National Intelligence Estimate

[Highwayman]

The latest National Intelligence Estimate was released today. If you want to read it for yourself instead of getting whatever the media chooses to tell you here’s a link.

http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/20070823_release.pdf

While everything isn’t peachy over there two points stuck out with me.

Perceptions that the Coalition is withdrawing probably will encourage factions anticipating a power vacuum to seek local security solutions that could intensify sectarian violence and intra-sectarian competition.

So if they think we’re going to pull out they are going to huddle in little sectarian groups and not work for a unified government solution delaying the political process. Where did they get the idea that we were going to pull out and isn’t delaying the political process exposing our troops to greater risk?

We assess that changing the mission of Coalition forces from a primarily counterinsurgency and stabilization role to a primary combat support role for Iraqi forces and counterterrorist operations to prevent AQI from establishing a safehaven would erode security gains achieved thus far.

That’s straightforward enough.

Who would propose anything different?

Senate Majority Leader Cosponsors Feingold Bill to Redeploy Troops from Iraq

[SGT T.]

I was wondering when this was going to come out. If you want, I can give you the gist of the big speech coming up. It's going to go like this...

Things are good, we are making progress, given more time, we can probably improve some more. The Soldiers are doing great things, and we are handing over more territory to Iraqi forces. We just need more time.

And then the Democrat response will be to blame the pres. for almost 4,000 dead, and say that the war was started with inadequate planning and its all the evil republicans fault that troops went to war and died, and then in the end what do you think will change?

[Highwayman]

I think you nailed it Sarge. Word is that the Democrats are already working on how to spin and discredit Petraeus’s report.

[wordsmythe]

Originally Posted by Highwayman

I think you nailed it Sarge. Word is that the Democrats are already working on how to spin and discredit Petraeus’s report.

Wouldn't it be great if it was actually Petraeus' report. Instead it will be written by Dick N Bush and he's not allowed to report to Congress in public.

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by wordsmythe

Wouldn't it be great if it was actually Petraeus' report. Instead it will be written by Dick N Bush and he's not allowed to report to Congress in public.

As I posted in another thread, take it up with Congress. It’s their rules. Did they force Bush to make the report just so Democrats could make that compliant?

http://www.rules.house.gov/110/speci...nd2_senate.pdf

[SGT T.]

Taken from the PDF link above:

(3) TESTIMONY BEFORE CONGRESS.—Prior to the submission of the President’s second report on September 15, 2007, and at a time to be agreed upon by the leadership of the Congress and the Administration, the United States Ambassador to Iraq and the Commander, Multi-National Forces Iraq will be made available to testify in open and closed sessions before the relevant committees of the Congress.

Thats on/around page 27. Commander, Multi-National Forces Iraq (MNFI) is GEN Petraeus. So his speech before the Congress will in fact be his. And let me tell you something, the bad guys know when his speech is. The question is, what are they going to do about it? What would you do if you were a bad guy? (I already know the answer to this question, and I'd LOVE to share it with you all, but its one of those security issue things.) However... here's an interesting link for no good reason...

Tet Offensive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by SGT T.

... However... here's an interesting link for no good reason...

Tet Offensive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I can think of a good reason for the link.

The Tet Offensive was a military victory for us that was spun into a defeat by the anti-war crowd. I’ve already seen references to an upcoming mini-Tet. No one should ever underestimate the propaganda capabilities of the terrorists or the anti-war crowd.

[wordsmythe]

Originally Posted by Highwayman

I can think of a good reason for the link.

The Tet Offensive was a military victory for us that was spun into a defeat by the anti-war crowd. I’ve already seen references to an upcoming mini-Tet. No one should ever underestimate the propaganda capabilities of the terrorists or the anti-war crowd.

Your hero W is even calling it Vietnam. Go figger.

[jeezeweeze]

WE HAVE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ????

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by jeezeweeze

WE HAVE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ????

Yes we do but they are not based out of Kentucky...and there's a reason for that....lol