Iraq Resistance Capitulates
Dave Price
Well, the domestic chapter, anyway:
U.S. Rep. John Murtha today said he saw signs of military progress during a brief trip to Iraq last weekA victory for America, Iraqis, and reality.
...
"I think the 'surge' is working," the Democrat said in a videoconference from his Johnstown office
In another sign of progress in the new Iraq, Baghdad's stock exchange is preparing to become electronic:
Taha Ahmed Abdul-Salam, the exchange's chief executive, said he hoped things would improve soon thanks to an electronic system set for launch early in 2008 to speed up transactions and make it easier for foreigners to trade Iraqi sharesI asked my broker if it was possible to buy Iraqi stocks and government bonds, but he didn't know that could be managed, outside of buying broad emerging market funds. If anyone does know how one can purchase Iraqi securities, please leave a comment or email me.
"Aye, Caesar, but not gone."
"Please Europe. Come Help Me In Afghanistan"...OBL, today.
OBL and his minions have lost Iraq and Afghanistan.
The war in Germany was won right after the Battle of The Bulge which, we almost lost. The war wasn't declared "over" for quite some time after that but the war was "won".
Same in Iraq. It isn't over and there WILL be more fighting.
It all depends on what one's definition of "won" "IS".
Jim Dunnigan had a great line on this question. He wrote that the Battle of Stalingrad meant that the Germans would not win the war. The Battle of Kursk meant that they would lose it.
Of course, that was a conventional nation-state conflict, in which winning and losing were pretty clear. Such is not the case in Iraq. Again, talking about winning is pointless. The only valid consideration is the attainment of policy goals.
I don't know that that's evidence of loss, exactly. If you're following the strategic situation in Afghanistan [vice the politics over that theatre] you'll note that AQ/Taliban forces are conducting a winter campaign, which is unusual in itself, and control approx. 50% of that country. Its not looking that good there, currently.
You're both wrong. We lost WW II, because our troops still haven't come home. That's the Chris Matthews Principle.
Check out this article I came across today. Nothing about direct investment in Iraq, but it offers some names of some asset managers who have launched Middle Eastern Equity Funds. It doesn't appear that they have much (or any) exposure to Iraq, but perhaps in the future?
It's a pretty decent piece on ME investment in any case.
Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.
Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.