Progress Report in Iraq and the War on Terror

On January 10th President Bush outlined a "New Way Forward" to victory in Iraq. The plan includes sending in over 20,000 U.S. reinforcements to assist in ending the sectarian violence around Baghdad and going after Al Queda elements in Anbar province.

--Ending Sectarian Violence Means Tackling Shiite Death Squads

President Bush described one key element in the New Way Forward this way:

President Bush: "In earlier operations, political and sectarian interference prevented Iraqi and American forces from going into neighborhoods that are home to those fueling the sectarian violence. This time, Iraqi and American forces will have a green light to enter those neighborhoods -- and Prime Minister Maliki has pledged that political or sectarian interference will not be tolerated."

Only last week we saw the first signs of progress on that important element for success with the arrests of large numbers of Mahdi Army supporters who were suspected of participating in the death squads which have fueled sectarian violence. A top aide to anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, head of the Mahdi Army, was also arrested.

Maliki promised President Bush: "The Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation." It appears initially that he is living up to his word.

--Ending Iranian Interference

President Bush also promised to tackle the problem of Iranian and Syrian troublemakers in Iraq:

"This begins with addressing Iran and Syria. These two regimes are allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq. Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops. We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We'll interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq."

The President didn't waste any time. He authorized moves to crack down on Iranian agents, and the arrests of five Iranians ,members of the notorious Revolutionary Guard, led to discoveries of a network of Iranian assistance to those planning violence in Iraq. Of course the Iranian government insisted it's personnel were "diplomats" and we all know how much Iran respects diplomats. They should have claimed the arrested men were "students" just as Iran did when "students" overran the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979.

Somalia: A Victory for Allied Cooperation

During John Kerry's failed presidential campaign in 2004 he insisted that he would "do a better job" in fighting the war on terror. Such a promise was part of his "global test:"

From CNN: John Kerry: "If you do things that are illegitimate in the eyes of the other people, it's very hard to get them to share the burden and risk with you."

Kerry said he intends to be a president who understands "that America is stronger when we are leading global alliances and when we are leading the world, and that's how we are going to do it.

Ever since September 11th President Bush has been leading a coalition of nations to combat terrorism. And under the plans that former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld implemented, we forged a successful partnership with Ethiopia to root out the Al Queda presence which had taken control of Somalia last fall.

In the past few weeks Ethiopian forces, with close but limited U.S. military cooperation, drove the Al Queda linked Islamic Courts, some of whom are suspects in the bombing of U.S embassies in Africa in 1998, out of Somalia. A new transitional government is now in place which may provide the first opportunity for Somalis to rise from the darkness that fell upon them shortly after President Clinton withdrew U.S. forces after the Black Hawk Down fiasco in 1993.

An added bonus to the Somali operation was the capture of 6,000 Islamists fighting on behalf of the ousted Islamic Courts Union, a number of whom were found holding U.S. passports. Those prisoners are now being interrogated in Kenya (no doubt according to the very nicest "pretty please" standards demanded by the U.S. Senate). According to sources, "one of the American Islamists had received pilot training in the past."

Democrats Reaction Negative. What a Surprise!

• Democrats propose a resolution demanding that no further troops be sent to Iraq. Essentially stopping all efforts to end the violence and leaving no other option than defeat. Senator Reid claimed that the Senate resolution would be the "the beginning of the end of the present policy in Iraq." Nancy Pelosi, whose earlier comment about the President desiring to put more troops in "harm's way" was described as "poisonous" went on to say that "'It is not in the national interest of the United States to deepen our involvement in Iraq." Democrats see no hope of progress, only defeat.
• After President Bush authorized the arrest of Iranian agents in Iraq, Democrats knocked themselves over in a rush to the microphones to warn President Bush he had better be nice to the Iranians.
• And who would be surprised that after demanding we work with allies and let them shoulder some of the burden in the war on terror, Democrats would also object to Ethiopia's successful ousting of Al Queda in Somalia. Peter Beinart, former Editor of the New Republic writing in Time Magazine called this effort "outsourcing" and warned that "America will pay dearly for its inability to lead."

Once again, this proves that good news for America is bad news for Democrats.