"What Defeat" in Iraq? asks Abizaid

GEN Abizaid, Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Middle East, was interviewed on 60 Minutes Sunday by Laura Logan.   While Logan is a very intelligent and professional reporter, far less biased than others at CBS, her inability to grasp some realities in Iraq were evident in her reporting. Her matter-of-fact question about "managing defeat" is a case in point.  This is well worth watching.

Final exchange:

LOGAN:  We hear very little about victory in Iraq these days, we hear a lot about how to manage the defeat..

ABIZAID:  (cocking head and looking puzzled) What defeat?

LOGAN:  (correcting herself) How to minimize the defeat....

ABIZAID:  That’s your word. Defeat is your word, not my word. Can Iraq stabilize? Yes, Iraq can stabilize.

LOGAN:  Is that victory now, is that what victory will look like in Iraq just “stability”? That’s what we’re aiming for?

ABIZAID:  Victory in Iraq is the nation at peace with its neighbors. And Iraq hasn't been at peace with its neighbors in a long time. It is a country that respects the rights of its citizens. It's a country that can defend itself. It's a country that's not a safe haven for terrorists. Exactly what form of government they choose to develop I think would be a uniquely Iraqi solution to the problem. But the fact that they will come to a solution where they've gotta take into account the rights and desires not only of ethnic groups of individual, rights and desires, is actually a revolutionary change in the Middle East.

LOGAN:  Increasingly in this country, people are talking about how to manage defeat in Iraq. There's a loss of support for the war very clearly shown at the present. Not a loss of support for the military or for the soldiers. 

ABIZAID: Again, let me say I don't think people in the country are trying to figure out how to manage defeat in Iraq. I think people in the country are trying to figure out how to manage our involvement in Iraq so that Iraq can stabilize. You just can't walk away from these problems of the Middle East and hope that things are gonna get better. Look, many people have said we're already at the beginning of World War III.

LOGAN:  Are we?

ABIZAID:  No. We're not. And our involvement in the region will prevent it.

EXACTLY, General.

For those sincerely interested in understanding the conflict in the Middle East, the war on terror and Iraq, this will help.  GEN Abizaid appeared at the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University on November 17, 2006.  Abizaid has an opening statement and takes Q & A from the audience.  It's long, almost an hour and 20 minutes, but very well worth it.  Pull up a chair, get a cup of coffee and educate yourself with this very insightful event.  WATCH HERE.  Or DOWNLOAD THE AUDIO to your i-Pod or computer. 

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Comments

[Big Bang Hunter]

- There is still a hard core group of Lefties, including some among the lap dog press, who will try to keep the "cut and run", and defeatist narative going, but the truth is the majority of their own party has reaalized that its political suicide leading up to '08, and they're running away from yesterdays talking points like scalded chickens.

- I'm sensing a certain Monday morning lassitude, and bitterness, among the SecProggs. They know quite well, “they” didn’t win anything. In fact, the only race they took any substancial part in, the Lamont mess-up, was a resounding failure, and so far the Blue dogs in Congress are holding sway, as witness the very first stumbles by Pelosi right out of the starting gate, and she hasn’t even officially taken office yet.

- Not a very auspicious start for the SecProggs, and things don’t look any better for the future. No wonder the tinhats are “pissy”. This is NOT how they thought it would be.

- Added to that “happy” situation, their once darling Fitzy, is now persuing the lap-dog MSM criminal NYT reporters, so even Christmas is not going to be fun this year for the moonbats.

[Gayle]

Hi Amy. I'd like to watch the video, but it will have to be later. I don't have the time for it right now, but it's good to get this stuff out there; so many people are uninformed. I wish there were some way to reach people who don't have the internet; their the one's I really worry about.

Blessings gal; keep up the good work! :)

[Leticia]

You know it is amazing that a lot of people just tend to take the media's word for granted and don't even bother doing their own investigating?

We are making a tremendous amount of diference in Iraq, and the media just doesn't want to admit. Typical.

[Pennsylvania Independent]

There is alot of unstability in Iraq. I am not sure who to believe anymore, neither the Government or the Media because both are liars.
Is Iraq on the brink of civil war? Once again two different answers.
We have our enemies no denying that. I would never deny it. This enemy is odd because they will do anything to get America a to start a war with them.
You may not agree with me, but invading their country and starting a war are what these terrorists want. Infiltration is they key to defeating the enemy. Securing our borders is another way to defeat the terrorists. Information is the war tactic on the terrorists in the middle east. Destroying their plots, bringing them to court, and throwing them in jail for the rest of their lives. Keep them in isolation and let the isolation make them lose the minds.
Killing them is what they would want. It would cost alot of money to keep them in jail, but we cannot afford to have another 9/11.

[ben]

All I have to say is that I do not blame the media for anything. I am a reponsible human being living in America who has access to the truth.The media does not control me. I believe that invading Iraq was a mistake. It was not neccessary for us to invade the country of Iraq in retaliataion for the events of 9/11. I am pro-military therefore I am anti-Iraq war.
Also, I believe P.M. Maliki cannot be trusted and I am suspicious of anyone who has trust in him.

[Amy Proctor]

ah, ben, I guess I forgot to ban you. Your ugly e-mails about my husband's service has made you not welcomed here. Once I banned you from e-mailing me, you began posting here. No more.

Gayle, the videos are long but if you have time, well worth it. The first one isn't too long at all and quite good.

[Amy Proctor]

PA, you can be confident that Abizaid is not lying. He's a very reasonable and up front leader. He doesn't sex up the issue at all.

Iraq is unstable, but it won't remain that way.

[Tim]

"I am a reponsible human being living in America who has access to the truth.The media does not control me."

The "truth" you have access to is given you by the media, be it T.V or internet.

I the Chief Commander for U.S. forces in the Middle East knows less about the Iraq conflict than liberal trolls.

[Silke]

Amy,

According to the next secretary of defense, we are not winning in Iraq…

“Asked by Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, whether "you believe we're currently winning in Iraq," Gates answered, "No, sir." He repeated the assessment when asked the same question by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

In response to a later question from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), Gates said he came to that conclusion during his service with the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. Until his nomination to lead the Pentagon, Gates was a member of the group, which is scheduled to formally release its long-anticipated recommendations on Iraq tomorrow.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/05/AR2006120500152.html

[Amy Proctor]

Silke,

GEN Abizaid and I respectfully disagree.

I'll watch the hearing in its entirety later to gain full context of his comments. From what I saw on C-Span, he seemed to say something different. This could be taken out of context. If not, he's wrong. Period.

[Silke]

Amy said: “From what I saw on C-Span, he seemed to say something different.”

What did he say that was different? He was asked this question at least three times and did not change his answer. You can watch the video regarding his comments at the link I provided above.