http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/28/iraq.main/index.html Things are heating up in Iraq again. At the moment the Mehdi Army militia is technically adhering to it's cease-fire, with the crackdown against the militia in Basra by Iraqi Govt forces claimed to be against rogue elements only. However, its definitely increasing the violence level in several traditional Mehdi army strongholds. This is a big moment for the fledgling Iraqi government. If they can enforce order in Basra without having al-Sadr call for an uprising against them, it will be a turning point. If al-Sadr and the militia decide that there is no way to work within the peace process, then it could be the moment historians point to as the real beginning of the civil war. Interestingly enough, this isn't sectarian violence. This is Shia vs Shia.
This will be a real test for the Iraqi government and a lesson for would-be rebels. Let's hope the would-be rebels get the right message.
Let's hope so. A couple JDAMs, dropped on Atlanta, Richmond, and Charleston should end all this talk about "halftime" once and for all.
Maliki's just extended the deadline for the rebels to disarm to April 8th. That sends a message, all right.
I guess I have to agree. Leaders should never give an ultimatum...and then backpeddle. But we'll see...
1) They were talking about "sending a message to the rebels". 2) To this Muad made some crack about Dubya getting the message. 3) Dubya is president of the USA. 4) The only rebels in the USA were the Confederacy 5) Muad keeps going on and on about his "halftime" silliness. I would say my observation was valid. And I wasn't the one that "keeps bringing it up."
What did my comment have to do with the CSA? Only you could imagine that connection. You're pathetic.
Send in the USMC Sniper teams and the British Royal Marine Commandos. Wipe them out. All of them. Fuckin' muzzies.
Nah, just get 'em free Skinimax and high speed internet, and they'll be too busy looking at pr0n to give a shit about blowing things up.
It's a sign that the assault on Basra has not gone according to plan. Having faltered badly, what was supposed to have been an Iraqi operation has now become a joint one with the American and British forces. More generally, despite this being touted as an operation planned solely by the Iraqis, I'm quite sure that Dick Cheney's latest visit and the talks that occured hen had a lot to do with it. And that one of the goals is to weaken the Sadrist movement prior to provincial elections in October, as it is feared that they could wipe out Malaki's party, which has little in the way of mass support. If it goes on, this could become a bloodbath to rival what happened in Fallujah a couple of years back, particularly with some attitudes in the American establishment no doubt mirroring Marso's casual "nuke the muzzie's" twattery.
Since this isn't looking like a success so far, perhaps I can say I disagree without being accused of knee-jerk pessimism for all things Iraq. Whether it's won or lost, I don't think any specific battle will be a big moment for this government. What this government needs is a clear process, a clear purpose, a clear idea of the kind and the size of the state it wants to create, and then it needs to be seen governing. No individual military feat or defeat will change anything for this government in the long run.
True enough. However, if you have a bunch of small victories, it's possible to string them into one big victory.
So winning their hearts and minds is no longer on the table? Man, you guys don't even pretend anymore.
Stop with the "you guys" and the "Overmind" and such bullshit when you are responding to one poster. Thanks.
I'm all in favor of trying the hearts and minds approach, but as soon as they grab a rifle, kill them. No negotiation, no second chances, no hand wringing, just kill them dead.
By "you guys," in this instance, I was referring to those who are still supporting this war. Unless you're suggesting that Marso is the last man on WF who still thinks invading Iraq was a good idea, your indignation is less than righteous.
Not as long as you haven't decided what to do with the country when you control it, because there is no common idea to the individual victories that would connect them to anything larger.
Now, see, I've gotten that identical speech from Demiurge and, with some improvisation, from Bear and Marso and a few others. So either you guys are all working from the same script, or there really is an Overmind. Get back to me when you've learned to walk upright.
Chaos Descending vs. garamet Demiurge vs. garamet BearTM vs. garamet Marso vs. garamet hmmmm.... garamet is the common denominator in this equation. Occam's Razor tells me that garamet is the most likely problem.
Therein lies the problem. Apparently nobody in the Bush Administration stopped to consider what happens after we rolled into Baghdad and captured Hussein. Kicking the Iraqi army's ass was almost a no-brainer. They didn't stand a chance against the US military. Capturing Hussein was a little harder. They had to find out where he was hiding. But nobody...NOBODY...in the Bush White House thought about anything beyond that point.
I think they had. But they assumed lots of cheering Iraqis. Its one of histories monumental fuckups that they turned the Iraqi population against them so completely.
And as the Big Win you guys were expecting in Basra has yet to materialize, today's appointed spokesman for the Overmind has been instructed to to play "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"
