Abandoned Partners

Sunday’s announcement that former insurgents were under Iraqi control was fantastic news. It defied all the gloomy predictions since the plan was announced. Of course, independent journalists, like Michael Yon have been telling the real story of these former al-Qaeda members for a long time. While only about 10-15% of those fighters will actually have positions in the Iraqi security forces or military, the remainder have been promised jobs or training to help them get them. And, all of it was accomplished under the Bush administration’s watch. It leaves me wondering what may happen under Obama’s watch. Will it end up being a string of broken promises and abandonment like the Democrats handed South Vietnam after Nixon? Let us sincerely hope not. Unfortunately, in his latest dispatch, Michael notes that this just might be the case:

The hints coming out of Washington tend to cause me to believe we will abandon Afghanistan. I’m making no personal comment one way or the other yet, other than Iraq was worth the effort and costs all the way around – so long as we cement that success.

You should read the rest for yourself.

Meanwhile, here at home, Democrats continue to circle the wagons around each other. Well, at least the President is doing that for his cabinet folks—still. Despite tax evasion issues, and faulty bailout implementations 9both of which ruined Bush’s popularity levels due to the media), Obama still stands behind Geithner. And then, true to form, the media lets Obama off the hook by merely changing the point of the story to Republican failures. Isn’t it amazing that the media does not care one whit if their party abandons foreign governments, or that Democrats are getting away with all the stuff Republicans can’t do without MAJOR scrutiny?

The Iran Contra debacle caused the Democratic legislature to abandoned Afghanistan to warlords, and eventually the Taliban, during the 80s. The diligent prosecuting of war against communist forces in Vietnam under Nixon caused the Democratic legislature to pass laws which doomed any democratic rule in South Vietnam. I fear what the Democratic President and legislature will bring about in the Middle East in the years ahead.