October 11, 2008

July 05, 2008

Victory in Anbar? What victory?

By Kyle-Anne Shiver
Victory in Anbar Province, Iraq?  If you Google, "Anbar + victory," all you will find is a bunch of outdated stuff from the years when coalition forces were taking a real beating from Al Qaeda Iraq and the Sunni insurgents, who were then still trying to take back control of the whole Country.  The latest entry in Google's search engine, for "Anbar + victory" is from 2006.

In order to find even minimal coverage of the significant victory our forces in Anbar have wrought this day, Saturday, July 5, you'll have to be quite a lot more specific in your search, which is indeed a travesty for which our mainstream media elites ought to, in my opinion, feel deep shame.

I'm not, however, holding my breath.

Just as the 24/7 coverage of the Iraq War seemed to disappear overnight, from the MSM radar, when our forces began turning the tide in this war, the same is true now, concerning each new milestone.   There's an election on, you know, and victories, long predicted impossible from every Democrat standard bearer, including the presumptive presidential nominee, Barack Obama, do not make good headlines for MSM propagandists and their Party.

Let the elitists live in their bubble of unreality, folks.  We'll celebrate on our own.

Hard-won victory in Anbar deserves celebration!

All readers, who've served in Iraq, please bear with this while I recap a bit for those of us who have never had the privilege.

Anbar Province covers approximately one-third of Iraq, is west of Baghdad, and has borders with Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia.  Anbar's towns, Fallujah, Ramadi and Haditha have been the sites of fiercely fought battles with Sunni insurgents and Al Qaeda forces.  But when some of the worst Al Qaeda atrocities of the war were carried out against Sunni tribal families,  these tribes eventually decided to turn on Al Qaeda and to work in tandem with coalition forces to secure the Province. 

In short, many facets of General David Petraeus' Counter-Insurgency methods have proven successful in Anbar and in the other 9 Provinces already turned over to Iraqi control.  Anbar will be the first Sunni province to be under Iraqi control, and is perhaps the most significant milestone in the War to date, as it was all but written off only 2 years ago, when the insurgents had complete control.

According to General John Kelly of the U.S. Marines:

"What this represents is the improving capability of Iraqi security forces to deal with the threat (of Al Qaeda)."

Mamun Sami Rasheed, governor of Anbar Province told the International Herald Tribune, "We have been dreaming of this event since 2003."

Many others have dreamed of this day, when Anbar Province and her people could experience a level of peace and freedom they have been denied for so long. 

One Gold Star Mom, Shellie Starr, I believe says it best.  Ms. Starr wrote a letter to the editors of a great many newspapers as soon as she learned that Anbar's security had finally been won, but not a one would print it.  I think it deserves our attention, so following are portions of her poignant letter:

Why this is important to me is very personal, yet I feel that all of America needs to know and celebrate this, this week of our Independence Day. Yes its costing us a lot of money and more than that our blood and treasure, our precious dedicated professional military personnel. Try imagining those Iraqi families and how courageous they have been to face Al Qaeda and join with us to seek and destroy this despicable enemy. This enemy who wantonly kills and whose only goal is to terrorize whomever they can.

In November, 2004, a young corporal wrote a letter to his girlfriend as he was looking to deploy for the third time to al Anbar in Iraq, in February, 2005. He had been there in 2003, when we overthrew the despot, Saddam, he was there again in April, 2004 in Fallujah (remember the murdered contractors?) and he was in Ramadi May, 2005, performing security patrols when a sniper took his life. This young man wrote "It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so that they can live the way we live. . .To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark." (bold lettering I included).

Corporal Jeff Starr, is my son. I celebrate the success in Ramadi so much it brings me to tears, to know, that my son shares in this victory with these folks from another land. His letter should remind us on this week of fireworks, barbeques and gatherings to remember our freedoms this 4th of July, the freedom isn't free.

So much good, for so many people, has been gained by the sacrifices of our troops and their families that it seems only right to take a little time to honor them.

Our milestone victories in Iraq are putting all the Democrat naysayers to shame.

Barack Obama went on record, January 19, 2007 and stated flatly that he could "not support this escalation" (the Surge), because "in no imaginable way" could adding troops in Iraq succeed.

So, here's my imagination at work. 

Today, when U.S. and multinational forces turn military control over formally to the Iraqis in a full-tilt Anbar ceremony, marking the 10th out of 18 Provinces to be turned over, because of our troops stomping the daylights out of Al Qaeda and winning the Sunni insurgents as allies, how about 1,000 proud Iraq/Afghanistan vets show up at one of the Hail Obama rallies with one crow per soldier, served up on platters for the great political prophet's lunch.

Since this event represents something, which candidate Obama could not possibly even imagine, has indeed happened over and over, and continues at this moment, as I write, perhaps his heralded imagination needs a bit of tweaking.   Victory is indeed in sight.

Any takers out there?  Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, go tweak that guy's imagination a bit!  Maybe y'all can help Obama see the light.

Kyle-Anne Shiver is a frequent contributor to American Thinker.  She welcomes your comments at kyleanneshiver.com.
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