Has anyone thought how our bickering and bashing, plays on the minds of our enemies ( Terrorists)? See below

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Criticism comforts enemy By Andrew C. McCarthy and Clifford D. May
Fri Jan 12, 7:14 AM ET



Opponents of President Bush's plan for salvaging the dire situation in Iraq have every right to speak out. And those in Congress who believe it pointless to do anything other than accept defeat have the power to cut off funds.


But the President of the United States has rights and powers as well. He is the commander in chief, and his war-fighting abilities cannot be micro-managed. The president's critics also should consider how their words sound to those dispatching suicide bombers, planting roadside bombs and looking forward to the day they can burn down the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on CNN and al-Jazeera.


Skepticism about the new approach is widespread - and not just among Democrats. There are those who fear Bush is not committing enough troops to get the job done. Others worry that the administration's actions won't match Bush's rhetoric. Some say the plan relies too much on Iraqi officials and forces that have proven unreliable.


There are two logical responses: Propose a better way forward, or candidly call for the United States to accept defeat - without trying to spin that as "redeployment" or some other transparent euphemism.


In the end, we don't think most Democrats will want to be in the position of saying they support the troops in Iraq even as they hold back the reinforcements needed to complete their mission.


After the swift toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime, things got tougher. Some leading Democrats have tried to draw a distinction between the war in Iraq (a war they overwhelming favored at the start) and the wider war on terrorism. The distinction was never valid, and today it is less so than ever. Osama bin Laden himself regards Iraq as the central front in al-Qaeda's jihad.


There's no sugarcoating it: A defeat for the United States in Iraq would be a victory for our mortal enemies. It would lead to other defeats for U.S. forces on other battlefields. It would guarantee more terrorism and more dead American citizens.


So scrutinize and criticize, if you must. But then give us a plan to win. Our nation can accept nothing less.


Andrew C. McCarthy is a former federal prosecutor and director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Center for Law & Counterterrorism. Clifford D. May is president of the FDD.

Answer 1

I think that pretty much said it all !!

Answer 2

I don't know of the author of this piece but I think it is great. I was in the military during Desert Storm and Desert Shield and I know that ragging on the president by the media hurts the moral of the guys fighting. It is not good to create doubt or make the soldier feel as if the people here are not behind them. When people say I support the soldiers but not the war to the media it gets to the soldiers and affects their spirit.
Is the troop surge the right thing well I wish I knew but doing the same thing and expecting different results would be nuts.

Answer 3

No, I don't think anyone worries about how in-fighting makes us look bad.

It makes me think of kids:
Of course kids are not the enemy; however, if mom and do not work together with a united front, the the kids think that both parents are full of BS. They will also think that they don't have to listen to either mom or dad. And, they will think that whoever happens to be in charge at the moment, it does not matter because they know they can pit one against the other and still get what they want anyway. The long and short of it, parents come across as ineffective buffoons that can and should be ignored and, if need be, easily manipulated.

America's enemies, I'm sure, see us as ineffective buffoons than can and should be ignored until they need to easily manipulate us.

Answer 4

good question,good point. like most problems,casting blame solves nothing. it will take brainstorming and compromise. is either side willing? i don't know. it may depend on whether repubs believe pelosis words. it takes listening and considering others point of view. a big problem in politics. why was the possibility of defeat not figured into the decision to invade iraq? with any invasion plan,there should be a beginning and an end goal. an exit plan. there should be a willingness to change strategies immediatly if things are not working. none of that was happening to any noticable extent.

Answer 5

I don't have a solution for the mess that is Iraq. Neither does President Bush. I'm sure he's doing what he thinks is right, but unless he completely revamps his thinking on the war and starts listening to his generals on the ground in Iraq and in the pentagon we're in for more violence in Iraq than is occuring now, and more loss of American lives.

Answer 6

Humor is a very powerful weapon. We might have caused thousands to die laughing when the day after President Bush unveiled his plan, all the news networks were saying that maybe we should not have let them know our plan!

LMFAO-Ahh, Ohh, Aieee cough cough ahhh.....

Answer 7

scrutinize and criticize huh? A plan to win? How about 'not starting' bogus wars in the first place?

Answer 8

Win what? A lower price at the gas pump? First you have to define what winning is. The people we are trying to save don't want us there.

Answer 9

zzzzzzz..... More lies, distortions, strawman stories and other logical fallacies from the lunatic right-wing fringe.