My morning commute is fairly short and fairly regimented. One of the habits that has been refined to an automatic behavior is my radio listening.
I start with SC-ETV radio until the local programing starts at about 749, then I move over to B-106 (Pop music, local traffic, quick news, weather) until I get to work just before 8am.
Today during their 'humor' portion of the morning news they started talking about the economic recovery act and just how much a trillion dollars is. They mentioned the twelve zeros, the lay 100 dollar bills side by side and circle the earth 30+ time, the number of years a trillion seconds is (30,000+) and other fun facts.
The one they didn't mention in their subtle efforts to discredit the bailout.
A trillion dollars is about how much we have spent on the US military, every year for the last for years (including the war effort costs).
I wonder how and why they missed that 'fun fact'?
Tags
Economics, Iraq
Showing posts with label Iraq. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iraq. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Bush Administration - War Criminals
It really is that simple.
Torture is a war crime. We, as a nation, tried and convicted people after World War Two for these crimes. And the Bush Administration approved the use of torture in the middle east wars.
Now some will try to hide behind the lie that we decided that these actions are not torture. That is just silly. I can decide to call a Bald Eagle a White Crested Super Pigeon but if I hunt one, if I shoot one, I am still breaking the law.
These 'harsh interrogation techniques' are more traditionally known as torture. This is against both international and domestic laws. These actions were approved as a war tactic by the leaders of the land.
Bush is, Cheney is, Rice is, Tenet is, Rumsfeld is and a great numbers of others are, quite simply, war criminals, and for the sake of history need to be treated as such.
Tags
Bush Administration, Iraq, War Crimes
Torture is a war crime. We, as a nation, tried and convicted people after World War Two for these crimes. And the Bush Administration approved the use of torture in the middle east wars.
The Bush administration issued a pair of secret memos to the CIA in 2003 and 2004 that explicitly endorsed the agency's use of interrogation techniques such as waterboarding against al-Qaeda suspects -- documents prompted by worries among intelligence officials about a possible backlash if details of the program became public.
Now some will try to hide behind the lie that we decided that these actions are not torture. That is just silly. I can decide to call a Bald Eagle a White Crested Super Pigeon but if I hunt one, if I shoot one, I am still breaking the law.
These 'harsh interrogation techniques' are more traditionally known as torture. This is against both international and domestic laws. These actions were approved as a war tactic by the leaders of the land.
Bush is, Cheney is, Rice is, Tenet is, Rumsfeld is and a great numbers of others are, quite simply, war criminals, and for the sake of history need to be treated as such.
Tags
Bush Administration, Iraq, War Crimes
Friday, September 12, 2008
Iraq, Afghanistan, South Asia and Oliver North
It has been a while since I posted on the wars in South Asia.
In Iraq the situation is rather unchanged, and to steal a theme from Charles Dickens, The Surge has worked, and the Surge has failed.
In Iraq violence is down and life, while not real good, is not getting worse. The addition of tens of thousands of US troops into the area has helped to reduce the carnage from apocalyptic to just horrifying. Some claim that this means that the surge has worked.
Well, they are kinda right, but mostly wrong. Violence is down, down a lot, but how much can be attributed to the surge is a debatable point. Prior to the surge the awakening councils were created and our paying the Sunni's to not attack us has been a great help in reducing violence without the addition of US forces. In addition, the fact that by the time the surge got into place many of the areas where the worst violence occured were effectively ethnically cleansed. This reduced tensions and has greatly helped to reduce conflict (at a very high cost). These actions occured prior to the addition of forces and have clearly impacted the levels of violence.
That said, I doubt that you can find many people who did not thing that the US armed forces, when given enough man power, could not also do the job of reducing violence. Even if we had not seen the success of the awakening counsels and the ethnic cleansing, there is every reason to expect that the troops, when in sufficient numbers, would be able to reduce violence.
This does not mean that all is well, fFor those who view the reduction of bombings from 60 a day to 60 a week as a victory, they can pretend that the surge has worked. There is only one problem with this. The Surge has always been a 2 step process. Part 1 was the addition of troops to reduce the violence. This was to lead to part 2 of the surge. The development of functioning political and security systems within Iraq that will allow for it's self rule.
This is still an abject failure.
Those who like to claim that the surge has worked clearly do not understand that the surge only works if part 2 gets accomplished. If it doesn't then we have to continue to leave our troops in place forever. Sadly, we are no closer to Iraq's political unification than we were 5 years ago. Unless this is accomplished the surge has failed, and there is little out there that indicated that this is ever going to happen.
On the Afghan front, our hearts and minds efforts have taken another blow. It appears that our armed forces have again blown-up a bunch of civilians.
These deaths are a tragic by-product of every war, and in no way a surprise. Another non surprise is that when this story first broke out the US armed forces made claims that the very few civilian deaths were an unfortunate by product of a successful strike on the bad guys. The local authorities claimed over 80 woman and children killed, we argued that is was less than 10, and we were also able to kill 30 or 40 bad guys.
Even after a second investigation we claimed that, yes a few civilians were killed, but most of the dead were bad guys. One of the reasons given for this finding was the testimony of a 'media witness' Oliver North.
As far as the Army was concerned case closed.
Unfortunately for them, there were video images that contradicted the 'facts' that we tried to present.
There are a few lessons that we should learn here:
First, it is foolish to assume any in-house investigation will find the truth. Sadly this has been proven over and over again with our armed forces.
Second, Relying on the statements of a person who is know for having a unique few of the truth is not necessarily a wise choice. Mr. North's track record for objectivity and clear observation is at best questionable. This is just more evidence of that.
Third, the use of overwhelming firepower should be reserved until you are 100% sure of your target, especially in a combat arena where there are high concentrations of civilians. A lesson that one would have thought we would have learned by now.
Tags
Afghanistan, Iraq
In Iraq the situation is rather unchanged, and to steal a theme from Charles Dickens, The Surge has worked, and the Surge has failed.
In Iraq violence is down and life, while not real good, is not getting worse. The addition of tens of thousands of US troops into the area has helped to reduce the carnage from apocalyptic to just horrifying. Some claim that this means that the surge has worked.
Well, they are kinda right, but mostly wrong. Violence is down, down a lot, but how much can be attributed to the surge is a debatable point. Prior to the surge the awakening councils were created and our paying the Sunni's to not attack us has been a great help in reducing violence without the addition of US forces. In addition, the fact that by the time the surge got into place many of the areas where the worst violence occured were effectively ethnically cleansed. This reduced tensions and has greatly helped to reduce conflict (at a very high cost). These actions occured prior to the addition of forces and have clearly impacted the levels of violence.
That said, I doubt that you can find many people who did not thing that the US armed forces, when given enough man power, could not also do the job of reducing violence. Even if we had not seen the success of the awakening counsels and the ethnic cleansing, there is every reason to expect that the troops, when in sufficient numbers, would be able to reduce violence.
This does not mean that all is well, fFor those who view the reduction of bombings from 60 a day to 60 a week as a victory, they can pretend that the surge has worked. There is only one problem with this. The Surge has always been a 2 step process. Part 1 was the addition of troops to reduce the violence. This was to lead to part 2 of the surge. The development of functioning political and security systems within Iraq that will allow for it's self rule.
This is still an abject failure.
Those who like to claim that the surge has worked clearly do not understand that the surge only works if part 2 gets accomplished. If it doesn't then we have to continue to leave our troops in place forever. Sadly, we are no closer to Iraq's political unification than we were 5 years ago. Unless this is accomplished the surge has failed, and there is little out there that indicated that this is ever going to happen.
On the Afghan front, our hearts and minds efforts have taken another blow. It appears that our armed forces have again blown-up a bunch of civilians.
These deaths are a tragic by-product of every war, and in no way a surprise. Another non surprise is that when this story first broke out the US armed forces made claims that the very few civilian deaths were an unfortunate by product of a successful strike on the bad guys. The local authorities claimed over 80 woman and children killed, we argued that is was less than 10, and we were also able to kill 30 or 40 bad guys.
Even after a second investigation we claimed that, yes a few civilians were killed, but most of the dead were bad guys. One of the reasons given for this finding was the testimony of a 'media witness' Oliver North.
As far as the Army was concerned case closed.
Unfortunately for them, there were video images that contradicted the 'facts' that we tried to present.
The UK TimesOnline has posted a video of the aftermath of the killings of dozens of villagers in the Afghan village of Nawabad (called Azizabad in other stories). The U.S. has maintained that seven civilians and three dozen Taliban militants were killed in the combined U.S. Special Forces/Afghan Army/U.S. air operation last August 21. The United Nations and local villagers insist that 92 civilians were killed, over half of them children.
...
Perhaps the most amazing political news surrounding the Nawabad massacre is that the Pentagon says it relied for its account, in part, on corroborative evidence by the embedded journalist on the scene: Fox News "reporter" Oliver North! The Times portrays North as coming "to prominence in the 1980s Iran-Contra affair."
There are a few lessons that we should learn here:
First, it is foolish to assume any in-house investigation will find the truth. Sadly this has been proven over and over again with our armed forces.
Second, Relying on the statements of a person who is know for having a unique few of the truth is not necessarily a wise choice. Mr. North's track record for objectivity and clear observation is at best questionable. This is just more evidence of that.
Third, the use of overwhelming firepower should be reserved until you are 100% sure of your target, especially in a combat arena where there are high concentrations of civilians. A lesson that one would have thought we would have learned by now.
Tags
Afghanistan, Iraq
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
This Is What You Get
When you let your leaders act like uneducated criminals.
Our own past behavior and foolish excuses are tossed back at us.
Tags
Georgia, Iraq, Russia
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin criticized the United States for viewing Georgia as the victim, instead of the aggressor, and for airlifting Georgian troops back home from Iraq on Sunday.
"Of course, Saddam Hussein ought to have been hanged for destroying several Shiite villages," Putin said in Moscow. "And the incumbent Georgian leaders who razed ten Ossetian villages at once, who ran elderly people and children with tanks, who burned civilian alive in their sheds - these leaders must be taken under protection."
Our own past behavior and foolish excuses are tossed back at us.
Tags
Georgia, Iraq, Russia
Monday, July 21, 2008
Who Needs Foreign Policy Help?
One of the arguments that the McCain camp keeps trying to make is John McCain is the far more seasoned foreign policy voice. Yet, Sen. McCain keeps making obvious and stunningly dumb misstatements that have to make you wonder about this.
He has made some small and understandable mistakes, he has referred to the Czech Republic as Czechoslovakia. He has made larger mistakes like confusing Sudan with Somalia. He has complained about Obama's judgments about the war, and then adopted his position on Afghanistan. And he has inexcusably confused the alliances between shia, sunni, Iran and Al Quada.
After looking at these series of mistakes it takes an astounding amount of hubris to claim the right to lecture anyone about world affairs. In fact I would recommend that John McCain try to pick up a few simple world geography classes.
Yet another mistake from the self proclaimed expert.
Tags
Election 2008, Iraq, McCain
He has made some small and understandable mistakes, he has referred to the Czech Republic as Czechoslovakia. He has made larger mistakes like confusing Sudan with Somalia. He has complained about Obama's judgments about the war, and then adopted his position on Afghanistan. And he has inexcusably confused the alliances between shia, sunni, Iran and Al Quada.
After looking at these series of mistakes it takes an astounding amount of hubris to claim the right to lecture anyone about world affairs. In fact I would recommend that John McCain try to pick up a few simple world geography classes.
And it was McCain who owns the first big gaffe of the trip -- appearing to confuse Iraq and Afghanistan.
Asked by ABC's Diane Sawyer Monday morning whether the "the situation in Afghanistan in precarious and urgent," McCain responded:
"I think it's serious. . . . It's a serious situation, but there's a lot of things we need to do. We have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border," said McCain, R-Ariz., said on "Good Morning America."
Iraq and Pakistan do not share a border. Afghanistan and Pakistan do.
Yet another mistake from the self proclaimed expert.
Tags
Election 2008, Iraq, McCain
Friday, June 20, 2008
Friday's Links
A number of good post for all to check out, since I have been to swamped to do any writing.
The Rev. BigDumbChimp reminds us all Faith healing is not a substitute for real medicine
A good read on the Iraqi oil contracts and the history needed to understand it all, is available at Informed Comment.
The Crazies and Obama are looked at over at Orcinus.
and over at Think Progress, more evidence of the lie driven corrosive effect of Faux News.
Tags
Fox News, Iraq, Racism, Religion
The Rev. BigDumbChimp reminds us all Faith healing is not a substitute for real medicine
A good read on the Iraqi oil contracts and the history needed to understand it all, is available at Informed Comment.
The Crazies and Obama are looked at over at Orcinus.
and over at Think Progress, more evidence of the lie driven corrosive effect of Faux News.
Tags
Fox News, Iraq, Racism, Religion
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Sacrifice
Since this nation started on its Middle Eastern miss adventure some of the people of our nation have been making great sacrifices. Those behind this war wanted to make it as painless as possible for as many of the people of the country as they could. We have not faced shortages, or even had to pay for this war (We are simply putting it on the credit card). Mostly it has been the military and their families who have paid a price. They have been separated from fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives. They have faced financial difficulty, infidelity, failed marriage and countless other personal struggles.
There have been highly motivated people who have decided to give to our nation and serve. The have left well paying high profile jobs to fight for their country, extended their service to make sure the needed skill would be in place for their units, or come straight out of school to join up. As a result they have missed birthdays, anniversaries, funerals and countless other special events. Some have sacrificed arms and or legs, parts of
their brain, their eyesight or hearing or have had to face some other life altering injury.
And some 4500 have died.
And the man responsible for this; The man who broke international law by engaging in a war of aggression (a crime that, in the past, the US has executed people for), violated both the Geneva conventions and the UN human right conventions by endorsing and encouraging the use of torture on captives, the man who has illegally spied on US citizens and has run up a two to three trillion dollar debt in the process;
Well, he to has sacrificed, he has given up golf as a sign of solidarity with the people of the US who are fighting this war.
Some have given their Last Full Measure, and he has given up a once or twice a month 3 hour ride in an toy electric car.
What an a$$h*le.
Tags
Bush, Iraq, Republicans
There have been highly motivated people who have decided to give to our nation and serve. The have left well paying high profile jobs to fight for their country, extended their service to make sure the needed skill would be in place for their units, or come straight out of school to join up. As a result they have missed birthdays, anniversaries, funerals and countless other special events. Some have sacrificed arms and or legs, parts of
their brain, their eyesight or hearing or have had to face some other life altering injury. And some 4500 have died.
And the man responsible for this; The man who broke international law by engaging in a war of aggression (a crime that, in the past, the US has executed people for), violated both the Geneva conventions and the UN human right conventions by endorsing and encouraging the use of torture on captives, the man who has illegally spied on US citizens and has run up a two to three trillion dollar debt in the process;
Well, he to has sacrificed, he has given up golf as a sign of solidarity with the people of the US who are fighting this war.
Some have given their Last Full Measure, and he has given up a once or twice a month 3 hour ride in an toy electric car.
What an a$$h*le.
Tags
Bush, Iraq, Republicans
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The Pendulum Swings Back
and it is getting ugly in Iraq.
Does this mean the surge is no longer working, or was never working or is still working?
No, it just means more people are dying.
The number of dead is not now, nor has it ever been, an effective way of evaluating the surge. The dynamics are to complex for such a simple indicator to apply. That truth has not stopped the Republican leaders from making such false claims, and it has not stopped the traditional media from echoing them. It does lead me to wonder; Since so many on the right (Including John McCain) claim that the falling death relates meant the escalation of force was working, will this change in reality led them to now claim it is failing?
Tags
Iraq
BAGHDAD - The killings of three U.S. soldiers in separate attacks in Baghdad pushed the American death toll for April up to 47, making it the deadliest month since September.
Does this mean the surge is no longer working, or was never working or is still working?
No, it just means more people are dying.
The number of dead is not now, nor has it ever been, an effective way of evaluating the surge. The dynamics are to complex for such a simple indicator to apply. That truth has not stopped the Republican leaders from making such false claims, and it has not stopped the traditional media from echoing them. It does lead me to wonder; Since so many on the right (Including John McCain) claim that the falling death relates meant the escalation of force was working, will this change in reality led them to now claim it is failing?
Tags
Iraq
Monday, April 28, 2008
A Pair Of War Crimes Questions
has been asked at Crooked Timber.
I suspect that the comments will be worth following.
Tags
Bush Administration, Iraq, War Crimes
I have two main questions:
1. Where, if at all, might charges be brought against Bush and others?
2. How would the hearing of these charges be prevented?
I suspect that the comments will be worth following.
Tags
Bush Administration, Iraq, War Crimes
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Friday; Some Links For Your Enjoyment
The SC Prog Blog points out how our Traditional Media and the Pentagon tagteam to lie us into and about that Iraqi war
Of course the media dishonesty has nothing on the dishonesty of some SC Christians, just ask Snead: Live and Uncut.
On health care for all, Science Shrimp and Grits points out that one of the best reasons for universal care is; its the right thing to do
McCain's kindness to lobbiest goes well beyond the Keating Five and continues today, check out Crooks And Liars.
Tags
Dishonesty, Iraq, Health Care, Media, Propaganda
Of course the media dishonesty has nothing on the dishonesty of some SC Christians, just ask Snead: Live and Uncut.
On health care for all, Science Shrimp and Grits points out that one of the best reasons for universal care is; its the right thing to do
McCain's kindness to lobbiest goes well beyond the Keating Five and continues today, check out Crooks And Liars.
Tags
Dishonesty, Iraq, Health Care, Media, Propaganda
Friday, April 18, 2008
Friday's Links
Check them out.
Dispatches from the culture wars gives us a much needed history lesson on how some of the leading founding fathers viewed the Divinity of Jesus Christ
Some more information about the strength and scale of Al Qaeda in Iraq, from the Agonist
From the Big Brass Blog, a look at ABCs performance in the Democratic Debate.
And AmericaBlog checks out the state of the Iraqi Army.
Tags
History, Iraq, media
Dispatches from the culture wars gives us a much needed history lesson on how some of the leading founding fathers viewed the Divinity of Jesus Christ
Some more information about the strength and scale of Al Qaeda in Iraq, from the Agonist
From the Big Brass Blog, a look at ABCs performance in the Democratic Debate.
And AmericaBlog checks out the state of the Iraqi Army.
Tags
History, Iraq, media
Friday, April 11, 2008
Fridays Places To Visit
The serial dishonesty of the anti ACLU crowd is pointed out at Panda's Thumb.
Barbecue & Politics looks at South Carolina politics, astroturf 'grass roots' groups and the money that Howard Rich pumps into his favored candidates.
The ironic meeting of Free Markets, Ayn Rand and the bribes being paid to force college students to read Atlas Shrugged are discussed at Crooked Timber.
At FiredogLake, a look at President Bush's dishonest proposal to reduce combat tour time in Iraq.
Tags
ACLU, Economics, Iraq, South Carolina
Barbecue & Politics looks at South Carolina politics, astroturf 'grass roots' groups and the money that Howard Rich pumps into his favored candidates.
The ironic meeting of Free Markets, Ayn Rand and the bribes being paid to force college students to read Atlas Shrugged are discussed at Crooked Timber.
At FiredogLake, a look at President Bush's dishonest proposal to reduce combat tour time in Iraq.
Tags
ACLU, Economics, Iraq, South Carolina
Thursday, April 10, 2008
War Criminals
There is now clear evidence that most of the senior members of the Bush administration are, by our nations own definition, War Criminals. This includes, but is not limited to:
Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, George Tenet and John Ashcroft
They engaged in detailed planning and approved "specific details of how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency".
As a reminded, the US has agreed to a set of standards that defines torture as:
After WWII we held trials and held accountable the leaders of Germany, Japan and Ital for their actions. Members of the Bush administration appear to have engaged in many of the same types of acts that we accused, convicted and punished some of these people for. Who is going to hold them accountable for this vile behavior?
Tags
Bush Administration, Iraq, TWAT, War Crimes
Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, George Tenet and John Ashcroft
They engaged in detailed planning and approved "specific details of how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency".
As a reminded, the US has agreed to a set of standards that defines torture as:
any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity
After WWII we held trials and held accountable the leaders of Germany, Japan and Ital for their actions. Members of the Bush administration appear to have engaged in many of the same types of acts that we accused, convicted and punished some of these people for. Who is going to hold them accountable for this vile behavior?
Tags
Bush Administration, Iraq, TWAT, War Crimes
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Stupid or Dishonest?
I know I have used this phrase a number of times, with a number of public officials, but it applies oh so often. In this case, Sen. Graham's overblown cheerleading for the war in Iraq (and the Petraeus and Crocker testimony in congress) is perfect example of a man who is clueless about the truth, or willing to lie to support his past and current beliefs.
When you listen to Graham you get the feeling of great success and overwhelming victory, but when you listen to the officers in charge you get a much more restrained, nuanced and ultimately somber review:
We have not won, we are not kicking Al-Qaeda's rear. We are, at best, fighting a holding position that offers little hope for long term improvement. The problem is, Graham (and McCain and Lieberman and many others) fails to recognise that the key to victory is not on the field, but within the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. Until the people of Iraq embrace their government, until the Iraqi government becomes viable, functional, and semi-competent, there is no way the surge will work. And all of the cheerleading and pretending that all is well just makes those who engage in this foolishness look either stupid or dishonest.
So, Sen Graham, what is it, do you truley not understand the nature of the conflict and just how remote that chance is that we will 'win', or are you lying to us?
Tags
Graham, Iraq, McCain, US Military
When you listen to Graham you get the feeling of great success and overwhelming victory, but when you listen to the officers in charge you get a much more restrained, nuanced and ultimately somber review:
This approach does not allow establishment of a set withdrawal timetable, however it does provide the flexibility those of us on the ground need to preserve the still-fragile security gains our troopers have fought so far and sacrifice so much to achieve.
We have not won, we are not kicking Al-Qaeda's rear. We are, at best, fighting a holding position that offers little hope for long term improvement. The problem is, Graham (and McCain and Lieberman and many others) fails to recognise that the key to victory is not on the field, but within the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. Until the people of Iraq embrace their government, until the Iraqi government becomes viable, functional, and semi-competent, there is no way the surge will work. And all of the cheerleading and pretending that all is well just makes those who engage in this foolishness look either stupid or dishonest.
So, Sen Graham, what is it, do you truley not understand the nature of the conflict and just how remote that chance is that we will 'win', or are you lying to us?
Tags
Graham, Iraq, McCain, US Military
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Iraq Has Failed Its Latest Test
And with the failure of this test they have given another clear sign that the Surge has also failed. The assault on Basra by the Iraqi Army has not worked.
The best available Iraqi division (the 14th) was stopped cold and then counter attacked by a part time, untrained force.
That was only the first indication of failure; later events have made the scope of the failure more clear. The government forces have been displaced from key positions over much of the South. The Mahdi Army and forces aligned with it have been able to take control of portions of many major towns and religious centers. The security forces in a number of cities are being reported to have surrendered to, or joined with, the militias. To top it all off, the US and UK forces have provided air power to the Iraqi forces (understandable since Iraqis don't yet have a viable air wing even after five years). What is less understandable is the fact that the US and UK had to provide specialized ground forces and field artillery support. The Mahdi Army was able to beat the Iraqi army with al-Sadr publicly encouraging his people to honor the cease fire, making me wonder what could happen if he did call for an uprising.
The addition of US and UK forces into the fight has led Muqtada al-Sadr to become more serious about ending the current conflict. He has encouraged his followers to disavow anyone who carries weapons and targets government institutions, charities and political party offices while continuing calls for a negotiated settlement. He is also demanding the release of those captured and amnesty for his supporters. The involvement of our forces makes it imposable for any militia to win on the battle field but it also makes it clear the the Iraqi army has lost and it is al-Sadr's forces that beat them.
Now that the US has stepped in, al-Sadr knows he cannot win outright, so he is working for a return to the status quo. He knows his message has been sent and received. While making a pronouncement of restraint and national brotherhood, he was able to affirm the right to self defense for his followers and still stop the Iraqi Army. This time not only did al-Sadr's followers stop the Iraqi Army, they were able to push them back. It has become all too clear that the Iraqi Armed forces are unable to do the most basic of tasks without US and UK support and are still easy targets for the militias.
What is more distressing is that the motivation for this military adventure is now coming clear. This is a political civil war within a religious civil war. The Shia Factions are fighting for political control in the South with an eye on the elections this Fall. The current party in charge wants to make sure they remain in power, and to do this they want to weaken al-Sadr in the south. This conflict is over the political control of the provinces and unfortunately the US has taken sides. This explains why the Mahdi Army was a target, but Nuri al-Maliki's friends, the Badar Brigade (another independent force), has been left alone and in fact has been involved in some of the attacks on the Mahdi Army.
Anyone that thinks the Surge has worked clearly doesn't understand what moving an additional 30,000 US combat troops into this area was meant to do. Our goal was to create space for political reconciliation. There was never any doubt that the US Army could impose its will over any region of Iraq where it had sufficient forces.
The question is, did the Iraqi government have the ability to work together to build a new nation? The answer to this question and the degree of the success of the Surge should now be clear to everyone.
Tags
Iraq, TWAT
The best available Iraqi division (the 14th) was stopped cold and then counter attacked by a part time, untrained force.
That was only the first indication of failure; later events have made the scope of the failure more clear. The government forces have been displaced from key positions over much of the South. The Mahdi Army and forces aligned with it have been able to take control of portions of many major towns and religious centers. The security forces in a number of cities are being reported to have surrendered to, or joined with, the militias. To top it all off, the US and UK forces have provided air power to the Iraqi forces (understandable since Iraqis don't yet have a viable air wing even after five years). What is less understandable is the fact that the US and UK had to provide specialized ground forces and field artillery support. The Mahdi Army was able to beat the Iraqi army with al-Sadr publicly encouraging his people to honor the cease fire, making me wonder what could happen if he did call for an uprising.
The addition of US and UK forces into the fight has led Muqtada al-Sadr to become more serious about ending the current conflict. He has encouraged his followers to disavow anyone who carries weapons and targets government institutions, charities and political party offices while continuing calls for a negotiated settlement. He is also demanding the release of those captured and amnesty for his supporters. The involvement of our forces makes it imposable for any militia to win on the battle field but it also makes it clear the the Iraqi army has lost and it is al-Sadr's forces that beat them.
Now that the US has stepped in, al-Sadr knows he cannot win outright, so he is working for a return to the status quo. He knows his message has been sent and received. While making a pronouncement of restraint and national brotherhood, he was able to affirm the right to self defense for his followers and still stop the Iraqi Army. This time not only did al-Sadr's followers stop the Iraqi Army, they were able to push them back. It has become all too clear that the Iraqi Armed forces are unable to do the most basic of tasks without US and UK support and are still easy targets for the militias.
What is more distressing is that the motivation for this military adventure is now coming clear. This is a political civil war within a religious civil war. The Shia Factions are fighting for political control in the South with an eye on the elections this Fall. The current party in charge wants to make sure they remain in power, and to do this they want to weaken al-Sadr in the south. This conflict is over the political control of the provinces and unfortunately the US has taken sides. This explains why the Mahdi Army was a target, but Nuri al-Maliki's friends, the Badar Brigade (another independent force), has been left alone and in fact has been involved in some of the attacks on the Mahdi Army.
Anyone that thinks the Surge has worked clearly doesn't understand what moving an additional 30,000 US combat troops into this area was meant to do. Our goal was to create space for political reconciliation. There was never any doubt that the US Army could impose its will over any region of Iraq where it had sufficient forces.
The question is, did the Iraqi government have the ability to work together to build a new nation? The answer to this question and the degree of the success of the Surge should now be clear to everyone.
Tags
Iraq, TWAT
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Events In Iraq Are A Test
Of both the viability of the Iraqi armed forces, it's current government and in many respects the prospects for the Surge.
If the Iraqi army is able to retake Basra, secure the other restive cities and clear out the various independent groups that are exercising governmental authority, there is reason to hope that the national government in place may in due time be able rule their land.
If they fail, If they have to rely on US and UK forces to do their job, if it is air power and not their army that fights, it is a clear indicator that our surge in Iraq has been a waste of resources. We have spend five years building up the Iraqi armed forces and police, their performance in the field is a test of both their ability and our strategy.
Unless one of the major factions makes the decision to step back, and delay the final confrontation, we should know by the weekend just what the final grades are.
Tags
Iraq
If the Iraqi army is able to retake Basra, secure the other restive cities and clear out the various independent groups that are exercising governmental authority, there is reason to hope that the national government in place may in due time be able rule their land.
If they fail, If they have to rely on US and UK forces to do their job, if it is air power and not their army that fights, it is a clear indicator that our surge in Iraq has been a waste of resources. We have spend five years building up the Iraqi armed forces and police, their performance in the field is a test of both their ability and our strategy.
Unless one of the major factions makes the decision to step back, and delay the final confrontation, we should know by the weekend just what the final grades are.
Tags
Iraq
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Who Couldn't See This Coming
Fighting breaks out in
Al-Basra.
A couple of points to remember when you consider this. The Shia actually control the government, yet factions of this group don't want them in charge. The strongest and most militant militias are either currently aligned with the government or observing a truce. The government is admitting they don't control the second largest city in Iraq, and this city was the most stable of all the major Iraqi cities.
It is very unlikely that this flare up will do much, in-fact it feels like a practice or trial run. But, it is a safe bet that this is just a small taste of where we are headed if we follow the path we are on.
Tags
Iraq
Al-Basra.
BASRA, Iraq - Iraqi forces clashed with Shiite militias in the
southern oil hub of Basra on Tuesday as a security plan to clamp down on
violence between rival factions vying for power in the region began. Rival factions from Iraq's Shiite Muslim majority and criminal gangs have been
competing for control of Basra.
AP Television News video showed smoke from explosions rising over the city and
Iraqi soldiers exchanging gunfire with militia members.
A couple of points to remember when you consider this. The Shia actually control the government, yet factions of this group don't want them in charge. The strongest and most militant militias are either currently aligned with the government or observing a truce. The government is admitting they don't control the second largest city in Iraq, and this city was the most stable of all the major Iraqi cities.
It is very unlikely that this flare up will do much, in-fact it feels like a practice or trial run. But, it is a safe bet that this is just a small taste of where we are headed if we follow the path we are on.
Tags
Iraq
Monday, March 17, 2008
McCain Campaigns In Iraq
Staging yet another photo op with SC's own Sen. Graham, John McCain dropped in on the folks of Iraq look around.
Unfortunately for Lindsay and John, they were not able to visit the market where Lindsay got such a great deal on floor covering. It appears that it is no longer under friendly control.
But, I don;t think that will prevent them from claiming that everything is coming along wonderfully.
Tags
Graham, Iraq, McCain
Unfortunately for Lindsay and John, they were not able to visit the market where Lindsay got such a great deal on floor covering. It appears that it is no longer under friendly control.
But, I don;t think that will prevent them from claiming that everything is coming along wonderfully.
Tags
Graham, Iraq, McCain
Friday, March 07, 2008
No Friday Links
I just have not had time to do much reading this week, but I did notice something about today's news reporting that just felt wrong.
Today there were 2 major terrorism incidents. In Iraq over 50 people were killed in a bombing, and in Israel, 8 people were gunned down in a seminary. What is disturbing is which story has had the lead all day.
In a nation where our armed forces are ultimately responsible for the security, where we have hundreds of thousands of citizens at risk, where we are spending millions of dollars an hour to keep calm, a land where for the last 5 years our government has kept telling us things are getting better, 50 people are blown up, and it can not stay on the front page of the news. And this is not just MSNBC, but CNN, and on and on and on. 8 people are killed in a nation where we have no direct responsibility for the population's safety and no troops directly exposure to risk, and it leads in the news, all day.
I am not sure what it means, but is sure leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Tags
Iraq, Israel, Media
Today there were 2 major terrorism incidents. In Iraq over 50 people were killed in a bombing, and in Israel, 8 people were gunned down in a seminary. What is disturbing is which story has had the lead all day.
In a nation where our armed forces are ultimately responsible for the security, where we have hundreds of thousands of citizens at risk, where we are spending millions of dollars an hour to keep calm, a land where for the last 5 years our government has kept telling us things are getting better, 50 people are blown up, and it can not stay on the front page of the news. And this is not just MSNBC, but CNN, and on and on and on. 8 people are killed in a nation where we have no direct responsibility for the population's safety and no troops directly exposure to risk, and it leads in the news, all day.
I am not sure what it means, but is sure leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Tags
Iraq, Israel, Media
Friday, February 29, 2008
Friday, Some Post Of Interest
Click on over and check them out.
At Orcinus, a look at ICE and the far right
Some very big investors are getting very nervous, at AMERICAblog.
At Informed Comment, a look at John McCain, Turkey and Iraq
And the passing of William Buckley cannot be ignored. It is marked with some legitimate praise, and some well earned contempt.
Tags
Racism, Economy, McCain, Iraq, Right Wing
At Orcinus, a look at ICE and the far right
Some very big investors are getting very nervous, at AMERICAblog.
At Informed Comment, a look at John McCain, Turkey and Iraq
And the passing of William Buckley cannot be ignored. It is marked with some legitimate praise, and some well earned contempt.
Tags
Racism, Economy, McCain, Iraq, Right Wing
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