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Success of the Surge

Depends on What the Meaning of the Word 'Is' (Surge) Is

Adam Blickstein | Posted 08.01.2008 | Politics

Read More: John McCain, Iraq Surge, Linguistics, Language, Casuistry, Success of the Surge, Manipulative, Political Rhetoric, John McCain Rhetoric, Politics News
Adam Blickstein

The stakes are far higher now in dealing with a war than with adultery. But in both instances, the manipulation of words, whether active or passive, matter.

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Troop-Withdrawal Advocates Gain an Important Ally

Byron Williams | Posted 08.01.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq Surge, Maliki Surge, Iraqi Security Forces, Success of the Surge, Maliki Obama, Iraq Troop Withdrawal, Nouri Al Maliki, Obama Iraq, Politics News
Byron Williams

Conventional wisdom maintains that the surge is working and that violence is down. But the underlining reasons for much of the violence in Iraq is beyond the surge's control.

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The Real Cost Of Staying The Course

John Bruhns | Posted 07.29.2008 | Politics

Read More: Sectarian Tension Iraq, Iraqi Security Forces, Mahdi Army, Success of the Surge, Us Troop Withdrawal Iraq, Sustainability, Nation Building, Iraq, US Troop Levels, Politics News
John Bruhns

If Americans who support this war aren't willing to put their own bodies where their rhetoric is, there can be no sustainability.

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Confessions of an Anti-Iraq War Democrat: Memories of a Purple Finger

Lanny Davis | Posted 07.29.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq War, Iraq Surge, Troop Withdrawal, Saddam Hussein, Success of the Surge, Iraq Troop Withdrawal, Iraq Elections, Iraq, Purple Finger, Nouri Al Maliki, Politics News
Lanny Davis

Many anti-war Democrats now see a moral obligation (after all the carnage and destruction wrought by our military intervention) not just to pick up and leave Iraq without looking over our shoulders.

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Buying Time

John Bruhns | Posted 07.24.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iran, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Troop Withdrawal, Success of the Surge, Maliki, Shiite Militias, Sunni Insurgency, Iraq War, Bush Iraq, Iraq, Politics News
John Bruhns

The fragile success of the surge can be easily reversed. Now the issue is sustaining the current conditions long enough for us to start bringing our troops home.

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Why I Voted Against Promoting Petraeus

Sen. Robert Byrd | Posted 07.18.2008 | Politics

Read More: The Surge, Iraq, General Petraeus, Success of the Surge, Politics News
Sen. Robert Byrd

The jury is still out on the success or failure of the "surge strategy." General Petraeus should bring it to its conclusion before he is rewarded with a promotion.

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Who's Paying The Biggest Price Now For Our War In Iraq? Our National Guard.

Bobby Muller | Posted 07.18.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq War, Iraq Surge, National Guard, Success of the Surge, Iraq Troops, Tour of Duty, Iraq National Guard, US Iraq Troop Levels, Politics News
Bobby Muller

Almost half of the soldiers scheduled to deploy to Iraq are members of our National Guard. We can't maintain this -- it is another cost of the war, one that is too great for our country to bear.

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Jason Linkins

Globe Columnist Gets It Right On Iraq

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 07.09.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq War, Iraq Surge, John McCain, Success of the Surge, George W. Bush, John Mccain Surge, Iraq, War in Iraq, Politics News

Even with all the Iraq War criticism out there, it is rare to find a writer who manages to get it as right as Andrew J. Bacevich does in today's Bosto...

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Jason Linkins

'Mission Accomplished' Anniversary: NYT Celebrates With Panel Who Largely Got It Wrong

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 05.13.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq War, New York Times, Success of the Surge, Mission Accomplished, War in Iraq, Iraq Five Years Later, Politics News

This past Sunday, the New York Times presented a symposium of sorts on the future of the Iraq War, titled "How To See This Mission Accomplished." Hav...

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Bush On Iraq: "My Measure Of Success Is Victory - And Success"

The Swamp | Mark Silva | Posted 04.25.2008 | Politics

Read More: George Bush Gordon Brown, Gordon Brown, Iraq War, Iraq Surge, Success of the Surge, George W. Bush, George Bush Iraq, Bush Iraq, War in Iraq, Politics News

President Bush was asked today what he says to critics who see no end in sight in the war in Iraq - is it an open-ended war? And he effectively said i...

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The 100 Years Defense Makes No Sense

Ilan Goldenberg | Posted 04.24.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq War, Iraq Surge, McCain Iraq 100 Years, Iraq, Mccain, John McCain, Success of the Surge, McCain Iraq, Politics News
Ilan Goldenberg

Whether it's fighting in Iraq for 100 years or just staying for 100 years under some fantastical scenario where our troops stop being targets, McCain's idea doesn't really make much sense.

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Virtue Out of Necessity: Bush Troop Decision Disingenuous

Lawrence Korb | Posted 04.24.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq Surge, Sunni Militias, Ilsamist Extremists, Shi'a Civil War, Iraq War, Radical Islamist Extremeists, Shiite Civil War, Iraq Shiite Violence, General Petraeus, Sunnis, Redeployment, Success of the Surge, US Troop Deployments, Politics News
Lawrence Korb

Despite the president's assertion that the withdrawal of some troops represents a "return on success" from his "surge" policy, he is merely making a virtue out of necessity.

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Jason Linkins

Pelosi Calls Out Petraeus For Parroting Bush Spin

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 04.18.2008 | Politics

Read More: Video, Success of the Surge, Iraq Surge, David Petraeus, General David Petraeus, Petraeus Hearings, Iraq, Basra, Petraeus Hearing, Iraq Hearings, Petraeus Crocker Testimony, Petraeus Testimony, War in Iraq, Nancy Pelosi, Basra Attacks, General Petraeus, Iraq War, Breaking Politics News, Basra Fighting, Politics News

We noted yesterday the bizarre way that General Petraeus' testimony changed between his Tuesday appearance before the Senate committees and his Wednes...

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Jason Linkins

Crocker Continues To Conflate Sunni Resistance With al Qaeda

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 04.17.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq Hearings, Iraq Surge, Petraeus Testimony, Petraeus Crocker Testimony, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Success of the Surge, General David Petraeus, David Petraeus, Al Qaeda in Iraq, Ryan Crocker, Robert Andrews, Petraeus Hearings, Petraeus Hearing, General Petraeus, Ambassador Crocker, Politics News

One of the problems at the root of the so-called "surge" is that it was sold as a means to bring about a broad reconciliation between warring factions...

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Jason Linkins

Petraeus Shifts Sharply On Basra, Aligns With White House Spin

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 04.17.2008 | Politics

Read More: Basra, Petraeus Testimony, Iraq Surge, Success of the Surge, Basra Fighting, General David Petraeus, David Petraeus, Basra Attacks, Petraeus Hearings, War in Iraq, Iraq War, Iraq Hearings, Petraeus Crocker Testimony, Petraeus Hearing, Iraq, General Petraeus, Video, Politics News

Perhaps sensing that his testimony on Tuesday was undermining the official White House version of events in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus today offered a ...

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Jason Linkins

Wall Street Journal Pregames Petraeus, Discounts Dissent

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 04.15.2008 | Politics

Read More: Gian Gentile, Petraeus Testimony, Iraq Surge, Petraeus Report, Success of the Surge, Iraq War Five Years Later, David Petraeus, General Petraeus, Petraeus Testifies Congress, Wall Street Journal, Petraeus Iraq, Politics News

On one level, it is fortunate that the Wall Street Journal, a day before General David Petraeus arrives on Capitol Hill to re-engage his attempts to s...

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John McCain Iraq Progress Speech Interrupted By News Of Green Zone Attacks

Think Progress | Posted 04.15.2008 | Politics

Read More: John McCain Iraq, John McCain Iraq Surge, Iraq Surge, Success of the Surge, McCain Iraq War, Iraq War, War in Iraq, McCain Iraq, Politics News

Today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) spoke to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, making the case for the "unmistakable progress" in Iraq. A telling moment in hi...

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Jason Linkins

N.Y. Times On Iraq: Awash In Symbolism

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 04.15.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq War, New York Times, Iraq Surge, Iraq, Success of the Surge, Politics News

Via Yglesias, we find the New York Times mealy-mouthing their way through Iraq war reportage: The Green Zone attacks Sunday were, symbolically at lea...

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Jason Linkins

Chris Wallace, Bill Kristol Chat Up An Iraq War Fantasy

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 04.14.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq Surge, Chris Wallace, Success of the Surge, Fox News Sunday, Bill Kristol, David Petraeus, Politics News

Today on Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace and Bill Kristol had themselves a tidy little conversation on an Iraq War. I say "an" Iraq War, because whate...

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Jason Linkins

McCain Clueless, Contradictory On al-Sadr's Influence In Iraq

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 04.10.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq Surge, Moqtada Al-Sadr, John McCain, Muqtada Al-Sadr, Success of the Surge, John McCain Gaffe, John McCain Iraq Surge, McCain Iraq, Politics News

For all of John McCain's claims to both foreign policy experience and a keen understanding on what needs to be done in Iraq, it seems that with each p...

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Militiamen Holding Out in Basra Fighting

AP | KIM GAMEL | Posted 04.03.2008 | Home

Read More: Basra Attacks, Basra Fighting, Iraq, Iraq Basra, Iraq Cease-Fire, Iraq Five Years of War, Iraq Militias, Iraq Security, Iraq Surge, Iraq War, Moqtada Al Sadr, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Muqtada Al Sadr, Muqtada Al-Sadr, Sadr Cease Fire, Sadrists Iraq, Sadrists Truce, Shiite Militias, Success of the Surge, War in Iraq, Warwire, Home News

BAGHDAD — Iraq's prime minister warned gunmen in the oil port of Basra to surrender their weapons by Friday or face harsher measures, as clashes...

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Jason Linkins

Dana Perino, The Gift That Keeps On Giving: A Neverending Surge

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 04.02.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq War, Iraq Surge, Troop Withdrawal, Petraeus Report, Troops, Success of the Surge, David Petraeus, Iraq Troop Withdrawal, Iraq Five Years Later, Dana Perino, Iraq Five Years, Iraq Five Years of War, General Petraeus, White House Press Briefings, White House Press Corps, Politics News

Years after missions were declared to have been accomplished in Iraq, it's still difficult to get a straight answer out of the Bush administration as ...

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US, Iraqi Troops Battle Shiite Militia

AP | ROBERT H. REID | Posted 04.02.2008 | Politics

Read More: Basra Attacks, Basra Fighting, Iraq, Iraq Basra, Iraq Cease-Fire, Iraq Five Years of War, Iraq Militias, Iraq Security, Iraq Surge, Iraq War, Moqtada Al Sadr, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Muqtada Al Sadr, Muqtada Al-Sadr, Sadr Cease Fire, Sadrists Iraq, Sadrists Truce, Shiite Militias, Success of the Surge, War in Iraq, Warwire, Politics News

BAGHDAD — Iraq's leaders faced their gravest challenge in months Tuesday as Shiite militiamen loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr batt...

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Is "Success" Of Iraq Surge About To Unravel?

Huffington Post | Posted 04.02.2008 | Politics

Read More: Iraq War, Iraq Surge, Warwire, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Success of the Surge, Moqtada Al Sadr, Muqtada Al-Sadr, Iraq, Iraq Five Years of War, War in Iraq, Muqtada Al Sadr, Basra Fighting, Sadrists Truce, Iraq Militias, Basra Attacks, Sadr Cease Fire, Iraq Security, Sadrists Iraq, Iraq Cease-Fire, Iraq Basra, Shiite Militias, Politics News

A cease-fire with Muqtada al Sadr and his loyalists in the Mahd army is showing signs of deterioration. The agreement, which has been critical to the...

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McCain Surrogate: "Christian Right" A Serious Problem

Haaretz | Shmuel Rosner | Posted 03.28.2008 | Politics

Read More: John McCain, Success of the Surge, McCain Eagleburger, Iraq Surge, McCain Surge, Lawrence Eagleburger, McCain Iraq, John McCain Iraq Surge, Politics News

The location keeps changing, and the speakers might be different as well, but the goal remains the same: courting the Jewish vote. Today, it was in Wa...

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