Interior Minister Narrowly avoids bombing;
Bush faces Choice of Withdrawal or Draft
The Bush administration's call-up of 2500 US Marine reservists who have already given 4 years of service shows how desperate it is becoming for military manpower in Iraq. A veterans' organization maintains that this sort of thing is unsustainable, and that Bush will have to move to a draft or else begin a drawdown of US troops soon.
Ellen Knickmeyer updates us on the current status and activities of the Mahdi Army and Sadr Movement of Muqtada al-Sadr in Iraq. The state of the movement is strong.
Iran wants to help southern Iraq with internet technology. Can you say "back door" in Persian?
The US installation of Iran-linked Iraqi religious Shiite parties in power has made Iran the key power in Iraq, according to a British think tank.
As the US Battle for Baghdad has put an extra 3500 US troop in the capital in an attempt to make an long term impact in reducing guerrilla and militia violence there, the guerrillas have been moving their operations elsewhere.
The troops were brought south from Mosul, giving the guerrillas greater freedom of movement in Iraq's second city. So, a suicide bomber with a bomb belt detonated his payload near a police station, killing 2 persons and wounding 8, including policemen.
Reuters reports other incidents of civil war violence:
"BAQUBA - Eight people, including two policemen, were gunned down in different incidents in the religiously mixed city of Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) north of Baghdad, police said." . . .
Iraqi police pulled out six bodies from a small river near Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
BAGHDAD - A civilian was killed and another wounded when a roadside bomb went off in the southern Saidiya district of Baghdad, a source in the Interior Ministry said. '
A roadside bomb in the Dura neighborhood of Baghdad, a roadside bomb killed 2 persons and injured 5, including traffic policemen.
The bomb narrowly missed the Minister of the Interior, Jawad al-Bulani, whose convoy was passing through. The Interior Ministry is in charge of internal security for Iraq.
The article continues:
' AMARA - One British serviceman was wounded and two others slightly hurt during a prolonged mortar barrage on Tuesday on a British base near Amara, 365 km (230 miles) south of Baghdad, the British military said on Wednesday.
FALLUJA - Three civilians and three traffic policemen were wounded by a roadside bomb near a U.S. patrol in Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said. '
British troops had made a raid into Amara in hopes of catching a major terrorist figure. They were fired on as they withdrew.
The Pakistan Tribune/ wire services add:
"Police in Amara said two civilians were killed in crossfire between British forces and Mehdi Army militiamen."
Joe Lieberman agrees with a rightwing radio talk show host on Middle East policy.
posted by Juan Cole @ 8/24/2006 12:30:00 AM
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11 Comments:
A draft! I love it! The backlash to that action will force an abrupt about face. I don't think they will go that far. More likely they will just declare victory and bring them home. Plus, kids are more selfish these days than they used to be. There's no way the population will allow a draft. All of a sudden, we'd see a big upsurge in the percentage of people who know there were no WMDs, Iraq has no ties to al Queda, we were misled in to a war of choice, etc.
Troop drawdown is Bush's dream, but not as a process of ending the occupation. His fantasy is to leave about a division or so on long-term basis, with the Iraqi armed forces acting as a mere extension under US command.
This is what is happening now. The USA runs the Iraqi command & control and holds the intelligence data, and they are refusing to give them up.
Here is Terry Kinney's, Associated Press description of the recent talk given by the former chief Army spokesman in Iraq to the Jewish Institute for National Security and Affairs and the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
"Kimmitt said any removal of U.S. troops would be commensurate with the training and deployment of Iraqi forces, so there would be, in effect, no drawdown, a word he dislikes."
The idiots in the White House seem to think that the Iraqis wouldn't notice or how else can anyone expect an independent country to gift the arch-enemy of its people with controling its army?
It seems to have escaped people's notice that the Great Moron in the WH wants Lebanon too to volunteer giving its command and control to the American Likudists who have just destoyed their country!
In the meantime, the Administration is adamant that Iran is supplying Shia' militias with munitions, money, training and especially shaped charges for IEDs. Since Iran's response to the UN regarding its nuclear program, the Administration has been explicit that it expects a yes or no response and anything except an immediate cessation of uranium enrichment by Iran will cause the US to request sanctions against Iran with the Security Council.
Given the Administration's heated rhetoric regarding Iran's role in Hizbullah, followed by the resurfacing nuclear issue, coupled with accusations that Iran is supplying Shia' militias (even anti-Iranian ones) makes it appear the new call up of Marines is an attempt to quell any problems in Iraq with an eye towards attacking Iran's nuclear facilities and maybe also hitting Iran's conventional shore batteries and naval assets. (the Israeli ship getting hit made the Pentagon sit and pay attention, given the Iranian military capabilities in the Straits of Hormuz.
I would guess a limited draft with plenty of exemptions to keep college boys out of harm's way immediately after the elections this November. Israel's failure on top of US failures in the region has given President Bush only another year in real terms of making his legacy in the region.
As with other events in his life, it is all about Legacy again.
"and that Bush will have to move to a draft..." It has already started. William Cohen on The Daily Show, Tuesday night, mentioned he is for "Universal Service." Jon Stewart didn't pick up on it. Anticipating this for some time, I suggest the first to be drafted better be the Bush twins.
According to Al-Araqgieh TV station American and Iranian ambassadors, Zalmy Khalilzad, and Kazemi Quomi particpated in a joint meeting in the city of Holier( Arbil)discussing the on-going situation in Iraq.
It's a relief to see that not everyone is fooled by this this administration. Calling up the U.S. Reserve forces is just the first step in preparation for war with Iran. Obviously, this administration knows it will not be an easy fight. Considerable loss of life on both sides will probably result, which means a draft in the U.S. is imminent.
Israel is also threatening to strike Iran, maybe even go it alone, if U.S. doesn't respond fast enough. Most likely that is just disinformation to try to keep Iran guessing on who will strike first.
I'm not trying to be a doomsayer, but I recommend anybody who can move to Canada to do so, at least until Bush is out of office.
"The Bush administration's call-up of 2500 US Marine reservists who have already given 4 years of service shows how desperate it is becoming for military manpower in Iraq."
The crisis exists within the mind of Fearless Leader. A failure in Iraq is his failure. A success is his success. It is all about him.
An effective use of troops would involve occupying Israel...and Long Island. Fearless Leader is afraid of upsetting his base of support. Effective use of troops will not occur.
"Ellen Knickmeyer updates us on the current status and activities of the Mahdi Army and Sadr Movement of Muqtada al-Sadr in Iraq."
The good news is that Mugtada al-Sadr is not a Muslim. He's a Shiite. The bad news is that this is true only in Fearless Leader's dry-drunk world fact book.
"Iran wants to help southern Iraq with internet technology. Can you say "back door" in Persian?"
Ahmedinejad is despicable because he has executed a few dozen homosexuals. Fearless Leader is honorable because he has facilitated the murders of thousands of homosexuals. (Calculated as 3% of hundreds of thousands of innocents.)
"Joe Lieberman agrees with a rightwing radio talk show host on Middle East policy."
Joe Lieberman concurs with Israeli agendas and denounces voters who deny him his right to carry out Israel's agenda in our Congress.
A stark choice between either losing the war or reinstituting the draft seems to overlook what's already in the works, a third way.
On June 16, the DoD published an interim rule in the Federal Register [Vol. 71, No. 116, page 34,826] saying that it is now permissible for the DoD to hire contractors to participate in hostilities. On the surface, this appears to violate prohibitions in US law and the Federal Acquisition Regulation against hiring mercenaries. Contractors and civilians always had the right of self-defense, but this goes way beyond that. According to the 4th Protocol of the Third Geneva Conventions, this seems, on the surface, to permit the employment of unlawful combatants on our side.
Getting their ducks in a row, the GSA published a proposed rule for comment in the Federal Register on July 18 [Vol. 71, No. 137, page 40,681] which would also amend the FAR to permit hiring mercenary contractors (the term of art is "quasi-military armed forces.") We’ve had tens of thousands of mercenaries in Iraq for a couple years, but now it’s going to be legal, or at least permitted by regulation, if not 5 USC 3108.
Sort of under the radar, the current administration has just changed the rules, and America's core values, saying that they now can do what was prohibited for 230 years. For Heaven's sake, the Declaration of Independence says:
"... large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny ... [is] totally unworthy of the Head of a civilized nation."
ULTERIOR MOTIVE ALERT!!
Readers can go to www.regulations.gov, search for these rule changes, and post comments letting the Government know what they think about them. Search for FAR and DFARS.
Unless we act now, the Government will assume the nation is OK with contracting out warfare. And then there are no limits on the wars this administration can start.
I am wondering what concessions France managed to secure before agreeing to bulk up its peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon?
Should there be a draft (which will likely upset many) I hope Americans have the courage to say 'no' this time around.
American soldiers went to Iraq because of WMD, and none were to be found. To fight and die for lies, is quite tragic.
And now the Bush-Neocon gangsters want to tell us that Iran is a danger to the US. I haven't seen Iran drop one bomb on any country, while our own has dropped plenty.
I wonder who is the real danger to the world. Iran is 10 years away from a nuclear bomb, so why can't we sit down and discuss like we did during the Cold War.
Because Bush rather fight than talk. This guy is leading us in the wrong direction. We have arrived into the 21st century, but Bush acts like he is still living in the stone age.
As Ahmednejad said during the interview with Wallace, "the time of the bomb is in the past, now is the time of dialogue and cultural exchanges."
And should Israel decide to strike first, I don't think that will be a good step for them. They couldn't defeat Hezbollah, a small armed group. What do they think they are going to do in Iran?
It is amazing how people like to rush into disaster. We haven't learned anything from Iraq.
Here is a direct link to the Chatham House report that says that Iran, rather than the United States, it the country with the most influence in Iraq today. The report doesn't have a lot of other suprises, but it is well worth reading if you are looking for a clear summary of the current situation in the Middle East.
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