"60% of Iraq is at peace right now.”

In an interview with Radio Talk Show Host, Hugh Hewitt; Jeb Babbin, author of the new book “Showdown”, navigates through the fog of the main stream media and paints a realistic picture of the progress being made in the Iraqi theater, Donald Rumsfeld’s roll as Defense Secretary, and the ‘night of Generals’, where 6 retired generals call for the resignation of the Defense Secretary. The transcript of this interview can be found on Radioblogger.com.


On April 18th , Jeb Babbin was part of a 15 person panel of military commentators who interviewed the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Pace, and the assistant director of operations for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Carter Ham just to name a few.

During Hugh Hewitt’s interview, he noted how that there are very few reports on the cities just outside Bagdad which are prospering in this new era for the Iraqi people. He said,

“There's a New York Times story on the Babylonian excavations, and damage done or not done during the war, and how the restoration of Babylon is going on. But it mentions almost matter of factly, that Hilla, which is the city outside of Babylon, is perfectly...it's only sixty miles south of Baghdad, it's perfectly peaceful. There are no Sunni insurgents, there aren't Shiite militias. In fact, "factories are churning, Iraqi security forces are patrolling, and the streets pulsate with life, children bounding to school, crowds wading into markets, taxis gliding by. The mayor says I want restaurants, gift shops, long parking lots, he said." It's not at all what you normally get from the media.”

To which Babbin replied,

“if all you're going to do is sit at the bar at the Al Rasheed Hotel, and then run out and take pictures of the most recently blown up car, you're going to get a little bit of a different view of Iraq. In fact… 14 out of 18 provinces are utterly at peace. There is a very concentrated insurgency, and by no means should we discount that or minimize it. But the vast majority, 60% of Iraq is at peace right now.”

In response to questions regarding the ‘Night of the Generals’, Babbin stated,

“I sat there today, and I heard the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Peter Pace, and he said, and I'm not quoting directly, because I didn't write it all down, but basically, he said look, we have gone through these war plans. These are not only Mr. Rumsfeld's plans. They're Tommy Franks' plans. They're all the combat and commanders' plans. They're my plans. They're the Joint Chiefs' plans. This is not somebody who overrides his military advisors. Yeah, he is tough. Yeah, he may be a bit impatient. But this is not a guy who is out there on some wild frolicking detour. He's a very serious guy. He's fighting a very serious war.”

For the complete interview, go to Radioblogger.com.

AZ