Nationa Strategy for Victory in Iraq

Yesterday, I read the “National Strategy for Victory in Iraq”, the Bush Administration’s grand new plan for winning in Iraq. Many commentators have already said this is just a cynical political paper written for domestic consumption in order to give some time for the administration to figure out something. What may be even more scary is Bush actually believes his own ridiculous rhetoric and does not plan on leaving Iraq. At this stage, who the fuck knows what Bush is thinking. It seems nobody is sure whether Bush is religious zealot, a cynical manipulator and liar, an incompetent twit, or a delusional, isolated, drunken lunatic. After 5 years of being President, that is a wide range of opinion. But I digress, the “NSVI” is something put out by a bad PR firm. The war has been going on since March 2003, I would have been more sympathetic if this had been released then, but November 2005!?! This is utter shit and an insult. Here are some highlights from this declassified government document. ( I can’t imagine what the classified version said.)

“Our Strategy for Victory is Clear
• We will help the Iraqi people build a new Iraq with a constitutional, representative government that respects civil rights and has security forces sufficient to maintain domestic order and keep Iraq from becoming a safe haven for terrorists. To achieve this end, we are pursuing an integrated strategy along three broad tracks, which together incorporate the efforts of the Iraqi government, the Coalition, cooperative countries in the region, the international community, and the United Nations.
• The Political Track involves working to forge a broadly supported national compact for democratic governance by helping the Iraqi government:
Isolate enemy elements from those who can be won over to the political process by countering
false propaganda and demonstrating to all Iraqis that they have a stake in a democratic Iraq;”
I guess they mean the false propaganda the US military doesn’t pay for
“Engage those outside the political process and invite in those willing to turn away from violence through ever-expanding avenues of participation; and
Build stable, pluralistic, and effective national institutions that can protect the interests of all Iraqis, and facilitate Iraq’s full integration into the international community.”
After 2 ½ years, at least we started doing this now.
“• The Security Track involves carrying out a campaign to defeat the terrorists and neutralize the
insurgency, developing Iraqi security forces, and helping the Iraqi government:
Clear areas of enemy control by remaining on the offensive, killing and capturing enemy fighters and denying them safe-haven;
Hold areas freed from enemy influence by ensuring that they remain under the control of the Iraqi government with an adequate Iraqi security force presence; and”
That will work as soon as we get some Iraqi Security forces that aren’t militias.
“ Build Iraqi Security Forces and the capacity of local institutions to deliver services, advance the rule of law, and nurture civil society.”
Don’t we kidnap and torture people and didn’t Bush sign an executive order that makes American forces and contractors immune from Iraqi laws. Civil society doesn’t get nutured in 2 ½ years of chaos and anarchy.
“• The Economic Track involves setting the foundation for a sound and self-sustaining economy by helping the Iraqi government:
Restore Iraq’s infrastructure to meet increasing demand and the needs of a growing economy;”
In 2 ½ years, electricity production is still below pre-war levels as well as oil production.
“Reform Iraq’s economy, which in the past has been shaped by war, dictatorship, and sanctions, so that it can be self-sustaining in the future; and”
Thank God Jerry Bremmer privatized everything and disbanded the army. That’s a great help to an economy with a 50% unemployment rate.
“Build the capacity of Iraqi institutions to maintain infrastructure, rejoin the international economic community, and improve the general welfare of all Iraqis.”


“Our strategy is working: Much has been accomplished in Iraq, including the removal of Saddam’s tyranny, negotiation of an interim constitution, restoration of full sovereignty, holding of free national elections, formation of an elected government, drafting of a permanent constitution, ratification of that constitution, introduction of a sound currency, gradual restoration of neglected infrastructure, the ongoing training and equipping of Iraqi security forces, and the increasing capability of those forces to take on the terrorists and secure their nation.”
News flash-We are winning. Kick-ass, thanks for telling us President Bush. Now I know the coverage of Iraq is a leftwing media conspiracy. Luckily, we have an administration with such a stellar reputation for telling the American people the truth and not paying reporters for positive stories, rewriting reports with bad news, or firing whistle-blowers.



“The war on terrorism is the defining challenge of our generation, just as the struggle against communism and fascism were challenges of the generations before. As with those earlier struggles, the United States is fully committed to meeting this challenge. We will do everything it takes to win.”
Does this mean we are willing raise taxes on the rich to pay for the war and re-institute the draft? I didn’t think so.


“Balancing the need for economic reform – particularly of bloated fuel and food subsidies -with political realities;”
At least republicans are consistent. They cut food stamps for poor people in America and they cut them for poor Iraqi’s too. Hello, fuel subsidies? Isn’t Iraq sitting on the second largest oil reserves in the world? Can’t Iraqi’s at least get some cheap gas before we steal it from them?

After reading the NSVI, I am confident the Bush Administration has no fucking clue what to do in Iraq.