Saturday, March 12, 2005

Reality Check

What is our esteemed steward of the glorious international community talking about?

Kofi Annan also said in his report that the scale and sophistication of insurgent attacks were increasing, worrying signs as Iraq's new leaders prepare to take power. Earlier Thursday, a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque killed at least 47 people, and on Feb. 28, a suicide car bomber killed 125 people, mostly Shiite police and National Guard recruits.

First of all, since he thinks the Iraq War was illegal, he should welcome this development. Perhaps he does. So first of all, I don't care what he thinks. He can go rape a Congolese toddler or whatever it is the UN does nowadays to earn its keep.

But let me address his claim of scale and sophistication of the insurgents. Do not mistake bigger bombs aimed at civilians as sophistication. Iraq's insurgents are in fact descending the ladder of violence as they lose the fight with the Coalition in Iraq. Think about it. Back in the early days of the insurgency, Iraqis would launch direct attacks in platoon and even company strength. In a classic insurgency, the insurgents would have started operating in larger units until they had battalions and regiments and even divisions attacking our forces. These larger units would make it tough for our side to spread out and pacify large areas since small garrisons would be toast at the hands of large units.

Instead, we've seen direct attacks dwindle to be replaced by ineffective drive by shootings or indirect fire or roadside bombs and suicide bombers. I haven't read about a decent sized insurgent attack since before the First Battle of Fallujah. Large numbers massed in the August Sadr battles and inside Fallujah for the Second Battle of Fallujah, but those were targets and not organized forces attacking us. As we have atomized the enemy and punished them for attacking American troops, the insurgents have switched to attacking Iraqi troops. And now, with the Iraqi security forces getting better, the insurgents are resorting to reliance on terrorism against civilians.

If the scale and sophistication of insurgent attacks were going up, we'd see atrocities against civilians as we do now, but we'd also see large units of insurgents roaming the countryside, picking off our outposts and setting up sanctuaries of controlled territory.

No, Kofi, we are winning. No thanks to your fine body of thugs and cowards.

I'm just about ready to nominate the UN for the open slot in the Axis of Evil.