The National Intelligence Estimate was released today.
The mainstream media was quick to pounce on specifics of the plan that they hope to use to continue to shape public opinion against the war.
What makes things more difficult for the antiwar/anti-Bush media is the news today that the momentum is starting to swing to the side of the Republicans. Or, in other words, the war is looking like it can and will be won.
The NIE is only 10 pages long. You can look at it yourself HERE. It’s not hard to understand.
However, the media forgot to mention the most important lines from the report. The media did not mention that the report blasted the democratic surrender plan out of the water.
Here are the key points from the estimate:
There have been measurable but uneven improvements in Iraq’s security situation since our last National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq in January 2007…
We assess, to the extent that Coalition forces continue to conduct robust
counterinsurgency operations and mentor and support the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), that Iraq’s security will continue to improve modestly during the next six to 12 months but that levels of insurgent and sectarian violence will remain high and the Iraqi Government will continue to struggle to achieve national-level political reconciliation and improved governance…Iraqi Security Forces involved in combined operations with Coalition forces have performed adequately, and some units have demonstrated increasing professional competence. However, we judge that the ISF have not improved enough to conduct major operations independent of the Coalition on a sustained basis in multiple locations and that the ISF remain reliant on the Coalition for important aspects of logistics and combat support…
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.
Notice: This is the same plan that the defeatist democrats are proposing for Iraq.
Do you remember this democratic surrender plan from April?…
U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced today that they are introducing legislation that will effectively end the current military mission in Iraq and begin the redeployment of U.S. forces. The bill requires the President to begin safely redeploying U.S. troops from Iraq 120 days from enactment, as required by the emergency supplemental spending bill the Senate passed last week…
(d) Exception for Limited Purposes – The prohibition under subsection (c) shall not apply to the obligation or expenditure of funds for the limited purposes as follows:
(1) To conduct targeted operations, limited in duration and scope, against members of al Qaeda and other international terrorist organizations.
(2) To provide security for United States infrastructure and personnel.
(3) To train and equip Iraqi security services.
The democratic plan is exactly what this NIE report warns will lead to disaster.
Let’s hope someone is listening.
And, this will spell failure at a time when the mission looks hopeful.
It’s too bad that the media is not honest enough to report this.
UPDATE: Maybe I spoke too soon.
The AP is just now reporting this “discovery” from the report:
The consensus report by U.S. spy agencies contained a veiled warning: Any move to shift U.S. troops out of their role directly combating insurgents could squander the modest security gains secured by the troop surge.
“A change of mission … would place security improvements at risk,” the report concluded.
That conclusion, coming unanimously from the nation’s 16 intelligence agencies, will likely help the administration and its ground commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, argue for patience from a skeptical Congress and public.
GP = Prophet?
Related: Jules Crittenden has more on NYT Barnum and the negative repercussions from the abandonment of Southeast Asia.
UPDATE: The Daily Standard has a good report on the NIE report.
