Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Pew Study - Americans leaving the Republican party

Here's another:


U.S. troops and Iraqi citizens keep up pressure on insurgents
Gen. jim huggins | Monday, September 24, 2007 at 12:30 am
BAGHDAD - Last weekend, the 3rd Infantry Division wrapped up "Marne Husky." This was an operation to disrupt insurgents in three remote regions.

Led by our Combat Aviation Brigade, from Hunter Army Airfield, with an airborne infantry company attached from the 4th Brigade (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, we were able to keep the enemy on the run. We successfully disrupted his ability to regenerate forces and prevent attacks during the Muslim holiday season of Ramadan.

Prior to "Marne Husky," the area had no coalition force presence and was used as an insurgent safe haven. The region had become a transition point for accelerants used to fuel sectarian violence in and around Baghdad.

During "Marne Husky," the division completed 10 air assault raids, killed more than 60 enemy personnel, and captured approximately 200 detainees, three of whom were high-value individuals. During the operation we located and safely reduced nearly 20 improvised explosive devices, five caches, cleared over 800 structures and destroyed 24 boats which were used to transport munitions along the Tigris River.

"Marne Husky" pressured insurgent leaders to leave the area and disrupted their efforts. As a result, the people of Suwayrah, Al Lej and the Samarah Jungle feel more secure and they are now providing the quality intelligence necessary to allow the Iraqi Security Forces to rid the rest of the enemy from their neighborhoods and villages.

With the help of the Iraqi military and the Iraqi police forces, we are continuing to demonstrate our commitment to restore normalcy to the Iraqi communities. Our efforts to stop the flow of violence and weapons through the Task Force Marne area of operations have earned the trust and confidence of the local citizens, many of whom now ask to carry the burden of security on their own shoulders.

Our concerned citizens programs include 16,000 local Iraqis representing over 33 groups. These 16,000 Iraqis are saying "enough" and they are asking to take the lead for securing their neighborhoods, villages, families and their way of life against the extremist threat which threatens to destroy their culture and national identity. Our concerned citizens cross Sunni-Shia boundaries and we are seeing Iraqis stand up for the same safe and secure future, regardless of religion.

This past week we started "Marne Torch II," an attack to extend the success of June's "Marne Torch I." Our Second Brigade Combat Team is going even deeper into Arab Jabour in order to deny al-Qaida another safe haven. The soldiers have established another patrol base to keep the citizens secure, and they are fighting to deny the Arab Jabour area as an enemy avenue of approach into Baghdad.

I visited our soldiers less than 48 hours after developing the patrol base, and I was impressed with their motivation, work ethic, and determination to hold that ground. Our soldiers are working hard to prevent insurgents from attempting to deny the great future of Iraq, and partnering with the Iraqi security forces and concerned citizens so they can lead operations with the same intent.

Eventually, we look forward to providing over watch while the Iraqis execute missions that they plan and lead, and accomplish.

Friday marked national POW/MIA day, which is held on the third Friday of each September. We remembered, as we do every day, our two missing soldiers from the division task force that we lead. SPC Alex Jimenez and PV2 Byron Fouty are members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light) and part of Task Force Marne. They were captured by al-Qaida while providing over watch for an Improvised Explosive Device crater on May 12th.

Both Alex and Byron are members of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment. Alex is from the Bronx, N.Y., and Byron is from Waterford, Mich.

Our prayers and thoughts are with their families and we are reminded of our duty given to us in the Soldiers' Creed, "I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade."

All of Task Force Marne continues to search for our missing soldiers, and we will not rest until they have been reunited with their families. Rock of the Marne!


Brig. Gen. Jim Huggins is the deputy commanding general for maneuver of the 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Stewart, now deployed in Iraq. Capt. Allie Weiskopf Chase contributed to this column.

Mark, I see ya working here and trust me I am with ya on what you posted.

But there's little doubt in my mind that either party in Washington has the blue collar common mans OVERALL interest at heart. Repubs seem favor the extreeeeemy wealthy [bleep] (who'd sell their mothers soul to the devil if it meant gaining a dollar. While RICH democrats in Washington get away with pulling the wool over the eyes of the American sheep. Sheep that believe, or worse yet depend, on them.

Unphuckingbelievable........

Senate millionaires
John Kerry, D-Massachusetts: $163,626,399
Herb Kohl, D-Wisconsin: $111,015,016
John Rockefeller, D -West Virginia: $81,648,018
Jon Corzine, D-New Jersey: $71,035,025
Dianne Feinstein, D-California: $26,377,109
Peter Fitzgerald, R-Illinois: $26,132,013
Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey $17,789,018
Bill Frist, R-Tennessee: $15,108,042
John Edwards, D-North Carolina: $12,844,029
Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts: $9,905,009
Jeff Bingaman, D-New Mexico: $7,981,015
Bob Graham, D-Florida: $7,691,052
Richard Shelby, R-Alabama: $7,085,012
Gordon Smith, R-Oregon: $6,429,011
Lincoln Chafee, R-Rhode Island: $6,296,010
Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska: $6,267,028
Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee: $4,823,018
Mike DeWine, R-Ohio: $4,308,093
Mark Dayton, D-Minnesota: $3,974,037
Ben Campbell, R-Colorado: $3,165,007
Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska: $2,963,013
Olympia Snowe, R-Maine: $2,955,037
James Talent, R-Missouri: $2,843,031
Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania: $2,045,016
Judd Gregg, R-New Hampshire: $1,916,026
John McCain, R-Arizona: $1,838,010
James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma: $1,570,043
John Warner, R-Virginia: $1,545,039
Kay Bailey Hutchison, R - Texas: $1,513,046
Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky: $1,511,017
Harry Reid, D-Nevada: $1,500,040
Sam Brownback, R-Kansas: $1,491,018
Thomas Carper, D-Delaware: $1,482,017
Ted Stevens, R-Alaska: $1,417,013
Maria Cantwell, D-Washington: $1,264,999
Barbara Boxer, D-California: $1,172,003
Orrin Hatch, R-Utah: $1,086,023
Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana: $1,080,014
Bill Nelson, D-Florida: $1,073,014
Charles Grassley, R-Iowa: $1,016,024
*These figures are base estimates provided by senators on their financial disclosure forms.

Isaac:

I kind of thought that was what you were talking about.

"Iraqis who once aligned themselves with militants are now taking up arms against al Qaeda, a top commander in the Iraqi capital said during a conference call today."

Here's why I have a problem with it. This officer's commander in chief is taking a public position that the above is so. That commander in chief expects this officer to support the commander in chief with reports, statistics and PowerPoint presentations that prove the commander in chief's position.

That officer will support his commander in chief because it is his sworn duty and obligation to do so.

The stats that you're talking about are the same - the very same - kind of BS stats that we got from senior officers just like this one 40 years ago during the Vietnam War.

Stats from the Pentagon?

You might as well put your faith in fairy dust.

Besides, you don't strike me as being the kind of guy who simply takes someone's word about statistics at face value.

Where's your healthy sense of skepticism? Where's the "lies, damn lies and statistics"?

- Tom

Spin it any way you like,as I know it matters little to those who seem to wish otherwise...perhaps to support an agenda. To think that the Iraqi way of life in many segments of their population and society is not improving, suggests to me some fairy dust has clouded you; or, you just don't wish for it to be true.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9sNmtQZKg4

In Ohio the only thing worse than being a democrat is being a republican. The major difference is a matter of whose friends get the gvt. contracts. I personally find it amusing that Rush Limbaugh doesn't hold Ohio up as a shining example of republican policies. We had 16 years of them controling the legislature, governorship, supreme ct., and most state wide elected offices. For our troubles we got higher personal taxes as the GOP shifted the burden from corporations to individuals, lower employment as management moved factories to states that had lower individual income tax rates so they could keep more in their pockets, an increase in welfare (1 in 10 Ohioans receives food stamps and even more qualify but haven't applied), a broken school funding system that has been ruled unconstitutional several times and has not yet passed constitutional muster despite half-hearted attempts to tinker with it, some of the highest college tuition rates in the nation, and corruption of the cruelest kind where crooks raided the trust fund for workers disabled on the job. The sad thing is that I don't the dems could have done a better job of screwing things up. If it wasn't for gerrymandered districts the republicans would have been completely out of power as the dems won the popular vote for the legislative seats, and all but one state wide office. It's no wonder almost 400 Buckeyes were moving out of state everyday.

A curse on both their houses.

Our use of force has resulted in change in Iraq! It's not a religious change, it's evident that many citizens in Iraq want to live a normal life.....and nothing is normal with terrorists in leadership.

I mentioned no hand wringing, no emotion in viewing the world as it is because thinking like an emotional whining female leads to some of the conclusions I see from some here......like wanting to quit, AGAIN. Quitting doesn't compute....not since 9/11.

[quote]
In 5,566 interviews with registered voters conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press during the first two months of 2008, 36% identify themselves as Democrats, and just 27% as Republicans.
[/qoute]

Good deal. That indicates about 36% have schitcanned the "team jerseys", and are thinking for themselves.

When that number goes over 50%, we might begin to restore the will of the people.....

The GOP KNOWS the disappointment within the country on the current crop of Republicans.....it ain't pretty.

In spite of disappointment,the GOP, a majority of Independents and a significant amount of centrist dems will put McCain in te WH.

Gotta bullet thread to back it up too!!!

You're probably right, unless he pulls something stupid like picking Condolisa Rice (Bush's political twin) as his running mate instead of a movement conservative.

I don't think that many in Iraq would agree.




BAGHDAD � Iraq's most prominent clerics have ruled that using a water pump on one's own pipes is akin to stealing resources from a neighbor, so what does a person do when it takes half an hour to fill a cooking pot with water from the tap?




Iraqis pray for forgiveness, then pump away.

To them, the real crime is that five years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq , they still swelter in the summer and freeze in the winter because of a lack of electricity. Government rations are inevitably late, incomplete or expired. Garbage piles up for days, sometimes weeks, emanating toxic fumes.

The list goes on: black-market fuel, phone bills for land lines that haven't worked in years, education and health-care systems degraded by the flight of thousands of Iraq's best teachers and doctors.

When the Iraqi government announced that 2008 would be "the year of services," workaday Iraqis had their doubts.

"Under Saddam's regime, we had limited salaries but we had security and decent services. Now, we have decent incomes but we lose it all to water, propane, groceries, fuel. We save nothing," said Balqis Kareem , 46, a Sunni Muslim housewife who lives in the predominantly Shiite Muslim district of Karrada. "This government gives with the right hand and takes away with the left."

At Kareem's modest, single-story home, a wall in the living room sprouts a tangle of electrical wires, a reflection of the three power sources she juggles throughout the day: the government's supply, her own small generator and the neighborhood's larger generator. Even so, for five years she hasn't been able to keep milk or meat in the refrigerator for more than a few hours because it spoils so quickly in the daily blackouts.

A kitchen cupboard holds a barely touched box of rationed tea, which Kareem described as "so bitter no amount of sugar can sweeten it." She said that she'd once used a magnet to clean metallic flakes from a bag of government-supplied rice. She barred her four children from drinking tap water after she found worms floating in a glass she'd poured.

The family's home phone rarely works, though earlier this month a worker from the phone company showed up demanding payment for calls that they both knew she hadn't made. Like so many employees of government utilities, he wanted a bribe.

"I just got to the point and told him, 'Don't waste my time. How much do you want?' " Kareem said. "He told me, I paid him and then went on with my day. I'm practical."

As another scorching summer approaches, everyone has to improvise to find electricity. Those who can't afford generators have to grease the meter men to look the other way as they splice wires and steal more than their permitted amount of power. At most, they'll be able to run a TV set, a couple of fluorescent bulbs and maybe the water pump. Of course, that's only when the electricity is on� never more than five hours a day and typically closer to two.

A popular joke here goes that a distraught boy approached his mother and sobbed that his father had touched a live wire and was electrocuted, to which the mother replied, "Thank God! There's electricity!"

When a reporter asked the official spokesman Ali Dabbagh how the Iraqi government could restore faith in its leaders' promises of services, he hung up the phone, offended at the question.

"Anyone who says that solving the services issue will take two or three years is exaggerating. Iraqi cities need years of work and billions of dollars," said Sadiq al Rikabi , a political adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki . "The destruction that we inherited, which was increased by terrorism, makes the suffering of Iraqis very difficult. Ending this needs time and effort, but the prime minister is determined to start the work and, God willing, Iraqis will feel the improvement in the coming few months."

Adil Hameed , a senior adviser to the minister of electricity, defended his embattled employer, listing a number of setbacks to power production that range from the devastating looting of a main control center in the early days of the U.S.-led invasion to the shortages in Baghdad caused by populous southern provinces using far more than their allotted share of electricity.

This year's electrical infrastructure-improvement budget of $1.4 billion is half of what it would take to make a dent in the problem, Hameed said. Yet there have been modest gains: a month-old operations room that reports directly to the prime minister, the deployment of U.S. forces to protect electricity facilities and a stepped-up search for international companies to build power plants.

"We're now producing at about 50 percent, but the people get only about 25 percent of their needs because we use nearly half the production to supply Iraqi infrastructure such as hospitals and government departments," Hameed said, adding that he expected outages to increase as usual during the summer.

Increasingly, Iraqis are relying on militias and other armed groups to fill the services void. Stories abound of neighborhood militiamen commandeering power plants and forcing terrified engineers to flip the switches even during government blackouts, turning militants into heroes and further undermining the unpopular Maliki administration.

In some poor areas of Baghdad , militias or Iranian-backed charities have become the main source of propane tanks, food staples, garbage collection and other services that the government should provide.

"They always talk, but nothing is tangible so far," Karam Hussein , 60, a Shiite retiree, said of the government. He lives in Baghdad's Shaab neighborhood, which is mostly under the control of the Mahdi Army militia. "On the contrary, when they talk, things always get worse. It's better if they just stop talking."

In the hardscrabble, mostly Shiite neighborhood of Shohada, 67-year-old Hani Abdel Hussein is desperately trying to sell the family home in hopes of moving to an area with better services. Damage from a stray mortar shell that plunged through the roof isn't the only deterrent for buyers, however.

Trash collection is so sporadic that residents tie up their garbage in plastic bags and fling them onto a reeking pile at the end of the street. Electricity is mainly from a private generator, and water shortages have forced Abdel Hussein to shower at a public bathhouse in another neighborhood.

His land line has been dead for the past three years, though he recently received a bill for about $70 .

"If the phone actually worked, I'd be happy to pay today," the soft-spoken father of three said. "I don't believe it's that hard for the government to bring back services. But they had 50 sessions of parliament just to remove the stars from the flag. I guess they're too busy."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20080316/wl_mcclatchy/2878538

Picking Condi would seal it, my cynical friend!!

But, I don't think that is going to happen!

Yep.....lots of blood letting from the dims. I hope they remain pale looking for years to come.

The bad news is that more RINO's may become elected, further weakening conservatism and accelerating our rush to socialism.

I'm sorry Isaac, Condi would ensure me and many others would never vote for McCain.

An extension of Bush is not what I'm looking for.



...I'm still trying to convince myself I could leave open the possibility of voting for McCain but the more he talks, the harder it becomes. Whatever happened to McCain circa 2000?

Sorry to hear that....the more the Dems talk and act out, the more votes McCain gets each day!

I love watching you waiver though. It does make me smile knowing I'm reeling you in, closer and closer to....my side!! grin!!

379 Peterbilt ,

Yep I like my definition of a politician: "A millionarie whore to a billionaire special interest."

Yes I will agree, however I was never able to latch on to the theory that stuffing big money on the pockets of a candidate for public office has now been defined as "freedom of speech". Seems a very fine line, a gray line if you will, between freedom of speech and bribery.

What was the brothers name in Louisiana who keeps $200,000 of free speech in his garage freezer?

Now that's an interesting argument there counselor. A while back, with Stevers leading the way, the pro-war crowd was giving all the credit to the "troop surge"--and I was arguing the various tribal factions were getting tired of the foreign fighters/terrorists and they had as much to do with the diminished fighting in Iraq as the extra troops......

.....Glad to see you're coming around to my thinking.

Just remember, the tribal feuds are still there--been there for a few thousand years, and at some point they may resume their thousand year feud--if they don't start trying to kick out the "Coalition" foreign fighters first.


Casey

Welcome to Democracy Iraq!

The worlds proven reserves are no secret. You can find them published at multiple sites.

There are two issues. One is the rate of consumption. China and India are ramping up to be major consumers. China could equal or exceed the US in 50 years, and that's saying something given how much the US consumes. The other issue is the cost viability. There is lots of oil that isn't being exploited due to the costs. Many well in the US have been shut down because it's cheaper to buy foreign oil than pump out own. The Bakken field has an estimated 271-503 billion barrels, but it's hard and expensive to recover. Alaska's North Slope is somewhere around 50 billion barrels. USGS provides estimates of oil reserves in the US.

Worldwide proven reserves are pretty well know as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_reserves