U.S. Plans New Tack After Iraq Elections

[ckramer]

Sunday, January 23, 2005

The United States plans to revise its approach to the insurgency after Iraq's elections next week, beefing up the new Iraqi military by bringing back more troops and officers from Saddam Hussein's former army and moving Iraqis into the front lines after earlier false starts.

The broad goal is to let Iraqis assume increasing responsibility for the stabilization of Iraq and to diminish the American face on the campaign against the insurgents, according to U.S. and allied officials. The shift reflects the growing consensus among U.S. and Iraqi officials that the current strategy may be spurring greater opposition and deeper anger at the coalition, possibly even making the counterinsurgency unwinnable as it is now being conducted, they say.

The administration has been talking for weeks about a further intensification of Iraqi training. But the more significant shift being pursued is an acceleration in the deployment of Iraqi forces against the insurgents. "It's time now to get them out into the fight," said an administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the subject.

wp

[amber dog democrat]

1. Back in the early 70s we called it Vietnamizatin.

Maybe it will work this time but I have my doubts.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Sounds more like

cut and run to me.

Plus they need fresh troops for then next phase of the PNAC doctrine.

[amber dog democrat]

6. I think for them the real trick is to keep the oil flowing

and plugging the political vacuums as they occur.
for as long as they can.

Vietnamization was cut and run too. It did not last very long either. You'd have to be insane to want to work with the American led puppet regime.

[ckramer]

5. Iraqis on US' side are fighting for money; insurgent Iraqis are fighting

for their country's freedom from foreign occupiers. Comparing with that of Vietnam, nothing has changed.

[Rockerdem]

12. This is Shiite-ization -- the opposite of Vietnamization

This is why the Shiites have been so complacent, almost complicit. Sunnis blood is going to run in the streets. Hang on to your hats.

[amber dog democrat]

16. I am sure it is wrong to weigh in

Sunni blood is already running in the streets - and wait for the civil war.....but I tend to side with the Shiites. I don't see the Sunnis as our friends either - or at least those who come from the wahabis are not - but then I am not overly fond of our own domestic Xtian conservatives either. I am sure the fundies would arrange a blood bath here if they could. - in fact I have no use for religion at all.

[Rockerdem]

17. Rooting for the Sunnis against Shiites is like pulling for the South

Most people on both sides are innocent, and are the victims of this screwed-up gigantic mess. But I cannot bring myself to root for the Iraqi equivalents of Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jacksons against the people they enslaved. Sorry, just a personal thing.

[customerserviceguy]

19. The outcome I see is

that the Sunnis and the Shiites will kill each other down, and in ten years, the Kurds will come in and mop up what's left. It's like Yugoslavia after Tito died, his boot on top of all the regions of the country kept the various ethnic groups from fighting each other. When it was lifted, they just went back into "normal" mode, and the only way to keep them at peace is to appoint babysitters to sit in neutral zones between them.

Only in the case of Iraq, I really don't see any country willing to take up the policeman role, I figure that the US is getting weary of it already.

[NNN0LHI]

20. Ain't that simple

There are Kurds who hate Kurds of different factions worse than they hated Saddam. There are Shiite and Sunni factions who feel the same way about other fellow Shiite and Sunni factions. Lot of bad blood built up over many years.

Don

[tlcandie]

2. Haven't they BEEN trying this already for some time now and

they keep being murdered or walking out or pretending to be Iraqi military when they are spies or whatever?

:shrug:

I can't keep up with the vicious circle of propaganda that comes forth regarding Iraq!!

[NNN0LHI]

4. I hope they don't sign up too many more suicide bombers in their haste n/t

[Jim__]

7. The US is beefing up the Iraqi military after the elections?

Isn't it the responsibility of a sovereign state to decide what state to keep its military in? And to decide who is in its military?

[shraby]

8. Remember that James Baker said

we should pull out of Iraq. Poppy is in charge and he instructs James Baker and James Baker just gave Shrub his notice on what to do.

[NNN0LHI]

9. Baker also advised not to invade Iraq

No one listens to that old coot no more.

Don

[Laurab]

15. No, Poppy isn't in charge

actually, I don't think he has any say at all. His offshrub has banned most of poppy's friends from his circle too. They have differing opinions, and bushit jr answers to a "higher father". I really think the only thing poppy is allowed to do is damage control sometimes, but you can count on junior to open his mouth and undo what little good pops has done.

[NYC]

11. You and I might think so,

but it just isn't the Bush way.

[bemildred]

10. More pie in the sky by and by ...

I guess this is sort of an admission that the "elections", like the
"handover of sovereignty" before it, is dead on arrival. So the
occupation is going to stall some more and hope for a lucky break.

[exploited]

13. Iraqi freedom fighter VS. Iraqi freedom fighter

These BS 'strategy shifts' are ceaseless:

"We will be pushing back on visibility and pushing the Iraqis to the forefront."

The Iraqi freedom fighters (aka insurgents) do not distinguish between the US troops or the Iraqi security forces or anyone else working to further the aims of the US Government. They are all targets and the Iraqi "collaborators" are the weakest and most ill equipped to defend themselves.

Solution (to rising US deaths toll & dwindling resources):
Put the Iraqis to the 'forefront', stand back (in the shadows) and let them get slaughtered.
Let the Iraqi pawns march as connonfodder before the junkyard armoured, Pepsi swilling, oil fuelled, insurgent phalanx -- it's their country after all. As apprentice US Citizens, it is only fitting that they should learn to "fight for their country". Iraq desperately needs it's own war force to fight for the FREEDOM of DEMOCRACY and the LIBERATION of oil.

Now the US has more free resources to concentrate on the War on Hearts & Minds of those still undecided about igniting 'untamed fires or freedom'.

[Rockerdem]

18. Are you sure you know whats going on over there?

The Shiites outnumber the Sunnis 3-1. They have been biding their time, taking casualties without retribution and smacking down their own insurgents. They have been waiting for the elections, not to collaborate with the coalition, but to take power and deal with their bitter foes.

We might get into the middle of it, or the stronger possibility is that we will be told to leave by the Shiites. And then there will be no choice but to obey.

This is what the OP article is about. In the next 6-24 months, we will arm the Shiites to the teeth and leave them to deal with the Sunnis as they see fit. My guess is that it wont be pretty. Especially if the Kurds lend a hand. No one knows.

[DrBB]

14. Gotta free up those US troops for Iran

Lots more invading on the agenda. Need a few troops to handle the occupation of Iran. Couple hundred at least.

[struggle4progress]

21. kick

[Javaman]

22. What happened to de-Bathification? Hmmm, seems as if...

The US Army is filthy now and needs to take a bath.
Sorry couldn't miss the obvious bad pun.