We need to give The Surge time, supporters will say. But time for what given the insurgents seem to be getting stronger while the Iraqi government is going around in circles at best. Here’s a Brit’s take on what’s happening there.
Despair stalks Baghdad as plan falters
The Sunni extremists held to be responsible for these attacks seem to be making a mockery of the US and Iraqi security plan, which is now into its third month.
So far, their surge seems to be having more effect than the American one.
Last month alone there were more than 100 car bombings, and the number of attacks has continued at a similar rate so far this month. This indicates a high level of organisation.
This despite the fact that there are many extra US and Iraqi troops in the city now. There are more raids and patrols.
With official security forces apparently unable to protect Shia communities, pressure is growing on the militias to do so again.
And there are signs their death squads have returned to work. The body count is creeping up again. Twenty were found yesterday.
Dealing with the car bomb is “our top priority”, says US military spokesman Lt Col Chris Garver.
But as ever it is a game of cat and mouse, played with insurgents who are “very adaptive”, and very well-funded.
A man arrested by US soldiers after placing a truck bomb which failed to go off told interrogators he had been paid $30,000 (£15,000) for the task.
Lets hear from all those people who insist you couldnt stand up to the US military with simple weapons.
We could nuke them tomorrow and finish them. But the liberals would be crying in seconds.
2. Good answer, kill them all, men women and innocent children. What a AAA dick.
#3 – Just because you can’t accept his solution is no reason to get pissy.
Isn’t it standard practice to have a surge right before a retreat, anyway?
#3. Well, we are supposed to be spreading democracy and there’s nothing more democratic than death.
I understand the President just vetoed funding for our troops. Why, oh why doesn’t he support our soldiers in the field?
#2 I don’t think it is just liberals that would object. Further, it wouldn’t solve the problem. This is what people don’t get about terrorism – we create it. I’m not saying the terrorists are justified. I am just saying that nuking Iraq, or anything resembling it, would just make the U.S. less secure. Not only would we have more terrorists mad at us, we would have fewer allies helping us.
Let’s think about all the consequences and not just the immediate ones. That was what got us into this war in the first place.
“A man arrested by US soldiers after placing a truck bomb which failed to go off told interrogators he had been paid $30,000 (£15,000) for the task.”
Paid by the DNC.
Let me see if I understand this.
President Bush vetoed a bill that would start withdrawing the troops in October.
The ‘surge’ will be evaluated by the Prez in September… with two possible outcomes:
a) It worked, so we can start to leave.
b) It didn’t work, so we should start to leave.
Given the two possible outcomes… why did he veto the bill again?
#7. No. As a military mishap, the failed IED is obviously GOP in origin.
Finals are over, and therefore debating another pundit’s opinion is not a utility generating column as of now.
Here are some other links for consideration:
The NYT did a pretty good job at analyzing the developing situation in Al Anbar. You may have to hit refresh a couple of times, it is member only content, but it should work.
Doug, you’ll find this interesting.
http://tinyurl.com/2ux363
My favorite quote from it: “Since I was a little boy, I have seen nothing but warfare — against the Kurds, Iranians, Kuwait, the Americans,” Sheik Badawie said. “We are tired of war. We are going to fight through the ballot box.”
Another post from Bill Roggio, a war-time correspondent, on the developing fate of Iraq al-Masari, a huge Al-Qaeda player, who was killed recently by Sunni tribes. The same tribes who opposed America, but now have decided to join the political process and secure their own future through a democratic means.
http://tinyurl.com/3yhkv4
Believe whatever you like, but the situation in Iraq is much more complex than simply measuring suicide bombers and IED attacks.
#10. Actually, I read the NYT piece the other day. Certainly hopeful signs for Anbar, but also tentative and fragile.
The $24 question is, however, can the Shiite Iraqi government take advantage of ground-level initiatives like this should they appear. current events suggest they are a fair piece away from that. In fact, they are working directly contrary to that:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/01/iraq.office/index.html
Hey Dvorak where are you on the digg user revolt? Digg sold out people are PISSED!
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
#12. digg is a business. a business that its owners hope to take out of its niche, to the big time.
this should neither surprise nor dismay anyone.
Isn’t anyone going to ask where the $30K comes from? Could it be all of the extra gallons of oil we burn in our honking huge assed SUVs? Could it be that every extra gallon of gas we burn unnecessarily gives just a few cents to the fund the people that want to kill us?
Bombs cost money. Training costs money. Paying off the families of the suicide bombers costs money. What money is most commonly used for these? Oil money. Let’s cut it off at the source.
#10
Believe whatever you like, but the situation in Iraq is much more complex than simply measuring suicide bombers and IED attacks
Bullshit. It is a civil war, plain and simple. Different factions want different outcomes and are willing to kill the other side to get their way.
Quote all the Fox Spews / neo-con / Pentagon propaganda you like, it won’t change anything. For every story you can find praising the US, there are several thousands who can tell of a senseless killing of a family member.
#14, Scott, Isn’t a lot of the funding paid for with poppy (heroin) sales?
Darnit, too late posting again.
14,
It dont matter, if it came from drug money, Iran, Saud, Taiwan, or that you paid it yourself…
Think about a Bomber, going UP with the explosion…
where did he put the money before he left on this mission??
DID he get paid before He left??
Did they Promise to pay his family AFTER he did the DEED?
I really dont think many come back to find out…
#16 – BubbaRay,
Possibly yes, especially in Afghanistan. But, the really big money is from oil. Think about Iran, and Saudi Arabia. These countries have far more wealth than Afghanistan will ever see. Oil is a much stronger addiction than opiates, especially on the scale of the first world nations of the world.
It’s funny how often we end up in debates about global warming. All of the actions we need to take to reduce global warming are actions we need to take irrespective of climate change, for health, for national security, for the economy, etc. All of these point to the same required set of actions.
Here’s the text of an old email I sent to a friend of mine a while back, with more examples in support of my prior post.
Reducing fossil fuel usage is something we need to do for many reasons.
1) 70-130,000 people per year in the U.S. alone die of air polution every year. And our air is relatively high quality. Check China’s. My sister showed a cell phone photo there. People were amazed. They hadn’t seen blue sky in 30 years.
2) Coal releases mercury into the environment.
3) Coal (worst of the bunch in every way, really) requires removal of mountain tops and sometimes whole mountains to maintain its current level of cost effectiveness. Is this a cost we’re willing to bear? http://www.vbs.tv/player.php?bctid=494918454
4) Terrorism is funded by oil money.
5) Oil spills destroy huge areas, often for fairly long periods. I think Valdez is still not totally recovered.
6) Oil and gas pipelines destroy landscape.
7) Oil and gas drilling destroys habitat, most notably in the arctic, but everywhere else as well.
8) Protection of our oil and gas interests, in terms of defense costs, are huge, see Iraq for the most obvious case, but don’t forget Saudi Arabia,
Hello Dvorak, I just wanted to let you know how much you suck, you see Dvorak, you are just a grumpy old man who talks shit about everyone and makes money out of that. Be optimistic dude, life is beautiful.
#14, #18, #19, Scott, …requires removal of mountain tops and sometimes whole mountains to maintain its current level of cost effectiveness. Is this a cost we’re willing to bear?
Let’s just cut off some of the Himalayas, fill in the Persian Gulf, call it the 51st state, throw up one giant KOA campground, deep slant drill the heck out of the whole area and fix this mess once and for all. That’ll show ’em!! Might be cheaper than all the wars, too.
Thanks for the coal and money link from VBS.
20,
you are young and innocent…
I hope you live in a VERY RURAL area…
Otherwise someone, some CORP is going to take you out back and SCREW you to the wall and not kiss you AFTER…
That or you have ALOT of guards and others to pay attention to WHAT YOU DONT KNOW….
#17 – ECA,
They pay to the family after the deed is done. They have many years of careful attention to detail in making sure the family really does get paid and everyone hears about it so they know it’s real.
Also, let’s not forget the religious aspect. One part of the payment is the reward of how ever many virgins they get and the paving the way for 40 family members to join them.
When one honestly believes in religion to this extent, the surviving family can literally and joyously celebrate their loved one’s entry into paradise. This is belief at a much deeper level than even most of the highly religious people in the U.S attain.
Few here celebrate the death of a pious loved one as their entry to heaven with the certain knowledge that they will soon happily join them. Few can even bring themselves to pull the plug to end the pain and allow the transition to heaven.
Of course, this is neither better nor worse than the religious people of this country. It is merely a comparison. For me, it’s all silly and potentially dangerous.
Hello Dvorak, I just wanted to let you know how much you suck,
The spammers are just getting smarter and more subtle.
This kind of crap is going to be hard to get rid of without user rankings.
Subtle?
24,
WELLL…
why not foster it…
slowly Evac people out of the city to other towns.
After full evaluations…Kids first.
LET them blow each other up…
Tent everyone OUTSIDE the city.. Spread them out. Less damage.
Easier to handle…
I still stand by my old post tho..
Wall off sections of the city, and have those IN each sector monitor the ins and outs of those going threw. THEY know who lives in EACH sector.
Let our military SIT on the out side and monitor the city from THERE, and those going IN AND OUT of the city…
If this is Civil war, LET THEM FIGHT IT.. Let them see the devistation they Cause on Themselves.
Our Military can control THOSE trying to instigate it. bringing IN the bombs and weapons, and stopping it from the OUTSIDE.