Stalled assault on Basra exposes the Iraqi government's shaky authority

[Nitrogenica]

Source: The Independent

By Patrick Cockburn
Friday, 28 March 2008


The Iraqi army's offensive against the Shia militia of the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Basra is failing to make significant headway despite a pledge by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to fight "to the end".


Instead of being a show of strength, the government's stalled assault is demonstrating its shaky authority over much of Baghdad and southern Iraq. As the situation spins out of Mr Maliki's control, saboteurs blew up one of the two main oil export pipelines near Basra, cutting by a third crude exports from the oilfields around the city. The international price of oil jumped immediately by $1 a barrel before falling back.

In Baghdad, tens of thousands of supporters of Mr Sadr, whose base of support is the Shia poor, marched through the streets shouting slogans demanding that Mr Maliki's government be overthrown. "We demand the downfall of the Maliki government," said one of the marchers, Hussein Abu Ali. "It does not represent the people. It represents Bush and Cheney."

The main bastion of the Sadrist movement is impoverished Sadr City, which has a population of two million and is almost a twin city to Baghdad. The densely packed slum has been sealed off by US troops. "We are trapped in our homes with no water or electricity since yesterday," said a resident called Mohammed. "We can't bathe our children or wash our clothes."



Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/stalled-assault-on-basra-exposes-the-iraqi-governments-shaky-authority-801776.html

[frogcycle]

1. talk about having a tiger by the tail

sealing off Sadr City may prove to be the second stupidest move made since the invasion (the first being disbanding the army).

Seal in 2 million people, starve them, deprive them of electricity, get them really, rteally mad, while their brethren in the south are kicking butt against the puppet government...

So what do you do after a few days of keeping them sealed up? Release them or kill them?

Neither one seems likely to result in a big public relations boost.


Someone is an idiot.

[Botany]

2. We are now helping the Shia who are more radical and more pro Iran ....

.... fight the Shia who are more nationalistic.

The whole country could split wide open anytime now.

[frogcycle]

5. I have a feeling the split done already happened

Kind of like the ice shelf in Antarctica - it may still be poised in its original position, but it's a-goin!

[ladywnch]

3. not just some'one'.......MANY idiots are involved

[frogcycle]

4. indeed

that was intentional understatement

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. There has to be a reason why the USA ignored Basra in it's initial invasion.

.
.
.

Maybe we'll find out in the near future.

The USA's foray into the Middle East is looking like an utter failure.

Even getting Saddam executed is looking like a bad idea, too late on that one.

The USA is in the position of NOT being able to leave Iraq even if they want to.

The loss of face around the globe will be magnified much more than it is already.

USA will stay, die, kill, whatever,

But they're gonna stay.

[saigon68]

7. Yes the "public lynching" of Saddam

Did nothing to help the US gain respect.

It did excite the residents of various trailer parks who watch Faux however