So yesterday John McCain was quoted saying "I repeat my statement that we have succeeded in Iraq. Not 'We are succeeding.' We have succeeded in Iraq,"

So then today McCain said "I predict that they will make an attempt as we get in to the election season to make more of these spectacular kinds of attacks which they're still capable of doing," he said. "The suicide bombers, et cetera, would not surprise me and we've already found out that they're going to try and step up their attacks and try and do things in a more spectacular fashion so that they can erode the support of the Maliki government."

Please someone explain to me If we have "succeeded" in Iraq then there would not be any more terrorist attacks. I guess he is copying G dub when he stood in front of the mission accomplished banner.

Hi sitvenom, I'm not an american, so am not qualified to answer this question, only in as much as we also took part in a war that I was totally against.
No one has succeeded in Iraq, only in the removal of Sadam Husain, but that was not the argument for war at the time.

If our governments think slaughtering thousands of innocent people is the taste of success, then God help us all.

They are an excuse for a human being.

They are nothing but liers cheats and murderers

McBush also runs a new political ad showing that we have succeeded in the War in Iraq, all patriotic and the usual flag waving fluff.

McBush stated in the past that we can't leave Iraq until we have succeeded... HEY, HE SAID WE WON/SUCCEEDED!. by his own "logic" it is now time to begin the drawdown and come to an agreement with the Iraqi government AS THEY REQUESTED to have DATES CERTAIN for our withdrawal. Maliki wants us out!!

McCain is so confused; one day it's one thing, the next day it's another.

HIs flipflop on torture is specially egregious since he was tortured and GAVE FALSE INFORMATION. He used to be opposed to torture, but now, he if for torture. No character in this guy. He will say or do anything to get elected.

McCain is so confused; one day it's one thing, the next day it's another.

I especially like the switch from the Green Bay OFFENSIVE line to the Steelers DEFENSIVE line as the names he gave to his captors! Talk about a freakin loose cannon!

Spitvenom, good point. I saw that yesterday in the news where McCain declares we have succeeded in Iraq (past tense). Now I'm just waiting for him to endorse Obama's plan for troop re-deployment. :)

Events on the ground in Iraq are passing both candidates positions. War correspondent Michael Yon wrote in his latest blog.



The war continues to abate in Iraq. Violence is still present, but, of course, Iraq was a relatively violent place long before Coalition forces moved in. I would go so far as to say that barring any major and unexpected developments (like an Israeli air strike on Iran and the retaliations that would follow), a fair-minded person could say with reasonable certainty that the war has ended. A new and better nation is growing legs. What's left is messy politics that likely will be punctuated by low-level violence and the occasional spectacular attack. Yet, the will of the Iraqi people has changed, and the Iraqi military has dramatically improved, so those spectacular attacks are diminishing along with the regular violence. Now it's time to rebuild the country, and create a pluralistic, stable and peaceful Iraq. That will be long, hard work. But by my estimation, the Iraq War is over. We won. Which means the Iraqi people won.


McCain is correct and is vindicated for his support for the surge .But both candidates should ,in light of current trends ,reposition themselves about Iraq. A safe drawdown of troops is now a viable alternative based on what President Bush and PM al-Maliki are currently negotiating .Force reduction language (time horizon is the language being used )will clearly be part of the broader security agreement that will replace the UN Mandate set to expire at the end of the year.

McCain is probably right that what he and Michael Yon calls "spectacular attacks" will likely occure. The enemy learned the lessons of Tet well. These will most likely be attacks on civilian victims.

But as far as military operations ;the Iraqi Army is taking the lead in all operations with the US /Coalition doing what my cousin calls "tactical overwatch".