Iraq: Violence 70% Down Since June

spidergoat said:
We have been saying all along that there weren't enough troops to secure the country. However, this is not changing the basic political climate.

If you think things are really turning around in Iraq, you are fooling yourself. We have increased bombing from the air by 400% in an attempt to make Bush's surge look like it's accomplishing something.
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It's accomplishing some stabilty alright, but still the whole thing is messed up, US should leave, the earlier the better.

I think now is actually a good chance [saving face] for US to start withdrawing the troops, before the trend changes...
 
Can't wait for him to unfurl that Mission Accomplished banner again. It must be getting dusty.
 
The escalation was not an end unto itself, you do realize it was supposed to help the political process? How's that going?
 
How about the link I posted, which no one saw fit to comment on. I don't deny that this year for the US hasn't been deadly, because it has. But things seem to be getting better now, and rather than continue to push ahead, the Democrats will once again try to leave. Either Americans agree with that or they don't. I suppose we'll see...
 
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I meant is there anything good to report on political reconciliation in Iraq? That's the whole point of the escalation.
 
Again,

Sunnis of Iraq have revolted against al-qaida. Al-qaida has significantly diminished in Iraq thanks to Sunnis not to Americans.

Sunni Iraqis who have been fighting al-qaida are in total accordance with the Iraqi government. There is not any single issue between the bulk of Iraqi Sunnis and the Shia.

The problem in Iraq is between Iranian militias, Syrian backed Ba'thi gangs, and the new Sunni-Shia Iraqi state. The outside forces have been exploiting religious extremism and inferior life conditions of some people (Sunnis and Shias) to recruit fighters.

Now that religious extremism is losing its appeal, remains the inferior life conditions. Those are being seriously addresed now by the Iraqi government and the US.

Permanent stability in Iraq is impossible unless the Iranio-Syrian axis be dealt with. If you know ANYTHING about Middle East you should be sure about that. I recommend reading the history of Lebanon, a country in which a war has been running since the 1950's primarily because of outside influence.
 
hani said:
Sunni Iraqis who have been fighting al-qaida are in total accordance with the Iraqi government.
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Baloney.
count said:
But things seem to be getting better now, and rather than continue to push ahead,
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By continuing the "surge" ?

Are you sure that "leaving" and "pushing ahead" are conflicting strategies?

The Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds seem to have separated themselves, in amny places, which has reduced the death squad activity and other violence aimed at ethnic cleansing (they succeeded, in other words)

and a few hundred thousand targets of violence have left Iraq altogether

Sadri has enforced a moratorium on most Shia violence from his faction, for various reasons possibly including the near prospect of victory and an Iranian-allied Shia theocratic state

and AQ has suffered setbacks in losing the allegiance of many Sunni insurgents, which have become (not by coincidence) better armed and trained and supported by the US

So the prospects of a reasonably peaceful (only ordinary civil war) dissolution of Iraq into stable (capable of defending themselves, coherently governed) components might be better than they were a few months ago. Maybe.

But the US presence and goals do not fit well with these prospects, and getting rid of the US will prove more difficult than getting rid of AQ, probably.

btw: A link for "From Beirut to Jerusalem" http://www.selectbooks.com.sg/getTitle.cfm?SBNum=9496 ;)
 
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We are at the end of our rope here, don't you understand that? The surge was a hail mary pass. If the Iraqi government doesn't run with the ball, that's it.
 
Sunni tribal leaders are political allies of the Shia IUC against the Tawafuq front of al-hashimee. Just today Nori Al-Maliki has accepted the resignation of the Twafuq ministers supported by the promise of tribal leaders that they will substitute for the resigning ministers. Sunni leaders accepting to replace other Sunni ministers who resigned in protest shows how asshole one can be when he talks about stuff he doesn't know shit about.
 
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