Iraq the Model on the Ongoing Battle
March 30th, 2008 at 02:18am Mark Noonan
Best to go to the source and see how an Iraqi is viewing the current battle:
Last but not least, it’s good to finally hear Maliki acknowledge the danger that Sadr’s militia pose to the country. Saying that Shia militias are “worse than al-Qaeda” signifies the ferocity of the battle and the enormous pressure it applies on the government. It makes me optimistic that the leadership has realized the extent and nature of the threat. In fact I hope that my expectation of a truce that spares the heads of evil proves wrong. Avoiding taking a battle to the end could cost us several times the price in recurrent outbreaks of violence.
While most influential parties seem to be in favor of the crackdown on Mahdi army (including Kurds who view Sadr as an obstacle to establishing the federal system that would grant them control over Kirkuk. Also recall that Masoud Barazani was so vocal in expressing his hostility to Sadr back in late 2003 when he was temporary president of the GC) Sadr’s old ally Ibrahim Jaafari stepped forward to call for an end to the fighting and to accept the Sadrists back in the political process. The statement was described by Maliki’s advisor Sami Askari as “inappropriate and meaningless“.
But ironically a similar call came from Adnan Duleimi of the Sunni Accord Front. In my opinion this came out of Duleimi’s concern about maintaining the balance of power among Shia parties—a Da’wa and SIIC with near absolute power in the center and south would put more power at the disposal of these parties in Baghdad with federalism again being the central issue.
I was going to stop here but now I see that Sadr finally decided to break his silence and make the first public appearance in several months. While the location of the interview remains undisclosed, the fact that he was interviewed by Ghassan Bin Jidou suggests that he’s either in Iran or is enjoying the generous hospitality of his Lebanese twin Nesrallah (can anyone check the recent stamps on Bin Jidou’s passport?).
I want to end this by saying that if we put together Sadr’s words that he’s in control of the Mahdi army and Maliki’s words that Shia militias are worse than al-Qaeda then the logical conclusion should be that Sadr must be dealt with in the same manner in which we deal with terrorist chiefs when we spot them.
I figure one of two things is happening:
1. The Iraqi government and Coalition forces decided to have it out with Sadr and his goons or
2. Sadr and his goons see their power slipping away, and hope a spasm of violence can revive their political prospects.
In either case, this is our chance to finally - and very, very belatedly - deal with Sadr. With AQI on the run and the terrorist networks getting shakier all the time, the final obstacle to a lasting political settlement in Iraq is the Iranian-backed Sadr and his militia. ItM does acknowledge there have been some desertions from Iraqi security forces, but this might just be Sadrist infiltrators showing their true colors as the crisis breaks. In reading this in-country report, the clear impression is that while its a sharp fight, the Iraqi government and coalition forces have the upper hand - and reporting over at Multi-National Force Iraq appears to confirm this view.
All we can do here, of course, is pray for our troops and our allies - truth and justice must triumph in Iraq, and I can’t see Sadr’s rabble beign able to dent the US military nor the Iraqi security forces.
Entry Filed under: War on Terror
41 Comments
1. Freedom1 | March 30th, 2008 at 3:35 am
It’s about time.
2. Marty13 | March 30th, 2008 at 7:09 am
After 4-5 years of “they stand up and we stand down,’ and mostly recently, “our heroic allies fighting for their country in this defining moment,” I’m more than distressed to see entire and elite police units surrendering en masse to the Sadr posse.
Please let’s skip the DEm vs Repub rhetoric and look at the facts as juxtaposed to our own life experience(s). I ask any vets or PD out there in B4B land, after training for as long as these people, do you think your unit / academy class would have performed as poorly as these sorry soldiers and police have? Do you think YOUR after action report would read, “after receiving a couple of rounds in our general direction, it was decided that we all best surrender our weapons and hastily leave the area of operation.”
Com’on, these guys have been training for years under the best tutelage, received wages (unlike most), are now receiving air support and they still can’t take Sadr’s gang. What’s that tell you? Maybe these heroic allies of ours are less than enamored with their freely elected government? Or how about maybe, they (Iraqi police and military personnel) could care less about our objectives, have no desire to do Maliki’s bidding and seek only to wait out this Bush-inspired mess in safety.
3. js | March 30th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Sadr sprends a lot of time in Iran. The recent attacks on the Green Zone used all kinds of Iranian gear.
Wonder if they finally have the solid documentation that draws Iranian involvement with Sadr and these attacks as well. Patraeus stated they had proof, so this might be the beginning of the end of it.
4. Marty13 | March 30th, 2008 at 7:45 am
js, surely you aren’t suggesting we begin ops agains’t Iran? If you are, I ask……..with what??
5. neocon | March 30th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Marty13 (when do you turn 14?)
Facts just belie your baseless agenda-driven assertion that ISF members “surrendered en masse” Sadr. In fact Sadr is now stepping back himself:
>>>BAGHDAD (AP) - Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is offering to pull his fighters off the streets of Basra and other cities if the government halts raids against his followers and releases prisoners held without charge.
The offer is contained in a nine-point statement issued by his headquarters in Najaf.
Al-Sadr is demanding that the government issue a general amnesty and release all detainees. The statement said he also “disavows” anyone who carries weapons and targets government institutions, charities and political party offices.<<<<
Let’s try and deal with facts, ok?
6. Marty13 | March 30th, 2008 at 11:09 am
neo, neo, neo, you’re nothing if not consistent.
“Facts just belie your baseless agenda-driven assertion that ISF members “surrendered en MASSE.
Are you denying this occurred? Are you also suggesting that this doesn’t make the Bush backed regime look kinda bad?
“In fact Sadr is now stepping back himself”
I just read that too. But, don’t you think he’s made his point. He peeps just spent the past week banging the brakes off of the ISF. It’s only after stepped up US involvement that he’s now calling for his minions to blend back into the scenery. (till he calls for them again)
Lastly neo, I DO deal in facts. I also speak to comparing personal experiences to what we are now witnessing over there. Clearly someone with your strong opinions must have some personal anecdotes to buttress your conclusions.
7. Michael | March 30th, 2008 at 11:19 am
“Sadr now wants to disavow anyone with a gun. The Mahdis, which found themselves on the short end of the stick, have just watched their Fearless Leader surrender — again — and this time leaving them twisting in the wind. That isn’t the action of a victor.”
Ed Morrissey
8. neocon | March 30th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Marty13,
Sadr lost. Sorry. And is now acquiescing to Malikis government.
That fact is in sharp contrast to your “surrender en masse” claim. But facts have never prevented you from being ignorant.
9. neocon | March 30th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Great link Michael.
The excerpt below also demonstrates Marty13’s, and other liberals ignorance and agenda driven viewpoints:
>>>The Iraqi government had no choice but to challenge the militias for control of Basra and the surrounding areas, but they waited until the Iraqi Army had enough strength to succeed.
Did our media give anyone this context? No. They reported it as some kind of spontaneous eruption of rebellion without noting at all that a nation can hardly be considered sovereign while its own security forces cannot enter a large swath of its own territory. And in the usual defeatist tone, they reported that our mission in Iraq had failed without waiting to see what the outcome of the battle would be.<<<
10. Marty13 | March 30th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Yeah neo, you’re right I’m wrong, we’re WINNING.
“Sadr lost. Sorry. And is now acquiescing to Malikis government”
Neo, Sadr’s boys are not stupid enough to face down American / British air power. They’re simply standing down, blending back into the populace and waiting for their next opportunity. I could provide you with hundreds of news links to the incident(s) I’ve referred, but to what end. I’m sure your reference points do not stray far from Townhall or Newsmax.
11. FmrMarine | March 30th, 2008 at 11:44 am
History will be on W’s side.
Look at a map, which country touches almost all of the nutroot nations?
Iraq of course. We are engaged in a showdown with militant islam. We simply cannot allow these maniacs to become nuclear, and attack Isreal. We are sitting on their borders with huge assets ready to roll on a moments notice.
The US simply will not allow a crazy islamic nation to nuke Isreal and draw the entire world into a devastating nuclear exchange. We also will not allow them to strangle us by denying the oil we need.
12. Diane Tomlinson | March 30th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Do these guys get the same newsfeeds that I do? The mehdi own the streets of eastern Baghdad and things are not decided in Basra until Ali al Sistani says they are decided. I wonder what exactly is Nouri al Maliki the president of?
13. noodle | March 30th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I find it completelly amazing that you guys can’t see the writing on the wall. What this sort of thing shows is just how fragile the situation in Iraq is. With the new “surge” strategy they have managed to get violence *down* but certainly not *ended*. Indeed - what this shows is that the same fundemental issues that were here in 2006 (and indeed before) still remain.
The idea that one can ‘fix” Iraq by continued military engagement is just insane. How much more wrong can the situation go - 4,000 Americans dead, 80K + Iraqi’s dead, millions of refugees, destruction of all Iraqi infrastructure with the majority of Iraqi’s lacking basic services, trillions of dollars thrown away and all Mark can come up with is “we gotta win”. Ugg - its amazing his head doesn’t implode from the vacuum…
14. Marty13 | March 30th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Diane ponders the following, “I wonder what exactly is Nouri al Maliki the president of?”
I hear that his taxpayer financed Blackwater guards say he’s a “hell of a nice guy. And…….a terrific dancer.”
I oft wonder though, with his regime sooooo dependent on US largesse, don’t you think the guy might loose the 5:00 shadow when he makes his obligatory DC pop ins. With the billions we’re spending over there, couldn’t somebody buy this guy a better razor. Even Chalibi knew enough to clean up for the cameras
15. FmrMarine | March 30th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
noodled!@k;
>>>The idea that one can ‘fix” Iraq by continued military engagement is just insane. How much more wrong can the situation go - 4,000 Americans dead, 80K + Iraqi’s dead, millions of refugees, destruction of all Iraqi infrastructure with the majority of Iraqi’s lacking basic services, trillions of dollars thrown away<<
Kinda like 50,000,000 dead babies, from abortions,our infastructure, decaying, schools teaching on a third grade level, TRILLIONS spent on welfare, and giveaway programs for the “poor” and an insane enemy who has sworn to destroy us.
We have many internal as well as external problems facing us, but the nuts possessed by BDS cant get beyond iraq.
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
16. noodle | March 30th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
of course we have many problems that are facing us Marine. But rather than going on an insane misadventrue in Iraq shouldn’t we be confronting all the problems that you bring up? Ouch..
17. js | March 30th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
really we and Iraqi soldiers were tearing sadr’s boys up pretty bad
today, sadr told his people to cease fire
really good idea, at this point, there is no way he can reign over them as an idependent, either he joins the government or dies fighting it
his friends in iran really didnt help much, beyond getting more people killed
the long run, we have better intelligence about iranian involvement because of this
all we have to do is follow the rat to its nest now
18. Diane Tomlinson | March 30th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Okay FmrMarine this might hurt your feelings but ya know if white Christian girls would have listened to all the preachers rather than/ their boyfriends/fathers/mothers who told them for appearances/to not ruin your life/because the rich kid that knocked you up will not marry you but he will pay/ the abortion was the best thing to do that 40 million number [sorry I trust the AGI more than your hyperbole] would have been significantly lower. So until you can get white girls to stop wanting to kill their kids for nothing shut up! Just shut your ignorant mouth about that issue please because no matter how abhorrent you find the procedure it is still a better option than bringing a child into an abusive home or into the arms of a mother that does not have the means or the skills to raise it. I’m utterly against murdering fetuses, personally I would beg any woman to give the child up for adoption if she felt she was psychologically stable enough to carry the child to term, but I am far more against white men wanting to tell women what to do with their bodies.
And the trillions spent on welfare look around Hillsborough County Florida in the trailer parks at the thousands of 20 something Barbies that are getting assistance they are the offspring of the poor white cougars that were on the dole in the 70s.
Next time you get a free quote from DuBois.
19. noodle | March 30th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
right js - just like “mission accomplished” in 2003. 5 years later and we are still there!!1
20. Diana Powe | March 30th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Yes, many of the denizens of Blogs For Victo(r)y are doubtless very excited by their imaginings of the gunfire and explosions going on thousands of miles away as Sadr is “dealt with” and “truth and justice…triumph[s] in Iraq”. I just wonder how many of them regularly play Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on their Xbox 360 game consoles. Meanwhile, in the world of day-to-day Iraqis who have to try to make it through each day with hours without electricity, without assured supplies of safe drinking water and with the constant worry that they or someone they care for may end up being killed in some random and violent way:
21. FmrMarine | March 30th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
dt
>>>So until you can get white girls to stop wanting to kill their kids for nothing shut up! Just shut your ignorant mouth about that issue<<
you leftie trolls from the GLBT are sick puppies.
Your insane anti Christian, lesbo website is an inside view to your sick twisted mind and perverse lifestyle.
The hate and vile you spew here proves how deranged you really are.
I stand for the lives of FIFTY MILLION DEAD American citizens and you screach about white girls and trailor parks you are pathetic.
The rate of babies born out of wedlock in the black community NATIONWIDE is around 78%.
22. FmrMarine | March 30th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
noodleD!@K
see # 11
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
23. Diane Tomlinson | March 30th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
FmrMarine if Israel was nuked by an Arab nation who do you think would nuke them? Okay here’s one better from a source “where do you think Israel’s nukes are pointed?”
24. JD | March 30th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
The presence of the United States military in Iraq fuels the unrest and violence there. We should remove our military forces from Iraq. I was there twice with nothing to show for it. What a waste of time. Semper Fi
25. FmrMarine | March 30th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
JD
nonsense
26. noodle | March 30th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Deleted - complains about comment policy.
27. Mark Noonan | March 30th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Too bad you gloom-and-doomers are, well, gloom-and-doomers…did you notice, at all, that as the surge went forward in 2007 that I - as well as most pro-victory people - were wary of making any hard and fast judgements about what was going on? The reason for this is that we didn’t want to get out in front of events - we waited until the surge as a clear success. You should start to learn a bit - and not get out there and proclaim defeat before the facts are in.
Now, about Sadr - seems that he’s had enough of this fight.
28. noodle | March 30th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Deleted - off topic.
29. noodle | March 30th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
right Mark - 4 thousand American lives thrown away for nothing, 80K + Iraqi lives gone, millions of refugees, the majority of the population with out electricity and water, trillions of dollars gone. those are the FACTS Mark. not doom and gloom.
Mark is so tied up in his world view that after all of this he still talks of Iraq as a huge success. Well look at the facts above - I hate to thinik what you would think as a failure. Oh I know - universal health care –oh be scared be scared.. Man - what a tool
30. noodle | March 30th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Deleted - complains about comment policy.
31. neocon | March 30th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
noddle exemplifies the ignorance and intolerance of the left. I am sure it (he/she) is just a rinse and repeat of some of our other lemmings that have posted here.
As evidenced by it’s ignorant rants, noodle lacks any critical thought and simply regurgitates what it believes to be intelligent rebuttals.
I guess propaganda and contrarianism is what liberals now deem to be intelligent discourse.
32. noodle | March 30th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
neocon - the facts speak for themselves - period. I would like to see how your ‘critical thought’ can undo 4000 dead americans. How it can explain away 80,000 dead Iraqis and millions of refugees. I would like to see how your critical thought can explain what a success it is that only 1/3 of Iraqis have clean water and electricity. You don’t need an advanced degree to figure that out neocraptastic
33. congressive | March 30th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
“Blogs Para Victoria” can delete whatever they want. They pay the hosting tab.
However, it makes it tougher to quote us liberals when the righties wanna respond with hateful personal attacks.
Iraqi President Malarki is a Bush poser. Boots on the ground reporters say al Qaeda is a non-player, making up less than 2% of the problem. Our military pays the insurgents to not fight. When the bucks stop, the fighting starts.
Sadr is just negotiating a raise.
Victory!
34. Aaron | March 30th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
yep congressive, you are exactly right.
The relative calm of the last few months has been bought with weapons and cash payments to unsavory warlords on all sides of the Iraqi civil war. The problem with paying thugs not to cause trouble is that renegotiating the contract is a real bitch.
35. Mark Noonan | March 30th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Congressive and Aaron,
With a thousand news stories from the past year showing an intense and often bloody fight between Iraqi/Coalition forces and the enemy, you’re going to try and convince people that bribery brought the violence down?
For Pete’s sake, will you two look at facts for once in your lives?
36. Tractatus | March 31st, 2008 at 12:01 am
For Pete’s sake, will you two look at facts for once in your lives?
They are; will you? Or are you seriously going to argue that we haven’t been paying both sides?
37. felix the cat | March 31st, 2008 at 1:55 pm
And the word from Germany is….http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,544471,00.html
38. Joe | March 31st, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Mark:
“With a thousand news stories from the past year showing an intense and often bloody fight between Iraqi/Coalition forces and the enemy, you’re going to try and convince people that bribery brought the violence down?
For Pete’s sake, will you two look at facts for once in your lives?
“
Umm……
39. Diana Powe | March 31st, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Looks like that didn’t go so well:
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Eric
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