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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Iraqi |
| 2004-08-24 |
| Looks like they may finally be getting ready to rock the casbah. U.S. and Iraqi forces battled militants in Najaf (search) on Tuesday, and Iraqi National Guardsmen surrounded the holy city's Imam Ali Shrine, where insurgents loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have been holed up for weeks. Iraqi Defense Minister Hazem Shaalan said the guardsmen will use loudspeakers to urge al-Sadr's followers to evacuate the shrine and surrender. "If they don't ... listen to reason, then certainly there will be a very simple operation, a very simple raid," Shalaan told al-Arabiya television. "The decisive hours are near," he said. Such a shame Tater will not be there to see the end result of his handiwork - and the end of a Kurdish Shia Iraqi Special Forces rifle. |
| Posted by:OldSpook |
| #52 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:19 PM |
| #51 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:14:39 PM |
| #50 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:14:38 PM |
| #49 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:20 PM |
| #48 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:19 PM |
| #47 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:22 PM |
| #46 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:21 PM |
| #45 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:21 PM |
| #44 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:21 PM |
| #43 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:20 PM |
| #42 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:20 PM |
| #41 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:23 PM |
| #40 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:23 PM |
| #39 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:22 PM |
| #38 I'm here becuase Rantburg sucks (notice how my name has changed) |
| Posted by: Rantburg 2004-08-24 1:15:22 PM |
| #37 an attention-deficit or stuttering troll |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-08-24 6:37:35 PM |
| #36 So what kind of troll was this one. I mean, Boris was a Serbian Lop-Ear; Murat's an Anatolian Burrowing Troll; NMM and Anti are Common Red Marxian Trolls; but I don't see this species in my Roger Tory Peterson's Field Guide to Troll-Watching. |
| Posted by: Mike 2004-08-24 6:22:12 PM |
| #35 Zhang Fei Actually I think that was what I was trying to say. I guess I did a poor job of it. Anyway, how you said it! |
| Posted by: Michael 2004-08-24 3:39:13 PM |
| #34 litercacy? Ahhh the famous Ship irony! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-08-24 2:32:45 PM |
| #33 This is what happens when we stopped giving litercacy tests at the RB Troll Institute. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-08-24 2:21:05 PM |
| #32 Boris was for a while, while Anti and Sal vie with NMM. This one is just tedious... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-08-24 1:57:30 PM |
| #31 Does Fred have a procedure for becoming an official Rantburg TROLL? Or does any old troll that climbs up through the floorboards get to call themselves the Rantburg TROLL? Besides, I thought Murat was our official troll. |
| Posted by: Classical_Liberal 2004-08-24 1:38:39 PM |
| #30 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:23 PM |
| #29 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:23 PM |
| #28 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:22 PM |
| #27 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:22 PM |
| #26 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:22 PM |
| #25 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:21 PM |
| #24 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:21 PM |
| #23 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:21 PM |
| #22 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:20 PM |
| #21 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:20 PM |
| #20 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:20 PM |
| #19 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:19 PM |
| #18 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:15:19 PM |
| #17 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:14:39 PM |
| #16 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Rantburg TROLL 2004-08-24 1:14:38 PM |
| #15 LOL! Watch me say poot. POOT. |
| Posted by: Krazy Kat 2004-08-24 1:13:43 PM |
| #14 so...then...what are you doing in here? |
| Posted by: B 2004-08-24 1:13:38 PM |
| #13 Rantburg(.com) sucks. |
| Posted by: Anonymous6164 2004-08-24 1:09:18 PM |
| #12 Another way to look at it Zhang Fei is that we kill his followers and then let him go so that he can attract more by saying his escape was a victory. Then a few Iraqi's and a lot of Iranians (easier to kill them in Najaf than go into Iran after them) join up and we slowly bleed the radical numbers. Because they tend to hide in the Mosques we actually have an advantage in that we know where and when and they've given up manuever. It also has the psychological effect of showing the Iraqi Shia who is putting the mosques at risk and who is refraining from damaging them. With the election coming up in Nov it may be time to end the game because many in the states don't have much of a grasp of whats going on over there and freak out at any sign of combat. |
| Posted by: RJSchwarz 2004-08-24 1:05:33 PM |
| #11 Michael: Look at appeasement in 1937-8. It sucked, but you had to admit every last stone was overturned in order to find a peaceful answer. When war finally did come everyone one was on board because there was no doubt that all avenues had been tried and failed. Killing the enemy but delaying a final resolution is the opposite of appeasement. Appeasement is pulling out and not fighting him. What our men are doing is attrition, avoiding the enemy's complete destruction, while cutting his men down. Our people are doing this in order to avoid the appearance that we're bullying him - and thus avoid helping to attract new followers to his cause who might join out of sympathy. This is why we're repeatedly putting out peace overtures on the terms that we've defined (which he can't accept without abject humiliation) so he can reject them and make himself look unreasonable. This accomplishes two goals - it makes Sadr look like a hardliner who won't listen to reason - reducing the flow of recruits and increases the number of people who flock to the Iraqi government's position. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-08-24 12:01:17 PM |
| #10 Actually there may be some truth in that. Look at appeasement in 1937-8. It sucked, but you had to admit every last stone was overturned in order to find a peaceful answer. When war finally did come everyone one was on board because there was no doubt that all avenues had been tried and failed. Sometimes I think that is what is going on here. And I apologize for my somewhat sarcastic remark earlier, it was only intended as earth humor :-) |
| Posted by: Michael 2004-08-24 11:48:10 AM |
| #9 Old Spook convinced me to stay patient a little while longer. What convinces me is that if Allawi wants to get elected, he needs to take Tater off the political table. Part of this is making sure that he doesn't turn him into a martyr. A lot of this dancing has been focused on convincing people not in the combat zone that Tater is in fact the thug he is. This process appears to be near completion. At least I hope. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-08-24 11:39:38 AM |
| #8 maybe..but I think this may be it. They've probably spent the last week making sure that, if the shrine was rigged with explosives, the red and blue wires are no longer touching. I'm feeling optimistic that perhaps this could be it. The marines prepared the stage, wrote the script and helped the Iraqi's rehearse their lines. Now it's show-time for the Iraqi's. While it this might just be the dress rehearsal - I think we are about to witness an old fashion, 7th century like attack on a castle. Wow. Awesome. History unfolding before our eyes. |
| Posted by: B 2004-08-24 11:12:43 AM |
| #7 "The decisive hours are near," he said. Sorry, but the current situation is the result of a LACK of decisiveness. Decisive means setting a deadline for compliance and following through with consequences for not complying. At this point, the only thing that would succeed in restoring even a semblance of faith in the Iraqi government would be for them to finally send in the commandos to kill Sadr and throw his broken body out into the street in front of their stupid little "shrine". |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-08-24 11:06:19 AM |
| #6 "Aw, come on guys. Give me one more one more chance." /Tyson They'll ring the shrine and make a big show for the press. Then Mookie and Co. will come out with big hugs for their Iraqi brethren, who will let them go as long as they promise to behave. And we'll do this again next year. Wash, rinse, repeat. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-08-24 10:31:12 AM |
| #5 Don't believe it. These guys never heard of the "Boy who cryed wolf" |
| Posted by: plainslow 2004-08-24 10:30:15 AM |
| #4 Not to get excited, The is not the final absolutly no more warnings this is it read my lips I am totalally serious about this if you don't stop this nonsense you're are all going to die last chance, the is only the absolute I'm not going to tell you again final I will not repeat this warning again last chance. |
| Posted by: Michael 2004-08-24 10:11:38 AM |
| #3 I'd love to find hash as the special on tomorow's breakfast menu. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-08-24 9:51:09 AM |
| #2 DO they fry taters in Iraq? Heck, do they HAVE taters in Iraq? So how are we sure these guys will properly take care of THIS tater? |
| Posted by: Ptah 2004-08-24 9:27:28 AM |
| #1 Oh crud! Fed/Moderators - this is supposed to be page 1. One thing to note: they do not describe the forces there - but you can bet your bottom dollar that its the SF battalion. And the defense minister is right: It is probably a very simple assault now that the Marines and Cav have peeled the defenses back and attritted them severely. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-08-24 8:44:31 AM |