Wed Jul 23, 6:03 PM Pacific • posted by Jed Lewison
Video: McCain '07 Contradicts McCain '08 On Surge Timeline
In order to defend his claim that the surge is responsible for the Anbar Awakening, John McCain now says that the surge actually started in 2006.
But that not only completely contradicts the universally accepted historical record, it also contradicts his own words, delivered on January 5, 2007, when he declared his support for the surge, which Bush announced five days later. Moreover, in McCain explicitly noted that there was already good progress taking place in Anbar province, and that the primary goal of the surge was to improve security in Baghdad.
McCain's new claim that the surge started before the surge is part of his effort to spin his way out of his misstatement on CBS yesterday evening. He'd have been far better of just admitting a mistake. Instead, he's now lying -- and his own words have caught up to him.
MCCAIN 2007: The presence of additional coalition forces would give the Iraqi government the ability to do what it cannot accomplish today on its own: impose its rule throughout the country. In bringing security to Iraq, and chiefly to Baghdad, our forces would give the government a fighting chance to pursue reconciliation.
Contrary to popular notions that U.S. troops are getting, quote, "caught in the crossfire between Sunni and Shia fighters," and are therefore ineffective in ceasing the smoldering civil war, the track record is that when U.S. troops in stopping sectarian violence is excellent, where American soldiers have deployed to areas in turmoil, including Baghdad neighborhoods, the violence has ceased almost immediately.
Similarly the Marines in Anbar province report very positive effects in reducing the nonsectarian Al Qaida-based violence that is the predominant cause of instability there.
There are two keys to any surge of U.S. troops. To be of value the surge must be substantial and it must be sustained -- it must be substantial and it must be sustained.
MCCAIN 2007: There are numerous specific tasks for these additional troops. They'll need to establish local outposts; forge relationships with local leaders, which, by the way, is proceeding in Anbar province; build intelligence networks; engage in economic reconstruction activities; oversee other employment-generating projects; and wean the populace off their reliance on militias for safety.