| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Iraq | |
| Sunni Triangle Doubts Saddamâs Capture | |
| 2003-12-17 | |
| EFL: In this restive city and across Iraqâs Sunni heartland, many Saddam loyalists refuse to believe that a disheveled and bearded man in U.S. captivity is their ousted leader, whose 23-year rule boosted their position as the countryâs political elite. "It is someone wearing a Saddam mask," volunteered Waleed Ibrahim, a 25-year-old tire repairman in Fallujah. "It is a trick to help President Bush get re-elected." Is he running for the Demmocrap nomination as well? Minutes before he spoke, U.S. tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles and Humvees carrying dozens of troops roared into the city in a show of force after a night of clashes with Saddam loyalists. Jet-fighters screamed overhead and two helicopters dived and swerved at low altitude. "The coalition forces have arrested Saddam Hussein. Reports that it is a Saddam double are false," declared a voice on a loudspeaker fixed on one U.S. Humvee in Fallujah on Tuesday. "The old regime will never come back. This is the end of the Baath party," said the voice, speaking in Arabic. "Whoever carries a weapon will be killed," the voice said. "Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do you?" "This is terrorism," said Hamed Ali, a shopkeeper, who recounted how jets buzzed the city for most of Monday night. "Even children were cursing the Americans." Hamed, we donât care. Iraqâs Sunnis greeted news of the July killings of Saddamâs sons Odai and Qusai with similar disbelief. They often dismiss evidence of crimes against humanity committed by Saddamâs 1979-2003 regime as fabrications of the United States, Iran and their Iraqi allies. The defiance is partly a reaction to the loss of prestige and privileges in a new political order that restored the rights of the countryâs Shiite majority and large Kurdish minority - groups long victimized by the Sunni Arab minority. Between them, they account for about 80 percent of Iraqâs 25 million people. Lost their sweet deal so they bitch. In Tikrit, Saddam loyalists tried to stage a demonstration in support of the former dictator Tuesday, but neither the cityâs U.S.-backed governor nor the U.S. military were prepared to stand by and watch. "Any demonstration against the government or the coalition forces will be fired upon," the governor, Hussein al-Jaburi, said on a loudspeaker mounted on a U.S. military vehicle.
Bwahahahaha! The Army of Stevel strikes again! Iâll bet thereâs a little something from Rummy in Lt. Col Steveâs Christmas stocking this year. | |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #9 "It is someone wearing a Saddam mask," volunteered Waleed Ibrahim, a 25-year-old tire repairman in Fallujah. Apparently, Mr. Ibrahim has been watching too many Pepsi commercials. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-12-17 4:48:07 PM |
| #8 Yeah but our man Steve's is not allowed to use the SWM, it's copyright 1934 USMC. Steve needs the BWM. Seriously tho... yeah. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-17 3:30:10 PM |
| #7 from a dot mil website review of USMC small wars manual 'It recognizes that ultimate victory will only be possible if the root causes for resistance are addressed to the population, be they social, political, or economic. This can only be determined by a study of the history and culture of the native people and mastered by experience in country. Likewise it recognizes a psychological ascendancy in these types of operations, which speaks directly to re-directing the perceptions and beliefs of the native population, either by psychological operations, or by undercutting the insurgentsâ popular support by addressing some of the causes of dissent. Attacking those furnishing material support or improving the lives of the population, obviating their need for insurrectionists, can accomplish this. Personal conduct of US forces must be beyond reproach as âthey judge the United States and the ideals and standards of its people by the conduct of its representatives.â Even-handedness and cognizance of belligerent parties, local politics, and customs is one of the keys to creditability and success.' |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-12-17 2:53:55 PM |
| #6 From today's Andrew Sullivan site [From the Guardian]: In the same northern Iraqi town yesterday, about 700 people rallied, chanting: "Saddam is in our hearts, Saddam is in our blood." US soldiers and Iraqi policemen shouted back: "Saddam is in our jail." |
| Posted by: Carlye 2003-12-17 2:53:30 PM |
| #5 US army has toughened tactics and ROE since October apparently, and these seem to be working. Why tighten them any further, with risks to hearts and minds war? Seems best strategy is differentiate among Sunni areas - in some (Ramadi, Baquba, Balad) things seem to be getting quieter, and/or we have friends. In others (falujah, Samarra, Tikrit) things are much worse. So apply the toughest tactics and ROE to the latter, and reward the former. You need a carrot as well as a stick. And doesnt USMC "small wars" doctrine say that political victory is as important as military, that youre always fighting for hearts and minds? |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-12-17 2:50:17 PM |
| #4 Victor Davis Hanson writes of how Sherman took the war to those southerners who had supported the rebellion and reaped the benefits of slavery while remaining untouched in their deep south havens. This same fate should await those in the Sunni Triangle who have reaped the benefits of Sadam's terror at the expense of the Kurds in the north and the Shia in the south. |
| Posted by: Sgt.DT 2003-12-17 12:00:49 PM |
| #3 Limit energy and water supplies until the people give up the insurgents. As the security situation improves so do the services. |
| Posted by: Tancred 2003-12-17 11:16:10 AM |
| #2 Travel into and out of the Sunni triangle should be severely restricted, including the media. Snipers and ambushes can take out anyone breaking the restriction. This is how the Britts won in Malaysia. Once they are restricted the rest of Iraq can progress without being infected. Also, as Ralph Peters says, if they don't have enough power, or fresh water for all of Iraq the Sunni triangle should be the first one to be hit by the lapse. Let them feel the pain of their own terrorist attacks on oil wells, power and water lines, etc. Let the pain of the war be felt by the Sunni triangle and not by all of Iraq. Eventually they'll come around. |
| Posted by: ruprecht 2003-12-17 11:01:06 AM |
| #1 Lt. Col. Russel deserves something from US. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2003-12-17 9:42:56 AM |