And so, I’d like to offer up Kut as a metaphor for what is happening inside Iraq. If that road between Kut and Mehran can be “cut,” if Iran’s support for militants in Iraq who foment violence and discord can be cut, Iraq stands a much better chance…

No matter which Iraqi we help, there are divisions of each division bent on purging the others with fanatic zeal. So even with their consensus of constitution and voting rights for all men and women, even with their trained police and military, THEIR concept of “e pluribus unum ” is at best the opposite of our concept. Out of many (out of all) there will be one winner, one purist leader and people of Islam, the only correct version of Islam, and winner take all. So regardless of our investment and efforts to provide educational opportunities for Iraqis, they will be what they are, separatists waiting for their opportunity to purge the world of their opponents.

Sad world.

Looks like you’ll have to wait quite a bit longer…

BAGHDAD, March 28 (Reuters) Iraq’s prime minister extended a deadline for Shi’ite militants in southern Basra to hand over their weapons from Saturday to April 8 and said they would receive a financial reward if they complied.

At least it looks like he’s getting this politics thing down. When in doubt, bribe em.

Reading between the lines of the NYT story, it seems to me that this is a lot less than meets the eye. The “Awakening” in Anbar and the Sunni triangle was engineered by playing one group off against another. As I understand it there are several militia groups in the area, all of whom hate each other. Sadr is in Iran and is still calling for a ceasefire. The other militias are trying to divide up the spoils. If we can use each of those groups to weaken the others we may be able to fashion a coalition that the Iraqi government can handle..

Don’t try to make things more, or less, complicated than they already are. There’s not going to be a grand battle where one side wins and the other loses. There’s going to be maneuvering and horse trading. Some of these people, and I don’t mean just the Iraqis, would make Machiavelli look like Pollyanna. You cannot believe the politics that goes on in your average military headquarters. There’s no amateurs here.

I am holding for those 72 hrs to pass which should be Friday late. It doesn’t look like Maliki has committed all of his forces yet. Sadr has now shown his hand and bet all but Maliki is still holding cards not to mention the two trumps we all know of (US, Britain).

This has not over yet.

Remember, things have to get unbearably bad before the local populace will shoulder their responsibility.

Dude, AP, you know I got nothing but love for you, but the NYT is just doing its usual defeatist misreporting here. IA is offensive is as “stalled” as we were “quagmired” in Afghanistan or “bogged down” in sand storms during the invasion.

Maliki gave them 72 hours, that’s why they’ve stopped. It’s mostly for PR, to show he’s merciful.

It’s not like they can’t just call in U.S. airstrikes. We do give IA close air support.

blah blah blah.

Yes, we have been through this many times. When it is was politically advantageous for the left to hate Saddam, they did, when it was politically advantageous for them to defend Saddam, they did.

blah blah blah.

In a few days Sadr and his thugs will be six feet under.

jdun on March 27, 2008 at 5:22 PM

I do earnestly and truly hope that you are correct, my friend: It is indeed long overdue.

And to think that the US Army was within minutes of killing Sadr back in 2003(?) and we pulled back.

Time to purge the softies in the Pentagon and replace them with some of our battle-hardened commanders.

Oh, and lest I be misinterpreted, I am not saying that Iraq is a lost cause — not by any means!

While the Pentagon and the media were pummeling former MNF-I Commander, General Sanchez for the Abu Ghraib tempest in a teapot, they ignored Sanchez on the most important point he made, when he asserted (way back then) that Sadr needed either to be killed or captured.

The White House/the Pentagon love doing what the late George Wallace termed “pussyfooting” (and it has nothing to do with the female anatomy) — and now we are paying dearly for it.

Oh, but hey, Fred Kagan says the civil war is over.

Drum on March 27, 2008 at 6:07 PM

Would you fight a war with or buy a used country from Fred Kagan

Yes, these ungrateful bastards! We gave them their freedom (by bombing the shit out of their country and setting up the government WE want them to have), and they won’t even fight for us, er, I mean their freedom…

Look, I’ve said this many times, this is not an Iraqi revolution akin to an American revolution. This whole affair was conceived in a room in Washington DC, not in the hearts and minds of Iraqis. I’m not surprised in the least that IA are defecting. The US is an occupier. And while many may want democracy, they also probably want to decide what the direction their country will take without any US influence. I think this whole concept is flawed. Hopefully I’m wrong, but I really think the US will have to leave for the Iraqis to really settle on what they’re country will look like (and that very well may involve a civil war).

This is frustrating news…even if it is a small area in the bigger picture.

This is a budding disaster for the Maliki government, and it doesn’t merit plaudits from anybody connected with the U.S. We vividly recall the spectacle of seeing the President compliment FEMA for its “fine job” in New Orleans right after Hurricane Katrina, only to be confronted by live reporting on the stranded and dying residents stuck in the Convention Center.

Uh, I like the guys at counterterrorism blog,but if they are going to do their reporting based on the complete failure of the MSM to report what really happened in New
Orleans, then I may look else where for my news on the
War on Terror.

The claims of dead bodies,dying people,and rapes in the convention center were greatly exaggerated and it was found
that the only dead body found had been dragged in from outside.The L.A. Times(no friend of Bush) did a major breakdown on the failures of local government,the press,
FEMA,and the failure of the press in almost every area in reporting what really went on.Nagin refused to let the red cross bring supplies into the convention along with the fact
he did nothing to evacuate his city with 5 days warning.Blanco refused a state of emergency 2 days before Katrina hit.FEMA was slow to respond but while Bush was talking,the largest rescue operation the country had ever seen was taking place.Katrina definitely was not handled well but hardly Bush’s fault.

All we have heard is that Al-qaeda was only part of the
problem and Maliki was in Sader’s back pocket.Now Maliki is
facing down the most powerful shia milita’s with the Iraqi army and the defeatist are crying about that.

Will the Iraqis need US help,he!! yes they will.

Will they defeat Sader’s militia, he!! yes they will,together.

Will it be done like a George Clooney movie,he!! no it won’t.This is the real deal,not hollywood.

When Sader’s militia is beat down and he vies for a “political solution”,combined with the gutting of Al-qaeda,will Iraq be even closer to handling the country on
their own,he!! yes they will.

I have faith in the American Soldier and reporting coming
from the Micheal Yon’s and Micheal Totten’s,not the drive by
MSM that has ignored Iraq until they could put some bombings
on TV and the Front Page again.

—-

This is the first significant test of the Iraqi army & government. Of course there are going to be problems.