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

[iPolitics]

Spend the money on re-establishing the American democracy and economy after the Bush years

[yowza1]

Yes this reminds me of a one liner, famous newspaper headlines ( . . .absurdum) "War Reduces Chances for Peace"

[NABNYC]

The headline says this is the third day of fighting in Iraq? I think you mean five years and three days.

Here's a good clue to predicting the future: if the U.S. embassy inside a country is described as being located "within the compound," then it's a good bet that embassy will not be occupied by people from the U.S. for very long. If we really had good relations with the country, we wouldn't need our ambassadors to hide in bunkers waiting to be evacuated.

One last thing: does anyone know whether the buildings inside the "Green Zone" have large flat roofs for the helicopters to land on when they begun the last-minute evacuations? Just checking. I know the Bush regime doesn't spend too much time studying history, so someone might want to point out the fact that most occupying forces tend to be run out in a rout, without advance warning.

[realpolitic]

Excellent post!

[IngeniousGirl]

excellent as mentioned above, let's all watch while the State Department cuts and runs

[joebaggadonuts]

This is of course in accord with Bush's plan. Al Sadr will prove that the Iraqi government is not up to governing, and because of their closer ties to Iran, will enable Bush to blame any failure on Iran and start a war there through some either false flag operation or mis-queue due to too damn many US Navy ships in the straights at one time. I think that two carriers are headed that way now. Cheney went fishing there on Oman's boat to scout it out, before the deed gets done, I would guess. What am I paranoid? Yes. But that doesn't mean it's not a good guess. What bugs me is that I don't see any upside for America in this action. It would cut into world oil supply considerably, and limit the output of Saudi Arabia, slightly at least if they pumped exports through their un-crimped ports until the straight was again safe. It would potentially take Iran's oil off the market. If the Saudi's were looking for a way to increase their profit, at the expense of an enemy, this might be it. And Exxon does not have to find or pump more oil to increase profits.

[realpolitic]

If Bush wants to blame someone, he should blame himself and his coterie of ideologues.

[wsblake]

Impossible. Cheney, Bush and McCann have all told as how widly successful the surge has been- and Republicans don't lie.

[biosolution]

When the Iraqi's pass an sign the Iraq Oil Law, enslaving them to the US oil companies, we'll leave except for our permanent Military Bases to guard our prize...Ir­aq's oil at Wal-Mart prices. You see, it's all about oil. It's always been about oil.

Iraq, it wasn’t about WMD, and it wasn’t about freedom. It was about oil.

“Enduring U.S. Bases in Iraq…Monopolizing the Middle East Prize”
http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0319-26.htm
Check out the number and names of US Military bases in Iraq, here:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/iraq.htm

It wasn’t about the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. It was about oil.

“It’s All About Oil!”
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/oil.html
Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Afghanistan_Pipeline

Kosovo, it wasn’t about freedom…it was about oil.

“Camp Bondsteel and America’s plans to control Caspian oil”
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/apr2002/oil-a29.shtml
Camp Bondsteel…Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Bondsteel

[IngeniousGirl]

exactly, this is what Cheney and Bush and Maliki did in February 2008 by sleight of hand stole from the Iraqi people their resources during a parlimentary recess ... there is so much more to this story. We the American people have the opportunity to get this story about Iraq right this time, everyone should be going to foreign press for news of what is happening. there are many sources to get you there, see my other posts on this issue.

[desmirl]

I wonder if George W. Bush will fly the last chopper out of Baghdad? And will Dick Cheney be right behind him doing door gunner duty? And will General Petraeus be still climbing that rope ladder as Bush lifts away from the Saigo.... I mean Baghdad compound?

[dolphy]

Are dry drunks allowed to fly anything?

[hmmmmmer]

This war has been hanging on by a thread. The thread has been Muqtada al-Sadr and it looks like it is unraveling. Why we have spent 6 years trying to prop up a government that can't pass the giggle test when it comes to corruption is beyond me and now that things are going from bad to worse I am guessing there will be more troops injected, more American deaths, and Bush and company will be able to, along with their comrade, McSame, come up with another solution that will keep this going, and going, and going, and going, That is unless congress and the people do something about this corrupt administration.
Cheney's "so" will take on a real surprise meaning if all hell breaks out in Iraq.

[Bushgirlsgonewild]

.

Somehow I don't think this is exactly what the republicans had in mind when they said the Iraqi people will stand up so we can stand down. They failed to realize something (it's a long list): the Iraqi people have been standing up -- they just won't stand up the way we want them to, and it's the Iraqi leadership we appointed that can't make them because they are too busy investing the $9 billion we 'misplaced' in overseas accounts.

McCain isn't a Bush-lite, he's Cheney-heavy. A much more dangerous creature.

.

[BardEric]

Well said.

[1IrishdeAztlan]

Yes. Thank you for reminding me of that: "When they stand up, we'll stand down." That had slipped my mind for a time.

[Paul]

Final Exam Question at West Point:

What is the most effective disposition of American ground forces to fight the global war on terror?

Answer: Have all the best combat brigades bogged down in a civil war in a remote middle-eastern country. Make sure the soldiers are on their third or fourth tour, and then initiate a stop-loss.

Congratulations Cadet! You are on your way to the Joint Chiefs.

[neocon43]

Fighting the actual enemy who declared this was where America would lose.Grow up and take your blinders off!

[realpolitic]

Paul, very insightful comment.

[biosolution]

The Surge is Working!

And, soon I'll be getting out of town. Off to where the Nazi's and other fine folks chose to hide out.

"President Bush buys a farm in northern Paraguay".­..why?

President Bush purchases a 98,842-acre farm in northern Paraguay. There is wide speculation that he is buying it to have somewhere to run in case the democrats win and he is impeached in the near future. Don't laugh; it could happen.

It is of interest that Paraguay is where most Nazi war criminals fled to because of the non-extradition policy for political criminals. Is Bush planning an exile there? The fact is that a massive air base in Paraguay has seen the arrival of U.S. troops.

Does Bush foresee a collapse of the U.S.A and feel a need to have a place to run to, or is he fearful of being charged with war crimes in the future?

[No chance of that. The Conress passed a law sometime ago that protects Bush and his administration from being prosecuted for war crimes. Additionally, Bush & Co. resigned the USA from the World Court, so no chance of prosecution there either.]

While the purchase may seem very innocent on the surface, the timing of the purchase has raised many eyebrows, lots of suspicion, and theory projections about what may be coming down for us in the near future.

[Rumplestiltskin]

"Additionally, Bush & Co. resigned the USA from the World Court, so no chance of prosecution there either"
I couldn't find any mention of this, could you provide a link?

[nerakami]

and America has stirred up yet another ants nest... and God knows we DONT know how to resolve this one. Why did we go stick our noses in a culture we don't understand and certainly can't contain.

Yes, I am extremely critical of this government and YES, I am extremely patriotic !

[fantagor]

Always keep in mind the elevated conflict has been orchestrated to hurt John McCain's chances in November, and curtailments in the conflict are also orchestrated to hurt John McCain's chances in November.

That's what Republicans call a win/win strategy.

Randy

[BardEric]

"Always keep in mind the elevated conflict has been orchestrated to hurt John McCain's chances in November, and curtailments in the conflict are also orchestrated to hurt John McCain's chances in November."

This is your brain..Thi­s is your brain on repulican Kool-Aid..­.Any questions?

[chinaskee]

More sour grapes from the liberals. Now they're upset because the Iraqis are finally starting to stand up which means that we will soon be able to stand down. And when that happens they lose one of their biggest campaign issues.

[humuhumunukunukuapuaa]

We will leave Iraq when they stand up, but then we can't leave because they will will collapse.
Welcome to the GOPs circular logic.

[OneVoiceInACrowd]

oh - this is good news then. our bad...

[serialcoma]

So the REAL (current) reason we destroyed the lives of so many of our sons and daughters, drained the treasury and sent our economy into downward spiral which is costing nearly every citizen in one way or another was to foment a CIVIL WAR in Iraq?

Why didn't you just say so in the first place..... who couldn't see the benefit of that?

[batgirlevi]

If this is what you conclude is happening after reading this article it is no surprise that you vote for people like bush.

You are a complete imbecile.

[hmmmmmer]

How delusional can one person be? If things go sour there will not be any stand down, period, only one hell of a mess.

[Guitarsandmore]

Iraq:

"The insurgency is in its last throes" - Dick Cheney ( many years ago )

"This war in Iraq should take, oh I don't know, 6 weeks to 6 months tops" - Don Rumsfeld 2003

" We will be welcomed as liberators" - Dick Cheney 2003

" Mission Accomplished" - George W. Bush many years ago

[31313]

And Iraq's oil will pay for the war.

[OneVoiceInACrowd]

The people who say the surge is working are these same people, the people who told us the Sadaam had WMD and was training terrorist, these same people.

Makes you wonder just how gullible many/most Americans are.

Honestly, have these people been right about anything during this administration?

[ladygreenslippers]

i just want HP to know that the reason this story doesn't have the 18 pages of comments like the HRC/Obama feud is not because we don't care, or want to read it, but we're numb and depressed, and feeling quite helpless as we watch things go from bad to worse in Iraq, and the media is right there with Bush - in some other reality. My brother in law will be deployed soon to Iraq. i made sure to comment on Kimora Lee filing for divorce though, so i must be a patriot.

[BardEric]

I am "numb and depressed" reguarding Iraqas well, but NONE of us is helpless to affect a change in direction. We have an election coming up and maybe one more chance to set things right in Iraq before things go too far down the shitter. .We have to take our shot and VOTE our conscience(s) in the Primaries and the in G.E!!!..