Michael Yon Optimism

Nearly 4,000 wooden crosses representing U.S. troops that have been killed in Iraq stand at a roadside memorial in Lafayette, Calif. U.S. military deaths in Iraq surpassed 850 this year, making 2007 the deadliest year since the war in Iraq began in 2003.Justin Sullivan - Getty Images

That is, of course, the MSM narrative and part of the reality. But judging the success and progress of a war, based solely upon the latest body count (even from a skewed perspective on the stats), does not tell the whole story.


From Duane Patterson:

Michael Yon called the Hugh Hewitt Show today at 3:15 in the morning, Baghdad time. Michael has always been cautious in his reportage of events in the Iraqi front of the war on terror, even referring to Iraq as being in a civil war months before the Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media seized on the term, turning it into a rhetorical political weapon in the 2006 election, and promising to cut and run as soon as they ascended to power.

But today we heard a different side of Michael Yon. He was as upbeat and optimistic as we've ever heard him. He's been all over Iraq during the last several months, and reported that even in Baghdad, hope, peace, reconstruction, support and even appreciation for what our military has done for the Iraqi populace is breaking out all over.

You know it must be true, because Iraq disaster and failure news has fallen off the big three's nightly newscasts, and elected Democrats are changing the subject whenever Iraq is raised.

Click the link for a transcript of the Yon interview.

And here's an inspiring photo by Michael Yon:

Thanks and Praise: I photographed men and women, both Christians and Muslims, placing a cross atop the St. John’s Church in Baghdad. They had taken the cross from storage and a man washed it before carrying it up to the dome.

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