Report Will Shed More Doubt Over Iraq's Maliki

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

Intelligence Report Will Say Maliki Cannot Stop Sectarian Bloodshed or Meet Beachmarks

A new intelligence report to be released Thursday will shed more doubt about Iraqi President Malikis ability to quell sectarian violence and meet congressional benchmarks.

ABC News has confimed a New York Times report that U.S. intelligence agencies will issue a new assessment Thursday expressing doubt about al-Maliki's ability to end the violence that's tearing his country apart.

The assessment will also reportedly show doubt in the fledgling government's ability to meet benchmarks toward achieving political unity. The Times' story cites unidentified officials.

It comes just a day after President Bush scrambled to show his support for the embattled Iraqi leader. Bush called him a "good man with a difficult job," after expressing frustration with the ongoing political tensions in Iraq.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3514233

[seemslikeadream]

1. Military Coup Planned for Iraq?

http://juancole.com /

A rumor is circulating among well-connected and formerly high-level Iraqi bureaucrats in exile in places like Damascus that a military coup is being prepared for Iraq. I received the following from a reliable, knowledgeable contact. There is no certitude that this plan can or will be implemented. That it is being discussed at high levels seems highly likely.

"There is serious talk of a military commission (majlis `askari) to take over the government. The parties would be banned from holding positions, and all the ministers would be technocrats, so to speak. . .

The six-member board or commission would be composed on non-political former military personnel who are presently not part of the government OR the military establishment, such as it is in Iraq at the moment. It is said that the Americans are supporting this behind the scenes.

The plan includes a two-year period during which political parties would not be permitted to be part of the government, but instead would prepare and strengthen the parties for an election which would not have lists, but real people running for real seats. The two year period would be designed to take control of security and restore infrastructure.

. . .t is another , but one which many many Iraqis will support, since they are sick of their country being pulled apart by the "imports" - Maliki, Allawi, Jaafari et al. The military group is composed of internals, people who have the goal of securing the country even at the risk of no democracy, so they say. "

[Xithras]

4. I never thought I'd say this, but I'd support one at this point.

The Iraqi government is simply too weak. If the U.S. left Iraq today, the nation would devolve into chaos and civil war because the current structure simply doesn't have the support to survive. OTOH, we will NEVER stabilize the country ourselves because our presence is helping to drive the insurgency in the first place. Many Iraqi's don't want us there, so they join whatever rebel group is closest to them in order to fight us.

The only solution seems to be replacing the current import (U.S. backed) government with a homegrown one, but there isn't enough support for the current system and parties to build one. The country needs to be stabilized before any real chance at democracy can occur, and neither the U.S. or the U.N. will be capable of doing that. An internal military coup might be the best shot at this point. Let the Iraqi's stabilize and unite their own country, and then push for democratic reforms to open up the government.

As long as they don't end up with another Hussein or a Musharraf who refuses to relinquish power, it might be the best viable path towards a stable Iraq and ending our involvement in the war.

[unhappycamper]

2. Nir Rosen did a report on DemocracyNOW! the other day about displaced Iraqis.

Fuckwad (take your pick) has done a marvelous job. :sarcasm:

The video, as well as the transcript can be seen/found here.

[rodeodance]

3. more doubts. more doubts and more and more doubts

[Barrett808]

5. Intel report questions Iraq's progress

Source: Associated Press

Intel report questions Iraq's progress
By PAULINE JELINEK and KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi government will become more precarious over the next six to 12 months and its security forces have not improved enough to operate without outside help, intelligence analysts conclude in a new National Intelligence Estimate.

Despite uneven improvements, the analysts concluded that the level of overall violence is high, Iraq's sectarian groups remain unreconciled, and al-Qaida in Iraq is still able to conduct its highly visible attacks.

"Iraqi political leaders remain unable to govern effectively," the 10-page document concludes. A copy was obtained by The Associated Press in advance of its release Thursday.

The report represents the collaborative judgments of all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organization of each military service. It comes at a time of renewed tensions between Washington and Baghdad.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070823/ap_on_go_ot/us_iraq

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. translation from the White House:

Everyone agrees that the surge is working. We are seeing real progress everywhere we look. Our brave men and women are doing a great job and to stab them in the back by not continuing to support the surge would cause a disaster.
Our intel agencies issued a report which provides a great roadmap of how to achieve true success, and we thank them for their insight and service. The intel report correctly states that the surge is working, and also explains how much further we have to go. This is hard work, this is important work, and it is critical that we do not quit now.

[underpants]

9. More cover for the decision that the ruling party has already made

The ruling party is DC and their corporate media perimeter

NPR did their duty here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1638673&mesg_id=1638673

and the WaPo followed up the next day
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1640001&mesg_id=1640001

[lazer47]

7. "16 U.S. Intelligence agencies" isn't that what you call

Oxymoron, or is that GWB, that is an Oxymoron

[mr_hat]

8. Yeah but... wait to see what Patreaus sez.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

11. apparently, the troops in Iraq

know him better than the pols in DC, and their favorite nickname for that ass-licking, self-promoting, whitehouse mouthpiece is Betray Us.

I heard someone (a retired colonel) on Air America yesterday. He gave a litany of failures by Betrayus in IRaq, starting with losing 1/3 of all arms he was supposed to give to the Iraq army.

[underpants]

10. LOL two paragraphs in the article not posted in the original

The 4 paragraph rule really bites in a situation like this I know Barrett

So it's not that it is bad you see it just isn't PERFECT...yet

The report says that Iraqi Security Forces, working alongside the United States, have performed "adequately." However, it says they haven't shown enough improvement to conduct operations without U.S. and coalition forces and are still reliant on others for key support.

And here is the kicker-it's not strategy or tactics or cultural or sociologic issues that cause the problem, no it is CRITICISM

The report predicts that the Iraqi government "will become more precarious over the next six to 12 months" because of criticism from members of Iraqi Shiite parties, Iraq's top Shiite religious figure Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and other Sunni and Kurdish factions.

:rofl:

What another steaming heaping load of crap that everyone EVERYONE in DC is literally rubbing all over themselves for cover.