This is how al Qaeda in Iraq views its situation:
How does House Speaker Nancy Pelosi assess the situation on the ground?
The Iraqi government is assuming a greater and greater share of the responsibility for internal security, over time. They have begun to share oil revenues among regions and ethnic groups. They have passed a de-baathification law. And they have begun to move toward holding regional elections. It could not be more clear that there is progress toward reconciliation in Iraq, and that Pelosi is desperate to see the mission declared a failure before it has a chance to succeed. Politically, her stance would seem foolish. As attention shifts away from Iraq and toward domestic issues (which supposedly favor Democrats), Pelosi is inviting Americans to think about Iraq again, and to consider how the war is going. Republicans welcome that debate now more than ever. It’s also worth noting that the captured al Qaeda document was reportedly written last summer. Here’s what Democrats were saying at the time about how things were going in Iraq:
- SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV) & REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “As Many Had Foreseen, The Escalation Has Failed To Produce The Intended Results. The Increase In U.S. Forces Has Had Little Impact In Curbing The Violence Or Fostering Political Reconciliation.” (Sen. Harry Reid And Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Letter To President George W. Bush, 06/13/07)
- REP. JACK MURTHA (D-PA): “I’m Absolutely Convinced That Right Now The Surge Isn’t Working.” “I’ve been hearing this month after month and I’m absolutely convinced that right now the surge isn’t working and I’m convinced that if they don’t pay attention to what I’m saying and a lot of other members of Congress are saying they’re going to have a disaster on their hand because the American public wants the troops out of Iraq.” (ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos, 06/03/07)
- SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “The President’s Current Strategy Is Not Working And We Cannot Wait Until September To Act.” “Democrats and military experts and the American people know the president’s current strategy is not working and we cannot wait until September to act.” (Sen. Reid, Press Conference, 07/09/07)
- SEN. TED KENNEDY (D-MA): “What Was The Surge Intended To Accomplish? The Surge Was Meant To Reduce Violence; It Has Not. To Permit Reconstruction; It Has Not. To Promote Reconciliation; It Has Not.” (Sen. Kennedy, Congressional Record, S.9307, 07/17/07)
The record is clear: Democrats have been as wrong as they could be (or worse: willfully ignorant) about the nation’s central foreign policy and national security question. How can they be trusted going forward when they still deny the evidence?
