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November 20, 2008
Victory In Iraq Day! Declared To Be November 22, 2008
We won. The Iraq War is over. I declare November 22, 2008 to be "Victory in Iraq Day." (Hereafter known as "VI Day.") What more indication do you need? An announcement from the outgoing Bush administration? It's not gonna happen. An announcement from the incoming Obama administration? That's really not gonna happen. A declaration of victory by the media? Please. Don't make me laugh. A concession of surrender by what few remaining insurgents remain in hiding? Forget about it. The moment has come to acknowledge the obvious. To overtly declare a fact that has already been true for quite some time now. And since there will never be a ticker-tape parade down Fifth Avenue in New York for our troops, it's up to us, the people, to arrange a virtual ticker-tape parade. An online victory celebration. Saturday, November 22, 2008 is the day of that celebration: Victory in Iraq Day. On the political front in Iraq, victory has broken out as well. On Sunday, November 16, Iraq's cabinet approved a security agreement with the U.S. which top analysts and pundits are saying is the closest we'll ever get to a bureaucratic declaration of victory and of the war's end. Hugh Hewitt, for example, says:
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Who gets to decide when it's over? Indeed, everywhere you look, someone has highlighted yet another detail which, cumulatively, demonstrate that "peace has broken out all over" Iraq. Each person has their own criteria as to when the war was won: Some say we won the war long ago when we defeated the Iraqi Army in three weeks. Some say we won when the Iraqi government tried and executed Saddam Hussein. Some say we won when Iraqis voted democratically to elect their own leaders. Some say we won when we established control over the entirety of the country last year, eliminating the last remaining insurgent strongholds. Some say we won six months ago when the last remaining organized resistance evaporated. On the other hand, there are those who are saying (in response to this essay) that we have not reached that magical benchmark. The Iraqi parliament may have passed the security agreement solidifying Iraq's post-war stability, but some people say we should wait until the U.S. Senate approves it before we declare victory. Others say that the war won't be won until casualty levels literally drop to zero. Other say we haven't won until all troops are gone from the country. Others wait in vain for an official announcement. There is no consensus. And there never will be. Still, the cut-off point between "war" and "not war" has to be drawn somewhere, and if we don't draw the line ourselves, I guarantee it will NEVER be drawn. Because the Left and the media want to make sure that even ten years from now, when perhaps one US soldier is killed per year in an otherwise completely stable Iraq, that still won't qualify as "victory." Because their overarching goal is to to make sure that the war goes down in history as a defeat, no matter what. My opinion is: This is as good a time to declare victory as we're ever going to get. All signs point to "Yes." If you don't agree, that's perfectly fine, you can ignore this essay. But if you think this is long overdue, then climb on board.
If we won, why are there troops still in Iraq? Does our victory mean that I advocate the immediate withdrawal of all troops from Iraq? No. Wars may be won but postwar occupations generally don't end crisply and cleanly like that. Troops often stay around to rebuild or to maintain the peace for years, even decades. Hell, the United States still has several military bases and many troops "occupying" Japan and Germany who have been there continuously since the end of World War II in 1945. We have two major Air Bases in Korea leftover from the Korean War. The Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba is a remnant of the Spanish-American War and has been there for over a century; the U.S. military also "occupied" the Philippines at Subic Bay for nearly a hundred years as a result of the Spanish-American War. More recently we continue to have a presence in Bosnia at Tuzla Air Base as a consequence of our role in the Bosnian War of the 1990s. What all this means is that it is standard practice in the aftermath of nearly every overseas war in which the U.S. participates for us to keep some troops there on a permanent or semi-permanent basis.
If the Iraq War is over, why do we still occasionally hear reports of violence or casualties? A common misperception of warfare is that when a war is "won," all fighting immediately stops, and that all members of the losing side passively lay down their arms and surrender. While that does happen on occasion, much more frequently the fighting continues as a low-level guerrilla war or insurgency for years afterwards by the diminishing die-hard loyalists of the losing side. Even wars with crushing conclusive victories and official declarations of surrender saw continued fighting long after those wars were officially "over." After World War II, which was won as conclusively as any war was ever won, some Germans refused to acknowledge defeat and continued to operate as guerrilla assassins and saboteurs.
But where's the official announcement? The only reason that the war has not been declared "over" is that the media, which was generally opposed to the war and opposed to any of President Bush's policies, doesn't want to give him and his supporters the satisfaction of having been right. The media wants U.S. troops to return home, but only on condition that they do so with their tails between their legs in defeat -- not as victorious liberators, which would invalidate five years of subtle and not-so-subtle anti-war propaganda on the part of the left-leaning media. The Bush administration for its part has not declared victory for two probable reasons: first, because they fear that by so doing they would only increase the call by the media and liberal Democrats to "bring the troops home now"; and also by so doing they might invite some last-ditch spectacular terror attack by the few remaining jihadists in order to embarrass the administration. And the incoming Obama administration will certainly never announce victory, since Obama spent over a year campaigning for the Democratic primary as the anti-war candidate. So both sides refuse to say the war is over. Even though it is, in fact, over. It is up to the American people to declare victory. Which is exactly what we are doing right now. There never will be an "official" announcement from the government or the media, so you can stop waiting for it. This is the official announcement.
Join the VI Day movement! Zombie Time website has all the information and logos as well. Do you agree with the concept behind VI Day? Then post a VI Day entry on your blog. Once you've posted it, email Zombie Time the link! And I will post a link back to your blog here on this page. Make sure to make at least two different postings: Make one now to announce your support of VI Day and to spread the word ahead of time; and make another one on November 22 itself, to celebrate!
I love this and I agree, it is time. Our troops are awesome and the changes in Iraq have been so obvious to all of us that have been paying attention., to all of you that come to this blog and are Team Theodore. The media of course would get a full body rash if they had to tell about our troops in a positive way. And in the end they will get no credit for having any support for the support of our troops, NEVER EVER! God bless our warriors and a big thank you to each person that has served and continues to serve. Here is a little story I want to share with you, something our troops have made possiible for the Iraqi people. It is from CAMP VICTORY, Iraq They walked in the fields of Iraq, talked to its farmers and people, learned their stories, their struggles, their hope. Team Borlaug, the agricultural assessment team from Texas A&M University, visited the farmlands of southern Iraq for six months; now, members can look back at their accomplishments. Blaze Currie, of Wellman, Texas, the team’s youth program development expert, talked about a farmer in Karbala province who had a plot of land behind his house set aside for farming. Currie and the other members of Team Borlaug could talk for hours about these experiences. The team had up to 14 members, and their mission for the past six months was to work with coalition forces and Iraqi farmers. Agriculture makes up nearly 75 percent of Iraq’s economy. Of course, Iraq isn’t just 7,000 miles from Team Borlaug’s home in Texas , war-torn and hot 132 degrees. It’s also a military battle space but less then every before. The team adjusted to new lingo and worked with Soldiers who had trained for war but have been a large source to the people of Iraq in their agricultural and economic struggles. A wonderful soldier, he is an artillery sergeant who made tea for local sheikhs invited on base as guests. Team Borlaug gives credit for their success to Soldiers like this one, and to those who escorted them throughout Iraq while they conducted their assessment. When talking about what they learned, they will share their memories; but when talking about their accomplishments, they will point back to civil affair teams, PRTs and coalition forces dedicated to improving this country. Above all, they point to the Iraqi people.
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Posted by Wild Thing at November 20, 2008 04:47 AM
What a good idea. Sadly it will be relegated mostly to the blogging world. I doubt any of the MSM will pick up on this. I have had my doubts about this war. For a while I really thought we were not going to win it. Especially in late 2006 when the Dems took over Congress. My mind was changed when Rumsfeld left and Gates and Petraeus took over. The surge worked and all the efforts of our troops since they crossed into Iraq from Kuwait came to a success. I am sure that future text books will refer to this war in pessimistic tones. College professors will teach that America was in the wrong and we invaded a peaceful nation. The press will refer back to Gulf War II in the same derogatory manner they refer to Vietnam. However, our veterans and their families and supporters will always remember the sacrifices and know that our efforts by both military and civilian workers was an amazing accomplishment. Posted by: TomR at November 20, 2008 12:15 PM
Even though there is still a lot of work to complete in Iraq this "Victory in Iraq Day" is a well earned recognition of a job well done. George W. Bush has demonstrated a love, respect, and support of our fighting troops and all of the military second to no other President. It is unfortunate that a majority of the country scoffs at these patriots by electing an anti-military and anti-American as their President and Commander-in-Chief. Posted by: Les at November 20, 2008 04:54 PM
Tom, well said and sadly very true too. With all my heart I hope our troops will know there are those of us that know how much they have sacrificed and done and what heroes they all are. I pray this so much. Posted by: Wild Thing at November 20, 2008 07:45 PM
Les, I agree, one thing I do respect Bush for and that is his very sincere respect and admiration and appreciation for our troops. He really feels the loss when there is a death and when he visits the wounded he feels that too, it shows in his face and his eyes big time. Posted by: Wild Thing at November 20, 2008 07:48 PM
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 2008! VI Day!! Now let the camel jockeys take the point!!! Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at November 21, 2008 07:10 AM
Zombie Time is promoting Saturday, November 22, 2008 as "Victory in Iraq Day!"
By every measure, The United States and coalition forces have conclusively defeated all enemies in Iraq, pacified the country, deposed the previous regime, successfully helped to establish a new functioning democratic government, and suppressed any lingering insurgencies. The war has come to an end. And we won.
Some Quotes:"THE WAR IS OVER AND WE WON:" Michael Yon just phoned from Baghdad, and reports that things are much better than he had expected, and he had expected things to be good. "There's nothing going on. I'm with the 10th Mountain Division, and about half of the guys I'm with haven't fired their weapons on this tour and they've been here eight months. And the place we're at, South Baghdad, used to be one of the worst places in Iraq. And now there's nothing going on. I've been walking my feet off and haven't seen anything."
"The Battle For Iraq Has Been Won. Will The President-elect Preserve The Victory?
Yesterday's vote by the Iraqi cabinet to approve a status of forces agreement confirms what most reasonable people had concluded this summer --that the battle for Iraq is over and the country is stable and secure even though its enemies remain in small enclaves within the country and across the border in Iran. It has taken five years and come at a high cost in American lives lost and in thousands of wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.
It is, however, a crucial victory in the war against Islamist extremism and for stability in the Middle East. "
Wild Thing's comment......
We have watched how they have rebuilt so many things in Iraq, how schools that never existed are open and running smoothly, how water is running in places it never was available before to citizens that had to travel many miles to even get a their water. The list goes on and on the things our military has accompolished in Iraq. “He said he couldn’t plant it this year, but he would next year,” Currie said of the farmer. “And our simple question that we asked a lot of times was, ‘Why didn’t you plant it last year?’ His answer was, ‘Well, I had to flood it first to get rid of all the mines.’ … That, to me, symbolizes the concept of agriculture in this nation to develop economic stability.”
“He was a big, buffed up dude that I mean, was just pretty rugged … and this big old dude that was stocky and looked like he could manhandle about anybody … [was] leaning over making chai. And I said, ‘Why are you making chai?’ And he had the funniest look and he said, ‘Well, why wouldn’t I? They make chai for us, don’t they? … This is as commonplace as putting ammo in my clip. I gotta’ make chai whenever they come.’
“I’ll never forget that,” Currie said. “That was the epitome of something I didn’t expect a Soldier to be doing – a great service to be doing in Iraq – but they were doing it.”
“I learned the people of Iraq want the same thing for themselves and their families that we want for ours. They want peace. They want freedom. They want hope,” Briers said.
....Thank you Les for telling me about this.
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