Insurgents stage defiant parades in string of towns west of Baghdad

[sabra]

http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=5567605&nav=3YeX

Insurgents stage defiant parades in string of towns west of Baghdad

(Baghdad, Iraq-AP, Oct. 20, 2006 2:15 PM) _ Al-Qaida-linked gunmen staged military-like parades Friday in a string of towns west of Baghdad, underlining the growing confidence of Sunni insurgents in a part of Iraq where U.S. and Iraqi forces maintain a heavy counterinsurgency presence.

Like the audacious show of force by up to 60 insurgents in the city of Ramadi on Wednesday, the latest parades -- including two less than a mile from U.S. military bases -- were staged in support of an announcement this week by a militant Sunni Arab group that it had created an Islamic state in six of Iraq's 18 provinces, including the capital, Baghdad.

...

Significantly, two of Friday's four parades -- involving dozens of gunmen in the towns of Haditha and Haqlaniyah -- took place less a mile from U.S. military bases, according to witnesses. There were no reports of clashes.

Besides Haditha and Haqlaniyah, parades were also held in the towns of Bani Daher and Rwah, all of which are in Anbar, a vast and mostly desert province where the Sunni insurgency has been fiercest since Saddam Hussein's ouster in 2003. Ramadi is Anbar's provincial capital.

[Benhurst]

1. By this time next year,

they'll probably be able to have floats.

[bif]

6. I can just imagine the pom-pom parties!

[saigon68]

20. Or a Rose Petal Parade for Mercenaries in Fallujah

[rodeodance]

2. rather blatenly slapping it in the face of US troops.

[catnhatnh]

3. Democracy IS on the march in Iraq...

....in the US they'd have to march in a "free speech" zone.....

[annabanana]

4. And this is in ADDITION to the installation of the Mahdi Army

in the Southeast...

"Things are going swimmingly", right Condi?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. some admiral on CNN was trying to say we are succeeding there.

I may have misheard him; he may have said suck seeding instead.

Of course, when Abizaid and Casey are pulled in from IraqNam, on an emergency basis, guess what.

It won't be Rummie's head that rolls.

[katinmn]

7. "It's their last big hurrah." -- Dick Cheney

[yellowcanine]

8. Last throes of a bunch of deadenders, just a comma.

[maxsolomon]

9. sounds like our army is holing up in their bases

and conceding to defacto partition.

getting realistic if you ask me.

now lets get the fuck out & let the central state collapse already. the kurds still love us, and the oil isn't going anywhere while the arabs are sorting their territories out.

[saigon68]

17. That's exactly what they are doing

Holing up on their bases

[happyslug]

21. Worse, told to cut down fuel usage to keep gas prices low

Till after the election, then they can buy all the fuel they can (and you will see the price of gasoline goes up). I my own opinion, I believe the Bush needed the price of Gasoline to fall before this election to stand any chance of holding onto Congress. Thus in May the US Military were told to stand down and thus reduce fuel usage (And why the US Army pulled back into Baghdad, it was a target the US Army could take on with minimum usage of fuel compared to the rest of the Country, everything is within range of Fire Bases so no need for Air Support, roads are paved so can use Wheeled Vehicles instead of more fuel thirsty tracked vehicles and Baghdad is on the main supply line so that less fuel is used to get fuel to the troops. All together with reduced air flights domestically, you can have enough of a drop in demand for fuel to force the price DOWN (Various estimates puts the US Oil usage at anywhere from 5-10% of world wide fuel usage).

Given that the reason fuel prices are up is that production has roughly equaled demand for the last few years, a 5% dropping world wide oil usage would lead to a drop in price (Which is want Bush wanted for this election).

[Heidi]

10. Kick.

:kick:

[saigon68]

11. Gunmen stage parades in Iraqi towns

Gunmen stage parades in Iraqi towns

Published Saturday, October 21, 2006

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2006/Oct/20061021News016.asp

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Al-Qaida-linked gunmen staged military-like parades yesterday in a string of towns west of Baghdad, underlining the growing confidence of Sunni insurgents in a part of Iraq where U.S. and Iraqi forces maintain a heavy counterinsurgency presence.

Like the audacious show of force by up to 60 insurgents in the city of Ramadi on Wednesday, the latest parades - including two less than a mile from U.S. military bases - were staged in support of an announcement this week by a militant Sunni Arab group that it had created an Islamic state in six of Iraq’s 18 provinces, including the capital, Baghdad.

The masked gunmen, who shouted "God is great," wore white overalls - a color that indicates their readiness to die. They carried assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns.

The gunmen also distributed candy and new clothes to gathered children, a gesture to mark the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr, which is next week. Shops on the street where the parade was held remained open, and none of the shoppers appeared intimidated or worried by the presence of the gunmen.

[C_U_L8R]

12. look who's being greeted as liberators

good going Bush.. you've lead our country to disgrace.

[Benhurst]

13. Well, the Bush Crime Family said they would be giving flowers

to our troops. This must be a belated Rose Bowl Parade of sorts, Iraqi style.

[soothsayer]

14. VICTORY! They're defending themselves without our help. Let's

roll!

[iamtechus]

15. "Al-Qaida-linked gunmen"

How could they tell? Did the gunmen have an Al-Qaida flag? Do "Al Quaida-linked gunmen" wear a uniform?

[Boojatta]

16. "The masked gunmen ..."

Exactly what is the difference between a mask and a veil?

[tabasco]

18. Are they putting up the Bush statues yet?

Fox News said they would be building statues of Bush in Iraq.

Are these parades to unveil new Bush statues or what?

[Az_lefty]

19. This is an utter embarrassment...

in your face activism by insurgents...we need to get our people the hell out of there.