue to detect and disarm IED's over in Iraq. From the report this morning, they went into great detail on their web page how we set electronic frequencies to accomplish this task and save lives and property. WELL, now so does the insurgency !
Now apparently , that will put us back to square one ! Thanks LA Times and the lives and blood of our soldiers THANK YOU ! Sorry, I don't have a link, just repeating what I saw and heard this morning and I could go on, but I am pissed off. Any wonder why ??????????????????


Dukece..... it is a VERY good and sophistcated system that works and has been working for some 7 or 8 months. I am sure the insurgency watches FOX, but it won't do them any good. Doesn't mean tho that I support the release of such info. Just thought you might like to know.

[apostle]

addendum: by 7 or 8 months I meant that is how long ago I saw it actually in use where I am. It actually is a system of about 18 months. As I said I won't mention any names, but if you knew it there is a lot of info (public) about it.

[Lonestar]

As much as I hate to say it would it not be in our interest to move into Iran to fight terrorists if in fact these bombs can be linked directly to them? Is the basis of our war a war on terror? It makes sense to me. No redeployment costs....We are already in the region....Anyone else thought of this scenario?

[dukece]

Instead of factoring in any lose of american life and even any further Iraqi lives and considering Iran has alway's been a hard line state and never agreeable to anything, we just NUC them ! Let them experience the full rath of America. I bet you Syria would just fall right in line, maybe even HAMAS as well.