Iraq
(AP) Two car bombs targeted restaurants in Baquba and Ramadi killing at least 50. (Seems to indicate Sunni groups. No word on who, if anyone were the targets.)
(Reuters) "The anti-U.S. movement of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is now Iraq's main humanitarian organization helping needy Iraqis, a relief group said in a report that is certain to cause concern in Washington."
And, (AP) "US, Iraq far apart on security pacts" (Just throwing this in because technically, the UN mandate for the US to stay in Iraq ends at the end of this year, and trying to force anything through parliament on a timetable, especially a pro-US forces agreement, is going to be very tricky.)
(Reuters) "The anti-U.S. movement of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is now Iraq's main humanitarian organization helping needy Iraqis, a relief group said in a report that is certain to cause concern in Washington."
And, (AP) "US, Iraq far apart on security pacts" (Just throwing this in because technically, the UN mandate for the US to stay in Iraq ends at the end of this year, and trying to force anything through parliament on a timetable, especially a pro-US forces agreement, is going to be very tricky.)
posted by mikevotes at
6:18 AM
4 Comments:
Didn't Hamas gain much legitimacy among the masses by providing social services?
By
-epm, at 9:00 AM
Actually, they have withing Gaza.
They are now the only working authority in Gaza. Any services that are delivered are coming from them, and any limitations are blamed on Israel and Fatah.
By
mikevotes, at 1:39 PM
In a way this really ties in to one of the points Obama was making: when the legitimate government fails to serve the people, the people will gravitate to those who will... even if that happens to be fundamentalist religious groups, or xenophobic militants.
This is what brought us Hamas, and al Qaeda... even the rise of Fascism, Naziism and Communism. no?
By
-epm, at 2:33 PM
Yeah. I agree. The trick is to keep the channels open, but not give them anything in doing so.
The broader politics of the Carter trip are interesting. Carter, an Obama supporter, is trying to put it in practice during the campaign without the leverage of the US government.
By
mikevotes, at 6:22 PM
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