The wisdom of Ralph Peters

The Dems on Capitol Hill pretend that setting a deadline for a troop withdrawal won’t even have serious consequences in Iraq. Yet the reverberations are already ringing through the entire region. Not only do Iran’s worst fanatics feel emboldened, but the Saudis whom President Bush has been trying to hug anew treat us like beggars.
Speaking to the assembled leaders of the Arab world this week, King Abdullah declared that the U.S. troop presence in Iraq is “illegitimate.” Abdullah also dragged out the Palestinian issue again, damning Israel. Of course, the Saudis have always been willing to fight to the last Palestinian, while keeping the people of the West Bank and Gaza on starvation rations.
Saudi money’s always available to spread hatred, but not to build world-class universities, hospitals or industries for the Palestinians.
For good measure, our pal Abdullah deplored the violence in Darfur – for which he blamed “foreign interests,” suggesting that the aid agencies and international observers, not the Khartoum government, are to blame for the ongoing genocide. (It’s all Angelina Jolie’s fault!) Meanwhile, the Egyptian regime is reinforcing its despotism, while Syria’s looking at Lebanon and salivating again.
Back in Iraq, the Dems’ “Contract With al Qaeda” undercuts the progress our troops have been making since the arrival of Gen. David Petraeus (the Dems tossed him the keys to the car, but won’t give him money for gas). For all too many politicians, our 2008 elections are more important than the fate of our soldiers or the Iraqi people.
They’re doing all they can to guarantee failure. After a year of tragic setbacks, our new tactics in Iraq have brought real signs of progress. Ultimately, of course, that progress may come to nothing. Sunni assassins may succeed in reinvigorating the religious war with the Shia – who’ve behaved with restraint for the past few months.
Success is never guaranteed in any war.
But that’s no reason to guarantee failure. Threatening to cut off funding for our troops is simply despicable.

for the rest of the story…
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/03302007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/inviting_attack_opedcolumnists_ralph_peters.htm

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