Obama on the Iraqi Elections

Its is ironic that the one success of the Obama Administration has been Iraq, if Bush 43 had listened to Senators Obama and Biden, the state of Iraq would have been split in three and there would have been no US surge in 2007. One can postulate that Iraq would now be in a state of civil war and Iran would want Iraq as a puppet state. Thus very ironic the comments by President Obama, " I congratulate the people of Iraq for casting their ballots in this important parliamentary election. I have great respect for the millions of Iraqis who refused to be deterred by acts of violence, and who exercised their right to vote today. Their participation demonstrates that the Iraqi people have chosen to shape their future through the political process. " If it had been Obama in charge in 2007 the US would have taken troops out and the state of Iraq would not longer exist. " I commend the Iraqi government and Iraqi Security Forces for providing security at nearly 50,000 voting booths at more than 8,000 polling stations across Iraq. We mourn the tragic loss of life today, and honor the courage and resilience of the Iraqi people who once again defied threats to advance their democracy. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi poll workers contributed to the effort, as well as domestic party and civil society observers. Iraqi citizens around the world also participated in these elections, including Iraqis living in the U.S. who voted in Arlington (VA), Chicago, Dallas, Dearborn, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco. " Obama didn't want the surge and promised in the Campaign a quick exit, he shifted the timeline but is still going on about leaving Iraq by 2011, this could turn Iraq from a win to a defeat and with Iran getting the prize of Iraq. " The important work of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) will continue in the days to come as it counts ballots, tabulates results and investigates complaints. We also salute the invaluable assistance provided by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI). " The forming of a new government could take weeks if not months, thus any idea of a timeline plays in to the hands of Iran. Lets be clear folks, if Israel hits Iran all timeliness are in the bin, Iran will attack Iraq and the US will be in Iraq for years. The White House better start planning for that on the PR side, they don't want to find at 3am that Israel has hit and there is no plan.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that a British Soldier has been killed today in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " A Company 4 RIFLES, part of the 3 RIFLES Battle Group ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 271 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 238 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents. Since the start of March the UK has lost five soldiers in or around Sangin, it can be argued that the UK needs a surge in Sangin to clear the Taliban/Al Qaeda out, it can be argued that while the US and the UK mounted Operation Together ( MOSHTARAK ) in Marjah the Taliban/Al Qaeda just shifted its forces to Sangin thus the recent deaths. The UK has to show we are ready to win in Sangin and the rest of Afghanistan, thus UK should consider sending out more troops, lets be direct here, even if the troops are not ready we have to show we mean business this time not like Iraq. There comes a point that the level of attrition of troops is to much for the UK Army, thus better to clean house in Sangin now, lets have a UK surge in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the British Soldier killed on the Friday, the soldier was " Rifleman Jonathon Allott of 3rd Battalion The Rifles ". Our thoughts are with the family of Rifleman Allott.

Iran and 9/11

The Hill: Reports on the latest madness out of the mouth of President Ahmadinejad of Iran, President Ahmadinejad has taken up the call of those nutty Americans who think that 9/11 was set up by the Bush Administration and the CIA. The one major mistake of both Bush and Obama Administrations is the failure to take on Iran, the Tehran Regime has been allowed to play for time, while Bush 43 moved to diplomacy and Obama wanted to appease, the Tehran Regime has blown smoke at the West while it goes nuclear. At the end of the day the failure of both President Bush and Obama to take on Iran could force Israel to take action, the latest madness out of Tehran shows that Ahmadinejad wants to upset the USA or Israel as to cause them to take action, this would dissolve the opposition in Iran to the Regime and keep the Tehran Regime in power for years. The Obama Administration forgot the lesson of Ronald Reagan, be tough then talk, not be weak and expect thanks, that's not the real world.

Rahm Emanuel vs Obama Redux

Guardian: Has picked up on the public tensions between Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and President Obama, the article states the following, " ( Emanuel )...has damaged the standing of the presidency and undermined his boss. ". This blog has followed the developing feud between Mr Emanuel and Mr Obama, in the right corner you have a political expert and a political animal in his own right Rahm " Expletive Deleted " Emanuel, and on the left you have President " STAR/Second Coming " Obama, the problem is that Mr Emanuel is a political animal in his own right, he wants a political career after Obama has gone back to Chicago, thus he can not afford to go over the cliff with Obama. The President actual believes his own press statements and the worship of the Campaign 08 has gone to his head, the Nobel Prize Committee didn't help with his ego, thus you have Mr Emanuel who can see the cliff and does not want to fall over with Obama and Obama who thinks he can walk on water. Lets see who is right folks.

Attrition of Special Forces

The Sunday Times: Reports how operational action in Afghanistan has hurt the Special Forces of the UK, the ST reports that the SAS; Special Air Service; has lost twelve soldiers in combat and seventy haven been hurt, taken them out of operations. Our Special Forces, the SAS and the SBS; Special Boat Service; are the finest and the most feared Forces of their kind in the World, the Mossad are second raters by example, but one has to ask are we losing great soldiers in a War that we cant win, the simple question is can the SAS and the SBS really take on the Taliban/Al Qaeda in the badlands of the Afghanistan and Pakistan border. This blog has its doubts.

One LAST Push - HCR

Fox News: Reports that President Obama will one try one last push for health care reform. The American voter wants the Obama Administration to have one goal, get jobs for the American people. Thus for a year and half President Obama has been pushing an Agenda that is not supported by the American people, the President should worry that when he really needs the US voter they will not turn up to support him, he has allowed his arrogance to get in the way of good policy but worse its bad politics, Obama thinks its the process that is the problem, that is the arrogance, its the policy, what a Liberal like Obama cant get is the fact that a majority of Americans are happy with their medical cover, they don't want to pay more to cover those that don't have medical insurance. Political capitol is a powerful force, but if the head that wears the Crown spends that capitol on a mistake the capitol becomes an illusion, and when needed, lets say over Iran the US voter will desert Obama as they left Jimmy Carter.

Burn OUT - David Axelrod

The New York Times: Reports on the strains that David Axelrod suffers due to being a close aide to President Obama. The article has an interesting take on the inner power relationships of the Obama White House, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is " the administration’s chief pragmatist, and Mr. Axelrod, by implication, as something of a swooning loyalist. ". All Presidents have an Axelrod, Bush 43 had Karl Rove, the question is do they have someone like Nancy Reagan, someone the President cant fire, someone he cant escape from, Mrs Reagan was a powerful player in the White House during Iran - Contra, she helped President Reagan get the ship back on course, does the President Obama have someone who can tell him the truth, the real truth and does not consider him the Second Coming. If not President Obama will be a one term President and he will be seen as a false prophet in the eyes of many Americans, that will hurt this arrogant President.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that a British Soldier was killed on Saturday in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 3 RIFLES ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 270 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 237 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents. The level of attrition is more that 2009, we need a new plan for Afghanistan.