Let’s do the time warp again

Can something that happened in 2007 be the cause of something that occurred in 2006?

Hilzoy has it all on McCain’s latest confusion (or lie or stupidity or hackery):

In an interview on CBS News:

“Couric: Senator McCain, Sen. Obama says, while the increased number of U.S. troops contributed to increased security in Iraq, he also credits the Sunni awakening and the Shiite government going after militias. And says that there might have been improved security even without the surge. What’s your response to that?

McCain: I don’t know how you respond to something that is such a false depiction of what actually happened. Colonel McFarlan[d] was contacted by one of the major Sunni sheiks. Because of the surge we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others. And it began the Anbar awakening. I mean, that’s just a matter of history.

Let’s see this, from September 29, 2006

Presenter: Army Col. Sean B. MacFarland, commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

“With respect to the violence between the Sunnis and the al Qaeda — actually, I would disagree with the assessment that the al Qaeda have the upper hand. That was true earlier this year when some of the sheikhs began to step forward and some of the insurgent groups began to fight against al Qaeda. The insurgent groups, the nationalist groups, were pretty well beaten by al Qaeda.

This is a different phenomena that’s going on right now. I think that it’s not so much the insurgent groups that are fighting al Qaeda, it’s the — well, it used to be the fence-sitters, the tribal leaders, are stepping forward and cooperating with the Iraqi security forces against al Qaeda, and it’s had a very different result.

There are many other contemporary news reports of the Anbar Awakening in late 2006. In 2008 McFarland described the events:

“On 9 September 2006 Sittar organized a tribal council, attended by over 50 sheiks and the brigade commander, at which he declared the “Anbar Awakening” officially underway. The Awakening Council that emerged from the meeting agreed to first drive AQIZ from Ramadi, and then reestablish rule of law and a local government to support the people.

The Surge started in 2007. As you can read at Hilzoy’s link up top, McFarland’s unit left Anbar about the same time as the Surge started.

Friggin’ Time Travel in McCain-o-verse. It’s a wonderful thing. The Surge defeated Nazi Germany! “That’s just a matter of history.”

Comments

  1. Redhand wrote:

    Let’s Do The Time Warp Again!

    Laughed out loud at the title. But I’m having a hard time figuring out which is more bizarre at this point: The McCain Campaign or The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

    Posted 23 Jul 2008 at 3:38 pm

  2. canuckistani wrote:

    Should we yell “Boring!” whenever McCain appears on screen? Or maybe “Sl*t!” at Cindy McCain? I don’t think John could complain about that.

    Note to moralistic family values guys: Please excuse the Rocky Horror in-jokes. Man, did you ever miss out on fun in the 70’s.

    Posted 23 Jul 2008 at 3:50 pm

  3. Redhand wrote:

    It gets even better. Now John-Boy is bringing the dead back to life! Check this out:

    The major Sunni sheik who John McCain said was protected by the surge and subsequently helped lead the Anbar Awakening, was actually assassinated by an al-Qaeda led group in midst of the surge.

    On Tuesday evening, McCain falsely claimed that the downturn in violence in Iraq’s Anbar province was a result of the surge, when in fact the surge began months afterward. Moreover, he said, if it weren’t for the work of U.S. forces, the major Sunni figure leading that awakening wouldn’t have had the protection he needed.

    “Colonel MacFarland was contacted by one of the major Sunni sheiks,” said the Senator. “Because of the surge we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others. And it began the Anbar awakening.”

    The Arizona Republican’s campaign went further the next day, claiming that the major figures that turned around Anbar province would have been killed had the surge policy not been in place. “If Barack Obama had had his way, the Sheiks who started the Awakening would have been murdered at the hands of al Qaeda,” said spokesman Tucker Bounds.

    Sadly, that murder took place even with the surge underway. In September 2007, Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, the sheik widely credited with persuading Sunni leaders to turn against al Qaeda in Iraq, died in a bomb attack in Anbar. His work, prior to then, was held as a major effort in transforming the province from one of Iraq’s deadliest areas into one of its safest.

    I can’t summarize it better than John Cole did over at that traitorous blog Balloon Juice:

    This has gone from a serious campaign into something of a hybrid modern art masterpiece/comedy sketch. To call the McCain campaign a train wreck is to portray it too positively. Seriously, all these self-inflicted wounds this week are on his strong topic.

    I mean, really, this is getting downright embarassing. It’s beyond pathetic. We have a major party presidential candidate who is nothing less than delusional..

    Posted 23 Jul 2008 at 10:55 pm

  4. Redhand wrote:

    Perhaps I should amend my last comment by saying that “sane” John McCain is running a delusional campaign. Either way, the sheer incompetence and inability to get the facts straight is shocking.

    Posted 23 Jul 2008 at 11:07 pm

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