Posted on 03/26/2008 12:29:16 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's prime minister on Wednesday gave gunmen in the southern oil port of Basra three days to surrender their weapons and renounce violence as clashes between security forces and Shiite militia fighters erupted for a second day.
Suspected Shiite extremists also unleashed rockets or mortars against the U.S.-protected Green Zone in central Baghdad for the third day this week.
Three Americans were seriously injured in the attacks, U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said. At least eight Iraqis also were killed after rounds fell short in several areas of Baghdad.
At least 55 people have been killed and 300 wounded in Basra and Baghdad after the fighting spread to the capital's main Shiite district of Sadr City, police and hospital officials said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Having the Iraqi troops kill them all, would be the best way forward.
Maliki asserts authority, some refuse. This is how Iraq will transition to autonomy.
Where We Stand on Iraq and the Election
FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | March 26, 2008 | Victor Davis Hanson
Posted on 03/26/2008 5:31:29 AM PDT by SJackson
*************************Intro Excerpt**********************
Nationally syndicated columnist, classicist, and military historian Victor Davis Hanson gave the following speech to the Wednesday Morning Club on Thursday, March 20, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, California. The Wednesday Morning Club regularly invites conservative speakers to speak in the Hollywood area. For more information, visit the WMC website. -- The Editors.
I saw a startling statistic that said that 24% of all stories in the New York Times until last year were devoted to Iraq, and this year, 3% were. I saw a column the other day, and it said, "How to resolve the quagmire." And I looked down, it was about the Democratic race.
What's happened is that the surge has changed things -- not that 30,000 men and a force of 130,000 in a country of 26 million can itself change the pulse of the battlefield, but it came as a culmination of a lot of other things. We had been fighting for four and a half years when it took hold. And we've killed over 20,000 insurgents. In the aggregate, that total is impressive.
Remember, in post-modern war, we're only allowed to talk about how much we suffer, not what we do to the enemy. For the first time in history of warfare that's been true. But we have done enormous damage to the enemy, and it's starting to now take its toll.
*********************EXCERPT********************
Posted by: Curt @ 9:36 am
You can feel the utter joy coming from the writers at the NYT’s and the tabloid newspaper, Mclatchy, on their reporting of Iraq today. Joy at maybe, just maybe!, the Surge will fail and they can go back to blaming Bush. First, take a look at this doozy of a headline by Mclatchy, written by Leila Fadel and Ali al Basri:
“Battles Wrack Basra, Threatening Success of U.S. Surge.”
Please.
The Times at least put a few opposing voices into their article:
“Maliki Gives Shiite Militias 72 Hours to Halt Fighting”
But in the Times version they attempt to portray a few acts of violence in Baghdad as somehow connected to the attack in Basra. Makes for a better story you see.
This fight was a long time in coming since central-government control of the city has to be restored if the federal government is going to be successful. After the British pulled out of Basra the turf wars began between the Badr Brigades and the Sadr Mahdi Army. A gang war if you will. Sadr asked his Mahdi Army to stand down but they have refused, which is good. The sooner they are defeated the sooner its over, no way the gang can win this thing. Probably the reason Sadr told them to stand down. He understands they cannot win militarily….but thugs being thugs, they continue to fight and be killed.
Good on them.
The Sadrists can blame Maliki all they want. For a federal government to work there must be central government control. No smoke and mirrors and wink-wink baloney.
The fact of the matter is that those who hope we can leave Iraq soon should be praying that the American trained Iraqi troops perform well in this much needed operation. They succeed and we all have proof that they are one step closer to being able to defend their country by themselves.
I hope Maliki means what he says, and that the Iraqi army is strong enough to back him up. Private militias are incompatible with stable government and with the economic recovery of Iraq. They must be disbanded; failing that, they must be exterminated.
Maliki's Moment of Truth in Basra
***********************
More like Sadr's Moment of Truth....
Tick... Tick... Tick...
Whack ‘em good, Maliki! or step down if you don’t have the stomach for peacemaking.
Tick... Tick... Tick...
How’s MuggTy doing, any words from him lately? ‘bout time his little army of thugs was taken down..
3 days is 5 years too long. Blow them up!
Tough talk but what is the PM plans to actually -do- something about it?
Zzzzzzzzz ......
Street Battles As Army Tackles Militants
****************************EXCERPT***********************
However, Sadr warned he would launch protests and a nationwide strike if the attacks were not stopped.
"We demand that religious and political leaders intervene to stop the attacks on poor people," he said in a statement.
Appeasement runs so stinking deep in politicians' genetic makeup that it makes me want to puke.
Three days? They have already had 5 years.
First they have to let them take their bullets out of their shirt pockets.
Putting a bullet into Sadr’s head would help heal Iraq and then killing every Iranian interposer would also help build confidence in the Iraqui army’s power.
Exactly right!
24 terrorists killed in Baghdad
Multi-National Corps | March 27, 2008 | Iraq Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
Posted on 03/27/2008 3:17:40 PM EDT by mdittmar
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992656/posts
Mookie is still in Iran and has issued a few blatherings the last few days.
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