Is the Surge Working?

Is the surge even working? It is costing a lot in lives, and in resources. Is it worth it?

By Paul Kiel - April 9, 2007, 9:14 AM

The New York Times delivers the first major report on the surge's progress this morning, a painstaking effort involving statistics and on the ground reports. The verdict?

American casualties are down in Iraq's provinces, but way up in Baghdad.
Sectarian killings are down, but increased use of car bombs has kept the civilian death toll high -- and anyway the beheadings seem to be surging again.
And as the U.S. moves to confront insurgents, the groups seem to be fracturing, making the fight increasingly confusing.

Or as an American private in the First Battalion, Fifth Cavalry puts it:

“The insurgents, they see what we’re doing and we see what they’re doing. Then we get ahead, then they figure out what we’ve done and they get ahead.

“It’s like a game of cat and mouse. It’s just a really, really smart mouse.”

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Active Duty Military Personnel Appeal for Withdrawal from Iraq

After that horrifying and vulgar cartoon yesterday, I thought it would be good to post something encouraging. I would have posted something sooner, had I not been without power thanks to a mighty windstorm that left large areas of the Puget Sound region without electricity. I also spent a large portion of the day traveling to my native land of 10,000 lakes. Without further ado, here is an inspiring story about individual acts of courage that will have a forceful collective impact.

Marc Cooper of The Nation reports that nearly 1,000 active duty military personnel, both enlistees and officers, have signed An Appeal for Redress:

The wording of the Appeal for Redress is short and simple. It is patriotic and respectful in tone.

As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq . Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home.

If you agree with this message, click here.

Marc Cooper included a few statements from personnel in his article. Here's one:

"Lisa"--20 years old, E-4, USAF, Stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii:

I joined up two weeks after I turned 17 because I wanted to save American lives. I wanted to be a hero like any American child.

I supported the war when I joined because I thought it was justified. Only after my own research and the truth coming out did I learn how wrong I was, how--for lack of a better word--how brainwashed I was.

Now I know the war is illegal, unjustified and that our troops have no reason for being there.

When I saw an article about the Appeal in the Air Force Times I went online right away and signed it and have encouraged others to do the same.

There is momentum building to oppose this war. A new year approaches. Will it bring more of the same tired boondoggery and belligerence, a continued reliance on the threat of force to impose territorial and economic visions of hegemonic proportion? Or will the new year find an awakening to a new attitude of cooperation, altruism and egalitarianism?

My best bet says somewhere in between, though how far in either direction depends on you, and on me.