Having just returned from a Thanksgiving trip to Iraq with John McCain and Joe Lieberman, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) appeared on Fox News yesterday to — you guessed it — hail Bush’s Iraq policy with unrestrained hyperbole.<\/p>\n
“[The existing policy is] working amazingly well, beyond my expectations. I think history will judge the surge as probably the most successful counterinsurgency military operation in history.<\/p>\n
“Violence is down. Economic activity is up. It’s not just about more troops. It’s how the troops are used. So hats off to General Petraeus and all under his command. You’re making military history and a phenomenal success. I was amazed, really. […]<\/p>\n
“Why in the name of heaven would we undercut the most successful military operation in counterinsurgency in American history, maybe world history, because of this idea of putting — capping troop strength, changing the mission, undercutting Petraeus?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Yes, Graham believes the decline in violence in Iraq to 2005 levels may be the greatest counterinsurgency campaign in the history of the world<\/i>. Um, yeah.<\/p>\n
OK, senator, but what about the fact that this extraordinary and historic surge was intended to meet a series of political benchmarks, and we’ve actually seen reconciliation efforts to backwards this year? Don’t worry, Graham has this covered, too.<\/p>\n
“[I]t’s hard to have democracy when people are getting killed in droves. And the better security is going to produce better political results.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
See? All we have to do is stay in Iraq, indefinitely, and wait for the political progress to unfold. Hope is a plan, right?
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\nLet’s briefly review some recent predictions from Graham, who, I might add, is taken quite seriously by the DC media establishment.<\/p>\n* On Sept. 2<\/b>, Graham said we need not worry about Iraq failing the vast majority of the agreed upon benchmarks for progress, because a major step forward was near<\/a>. “In a matter of weeks, we’re going to have a major breakthrough in Baghdad on items of political reconciliation — the benchmarks — because the Iraqi people are putting pressure on their politicians,” Graham said. That was nine weeks ago.<\/p>\n