RUSH: ‘A top UN official reported to the UN Security Council that recent developments in Iraq have opened an opportunity for progress. UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, briefed the UN Security Council that sectarian tensions are still problematic, but that recent trends including recently released figures that show September having the lowest number of casualties in 2006 are reason to believe there is opportunity for progress.’ In fact, ladies and gentlemen, front page above the fold with pictures today, the New York Times, the security improvements in most neighborhoods are real. Twenty-thousand so far have returned to their homes in Baghdad. ‘Iraqis sound uncertain about the future, but defiantly optimistic. Many Baghdad residents seem to be willing themselves to normalcy, ignoring risks and suppressing fears to reclaim their lives. Pushing past boundaries of sect and neighborhood…’ Front page, above the fold. New York Times. This story has just got to make the Democrats livid, particularly Hillary, particularly Reid and Pelosi.
In a related story from the Daily Star — don’t know where that’s from because the top half of the page with the web link is clipped, can’t read it, only half of each letter showing. ‘Iraqi army raid Shi’ite militia strongholds, finds cache of Iranian-made weapons.’ These were from Mookie’s boys, the Mahdi army of Muqtada al-Sadr. And from Mosul, ‘Abu Nawall, a captured al-Qaeda in Iraq leader, said he didn’t join the Sunni insurgent group here to kill Americans or to form a Muslim caliphate. He signed up for the cash. ‘I was out of work and needed the money,’ said Abu Nawall, the nom de guerre of an unemployed metal worker who was paid as much as $1,300 a month as an insurgent.’ Well, now, wait, folks, Abu Nawall and his captors agreed that the Iraqis were joining the insurgency out of economic necessity. Well, wait a minute. I thought all along we were creating all these terrorists. I thought Bush was so wrong and so bad and so horrible, John Kerry and the whole Democrat Party elite, they were running out saying, ‘These people are a proud Muslim bunch, and we’re attacking Islam, and they’re joining up, we’re creating more terrorists.’ No. They were mercenaries. It was also a way to stay alive. Of course, we hate the Americans, they say here, but we needed the money. As one general referred to them, sounds like they’re the Iraq branch of The Sopranos.