Article

2013-04-28 Iraq

Militants kill 5 Iraq soldiers, Sunni protesters form 'army'

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Posted by Fred 2013-04-28 00:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top
File under: Govt of Iraq

#1 seems like things in Iraq returned to the way it was, just as predicted. I bet the average Iraqi in the street would love to see the Americans back in some sort of security role.

Cutting and running when we had things won in Iraq will be one of Champs worst legacy failures

Posted by Mikey Hunt 2013-04-28 01:37|| 2013-04-28 01:37|| Front Page Top

#2 I agree Mikey, a total cock-up. Had we stayed on, one perfect example would be our ability to stop Iranian over-flights to Syria. But that might have been an inhibiting "game changer" for our pals the Russians and Iranians.

Posted by Besoeker 2013-04-28 01:48|| 2013-04-28 01:48|| Front Page Top

#3 When you look at Iraq's location on a map, you begin to understand why we were there and GWB's genius as a commander in chief.

Posted by Mikey Hunt 2013-04-28 02:00|| 2013-04-28 02:00|| Front Page Top

#4 Not to mention the billions of USD invested, when I look at the access we could now be enjoying at places like Al Sahra Airfield [formerly FOB Speicher], and Al-Bakr Air Base [formerly FOB Anaconda] at Balad, I simply want to weep.

Posted by Besoeker 2013-04-28 02:06|| 2013-04-28 02:06|| Front Page Top

#5 The politics would never have worked to keep the US in Iraq.

The problem is our lack of will/ability to do "nation building" the way it has to be done. MacArthur rebuilt Japan in a way that works though I'm not sure a parlimentary system is optimal. We would have had to take over lock, stock and barrel and then make the gov't work in a NON_CORRUPT fashion for long enough to allow the civilians to see that it could work.

Then and only then could you start turning things over slowly with the understanding that we were staying in certain places and wouldn't let them blow it.

Posted by AlanC 2013-04-28 08:14|| 2013-04-28 08:14|| Front Page Top

#6 Tribalism. The unrepentant Leftist Internationalists keep ignoring time and again when nationalism fails, humans revert back to the 'old' order rather than embrace trans-nationalism. If you don't have loyalty to a national identity or undermine it, people fall back upon 'blood'.

Posted by Procopius2k 2013-04-28 08:34|| 2013-04-28 08:34|| Front Page Top

#7 P2K, right on.

For 30 years I've railed against what I labeled "groupism". A rather broader category than tribalism though that's a big component. Virtually all of the political ideologies whether fascism, communism or islamism are really the same.

The key is that the other side of the equation for any of them is individualism. Self styled leaders always try to build groups to either control or demonize because it's easier to push one button and get the proper response from an entire group than it is to push one button for every person.

Posted by AlanC 2013-04-28 09:43|| 2013-04-28 09:43|| Front Page Top

#8 You don't think "diversity" represents a reversion to tribalism, do you?

Now that I think about it, I do.

Posted by Fred 2013-04-28 10:30|| 2013-04-28 10:30|| Front Page Top

#9 He could just not go with the program. You would have both Iran and Syria in check if it was used as a tool instead of a political chip.

Posted by newc 2013-04-28 10:45|| 2013-04-28 10:45|| Front Page Top

#10 The politics would never have worked to keep the US in Iraq. The problem is our lack of will/ability to do "nation building" the way it has to be done.

The key word, as Besoeker said, is "access".

Posted by Pappy 2013-04-28 11:42|| 2013-04-28 11:42|| Front Page Top

#11 Pappy, yup access it is. The proper way to do nation-building would assure us access for the forseeable future.

Posted by AlanC 2013-04-28 12:56|| 2013-04-28 12:56|| Front Page Top

#12 Speicher was 40k's or so from the Iranian border. Balad, a bit further as I recall.

Posted by Besoeker 2013-04-28 13:28|| 2013-04-28 13:28|| Front Page Top

23:03 Thing From Snowy Mountain
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22:25 Pappy
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21:32 Redneck Jim
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20:29 Bill Clinton
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