One year ago today, I took a back pack and two boxes full of spare TV gear to Iraq.

I had no idea what I would see, only where I would I go--Baghdad, Al Anbar province, Kharmah.

What I saw through the camera lens is what you will see on the three DVD episodes .

My documentaries about Iraq are unlike the approach of most documentary projects.  Most documentary films are written before the first frame of footage is shot.  They are scripted, planned and even rehearsed.  Many of them, ala Michael Moore, star the director as the director begins with a premise and goes about proving it.

Taking a page from John Kerry's tactics, IVAW started Winter Soldier II today.

I am sure this sequel, like Hollywood productions, will not be as good as the original and, in manner reminiscient of Ghengis Kahn, trample upon the facts and the truth. 

These self-styled 'Winter Soldiers' are a far cry from Thomas Paine who in the darkest hours of the American Revolution argued that the cause of liberty and democracy should be continued . 

Earlier this week I pointed out Senator Barack Obama once proposed having all combat forces out of Iraq by March 31st 2008.

When asked, "In light of the success of the surge and the mood of young Iraqis as portrayed by the New York Times, does Sen. Obama still stand by his desire to have all U.S. Combat forces out of Iraq in next few weeks?"

Well, I have my answer from one of his foreign policy advisors :

"He will, of course, not rely on some plan that he's crafted as a presidential candidate or a U.S. Senator,"

Last year I put some clips up and declared--"this is not a trailer."

Friends, this...is a trailer .

The DVD...which is actually a Double Disc documentary trilogy is so close to be released it is maddening.  (Individual episodes will also be sold on DVD.)

The three episodes, with all the special features, will give you 190 minutes of Iraq as only those who operate outside the wire get to see it.

What started last year about this time when I went to Iraq is about to reach its logical conclusion.

I can't wait to get to back to Iraq to start the process all over again.

There are more documentaries in the Outside the Wire Series to come.

More than a year ago Sen. Barack Obama proposed a withdrawal of U.S. Combat forces from Iraq by....4 weeks from today.

Back then I wrote , "When beset with setbacks, when forced to modernize, the zeal for jihad and expansion waned.  Muslims are still human and thus subject to the impulse jump on and off the bandwagon."

And now, from the New York Times , "After almost five years of war, many young people in Iraq, exhausted by constant firsthand exposure to the violence of religious extremism, say they have grown disillusioned with religious leaders and skeptical of the faith that they preach."

In light of the success of the surge and the mood of young Iraqis as portrayed by the New York Times, does Sen. Obama still stand by his desire to have all U.S. Combat forces out of Iraq in next few weeks?

Which is a good thing for independent filmmakers and small production houses. 

Here at Outsidethewire.com, our distribution has been through Amazon/Createspace (DVD on demand), which launched a High Definition service late in the summer.

Last year I posted this stating that, if I still advised political candidates, I would advise them to pursue victory .  

Victory in Iraq is not only an essential policy, it is sound politics. 

It appears that my argument has stood the one-year-test-of-time .

Sorry for the delay in posting this, the DVDs are very close to being released so while we're waiting I thought I'd put up a couple posts about CPAC.

Many thanks to John Uhlmann and Rich Nadler of Americas Majority who sponsored the showing for us. We had a packed room, people standing in the back, people sitting in the aisle, and people wanting to get in to watch the episode.

I shot some video before and after the showing, the following is from before where Rich introduces JD and then JD introduces the Anbar Awakens episode.