Comments on: Pollack claims Kagan says Iraq is ‘fragile,’ but Kagan disagrees.

By: etenebrislux

etenebrislux — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:48:11 +0000

What progress indeed? If the US was to pull out tomorrow the whole place would collapse like a deck of cards.
It would begin in Baghdad, and spread out-ward as the different ethnic groups contained inside their walled enclaves;(ghettos)created by the so called “SURGE” effect, begin to venture outward and flex their muscle.
The first to suffer would be the Shia minority in the city. The Shia, without the walled enclaves they have been forced to reside in by the planners of the “SURGE”, would be easy pray for the armed Sunni militia. Without a central government to take control,the fighting in Baghdad, for fighting there would surely be, would spark a civil war throughout the country.
As far as the Central Government is concerned, it is a complete joke to the Iraqi people. Installed by the Chaney click, it has absolutely no power to do “ANYTHING” and remains in hiding inside the GREEN ZONE.
As far as the “SURGE” is concerned, it has accomplished what it set out to do and that was to separate the combatants and reduce the number of deaths. However, absolutely “NO” thought has been given as to what they are going to do after all these various militia groups have been walled off from one another. Like the walls keeping the Palestinians in, the city will have to be patrolled forever and a day. Sounds like a good plan if your initial intent was to own country.
What to do about it. Look no further than the puppet master himself, the Vice President of the United States.

By: Helen Hussein Rainier

Helen Hussein Rainier — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:07:02 +0000

Did this idiot actually say that he, Fred (Kagan) and Mike (O’Hanlon) are actually people who KNOW something about the situation in Iraq?

If they KNOW so much, they need to get their fat butts over there and into the center of the action. Let’s see how much they KNOW then.

I’m beginning to think they have all had lobotomies.

By: bogtrotters

bogtrotters — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:15:20 +0000

Kagan: What a mensch. Is he on the Oreo and peanut-butter milkshake diet?

By: Oilfieldguy

Oilfieldguy — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:39:30 +0000

I listened to quite a bit of their presentations and dire predictions that lay about like autumn leaves if we leave the path they suggest.

Everything they said, and I mean everything, sounded like real good reasons for not going in to begin with. Hmmmm.

By: mary

mary — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:37:57 +0000

What misshusseinmolly said.

By: lthuedk

lthuedk — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:12:10 +0000

Progress that gets results: (picture)

http://www.light-to-dark.com/a_retrospective.html

The stench of totalitarianism surrounds the Neo Cons and their spawning ground.

By: misshusseinmolly

misshusseinmolly — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:11:48 +0000

This is the basic neocon marketing strategy for this occupation.

1) When challenged to withdraw troops, or reduce our involvement in any way, we must claim that our progress (and the entire situation in general) is “fragile” and would quickly collapse if we weren’t there. McCain variation — it will collapse if we don’t bomb Iran.

2) When challenged about the quality of “success” there, we must claim that we’re winning and our successes are lasting. In other words — not “fragile”.

Most of the country is no longer fooled by this double-speak. But there’s still that 19% who fall for it every time.

By: McWars

McWars — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:08:55 +0000

Two sinktank heads butting…BORING!

By: Plotinus75

Plotinus75 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:58:21 +0000

Michael O’Hanlon : Ken Pollack :: Fred Barnes : Morton Kondracke

By: christopher wiwi

christopher wiwi — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:47:15 +0000

Fragile is an understament and he knows it, it is very unfortunate that our soldiers are in harms way and this CHIMP says the surge is working and Iraq is not fragile.Put his fata$$ on the front lines and let him see just how fragile Iraq is. If the surge is working how many more soldiers have to die in Jan and Feb and March is looking very close to Jan and Feb.LET`S BRING OUR SOLDIERS HOME.The middle east does not want or need DUBYA`S democracy or his neocon dogma shoved down their throats.

By: shoeless

shoeless — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:46:04 +0000

Fritz Says:
March 24th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
“…all the progress that we have made in Iraq is very fragile.”

What progress?

US Soldiers Asked To Protect Halliburton Profits

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0409/S00063.htm

By: barfly

barfly — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:46:00 +0000

My comment from the previous thread:

I’m wondering how long, before this guy’s failure to successfully predict foreign policy events begins to do damage to Brookings own foreign policy reputation? His repeated errors must be affecting Brookings contributions, both financially, and intellectually, as who wants to be associated with such a nitwit, even tangentially?

- seems to have been answered. Pollack’s attempt to recontext think-tank conventional wisdom, and claim their previous statements now mean the opposite, would seem to indicate they are feeling the heat for past blunders, and the brainbucket poobahs of Thinktankistan have decreed a face-saving rhetorical retreat.

By: IgnoranceIsNotBliss

IgnoranceIsNotBliss — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:39:43 +0000

Cheney is basically set to say so again tonight at 6:30 ET

By: Roket

Roket — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:36:39 +0000

In the old days, these minions could speak for each other. The bobble heads would bob and the mouths would form fake smiles. Now, they can no longer speak for each other without one of them clarifying the others comments. Soon none of them will be speaking to each other. These are signs of a splintering platform. Who could have ever foreseen this happening? Well, except for everybody but them.

By: Peter C

Peter C — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:36:32 +0000

All the king’s horses,
And all the King’s men,
…

By: barfly

barfly — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:33:16 +0000

From a Raw Story link:

In Fallujah, Peace Through Brute Strength
Iraqi City’s Fragile Security Flows From Hussein-Era Tactics

…[T]he security that has been achieved here is fragile, the result of harsh tactics recalling the rule of Saddam Hussein, who was overthrown five years ago.[...] In the city’s overcrowded, Iraqi-run jail, located inside a compound that also houses a U.S. military base and U.S. police advisers, detainees were beaten with iron rods, according to the current warden. Many were held for months with no clear evidence or due process. They were deprived of food, medical care and electricity and lived in utter squalor, said detainees, Iraqi police and U.S. military officers, who began to address the problems three weeks ago. Last summer, the warden said, several detainees died of heatstroke.

By: tombaker

tombaker — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:28:55 +0000

@2, that-same-guy-again, humping the dead horse’s leg – again.

nice form there, homes – keep it rockin’

By: Tobie Tall

Tobie Tall — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:27:05 +0000

well that fragility will be shattered soon on the 31st july when Iraq is expected to sign long term aggrements for the US to stay

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM

By: tombaker

tombaker — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:26:06 +0000

“Fragile, as in: “We need to keep paying “contractors” billions of dollars for an inestimable length of time”; but not “Fragile, as in we are not succeeding like crazy in every way over there, ’cause we totally are”.

By: paleolib

paleolib — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:25:51 +0000

Whatever grip Pollock and Kagan have on reality is “fragile”. Progress in Iraq, like the unicorn, is “mythical”.