Remember National Review’s May 9th cover:
National Review editor Rich Lowry, who wrote the cover story above, pontificated from his desk in Washington: “It is time to say it unequivocally: We are winning in Iraq.”
Unfortunately for Iraqis and the U.S. troops on the ground, they cannot live in the same delusional world as Lowry. Today in the New York Times, American commanders provide a reality-based perspective on Iraq:
“American military commanders in Baghdad and Washington gave a sobering new assessment on Wednesday of the war in Iraq, adding to the mood of anxiety that prompted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to come to Baghdad last weekend to consult with the new government….
“The generals said the buildup of Iraqi forces has been more disappointing than previously acknowledged…”
“The senior officer who met with reporters in Baghdad said there had been 21 car bombings in the capital in May, and 126 in the past 80 days. All last year, he said, there were only about 25 car bombings in Baghdad.”
– Max Bergmann