Article

2006-10-17 Iraq

Six engineers, security guard killed in southern Baghdad

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2006-10-17 00:00|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 You have the Mahdi Army rescuing guys were kidnapped, tortured, and nearly murdered. How are they going to be disarm Taters boys?

Maybe there is some global insight Americans serving in Iraq or in D.C. have that give them a reason for optimism. All I know about Iraq is what I read on the net. But from out here on the west coast it's difficult to see things working out well in Mesoptamia.

I was optimistic up till a couple of months ago. Weve been waiting a long time for the Iraqis to get it together. Whats going to change in the next few months that will pacify the situation?

Posted by Vance Bedbug 2006-10-17 02:35|| 2006-10-17 02:35|| Front Page Top

#2 The end of the Sunnis, perhaps.

Posted by .com 2006-10-17 02:37|| 2006-10-17 02:37|| Front Page Top

#3 Vance Bedbug, the common mistake is to see the Iraq theater as something discrete/separate from the overall war on Islamonazism. It is not. It is a part and parcel of the same war. Just a specific location, similar as Afghanistan.

I am not sure to what degree the overall strategy in WOI (war on Islamonazism) has been formulated, but if it has not been seen that way intitially, by accident it must be apparent that the war covers much larger scope that initially anticipated.

In the light of the overall strategy, the sectarian infighting within Iraq has some positive aspects. The famous "flypaper" strategy is still valid today, despite that the influx of jihadi warriors into Iraq's theater diminished (with large volume killed off). This time it is mostly Iraqi jihadis of different stripes that mutually extinguish their respective gene pools.

Yea, the civilians... sucks. But in a way, they are lucky. Iranian civilians may have to deal with less fortunate circumstances, they way things seem to be going.

Posted by twobyfour 2006-10-17 06:48|| 2006-10-17 06:48|| Front Page Top

#4 Well said, twobyfour. Also, a matter of perspective, Mr. Bedbug. I don't know if you saw her post on the subject yesterday, but lotp reminded us that this is not a quick war, like WWI or WWII, but likely will take twenty years to win -- similar to the Cold War, or the Indian troubles in the 19th century. Of which, as twobyfour so nicely explains, Iraq is only one battlefield -- we've got troops shaping things across Asia and Africa, and I suspect even South America, in this war the Caliphate wannabees have been waging against the Free World since the 1980s or longer. We Americans aren't a patient people, I'm afraid, but fortunately our military are able to take a longer view.

Oh, and welcome! This is exactly the place to bring such concerns as yours. :-)

Posted by trailing wife 2006-10-17 07:10|| 2006-10-17 07:10|| Front Page Top

#5 Remember in most/all parts of Iraq the coalition allows families to have one AK-47 per household for their own protection, apparently this has been the policy since the occupation began. The German populace was largely disarmed after V-E day, & the allies had the numbers of boots on the ground to enforce disarmament, unlike Iraq. If every Iraqi with a grudge against another Iraqi took it out with the domestic weapon, the population of Iraq would fall by half overnight.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2006-10-17 19:38|| 2006-10-17 19:38|| Front Page Top

#6 AH -
"...population of Iraq would fall by half overnight."

And the process would repeat night by night for a month and the whole Iraq problem would be solved. Maybe this should be pursued for the next Ramadan.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2006-10-17 22:07|| 2006-10-17 22:07|| Front Page Top

23:56 Zenster
23:56 gromgoru
23:53 Zenster
23:51 anon
23:50 RD
23:50 Zenster
23:46 anon
23:42 anon
23:40 3dc
23:35 anon
23:31 RD
23:30 trailing wife
23:29 gromgoru
23:24 Old Patriot
23:24 twobyfour
23:23 JSU
23:22 Joluling Cravimp8492
23:21 3dc
22:52 Barbara Skolaut
22:49 Barbara Skolaut
22:48 Indiana Jones
22:48 Old Patriot
22:47 Zenster
22:43 phil_b