Gerson's Pants-on-Fire Problem

by publius

Anyone care to take a stab at what Gerson means by this:

The resentment of Sunni tribal leaders against al-Qaeda's highhanded brutality predated the surge -- but the surge gave those leaders the confidence and ability to oppose al-Qaeda.

The surge was proposed in December, 2006, following the elections. The Anbar tribes made a decision about AQI in September, four months earlier. Maybe the Anbar sheiks read the Charlie Cook Report and just extrapolated from there. This macaca thing is going to kill Allen in Fairfax. Death to America.

Of course, I recognize he's using patented Gerson weasel language (e.g., the "resentment" -- not the action -- predated the surge). But it's still intended to mislead -- which is unfortunately a regular feature of his op-eds, not to mention his speeches and his life more generally.

Comments

[kid bitzer]

why do you think this is a problem?

the wapo isn't going to fire gerson for it.
they won't even make him publish a retraction.
conservative columnists are *allowed* to lie.
there *is* no accountability for conservatives.

no problem.

[cleek]

Administration officials answer that they are seeing a promising, bottom-up change in Iraq -- something organic, not imposed or designed.

...

...Second, Iran may not tamely accept American progress in Iraq. Its government is already involved in the training and arming of proxies in Iraq.

how is it "American progress" if we didn't plan or impose it? if it happens outside our design or intent, how can we take credit for it? how is it our progress ?

progress:

"We hate al-Qaeda, but at the same time we don't like the Americans," said Emad Jasem, 23, from the Soufiya district, north of Ramadi. Although they were cooperating with U.S. troops because of "overlapping interests," he said, "no one should jump to the conclusion that we are on the side of the Americans and support them. Our loyalty is to our community and our city."

[Fledermaus]

Well, Gerson means that the war in Iraq is good and should continue. As long as a person holds that position, no one looks too closely at pesky things like facts and numbers. See also O'Hannlon, Pollack, Gen. Petreus, Bush, etc

[alphie]

Actually, the tribes of al Anbar started taking on "Al Qaeda in Iraq on January 26, 2006"

The Anbar tribes’ campaign to rid the province of Zarqawi’s terror organization, al-Qaeda in Iraq is in its 2nd day and so far, 270 Arab and foreign intruders have been arrested.
[…]
Usama Jad’aan, the leader of Karabila tribes in Qaim told al-Hayat that “the operation will continue to eliminate terror elements according to a quality plan” and added “270 Arab and foreign intruders have been arrested, in addition to some Iraqis who were providing them shelter”.

Sheikh Jad’aan added “the operation is conducted in coordination between the tribes and the minister of defense Sa’doun al-Dulaimi and since we arrested hundreds of terrorists, I don’t expect the operation to take a lot of time”.

http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/2006/01/iraqi-tribes-in-anbar-arrest-270-arab.html

[patriot76]

BUSHBOY'S BIG TEARS -- Here's a photograph of Bushboy formulating his strategy for the next six months in Iraq: http://wwwthepartyofthewidestance.blogspot.com/

[Ugh]

OT - it's things like this that are starting to make me think that I should be stockpiling food and water for the all out middle east war coming late fall:

After days of silence from the Israeli government, American officials confirmed Tuesday that Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes inside Syria last week, the first such attack since 2003.
...
One Bush administration official said Israel had recently carried out reconnaissance flights over Syria, taking pictures of possible nuclear installations that Israeli officials believed might have been supplied with material from North Korea. The administration official said Israeli officials believed that North Korea might be unloading some of its nuclear material on Syria.

“The Israelis think North Korea is selling to Iran and Syria what little they have left,” the official said. He said it was unclear whether the Israeli strike had produced any evidence that might validate that belief.

[Incertus (Brian)]

Gerson meant to say "Reagan taught us that facts don't matter."

[someotherdude]

It is just as likely, that the Al-Quida threat is overblown and the Sunni insurgents are finding ways to get new weapons (for the Civil War) and get rid of pesky rivals. It’s not like the American military can tell the difference between the factions in Iraq (or Afghanistan, for that matter).

Sh!t, I wouldn’t be surprised if Al-Quieda is helping these Quiet Americans get rid of pests.

[DaveC]

Per Bill Ardolino,
the Anbar Awakening started in 2006:

INDC: When did things go bad for al Qaeda?

Leo: I think it was maybe … 10 months ago? Ten months, one year, that’s it. And everything began in Ar Ramadi, the Awakening of the al Anbar tribes. And when we see it’s working, Fallujans talked about the same actions and tried to save the people and save Fallujah from al Qaeda.

But check out this note:

Note: During my last visit in January 2007, the multiple calls to prayer and messages broadcast from mosques would urge Fallujans to fight Americans, so I found it surprising that al Qaeda would target imams. But as usual, the radicals overplayed their hand by forcing many imams to play prepared messages and killing religious leaders who were not extreme enough in their religious views. ***

And this from a post in Jan 2007. The situation was still in doubt:

Yusef: "If the tribes will work with us honestly, we can do something about it. But honestly, the tribes let us down."

INDC: How do they let you down?

Yusef: "They do work with the insurgents. When they sit with us, they tell us one version of the story, when they sit with the insurgents, there is another version of the same story."

INDC: So how do you gauge the chances of success of getting the tribes to stop being two-faced and start looking out for law and order in Fallujah?

Yusef: "The tribes will follow, they will be on the side of the powerful person, the powerful group. If we have that power, they're going to be on our side. Right now the insurgents are more powerful, so they are going to be on their side."

INDC: So how do you get that power?

Yusef: "More Iraqi Police. If [Fallujah] recruits more police, it is a good thing, that means we'll get that power, and at that point tribal leaders will be on our side."

INDC: What are your plans to make this happen?

Yusef: "It's going to depend on an upcoming meeting [with] tribal leaders. This is key, I believe, to use it to get into their mentality and convince them to be on our side. [They need to be told] about Marines leaving, Iraqi Army leaving, if the sons of Fallujah will provide security and work with the police."

"If their answer is yes, start sending tribe members to join the police service and the Iraqi Army in Fallujah. If you want the Marines and the (predominantly Shia) Iraqi Army to stay in the city, that's your choice, but you need to be responsible for it. Let's not waste our time standing here and talking. Either yes, the sons of Fallujah will take over, or if the answer is no, end this meeting."

[someotherdude]

DaveC, keep digging in that moist warm pile, I'm sure there is a a cute pony somewhere in there.

[Delicious Pundit]

Gerson!

How funny, I'm reading Don Juan:

Cold-blooded, smooth-faced, placid miscreant!
Dabbling its sleek young hands in Erin's gore,
And thus for wider carnage taught to pant,
Transferred to gorge upon a sister shore,
The vulgarest tool that tyranny could want,
With just enough of talent and no more,
To lengthen fetters by another fixed
And offer poison long already mixed.