Reading The Pictures: Iraq Civil War - Day 3: Beyond Mickey Mouse

This goes way beyond Mickey Mouse.

The U.S. has been pulled into a civil war between Shiite factions;
fighting is raging in multiple cities;
Baghdad is under curfew;
the Green Zone has been hit multiple times

... and today's newswire proudly offers us an image of a US soldier, armed to the teeth, stepping out of a bathroom that has been newly renovated by coalition forces in Diyala province!

The irony of this "accomplishment" is epic. Along that same level, I assume Minnie is modeling the protective gear designed to insulate U.S. troops from the shit storm that's bearing down now.

Oh, and the roses, I love the roses!


How About 30 Days? Best 3 Out Of 5? (d-day)
More: Iraq Civil War (BAGnewsNotes)

For more leading -- and misleading -- political pictures, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.

(image: David Furst/AFP. via YahooNews)

Comments

[Chuckwheat]

Calls to mind the ending of Full Metal Jacket: "Who's the leader of us all...?"

[StillAmused]

Consider how much better off the Iraqis -- and the rest of us -- would have been if the whole undertaking had been handled by Disney.

They surely would've come up with something much better, and far more humane, than did the dark cartoon characters in the Bush administration.

[smgumby]

Disney in Iraq?

"The happiest war on earth.."

[jbd]

Well, we like to start our mid-east wars in the Spring. That Cheney trip wasn't just a morale builder. One can only hope that the military refuses to go along with pre-emptive war, because we think there is a reason.

[larry278]

Iraqs militias are playing Mickey Mao Tse with US forces, with hearty Uncle Ho, Ho's. The IEDs of March '08 have passed but the IED's keep coming to kill & maim US forces.
larry lynch

[CarolinaDem]

Any secret intelligence (so to speak) on the impact of Cheney's recent visit to Iraq upon al-Maliki's decision to play Commander Guy in Basra? Would this not serve nicely to connect our hero with the danger of defeat at the hands of the most Iranianesque militia, to justify a) running around their flank to secure the logistics trail into Iran and b) smacking the crap out of Iran's missile and air forces to protect 'our allies' put down terrorists there?

Anybody know? I mean, if we've got Russian intelligence, somebody must have a theory about Cheney's visit...not to mention dumping Fallon last week.

[SamEllison]

The Badr corp is closer to Iran than Sadr's Mahdi army, you are repeating talking points claiming otherwise.
But Cheney being behind Maliki's "Commander Guy in Basra" has been on my mind.
The "last chance tour" has gotten its first results.

[Driver125]

Must be the flowers that were never thrown at us. Thanks Dick, Rummy and most of all George.

[doctormaus]

Why did coalition forces paint a picture of Farfur on the bathroom wall?

[Montanamotor]

Yeah - and maybe, it's not only beyond Mikey Mouse - but beyond believe, too.


Quote: "Russian intelligence sees U.S. military buildup on Iran border

MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russian military intelligence services are reporting a flurry of activity by U.S. Armed Forces near Iran's borders, a high-ranking security source said Tuesday.

"The latest military intelligence data point to heightened U.S. military preparations for both an air and ground operation against Iran," the official said, adding that the Pentagon has probably not yet made a final decision as to when an attack will be launched.

He said the Pentagon is looking for a way to deliver a strike against Iran "that would enable the Americans to bring the country to its knees at minimal cost."

He also said the U.S. Naval presence in the Persian Gulf has for the first time in the past four years reached the level that existed shortly before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Col.-Gen. Leonid Ivashov, vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Sciences, said last week that the Pentagon is planning to deliver a massive air strike on Iran's military infrastructure in the near future.

A new U.S. carrier battle group has been dispatched to the Gulf. ...tbc" Unquote

Well - this is WAY beyond Mikey Mouse.

See: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070327/62697703.html

[Imabachi]

If one thinks along classic military lines it would appear that Cheney is using the Iraqi Army to clear his rear areas so as to insure secure supply lines. It's odd that it would be Cheney and not Petraeus (did I not read that Petraeus has said he'd no knowledge of this attack of Al-Maliki and the Iraqi Army) consulting with Al-MaIiki prior to the battle It would appear though that the Iraqi Army is not up to the task, at least not yet. I'm speculating that the morale (the number of troops that'll remain loyal and dedicated to the fight) in the Iraqi Army is at very low ebb at this point. As time passes and the supply lines still aren't secure I'd bet on more and more U.S. airstrikes and more British artillery barrages. And much of Basra infrastructure could end up being destroyed, especially the docks.
Just some thoughts.

[GnitenGoodLk]

Don't worry. Our nuke "inspection" is almost done. "There will be other wars....."

[joedupont]

We need a referendum in Iraq. without a referendum we are flying blind.
It seems that our elected leaders and candidates are giving plans to stay or pull out without knowing what the good people of Iraq want.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lFq0Vo-TVM4
This youtube gives a plan to find out.. a no nonsense plan to finish this mess off.
I would appreciate hearing from anyone who would like to push this.

[RogerHWerner]

Your thinking is admirable but a naive. First, there have been dozens of reputable Iraqi polls and not one indicates popular support for America's presence. Iraqis when asked view American troops as part of the problem not the solution. Second, it seems evident that the US will remain in Iraq irrespective of the desires of Iraqis and Americans because our involvement has nothing to do with democracy. Iraq sits atop of a quarter of the world's petrol reserve and that's what matters: We aren't about to leave anytime soon. Lastly, you speak of Iraq as if it exists as a nation-state in the western sense. Iraq is a figment of the western imagination. If a referendum were taken and 50% of Iraqis voted against the US presence...what if 90% of Kurds wanted us to stay and 80% of Shiite's wanted us to leave? Do we leave the Kurds to fend for themselves? This points to item two above: Iraq is less a nation then a agglomeration of discrete regions, tribes, religions, and clans. There are no good solutions to our problem in Iraq but whatever we do at this point should be in our national interests and no one else's.