Iraq
(BBC) Condi Rice: Iraq is "worth it" in the investment of lives and dollars "because once it emerges as a country that is a stabilising factor, you will have a very different kind of Middle East."
(Reuters) "The U.S. military reported the deaths of four more soldiers....." (Now it's 5 - AP.)
(Reuters) U.S. to maintain long presence in Gulf region: Gates
(Stars and Stripes) New guidelines allow troops with traumatic stress disorders to redeploy
(WashTimes) "Some 20 percent to 25 percent of the leadership of Iraqi national police units may need to be replaced because of their militia ties and activities, a top U.S. official said Tuesday."
AND, the US (Hadley memo) plan to undermine Sadr by building a new cross sectarian governing alliance is foundering.
(NYTimes) Iraqi Factions Try to Undercut a Plan to Isolate Extremists.
It seems the US keeps making the same mistake of underestimating the political talent/guile of the Iraqis, treating them like children or objects in a table top excercise.
Politics is bloodsport in Iraq where mistakes mean death. These aren't amateurs we're dealing with.
(AFP) "According to our information, there were 250 political murders last week, including five tribal sheikhs who came to last week's reconciliation conference ... there are 200 armed groups, each with their own agenda," Ambassador Mukhtar Lamani, the Arab League representative in Baghdad.
(Reuters) "The U.S. military reported the deaths of four more soldiers....." (Now it's 5 - AP.)
(Reuters) U.S. to maintain long presence in Gulf region: Gates
(Stars and Stripes) New guidelines allow troops with traumatic stress disorders to redeploy
(WashTimes) "Some 20 percent to 25 percent of the leadership of Iraqi national police units may need to be replaced because of their militia ties and activities, a top U.S. official said Tuesday."
AND, the US (Hadley memo) plan to undermine Sadr by building a new cross sectarian governing alliance is foundering.
(NYTimes) Iraqi Factions Try to Undercut a Plan to Isolate Extremists.
It seems the US keeps making the same mistake of underestimating the political talent/guile of the Iraqis, treating them like children or objects in a table top excercise.
Politics is bloodsport in Iraq where mistakes mean death. These aren't amateurs we're dealing with.
(AFP) "According to our information, there were 250 political murders last week, including five tribal sheikhs who came to last week's reconciliation conference ... there are 200 armed groups, each with their own agenda," Ambassador Mukhtar Lamani, the Arab League representative in Baghdad.
posted by mikevotes at
8:22 AM
6 Comments:
Very generous of Rice, isn't it? As long as it's someone else's lives she's so nobly sacrificing.
By
Anonymous, at 9:28 AM
There's a recurring theme of "Let them eat cake" comments that come out of this administration(including Katrina.)
You know, that's also a pretty big statement considering we don't yet know the costs.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 11:21 AM
I, for one, don't think the cost is worth it. It completely repurposes our military from one of national defense, to one of imperial domination and nation building.
By
-epm, at 2:07 PM
It shifts the imperial domination from soft applications of economics, influence, and CIA to the raw force of military oppression.
It's a failure, really.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 2:19 PM
It's an abysmal failure and Bush is so lost in lala land that he's going to ignore everyone and make it worse in a pathetic last ditch attempt to rescue his dismal legacy.
I'm thinking it's time to start a movement towards a national call for his resignation. And he has take Cheney with him.
By
Libby Spencer, at 4:31 PM
It's that second point that has kept Bush safe.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 6:44 PM
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