Well, we've sort of been here before, haven't we? The US Left pushes us to stop the war and bring the troops home, and afterwards the bloodshed (predictably) increases. The only one who will be surprised is Chris Matthews. (He'll blame Sarah Palin.)
Posted on 12/18/2011 2:33:34 PM PST by bruinbirdman
A tragedy is presently unfolding in Iraq that makes a mockery of the boast by US defence secretary Leon Panetta that American forces are leaving it a “free, independent and sovereign country”. And in two weeks’ time it seems set to come to a bloody climax.
For some years this column has been drawing attention to the horrible threat that hangs over Camp Ashraf, the once neatly-ordered town on the Iranian border which has, since 2001, been home to 3,400 Iranian exiles, members of the People’s Mujahideen of Iran (PMOI), the leading group opposed to the tyranny of the mullahs in Tehran.
In 2004, the Ashraf residents surrendered their arms in return for personal written guarantees of safety from US General David Phillips. But for months now, in anticipation of the last US forces leaving Iraq, Ashraf has been besieged by thousands of Iraqi troops, under the personal direction of prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. They are acting in league with gangs of thugs from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Tehran’s equivalent of the old Soviet KGB, responsible for ruthless suppression at home and fostering terrorism abroad.
On a recent visit to Washington, Maliki openly admitted that he was preparing to close Ashraf on December 31, at Tehran’s behest. In April an assault on the town left 36 dead and 11 more have died in incidents since. In a fortnight’s time, Ashraf will be invaded and its residents are likely to be slaughtered on the spot or dispersed around Iraq, to be killed at a later date, or deported to face imprisonment or death in Iran.
No one is more anguished by this betrayal, as he recently indicated in a speech, than General Phillips.
But what is most bewildering about the tragedy is the apparent desire of the US and British governments to condone Maliki’s collaboration with the murderous intentions of Tehran – despite protests from an impressive array of former senior US officials and thousands of American and European politicians, including more than 100 from our own Parliament. Why has our Government been so keen to bow to Iran’s wishes, paving the way for the destruction of Ashraf by those same Revolutionary Guards who recently sacked our embassy in Tehran?
Britain’s opaque part in this story has been as disgraceful as anything in the humiliating record of our involvements in Iraq – which is neither free nor independent, and is less of a sovereign country today than it was when ruled by Saddam Hussein
I’m gonna be sick.
Iran has no love lost towards Iraq and would dearly love to swallow Iraq up. Iraq ought to be treating these Iranian protestors of the Iranian regime as friends. Instead of cutting them off at the knees.
Nice link (not).
Well, we've sort of been here before, haven't we? The US Left pushes us to stop the war and bring the troops home, and afterwards the bloodshed (predictably) increases. The only one who will be surprised is Chris Matthews. (He'll blame Sarah Palin.)
Tom Clancy wrote about the Iraq-Iranian Anschluss.
The man is foresighted.
Can you provide a link for this story?
LINK?
Yes
Seems we have a habit of making friends and then leaving them behind to be “dealt with.” But this should not happen; Not this time.
Sigh
What is wrong with us? This is not honorable.
Nor is our president.
Story starts 1/2 way down page
Compulsory shift of Ashraf Camp is an Iranian project - MP
http://en.aswataliraq.info/(S(021tfr55vxajvk21rhxa1fzn))/Default.aspx?page=article_page&c=slideshow&id=146024
Without protection, Camp Ashraf residents face catastrophe
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/without-protection-camp-ashraf-residents-face-catastrophe/2011/12/15/gIQAv3ILzO_story.html
Iraq will quickly descend into virtual civil war with the Kurds in the north likely to form their own state and Shi-ite forces in the south with strong military support from Iran battling Maliki’s forces. I expect Iraq to become a puppet state of Iran by the end of 2012. I feel sad for the families of those brave soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq as their sacrifice thanks to Obama will mean nothing.
Yes we have. It's heartbreaking. And it's Bush II who played the role of LBJ this time.
good intentions + weak follow through = tragedy
“We’re Democrats in office.”
In the interest of painful accuracy - the event pictured took place during the Nixon (a putative Republican) administration....
Actually it was Gerald Ford.
I accept the correction, without conceding my point... ;)
Ejection of staff of Ashraf’s central power station, threatening and provoking residents into violence .
http://www.ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements/ashraf/11542-ejection-of-staff-of-ashrafs-central-power-station-threatening-and-provoking-residents-into-violence
I know, I thought of that.
But it was the demos in office (in congress)
that cut off the funds...plus they had already
made a mess of the execution of the war under
Johnson. :-(
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