I’ll be linking to this, just so ya know.

Spare us. Virtually every article about the war includes a quote from a soldier who says they’re doing well, making progress, etc., etc. This op-ed was extraordinary because these soldiers dared to disagree with the upbeat statements, and attached their names and their ranks to their opinions. In other words, it was news.

And anyway the NY Times printed the O’Hanlon/Pollack op-ed saying the surge was succeeding, so I’m not sure what your beef is except that what you disagree with you blame on the liberal media, and what you agree with they get no credit for, apparently.

And I, also, will be linking to this….

Thank YOU.

Neither of those individuals were Soldiers, no matter how good their piece is. I agree that the O’Hanlon/Pollack piece was positive, which was a shock for us all considering the source. It was an anomaly pure and simple. And for the record, we DID publicize their piece over on my other blog, so spare me your tongue lashing about failing to give credit.

I would really appreciate you sharing with us where you’re getting all this supposed good news that isn’t coming from blogs or local newspapers where military bases are predominant. I’d like to read “virtually every article about the war” that says we’re “doing well” in Iraq. Cause I have to HUNT for them.

Violence Metrics
Change
Iraqi Military and Police Killed 349 429 Up 23%
Multiple Fatality Bombings 110 82 Down 25%
# Killed in Mult. Fatality Bombings 885 1,053 Up 19%
Iraqi Civilians Killed 6,739 5,300 Hard to say1
U.S. Troop Fatalities 104 187 Up 80%
U.S. Troops Wounded 983 1,423 Up 45%
Attacks on Oil and Gas Pipelines 8 143 Up 75%
1Methodology changed dramatically between 2006 and 2007, so numbers are highly suspect.
2Number is for March 2007.
3Numbers are for June only. No July numbers are available.

Diesel Fuel Available 26.7 Ml 20.7 Ml Down 22%
Kerosene Available 7.08 Ml 6.3 Ml Down 11%
Gasoline Available 29.4 Ml 22.2 Ml Down 24%
LPG Available 4,936 tons 4,932 tons Down 0.1%
Electricity Generated 8,800 Mwatts 8,420 Mwatts Down 4%
Hours Electricity Per Day 11.7 10.14 Down ~14%

The President and military was quite clear that the surge would initially result in more deaths. If you ask me, your numbers actually support what we’re doing because they prove that bombings are down and the civilian deaths are down. That’s our main priority. If the cost of keeping civilians alive is dead Soldiers and police, then that’s our job. Your metrics are WAY off on the oil and gas pipeline issue, not sure where you’re getting those numbers. Your numbers are also misleading without facts.

For example, the electricity numbers mean nothing without mentioning that there is MORE electricity being produced, however the drain on the system has been increased due to Iraqis being able to purchase and use electrical appliances and devices for the first time in their lives. I saw this firsthand when I was in Iraq in 2003. Within days of the collapse of Baghdad, satellite dishes were going up, TVs were being bought, and satellite phones were being used.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/13/washington/13troops.html