In areas where troops had been barred by the government, they now have ‘carte blanche’ to stage raids with Iraqis.
Getting rid of Sadr and his goons is long overdue. I hope we make the most of it.
I like the Dirty Division (reminds me of the “Dirty Dozen”): “Most times they are accompanied by the ‘Dirty Iraqi Division.’ This division doesn’t follow the orders of the Iraqi government.”
After the coverage of the asinine ISG, I was furious by the end of the day. Fortunately, a more articulate voice than I has responded.
You may have already heard of him and his comments, if not, this is a must read:
Sgt. T.F. Boggs - What we should and should not do: An Authoritative Voice…
One of the most telling events yesterday was when a Jonathan Karl asked why the ISG:
“I understand you went to Iraq once. With the exception of Senator Robb, none of you made it out of the green zone. Why should he give your recommendations any more weight than what he’s hearing from his commanders on the ground in Iraq?”
Karl was met with a long silence before someone in the ISG could come up with some kind of defense. I guess the ISG never thought of talking to the military commanders and NCOs actually fighting the war.
One of the greatest problems we face is our lack of patience. This isn’t limited to Iraq. The good news is that we are winning the war on terror, the bad news is that we are just starting. While many seem to think of this in terms of years, this war will be fought for decades.
Patience doesn’t mean not adapting to changing situations. In Iraq and Afghanistan, we’re doing so, and I trust those in the field much more than a bunch of impatient Washington DC bureaucrats wishing to trust the very nations destabilizing Iraq.
The skate park suffered a defeat (for now). The Bountiful City Council voted 3-2 against the skate park site.
This occurred after an, apparently, well attended meeting where opponents (mostly near the proposed site, I gather), made their views known.
Sounds like a good demonstration of public involvement but the Bountiful Mayor apparently didn’t appreciate this outpouring of civic responsibility (from the article):
The mayor himself made some of the most adamant comments. He mentioned that only one person at Tuesday’s meeting was present when the council approved the budget for the skate park, though there was plenty of information about it.
“The reason you’re not informed is your fault,” Joe Johnson said. “We do know what makes a successful park.
“The reason you’re here tonight is because it’s in your neighborhood,” said Johnson. “I find it hard: ‘It’s OK, but not where I live.’”
One attendee noted that the Mayor raised his voice and his mannerisms and tone was very condescending.
While I’m sure it’s frustrating to have a public monkey wrench thrown in after a lot of work, it is not uncommon. As a matter of fact, often, the public pressure can (and has) stopped projects/policies after they’ve been approved. Ultimately, our political systems were designed for the public to hold the trump card no matter when the decision will be (or was) made.
Further, the argument that these people weren’t there from the start is disingenuous. While the idea has been around for a few years, looking back even at my blog, you’ll notice that the new site location wasn’t chosen until after September 11th. Affected residents did, indeed, respond in a timely manner.
I would also hope that elected officials everywhere realize that the public is slow to respond and, often, not as informed as they (the public) would like. Most do their best, but family responsibilities and work considerations (especially when your work doesn’t involve political positions) typically take 66% of time. The other 34% is mostly spent sleeping. It takes people a fair amount of time to get informed and then adjust their busy schedules to react. Frustrating? Yes. Reality. Yes.
Anyway, the battle may be over, but the war may not be won given Councilman Pitt’s statement: “Time and time again, people are for it. It’s just a matter of where,”.
Sounds like the council could be hearing a few more last minute comments…
