Posted on 08/30/2006 7:05:15 AM PDT by jmc1969
Iraq's defence minister declared the army's truce with Shiite militants in the central city of Diwaniyah null and void on Wednesday and demanded an inquiry into the murder of 13 soldiers.
Fighting erupted in Diwaniyah on Sunday between Iraqi army troops and the Mahdi Army militia. Officials reported that 23 soldiers, 50 militants and eight civilians were killed before local officials could negotiate a ceasefire.
Visiting the city Wednesday, Defence Minister Abdel Qader Jassim Mohammed denounced the truce under which the army agreed to pull out of residential areas, and rejected the idea of concessions to the gunmen.
He also said that 13 of the military's dead had been "executed" by the militia fighters and demanded that this be investigatied while an "extraordinary security plan" be implemented in the city.
Can't we just all get along? Isn't what all people want is "freedom and democracy"?
Perhaps NOT!
Then turn Diwaniyah back into the dirt it was made out of. Just maybe then they will get the message.
You are sounding like Pinchy Sulzberger.
Diwaniyah is pretty close to the dirt hole already. There's an Iraqi Army brigade there next to the Polish HQ so this should provide plenty of coalition building opportunities as they push back the Mahdi/Iranians.
The way to negotiate a ceasefire is to kill the "militants". They are not part of the Iraqi security forces.
A requirement for "freedom and democracy" is the rule of law. Because there is lawless banditry, or islamofascism there should be a higher desire for rule of law, democracy and freedom! - Especially as these groups concentrate their power and to do so ... begin to exclude more and more people!
Do you really conclude that the existence of fascists and or murderous power seeking groups proves that other nonaffilliated people do not want freedom, democracy and rule of law? Is it too late to go join the Mahdi army?
Sadr finally going bye-bye?
The problem with the Mahdi army is that for every Mahdi fighter there are 5-10 (or more) family members in the area that support them. The Mahdi army operates in areas where they have widespread support. The notion that these fascist create a tension with others who want freedom is, I think, incorrect. There is little such tension. There are other ares of Iraq (Mosul comes to mind) where such a polarity exists, but the areas the Madhi army operates aren't nearly as open to the new government.
The Iraqi army should surround the city and absolutely clean house. Take no prisoners. Establish total dominance. Thats the ONLY thing these people will understand and respond to. Losing large numbers of their fighters (50 in this case) does NOT 'click' with them. Kill 3,000 of them and they will start to scratch their heads. Kill all 5,000 of these fighters, including Al-Sadr, and they will begin to comply.
I wish you were correct because if you were the Mahdi army would struggle getting support from the locals. But the locals support them whole heartedly. Total destruction at the hands of an outside force is the only solution to savages.
In the old days, we could firebomb 100,000 + in the morning and sleep like babies in the evening.
If it worked then, it could work now too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.