US military downplays remarks on al-Qaida's demise

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) -- The U.S. military distanced itself Sunday from remarks declaring al-Qaida in Iraq close to defeat, saying the terror network is "off-balance and on the run," but remains a very lethal threat.

However, Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, a military spokesman, said violence has dropped some 70 percent since a U.S. troop buildup began nearly a year ago.

Underscoring the continuing dangers, a roadside bomb targeted a patrol of U.S.-allied Sunni Arab fighters near a mosque in northern Baghdad Sunday, killing one of the so-called Awakening Council members and wounding three others, a police official said.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ?SITE=MTMIS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[ohio2007]

1. Thats the way you 'whack a mole'

nt

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Mission Accomplished. Again. Smirk." - Commander AWOL

"Well, not even close, of course. But the Freepers love to hear that kind of tough talk from the Chickenhawk-in-Chief, or my intimate republicon crony War-Profiteer, VP Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney. Smirk."

- Commander AWOL

[bulloney]

3. They want you to believe they have the enemy on the ropes, but don't make it sound too good.

Otherwise, sentiment will sway toward cutting military spending and withdrawing troops from the battlefront.

[LiberalLovinLug]

4. Exactly!

They must walk a fine line with their 'progress'. In order to stay in for 100 years, they can't ever actually defeat Al Qaeda in Iraq, a tiny minority of mostly foreign fighters that BushCo. helped create, but have them perpetually 'on the ropes'