Now who would think that your best friend Would be your worst enemy and your enemy your best friend
by matt at 6:30 am on July 16th, 2007 in Iraq WarMistrust as Iraqi Troops Encounter New U.S. Allies – New York Times (7/16/07):
The gulf between Abu Azzam’s men and the Iraqi soldiers remains vast, with American troops sometimes having to physically intercede. And it is an unmistakable caution that the full depths of the problems facing Iraq cannot be measured in the statistics about insurgent attacks and sectarian killings that carry so much weight in Washington.
[...]
Recently, and without warning, Colonel Pinkerton said, 80 Iraqi soldiers in armored vehicles charged out of their sector toward Nasr Wa Salam but were blocked by an American platoon. The Iraqis refused to say where they were going and threatened to drive right through the American soldiers, whom they greatly outnumbered.Eventually, with Apache helicopter gunships circling overhead and American gunners aiming their weapons at them, the Iraqi soldiers retreated. “It hasn’t come to firing bullets yet,†Colonel Pinkerton said.
I thought all of this was supposed to be a good thing. Maybe now is the time to add a siege to the surge.
JimC wrote:
This is a good thing but it does point out the need for the Iraqi government to pass the needed laws to share power and wealth and integrate Sunni and Shia (and Kurds) into an Iraqi democracy.
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 11:11 am ¶
matt wrote:
i imagine the whole place could be ablaze, gushing oil into the gulf, and you would argue that it was a good thing. that’s why no one considers you a serious person with anything to contribute here.
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 3:39 pm ¶
JimC wrote:
No but I also don’t ignore the fact that Sunnis who were once trying to kill our troops are now working with us. I also noticed that this NYT piece confirmed that fact, granted the Shia majority needs reasons to cooperate with the Sunnis.
Actually, on the ground our military is making huge advances, attacking Al Qaida on all fronts and holding the areas we take from them. But as we have already discussed, we still need the political piece of the puzzle to succeed. Iraq is hardly the Lost War that has been advertised. It appears that we now have a military stategy that is actually working. Right now, it looks like Congress is our troops greatest obstacle to succeeding Iraq.
As for the being taken serious? On this side of the line, that doesn’t really sting much….
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 5:15 pm ¶
matt wrote:
did you not read the part about our troops having to intervene in conflicts with our new best buddies and the army we’re supposed to be training? the army that is backsliding in readiness.
please just go away. or go re-enlist. or both.
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 5:19 pm ¶
JimC wrote:
No, I didn’t miss that part hence the part about me saying the political piece has to be put in place to foster power sharing and cooperation….but this incident is hardly a reason to scuttle the whole progress made with gaining Sunni support.
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 5:29 pm ¶
matt wrote:
they’ll get to it after vacation. they’ll have about as much progresss as before, none. i’m sure all the soldiers who are killed in august will appreciate your optimism and support.
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 5:35 pm ¶
JimC wrote:
You know what, Iraq is turning out like Vietnam…
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 5:38 pm ¶
matt wrote:
i’m not going to read all of that, but i’ll agree with your statement, just not in the same way as you probably think.
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 5:58 pm ¶
sarabeth wrote:
and, so, in another two weeks — three weeks, tops — al Qaida will have been eradicated from Iraq? hooray!
aw-right! way to finger the enemy, dude!
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 6:20 pm ¶
sarabeth wrote:
Here’s a contest for our readers:
“our Sunni insurgent allies having to be restrained at gunpoint from attacking our Iraqi Security Forces allies” is to “pointing out the need for the Iraqi government to pass the needed laws to share power and wealth and integrate Sunni and Shia (and Kurds) into an Iraqi democracy” as “Bush commuting Libby’s sentence” is to what?
Readers are more than welcome to substitute any other statement for “Bush commuting Libby’s sentence”, if they like.
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 6:25 pm ¶
JimC wrote:
I believe it is the other way around unless the reversal was intended, any way, carry on…
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 6:43 pm ¶
sarabeth wrote:
same difference, though, isn’t it?
Posted 16 Jul 2007 at 6:47 pm ¶