Picture of the Day
(AP) Other people in the area screamed, "Where is the government?" "Where is the security plan?" and "We have had enough!"
(A man runs down a street warning people to flee shortly after a twin car bomb attack at Shorja market in Baghdad February 12, 2007. Three bomb attacks at markets in Baghdad killed at least 80 people and wounded 150 on Monday as Iraqis marked the first anniversary of a Shi'ite shrine bombing that pitched the country to the brink of civil war. REUTERS/Ceerwan Aziz.)
posted by mikevotes at
9:12 AM
6 Comments:
The only "surge" I see is a surge in violence.
By
Handsome B. Wonderful, at 1:44 PM
And, It's going to get alot worse.
The Sunnis are trying to force the Mahdi back out on the streets.
Either they stay indoors and take the hits both literal and political, or they come back out and risk conflict with the US.
All the while the government is undermined.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 2:10 PM
What government?
What legislature? What army/security force? What court system? What public services: water, electric, sewer...
Prove to me there's a functioning, independent government in Iraq...
By
-epm, at 3:59 PM
Well, there is a nominal government.
It has no effect outside the green zone, but there are people sitting in the chairs and titles.
And believe it or not, their placeholding can be even further undermined.
As for "functioning, independent government," well, that's a different matter.
But I guess you can judge their existence in the negative. So long as Iraqis are complaining about them, they do exist at least in concept. You know?
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 4:06 PM
Whatever they are -- place holders, nominal leaders -- they are not a government as they seem to govern no one. One could argue their very fractured and dysfunctional existence actually makes things worse. As the people look to their "government" to step up to the plate -- a government that never will -- they perpetuate the helplessness of the people.
We can either re-occupy the country -- taking over all civil authority and spending the time, money and effort to rebuild the civil and physical infrastructure -- or we can pull out to the perimeter and let the Iraqis figure out how they want to organize themselves. This half-assed surge, partnered with a half-assed government is going to make the bad-ass problems even worse. What's the word... it will just escalate the violence and dysfunction.
There... I'm don't ranting. (I'm really not this cocky in person. I don't know what comes over me in blogging :) )
By
-epm, at 7:13 PM
Yeah, the options are to get in big or get out and let the militias really take over. And we don't have the resources to get in.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 9:18 PM
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