Third Day Of Fighting Takes Over Iraq

Intense fighting between Iraqi Shiite militiamen and US And Iraqi forces has been raging in Iraq over the past three days. The fighting threatens to end a Mahdi Army cease-fire that is credited for many security gains in Iraq. Below are a couple reports on the violence and discontent throughout the country:

AP: Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Says He'll Pursue Fight To "The End"

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is promising to pursue his fight against Shiite militias in Basra to "the end."

Al-Maliki made his pledge to Basra area tribal leaders Thursday as military operations against the militias continued for a fourth day despite stiff resistance.

AP: Green Zone Hit For Fourth Day This Week:

Shiite militants are hammering the U.S.-protected Green Zone with rockets and mortars for the fourth day this week.

Thick, black smoke is billowing from inside the heavily fortified home to the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government.

AP: Tens Of Thousands Of Shiites Protest:

Tens of thousands of Shiites took to Baghdad's streets to protest the government crackdown on militias in Basra as heavy fighting between Iraqi security forces and gunmen erupted for a third day in the southern oil port and the capital.

Iraqi officials reported 17 more people killed in overnight clashes in Baghdad's main Shiite district of Sadr City and raised the number of deaths from fighting in the southern city of Hillah to at least 60.

Mounting anger focused on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite who is personally overseeing an operation against Shiite militias dominated by followers of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr amid a violent power struggle in Basra, Iraq's southern oil hub near the Iranian border.

Comments

[ROBOT8]

AS WITH ANCIENT ROME......­...OUR RESOURCES ARE SPREAD TOO THIN ,,,,,,ANOTHER CONFLICT ON ANOTHER FRONT ..........­SAY.......­.. SOUTH AMERICA AND OUR ECONOMY MAY COLLAPSE."­If something comes along that is truly serious, truly serious, something like a nuclear weapon going off in an American city, or something like a major pandemic, you are going to see the ineptitude of this government in a way that will take you back to the Declaration of Independen­ce." -Lawrence Wilkerson, a chief of staff for then Secretary of State Colin Powell, on the [b]ush administration, which he said was run by a "cabal." 10/31/05 Newsweek

[Rumplestiltskin]

You guys will love this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaP9eiWuX3s
(its raining McCains)

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Strategically, why would al-Sadr break the truce, and why now?

Answer: by observation, he feels the time is better now than before. And implicitly, now better than later. To break the truce for the purpose either of grabbing Basra (and the oil), or toppling Maliki, or both.

Clearly, he prefers to strike now, BEFORE the US withdraws the surge troops. Therefore, he either could give a hoot how many troops are there with the surge (proving that NEVER mattered), OR he's trying to draw us to send even more.

Given his close ties with Iran, if not acting as their agent, the above goes double for them.

I look forward to your comments.

[AbstractImp]

We are having a phenomenal increase in security here.....

And by the way, just who volunteered to die in a war crime for Cheney...?

[Ping]

History will record that the day US troops set foot in Iraq was the day the the Iranians became the most influential country in Iraq.

[Rumplestiltskin]

Aren't those militias that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is trying to defeat backed by Iran? He may not succeed, but it seems to me the government of Iraq, such as it is, is trying to leseen Iranian influence.

[IngeniousGirl]

nope, they are Iraqi citizens who are demonstrating in the tens of thousands for the removal from government for Bush owned Maliki. There is an emergency meeting of the parliment tomorrow, which is a good sign and Sadyr representatives will be there as well. Let's hope and pray this moves the issues in a positive direction.

[helonias]

Goody, the pockyclypse is upon us and all is swell.

[thirteen13]

This all reminds me of the old western movies when the wagon train forms a circle (the green zone), which the native americans (al Qaeda, Shiite Militia, Mahdi Army, Iran?) attack. We all know the Native Americans lost their Nations simply by being grossly outnumbered by the "white man"..

Now the "white man" wants to take over Arab Land. This time history will not repeat itself because the local Muslim populations on their own land will never be outnumbered by the "white man". The only sure thing this time is the endless cost to the indebted USA populace.

[mach]

Read all about the connections between Saddam and terrorism here:

http://www.jfcom.mil/newslink/storyarchive/2008/pa032008.html

[j0e]

hmmm... they seemed to have left out the part where we supported him and gave him weapons to fight the Iraq/Iran war... keep pushing this non-sense. Even your own gov. agencies have tried three times and had to admit there was ZERO evidence that Saddam had ties to Al Qaida, and thus, ZERO justification in this regard for war in Iraq. That y'all keep pushing this only proves that people with IQ lower than 80 CAN still operate a computer.

[Rumplestiltskin]

Here is a fairly good rundown on what we supplied to Saddam. It looks like helicopters starting in 1983 when the Iranians were doing well against him. It doesn't look like we were selling him arms in the run up to the war. There is also a note about under the table sales, but it seems that those took place after the Iranians seemed to be winning, also.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arms_sales_to_Iraq

[sierra]

I would strongly recommend a book to read:

"When Presidents Lie"

By, Eric Alterman (From Yalta to the present illegal invasion of a sovereign country)

[humuhumunukunukuapuaa]

"We Will In Fact, be Welcomed As Liberators"
- Dick Cheney

[humuhumunukunukuapuaa]

My President says things are just peachy in Iraq. If I can't trust him, who can I?

[realpolitic]

Probably even Barney his dog does not believe Bush any more.

[realpolitic]

The surge is working? That is the right's favorite mantra. McCain repeated it yesterday. The media has adopted the slogan and these days all reporting is reduced to slogans. It has become treasonous to say otherwise, as it was treasonous not to support the war. Now we see another explosion of violence due to long simmering tensions, a government that does not represent the people, and lack of services. Can one imagine what living in 110 degree heat with little electricity and fresh water must do to a person? Also, unemployment is still 50% or so. Our army, instead of concentrating on restoring services, makes midnight raids on people's homes looking for insurgents and the biggest insurgent recruiter is the lack of basic services. Besides the violence, a humanitarian disaster looms.

General Petraeus is due to testify again to congress soon. Will he honestly break down the impossibility of the situation in Iraq and with it the impossibility of imposing democracy through force, or will he reflexively ask for another six months? Likely, he will ask for the latter to accomplish Bush's bidding and throw himself on the Bush altar, as so many others have ruinously done. The funeral pyre grows larger and larger.

[IngeniousGirl]

not to mention the outbreak of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and cholera. This is a human tragedy beyond words. The surge is working, not, look at Basra, is actually an expression of what you describe, the inability of the Iraqi people to take it anymore, especially from Maliki, who they are seeking to be removed from office through public demonstrations quashed by Maliki and Bush's Iraqi Army.

[realpolitic]

Yes, good point. We are now seen as the oppressors, reinforcing a very unpopular government. Al Maliki is very predisposed to Iran rather than America, which in the long run is probably his most sensible strategy..

[Shadowmann1]

Haven't you all figured out the Lee Atwater/Karl Rove trick yet? If the fighting in Iraq gets worse, then you say "See, things are not safe yet; our mission is not over; we have to stay!"

If things get better there, then you say "See, the surge is working; we can't leave now that we're finally seeing success; we can't let things plunge back into chaos; we have to stay!"

[dolphy]

Chimpy said yesterday that this is a positive event. No need to worry.

[Rumplestiltskin]

It is interesting that the Shia party's leader is trying to shut down Shiite militias that were thought to be supported by Iran.

[cafemocha]

Impeachment - It will save countless lives of young Americans.
It is not too late to do the right thing. Not one more soldier's death for Bush's employment.
Let Bush flip burgers in Crawford, let Cheney go hunting with the Saudi royals.
Let American soldiers return home to the warm embrace their families and friends.

[dolphy]

BAGHDAD - The State Department on Thursday told all workers at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad not to leave reinforced structures following the deaths of two Americans in attacks on the Green Zone, a heavily fortified area besieged by militants this week.

The Baghdad military command imposed a curfew on the capital from 11 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Sunday in bid to stem the violence.

One American was killed Thursday by incoming insurgent fire on the Green Zone. U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo identified the person as a government employee but said she could give no further details until relatives were notified.

I can see helicopters on the roof with people scrambling to get a ride. It's deja vu all over again.

[IngeniousGirl]

exactly, the State Department is going to cut and run

[sierra]

Anybody remember the "Tet Offensive?"

When the testimonies by our generals before congress declared (paraphrasing) the war almost over the Tet Offensive, 1968, shocked the US...
Now we have a seemingly "coordinated" assault on the Green Zone and the reviving resistance in the South in Basra?
What will be next?