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Today's Must Read
With the administration trying to whip up hysteria about Iran's alleged training of attackers, Tom Lasseter of McClatchy details Muqtada al-Sadr's success in getting the U.S. to train his own men:
After U.S. units pounded al-Sadr's men in August 2004, the cleric apparently decided that instead of facing American tanks, he'd use the Americans' plans to build Iraqi security forces to rebuild his own militia.So while Iraq's other main Shiite militia, the Badr Brigade, concentrated in 2005 on packing Iraqi intelligence bureaus with high-level officers who could coordinate sectarian assassinations, al-Sadr went after the rank and file.
His recruits began flooding into the Iraqi army and police, receiving training, uniforms and equipment either directly from the U.S. military or from the American-backed Iraqi Defense Ministry.
The result:
"Half of them are [Mahdi army]. They'll wave at us during the day and shoot at us during the night," said 1st Lt. Dan Quinn, a platoon leader in the Army's 1st Infantry Division.... "People (in America) think it's bad, but that we control the city [Baghdad]. That's not the way it is. They control it, and they let us drive around. It's hostile territory."
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I know I shouldn't believe that this administration is competent to do anything on purpose, but I often wonder is this chaos isn't intentional.
Simply mucking it up so badly that we're left with a generational affair with no way out but our military maintaining a presence and a permanent footprint in the region.
We as a nation inserted ourselves into Southeast Asia in the late '50s. We didn't leave for almost twenty years. I fear we are going down that road again. Only this time in a region with a general hatred for us already in place.
Dark days.
February 2, 2007 9:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Tom Lasseter is one of the shining lights of the news business. Sent to Iraq from the Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader at the start of the war, he has been providing reasoned, truthful reporting ever since. Given the risks he takes, it is amazing that he is still reporting from Iraq.
February 2, 2007 9:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just back from the mid-east. Wonderful friend of mine who I have known for 20 years and I had dinner. He is utterly despondent. This entire study in idiocy will end precisely in the only way it ever could. The artificial construction known as Iraq will disolve into it's historic parts...Kurdistan, Basrah and a warlord rich no man's land surrounding Bahgdad. Unfortunately , Bush would prefer an apolyptic conflagration on which he could blame the failure of his venture...over any other outcomes.
My despondent friend, who I paraphrase slightly, who addressed the entire conversation to me as "you" as if i represented America, which we all to some extent do. He has been going in and our of Bahgdad since the occupation began. But since leaving in December he will no longer go back. It's no longer useful, and far too dangerous.
"The Reserves are now full. Sadr now has only to give the word and 10,000 Americans will die in a day. You have trained them. they are standing right there with you! Sadr has more soldiers in Bahgdad than America. You will be killed by the men you thought you trusted. The men you patrol with. The men who feed you. By men in your Green Zone. America no longer has a snake in it's tent. The snake is now inside your own body. Sadr can not believe how stupid you are. You have taught him everything. He was nothing under Saddam. Now he will be the next Saddam. He just needs to decide when enough of the Sheiks will support him. When he can pay them off. Then he will kill you like dogs. And Bush will then blame Iran. He will blame Iran and the whole region will suffer. Iran doesn't want any of this. It is just trying to keep itself from being destroyed too. Bush should be a man and blame himself, but he is a boy, and a boy does not know to blame himself for what he has done."
February 2, 2007 9:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Painfully reminiscent of the infiltration depicted in Scorsese's "The Departed" (and "Infernal Affairs", from which "The Departed" is adapted).
February 2, 2007 9:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
What is so very troubling to me, ... as I sit here at work with so many educated peers, ... is that most of them are so very naive.... there ideas and visions of what is going down in Iraq is so sadly limited and shaped by local and network news......... We really are such a drugged and controlled society.......
Baaaaaaaaah, four legs goooooood........
February 2, 2007 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Okay, so we're on the road to greater and greater disaster and conflagration. The responsibility lies on President Bush, his supporters and the cowardly media. How do we make this nightmare relatively temporary and not the beginning of the Lebanonisation of the entire middle east and the end of America as a superpower?
As we and our better leaders fight become ever more confrontational with the President, he and his supporters will blame us more for his failures. How do we stop that from happening and get better leaders elected?
I've heard some statistics. something like 70% of Iraqis want America to leave and some 60% of them think it's ok to attack/kill Americans. What is the source of these numbers? How reliable are they? How do make sure as many Americans as possible (everyone who doesn't think Fox News is a reliable source) know these numbers. The President will try to blame his critics for his failures, but wide knowledge of these numbers are an inoculation. These numbers mean the war is already lost!
February 2, 2007 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Who should we suspect killed the 5 Americans near Karbala the other day. Yesterday we had a report saying that Iraqi security forces were now the likely source for those killings. Now just who has infiltrated the Iraqi security forces. With each passing day the Karbala attack is looking more and more like a hit by al-Sadr forces. A warning,if you will, to stay the hell out of Sadr City.
February 2, 2007 10:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Tom Lasseter's reporting is superb and I strongly recommend reading the entire story if you haven't done so already.
This caught my eye:
"...I think the political pressure has hurt. ... You're wishing away, you're assuming away enemy activity, and you hurt yourself doing that."
In hindsight, many American officers said there was too much pressure to give Iraqi army units their own areas of operation, a process that left Iraqi soldiers outmanned, outgunned and easy targets for infiltration and coercion...."
In late November 2005, I read all of Rumsfeld's speeches for one week in that month. At the beginning of the week, Rumsfeld claimed 17 bases had been turned over to the Iraqis. By the end of the week, it was 29 bases.
When asked about the militias infiltrating the Iraqi police force, Rumsfeld responded in classic fashion, "You have a group that is not a group., You have unlikes together.."
February 2, 2007 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just trying to make the whole place destabilized so we have an excuse to nuke them.
Jan 2009....Nukefest on the way out the door.
Exxon is now looking for ways to use radioactive petroleum...a petro/nucleur hybrid.
February 2, 2007 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe we should let Rummy and Bremer at it again. They could do a demadhification of the armed forces, replacing them with, you know, maybe some old Baathists? At least lots of those people are already trained, have their own guns, and are unemployed. I'm sure they like us now, greatful for all that we've done for them and their country!
February 2, 2007 11:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
we need more surge to counteract the self-inflicted anti-surge surge!
February 2, 2007 1:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is why it's so important that congress pass a non-binding resolution, and make other such symbolic acts. /snark
I'm starting to wonder if I'll regret the day the Dems took over congress. If they don't do anything but 'show' resistance it's worse than the Rep rubber stamp congress. It means bush really is the dictator.
February 2, 2007 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't it obvious that the Democrats can not take more forceful action because they fear being tagged as the ones who LOST the war?
We're in a miserable situation. Bush isn't mature enough to do the right thing and the Democrats are scared s**tless of taking up the 'blame' that the republicans would spin all over them if they actually DID do something forceful to end our participation in the war.
Deadlock.
February 2, 2007 1:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
The killing of 5 American troops near Karbala sure read like payback for the raid on the Iranian Embassy...or maybe that's the way it's supposed to seem but the truth of this incident (because of its precision) would shed a big light on who really has the power in Iraq, the most lethal and dangerous enemy. The NIE is no surprise. It merely confirms what we already knew, listing all the players.Whoever made the decision not to kill al-Sadr will see the real cost in American blood. It's not our fault these people are how they are. Our only real reason for not leaving is directly due to American oil interest which we could have bought with the money we've already spent on the war. Others will help this quagmire once they see we are withdrawing. Everything says withdraw, withdraw, use political means. Why do we just sit back and let this administration do the opposite. "70% of the country has decided that circumstances demand that BUsh/Cheney be removed from office without due process to protect our National Security". Impeachment process to follow. In the name of humanity...this stops now. (applause)
February 2, 2007 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nobody has the guts, selfserving egotists.
Nothing will stop them from their fantasy plan to control the worlds oil supply.Remember Cheney before the mid-terms? It's full speed ahead, and that is exactly what they're doing.
Just how much long must we wait before we'll see Cheney being led away in handcuffs.
February 2, 2007 2:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lt. Dan. How cute. We have Forrest Gump running the country so, of course, there has to be a Lt. Dan. So that must make Cheney Bubba.
February 2, 2007 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know, but the guy in the picture of the article looked pretty white skinned to me.
February 3, 2007 7:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sure, but other than that ...
February 3, 2007 11:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
tom delonge's penis
April 26, 2007 11:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
hello
April 30, 2007 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
hello
May 1, 2007 6:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
hello
May 6, 2007 5:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are leading the way at this years MTV Europe music awards with four nominations...
May 21, 2007 7:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are leading the way at this years MTV Europe music awards with four nominations...
May 21, 2007 7:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Jonathan Ross is dubbed "risque" by Ofcom but not in breach of rules over an interview with David Cameron...
May 21, 2007 8:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Classical singer Russell Watson postpones his forthcoming UK tour after undergoing brain surgery.
May 22, 2007 1:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pop trio Atomic Kitten will reform to play a concert in support of jailed Liverpool football fan Michael Shields.
May 22, 2007 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pop trio Atomic Kitten will reform to play a concert in support of jailed Liverpool football fan Michael Shields.
May 22, 2007 4:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hi all!
Nice work from your side... have a nice time with yoru blog :)
G'night
January 11, 2008 1:11 AM | Reply | Permalink