I like that this guy (Opinionated Bastard) actually takes the statistics for reality, rather than at face value. For example,

Here's some news! The new goal for Iraqi security forces is 325,000, not 270,000. That means that my predicted withdrawal date of August 2006 is wrong, it will be pushed out until 2007 sometime, unless we start training troops faster. I can't tell how we're doing on that because the State Department still has the numbers from 11/16, and troops graduate once/month. So it looks like only 700 troops graduated this month, but that's wrong, they probably just graduate in a week or so. italics added

Thank you! He didn't go rant on "They only graduated 700 troops this month?!?!" but rather "they probably just graduate in a week or so." Thank you for no knee-jerk reaction!

I don't know what the difference between "Combat Support" and "Combat Service Support" is exactly, but I would guess that Combat Support" troops are in Iraq, and "Combat Service Support" troops are in Kuwait...

Combat support is indirect offense, like artillery. They support the fighters by shooting things their direction. Combat service support is everything from intelligence to food service to the clerks who maintain personnel records in some of Saddam's old palaces. Still important, but not necessarily on the front lines.

As always, hard to say. But from that and other reports, I'd have to say: Better.

I will bookmark this page and continue to read this guy. Good stuff, thanks!

Thanks Draginol for putting up a link to the original materials. Great stuff, very insightful indeed.

I echo Singr!  This one is worth a book mark and frequent check!  Thanks for the link!

Keep trying to convince yourselves that this will be won and its all good
and right in Iraq. In your personal matrix it is.

This silly adventure was lost the MOMENT we put boots on the ground.
Nuff Said.

His Father had a REAL coalition of 500k PLUS troops ... many contributed from
Arab countries and he still had the foresight to halt his advance outside
of the gates of babylon!

I never agreed with Gulf War 1 either

Unbelievable the mess we are in over there ... and you people persist in
looking for the rainbow ... good luck.

Just one question ... if we are making so much progress ... why not go
join effort. Logic would dictate that the more people there the faster the
progress right?

I wish I had the power to transform all you people into Iraqi's put you in
their shoes and see how fast you become insurgents/rebels ... of course
there will be the whores among you ... the traitors and sellouts who would
kneel before the occupier ...

just keep deceiving yourselves.

its all going well
theres no place like kansas
theres no place like kansas

you will all wake up soon enough ... that much I promise you

Unbelievable the mess we are in over there ...

If you think 2000 American lives as a price for a more democratic society in a former disctatorship is an "unbelievable mess", you are clearly not well-read in history and should consider not commenting on things you know nothing about.

The fact is that the (elected!) Iraqi government has asked coalition troops to remain in the country, because the (elected!) Iraqi government doesn't want Ba'athists and their allies to run the country like they used to.

If you see no value in helping opressed minorities (or in the case of Iraqi Shi'ites, a majority) against their opressors (who happen to be our enemies as well!), that's one thing. But to claim doing so is an "unbelievable mess" merely portrays an amazing ignorance of history.

Perhaps, you might argue, ignorance of history is required for your viewpoint to be understood. And that may well be.

Name an example of the opposite of the "unbelievable mess" and we will see whether your "theory" is falsifiable.