What if?

[Ohioguy]

After five years of war, and almost 7 years since 9/11, it is certainly not popular to present the concept of Hope. But in two important news items, there is at least a glimmer.

In what was described as an “upbeat” assessment the head of the CIA says that Al-Qaida faces “Near Strategic Defeat” in both Iraq and Saudi Arabia. While certainly most of us have been following the events in Iraq, I really had no idea that Al-Qaeda was doing so poorly in Saudi Arabia. But the most interesting comment seemed to be that the CIA senses a shift in the level of support for Al-Qaeda, and its ilk. He impled that the horrors of life under strict Fundamentalist Islam was sinking in with average Muslims. Certainly the morally bankrupt horrors have been televised for years, but it looks as if the displaced blame against the US has been replaced by the startk reality that Al-Qaedda is essentially a group of sociopathic murderers and criminals, not the lions of Islam that they once claimed to be. While everyone acknowledges that Al-Qaedda could have cells ready to strike at any moment, it may be that the time has passed for Al-Qaedda to re-invent itself as a formidable world power, and instead they have turned off their natural supporters with excess violence. It appears that the center of Muslim society is pushing back.

In other good news, violence in Iraq is at a new post war low. It appears as if the Iraqi government and the Iraqi army, supplemented by the surge in US forces have pacified large areas of Iraq. US military deaths and injuries are down dramatically, Iraqi deaths remain high, but have declined greatly in the last few months. There is now wide spread conjecture on the return of US forces from Iraq. While bad boy cleric Sadr remains a threat, the Iraqi Army has begun to confront these militias with considerable success. Iraq is no rose garden, but war fatigue may be replaced by some political compromise, and stability.

Iraq may always remain a corrupt and violent society, and until the last vestiges of Saddams culture have been washed from the population, there is always the possibility of civil war, and a failed society. But at least at this point Iraq is no threat to it’s neighbors, and it appears that it will not be a haven for Al-Qaedda.

I think none of us trusts the fact that the worst of both the conflict in Iraq, and the conflict with Al-Qaedda may be past us. But if these glimmers of hope represent real trends, then we may be entering a new phase.

Obviously this has a huge effect on politics, and the upcoming US election. It also has huge ramifications for relations between the West and modern Islam.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052904116_pf.html

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gNVpdwEwi5r0dIuKBk9XAqkBQ3YAD910ORI88

[Mr_Fraudia]

Re: What if?

hey old pal. long time no see.

as far as l-k-da Its encouraging to see that more and more people who had been hoodwinked into seeing US as the source of all their ills are beginning to get some sense and seeing morons like lkda and teleturbies for what they are i.e.a bunch of iognoramus morons a band of thugs who are twisting religion to try and get some power.

as far as politics impact goes, if things keep stabilising its a big win for GOP and a huge boost for mccain.

however if something happens it will have opposite effects. although I suppose that will then be used by mccain as a reason why the war in iraq is critical and will be used against obama that way.

PS: i write obama because I dont think hillbilly clinton is going to win it, even with ridiculous demands such as askign fro all delegates from a satte her competitor did not even campaign in.

[teggy]

Re: What if?

While all that sounds good, but What If, just What If, it’s another one of those ‘Feel Good, Save Dubya’ assessments that have always followed harsh criticism?

Almost everyone that has quit the Bush Administration, has had the most negative remarks about Bush’s handling of the war. A CNN reporter has recently revealed that she was encouraged to push the positive spin on the news and give the people what they want to hear, not what the reality is. Her negative reporting that went against the patriotic sentiment were tucked under the rug.

We’d all like for this unfortunate venture to turn out well, and war come to an end but so far all we see is ‘Stay the Course’ from the White House, despite countless number of reports suggesting otherwise and encouraging a change of course.

What If, its just another one of those smoke screens to keep the unwanted out of American public’s sight? GOP and their ways… :hehe:

Here’s the full article on the reporter and what she called was ‘Pressure to be patriotic’

CNN reporter talks of pressure to be patriotic

By DAVID BAUDER – 1 day ago
NEW YORK (AP) — CNN correspondent Jessica Yellin said Thursday she was referring to her time spent at MSNBC when she said she felt pressure not to report stories critical of the Bush administration during the time leading up to the Iraq war.

Yellin’s initial comments, made during a discussion with Anderson Cooper on CNN Wednesday, shifted attention to the news media’s performance following release of a critical assessment of the Bush administration by former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. He wrote that Bush’s strategy for selling the war was less than candid and honest.

During her CNN appearance, Yellin said the press corps was under enormous pressure from corporate executives to make sure the war was presented “in a way that was consistent with the patriotic fever in the nation and the president’s high approval ratings.”

The higher Bush’s approval ratings, the more pressure she felt from news executives to put on positive stories about the president, she said. Pushed by Cooper to explain, Yellin said her bosses would turn down critical stories about the administration and try to put on positive pieces.

Yellin, a Harvard graduate, worked at ABC News as a White House correspondent from 2003 to 2007. She joined CNN in 2007 and is now a congressional correspondent; she was in Puerto Rico Thursday reporting on the upcoming Democratic primary.

Interest in her comments immediately exploded on the Internet, prompting her to issue a statement through CNN on Thursday. She was not made available by CNN to answer questions.
“Suddenly I’m being reported on,” she wrote on a CNN Web log. “It’s not the most comfortable position for a reporter.”

She said she didn’t mean to leave the impression that corporate leadership edited her work; she was referring to senior producers who “wanted their coverage to reflect the mood of the country.” She didn’t identify any of the producers or give a specific example about how things were changed because of this.
MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines said Yellin was a “freelance overnight news reader at MSNBC for one year who was not renewed.” But he didn’t dispute Yellin’s claim that she did some Washington and Pentagon reports while there.

“She had little to no contact with editorial decision makers, and certainly was not a part of the editorial process on a daily basis,” Gaines said. “Given how her story has changed so dramatically since her appearance on CNN — her current employer — less than 24 hours ago, we find it hard to believe that anyone would take this disgruntled former employee’s comments seriously.”

The charges against MSNBC aren’t new, however. A prime-time show with Phil Donahue received consistent pressure to present panels tilted in favor of the war, said Jeff Cohen, that program’s former senior producer. Donahue’s show was on for less than a year before being cancelled less than a month before the war began.

He once witnessed a producer scolded for organizing a discussion with pro- and anti-war sentiments presented equally, said Cohen, a liberal activist who wrote a book about his experiences with TV networks.

“It’s a great day for the American public that finally, after five years of such well-documented criticisms of the media’s failure … to see them finally having to come clean and do a self-examination,” Cohen said.
“The irony is that it’s one of the Bush prevaricators that is forcing it,” he said.

Five years later, Donahue’s former time slot is filled by Keith Olbermann, who has drawn attention for his sharp commentaries against the Bush administration.

From the other side of the podium, McClellan offered criticism of the media’s performance. He said reporters were “complicit enablers” by covering the preparations for war instead of more aggressively questioning the need for it.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ij9JDGtKUEu9OlIDnowiM0AS9C3wD90VJ11G4

[burqaposhx]

Re: What if?

Qaida may be down and out in Iraq and Saudi. Bad news is that it is thriving in Pakistan's FATA region. It has found helping hands in the form of Mehsood. So it is a long fight and who knows when it will end.

Iraqis on the other hand may get a reprieve from insane violence, while Pakistan would continue to suffer the suicide bombings and instability.

[Ohioguy]

Re: What if?

Teggy,

Well, undoubtedly we all mistrust the spin-doctors. But, the decrease in violence in Iraq is fact, and not subject to much spinning. And frankly virtually everyone credits the Surge in US troops, and the "Awakening Councils" in Iraq for most of the decrease in violence. But, simply by observation, AQ has not been able to launch a major attack in years. After years of Embassy bombings, London, Madrid, the Cole, WTC attacks one and two, of late AQ has not been able to muster much. I have completely forgotten what color level threat we are at. On the face of this, it represents some progress.

It appears as if all new AQ recruits are now being routed to the Afghan/Pakistan border, not Iraq. One has to wonder if an Afghan Surge is a year or so away, once troops go home from Iraq and rest. 50,000 US combat troops in Afghanistan would surely make a dent, particualry if one is able to "bend" the border a bit.

This coud be spin doctoring, or it could simply be a lull. On the other hand, it could be that the tide has actually turned, and we will not fully realize this for a year or two.

Hi Fraudz!