BAGHDAD — Iraq's prime minister said yesterday that the government has defeated terrorism in the country, a sign of growing confidence after recent crackdowns against Sunni extremists and Shiite militias.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki began the crackdowns to extend the authority of the government over areas in Baghdad and elsewhere that have largely been under the control of armed groups since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

"They were intending to besiege Baghdad and control it," al-Maliki said. "But thanks to the will of the tribes, security forces, army and all Iraqis, we defeated them."

He was speaking at ceremonies marking the fifth anniversary of the assassination in 2003 of Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, a leading opponent of Saddam Hussein who was killed in a truck bombing in Najaf after returning from exile in Iran.

Such attacks plagued Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion, but violence in the country has now fallen to its lowest level in four years. The change has been driven by the 2007 buildup of American forces, the Sunni tribal revolt against Al Qaeda in Iraq and al-Maliki's crackdowns, among other factors.

"Under the national unity government, the Iraqis have achieved national feats ... that are now lighting the course of our march," al-Maliki said.

Bolstered by this confidence, al-Maliki plans to visit the United Arab Emirates today and also Italy and Germany later in the month — apparently hoping that improved security at home will pay dividends in greater international support.

Iraq is also enjoying a surge in oil revenue driven by record crude prices and the highest production levels since Saddam's ouster. The government expects to make a total of $70 billion from oil in 2008 if prices stay high.

FOXNews.com - Al-Maliki: Iraq Defeated Terrorism - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Saddam is gone. A presumably "sovreign" nation in its place...
And that nation wants us gone, unwilling to fork over a dime for our troubles.

Is there any way for Republicans to successfully spin addressing this issue?

Nope, no spin.

The article speaks for itself.

Same...

Not only is this not spinworthy for Republicans, I dare say the comment MAY be too bold...

That's a pretty strong statement to say AQ has actually been defeated...Let's hope that doesn't create motivation for some to go out of their way to prove it wrong...

If it IS correct, then that means a victory for America, so no spin would be needed anyway...in fact, I'd like to see how the Left spins this into a defeat...Whens America wins, the Left loses votes...

__________________
"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

Ahhh.

So no response to the fact that IRAQ thinks THEY defeated terrorism there...
Not the U.S., but Iraq themselves.
The actual TITLE of the article, remember?

And of course, along with Iraq thinking they defeated terrorism comes the next stage...
The expected withdrawal of the U.S. troops cause Iraq, the sovreign nation, doesn't think they need the U.S. anymore...


Kind of what I expected.
Like many U.S. endeavors in the middle east, they have come back to bite us in the ass. Iraq is already rewriting their history, and demanding we leave.
Before long, they'll probably go the same route...

I realize that you are attempting to play "gottcha games" with this topic, but I do not understand why.

First of all, saying that the Iraqi people do not want the US there is like saying that the US wants Hillary Clinton to be our next President. You cannot put them all into one category of thought.

Next, we have been working very hard to get the Iraqi people to stand on their own without need of us. We'll stand down when they can stand up for themselves. If they are accomplishing the neccessary victories against terrorism on their own, they deserve full credit for it, and it's nothing short of a win for us!

So what response are you looking for anyway?

Quit fantasizing about my motivation (which you have wrong) and address the issue.
I don't think Republicans are ready to address the attitude of the "liberated" people and what "liberating" that country will REALLY mean for the future.



'We Will, In Fact, Be Greeted As Liberators' - Cheney

Lecture me on that philosophy when the Republicans start employing it.
Until then, you're making menial excuses to avoid the point.


"We'll stand down when they can stand up for themselves."
What happens when they THINK they can stand up for themselves, and we don't agree?
Do we respect the wishes of a sovereign nation that never invited us?

It's amusing how we have made them a sovereign nation, but over and over again I fail to hear any sign of Republicans respecting that...

Furthermore, quit trying to inaccurately spin this.
They said that THEY beat terrorism.
No mention of our help.
No mention of any "necessary victory against terrorism" which they actually won all by their lonesome.

THEY are saying THEY did it, and our help is not even mentioned.


Maybe something acknowledging, and discussing, what I've pointed out above...