Article

2008-04-25 Iraq

The men in black vanish and Basra comes to life - How can this be?

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Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2008-04-25 05:08|| || Front Page|| [11131 views ] Top
File under: Mahdi Army

#1 Wow. From the Times, no less.

Every silver lining has a cloud©.

Which is why the good news is overwhelmed by the fact that all the bad news was all the Brisish Army's fault. ...optimism that was last seen when British forces arrived in 2003 with the false promise of a better life ...

Certainly couldn't be the fault of the hopeless locals, who are waiting for the Government to look after the people and provide us with jobs.

Maybe Steyn was right about God 'n' Guns, but those folks all had AK-47's, no? Or is that another Media Myth?

Posted by Bobby 2008-04-25 06:17|| 2008-04-25 06:17|| Front Page Top

#2 If they sent competent Iraqi troops to Basra in the early stages it would have limited the damage that happened in our city, said Hameed Hashim

If frogs had wings, they'd be pigeons. There weren't any competent Iraqi troops in the early stages.

Posted by Bobby 2008-04-25 06:20|| 2008-04-25 06:20|| Front Page Top

#3 Before there were killings. Now its better. I would like the Government to look after the people and provide us with jobs.

May not be many pigs in Iraq, but there are sure a lot of 'sheep'. My worry is that we are not any better off that, but haven't been tested.

Posted by Menhadden Snogum6713 2008-04-25 07:51|| 2008-04-25 07:51|| Front Page Top

#4 As Obama might say, the MSM has been in decline for years and thus has become bitter and as a result they cling to their religion of 'blame the West'.

Posted by mhw 2008-04-25 09:04|| 2008-04-25 09:04|| Front Page Top

#5 MS6713, under Saddam it was impossible to run your own business unless you had 'connections'.

Before we invaded in 2003, only 25% of Iraqis knew a time when Saddam was not in power.

So of COURSE these people want government help with jobs. But .... there's a pretty strong historical culture of entrepreneurism in that part of the world. I suspect that with a little time and some luck that will emerge in useful (as opposed to merely cynical) ways.

Posted by lotp 2008-04-25 10:31|| 2008-04-25 10:31|| Front Page Top

#6 I can hardy believe the Times editors let this go to print [electronic] as it is. ima shocked!

we'd better wait.. it might be sum sort Lefty Jujitsu. nuaunced even..

Posted by RD">RD 2008-04-25 10:38|| 2008-04-25 10:38|| Front Page Top

#7 'From the Times, no less.'

The Times of London, a Tory paper (murdoch owned, I think) which has generally suppported the Iraq war, NOT the New York Times.

Posted by liberalhawk 2008-04-25 10:57|| 2008-04-25 10:57|| Front Page Top

#8 "celebratory gunfire erupted around Basra two nights ago and text messages were pinged from one mobile phone to another after an alleged senior militia leader was arrested."

But I thought the militias were great patriotic heros who had fought "The Man" to a standstill. I'm so confused!

Could the people of Basra be sick of these thugs? Could the MSM be lying?

Al

Posted by Frozen Al 2008-04-25 11:47|| 2008-04-25 11:47|| Front Page Top

#9 The Times of London, a Tory paper (murdoch owned, I think) which has generally suppported the Iraq war, NOT the New York Times.

Have you followed their Iraq coverage LH?

They have a two standard policy covering Iraq..

Their standard is usually critical as hell of the USA, its strategies and tactics and overall record in Iraq.

But in contrast the Times uses an uncritical standard for the Brits when examining the effects of the Brit's "Soft Policy" in Basra and Iraq in general.

Posted by RD">RD 2008-04-25 12:04|| 2008-04-25 12:04|| Front Page Top

#10 "Could the MSM be lying?"

Could a bear ~~shit~~ sleep in the woods, Al? Is water wet? ;-p

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2008-04-25 12:48|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2008-04-25 12:48|| Front Page Top

#11 Well, the Iraqis are not conforming to the MSM storyline, are they?

Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader 2008-04-25 13:13|| 2008-04-25 13:13|| Front Page Top

#12 Our impending victory in Iraq will be the worst defeat for activist media since Goebbels shot himself.

Posted by Atomic Conspiracy 2008-04-25 16:22|| 2008-04-25 16:22|| Front Page Top

#13 favoring Brits over Americans is not surprising in a Tory paper, and is really not relevant to this article which is about a success of the Iraqi Army, and the defeat of the Mahdi Army, not about Yanks vs Brits.

Posted by liberalhawk 2008-04-25 16:48|| 2008-04-25 16:48|| Front Page Top

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