Petraeus Report Shows Surge Is Working

Way to go Mr. Pellegrino! A letter to Editor in the "Progressive" paper in Madison that Supports Gen. Petraeus evaluation of the 'Surge' in Iraq Petraeus Report Shows Surge Is Working The Capital Times :: EDITORIAL :: A9 Monday, September 17, 2007 Dear Editor: After Gen. David Petraeus gave his report to Congress, it is clear that the troop surge in Iraq is working and we are winning the battle for the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. Many members of Congress who have visited Iraq in the past month or so have confirmed that our new strategy is working. Those who have returned realize that it will take years to make sure that Iraq is stable and a force for good in the region. The anti-war groups are parroting the words of the president of Iran when they say the war in Iraq is lost. Iran is ready to fill the void if we leave, and terror in the Mideast will grow and surely strike us. Leaving would be a disaster. U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., said it best when he stated, "One, I think we're making real progress. Secondly, I think the consequences of pulling back precipitously would be potentially catastrophic for the Iraqi people themselves, to whom we have a tremendous responsibility, ... and in the long run chaotic for the region as a whole and for our own security." The cost to us in dollars and lives as they are currently being expended, while not insignificant, is small compared to what it will cost us if we fail and give the radical religionists the idea they succeeded as they claimed when Russia pulled out of Afghanistan years ago. Ernie Pellegrino Middleton