Shiites Join Sunni Fighters In Al-Azamiya

[Walt Starr]

Namir Al-Hijazi, Samir Sobhy IOL Correspondent

BAGHDAD, April 7 (IslamOnline.net) - Iraqi Shiites have fought alongside fellow Sunni compatriots in the Baghdad district of Al-Azamiya in die-hard battles against U.S. forces, in the first joint resistance operation against the U.S.-led occupation.

Fighters from Mahdi Army of Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr have been spotted with their unmistakable green headbands and flags battling the occupiers shoulder to shoulder with fellow countrymen in the predominantly Sunni district, residents told IslamOnline.net.

The battles raged on from Monday night, April 5, till the small hours of Tuesday, April 6, they added.

http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2004-04/07/article02.shtml

[Supormom]

1. Well, bush* did say he was a uniter!

:) :) :)

[xchrom]

2. you took the words

right out of my mouth.

[skip fox]

3. Damned grim business, this.

No painless way out. W. has REALLY done it this time!

[mobuto]

4. Agreed

This is deadly serious stuff. The Bush Administration has come up with what may be the biggest foreign policy disaster in American history. The long term consequences of what we've done may wind up hurting us more than Vietnam did. Its going to be damned difficult for Kerry or anyone to change this, but I don't think the Bush Administration could in a million years. The only hope is to bring in a broad international coalition and this Administration just can't do that.

[skip fox]

5. Right! W. has drawn us into a lovely Lose-Lose situation.

If we leave too soon, we embolden the terrorists.
If we don't leave soon, we get badly bloodied.

If we stay after June 30, we confim in Iraqis' minds that we are invaders who continue to occupy their country.
If we leave June 30, the country explodes.
(My guess, knowing W., is that he'll try to wiggle out of this: transfer power but increase troop strength.)

Your only point of true hope?: "The only hope is to bring in a broad international coalition and this Administration just can't do that." Yes. (But as you note, this will have to await a new administration.)

I for one, don't argue with anyone about how to extract ourselves. But I do argue about whether we should have been there in the first place.

[lumpy]

9. This is turning into a religious war

in the eyes of Islam. People of the mideast will be emboldened no matter whether the US pulls out or not. They are willing to become martyrs for their cause. Bushco expects Americans to become martyrs for his cause.

[mobuto]

10. Well, we clearly shouldn't have gone in

There weren't WMD, Iraq didn't pose a threat, and far from bringing liberal democracy to the Arab world, we've energized, empowered and legitimized the most extreme religious fringe like never before. But that's not really the issue, besides the inevitable questions of electoral politics.

I think the real question is where we go from here. I agree completely that its a lose-lose situation. I think a real international coalition offers just the slightest glimpse of hope, but there's just no way I see of the Bush Administration pulling it off, at least not before November.

My guess, knowing W., is that he'll try to wiggle out of this: transfer power but increase troop strength

Well that's exactly what Rumsfeld just said we're going to do. The US troops who were supposed to be transfered out after a year are being kept there, so we're effectively doubling our troop strength -- at least until this Al-Sadr character is dealt with. I think its necessary, but its sure not going to be popular with the families of servicemen and women. Why at this point we're sticking with the June 30 deadline is beyond me. Nobody's buying the fiction - it doesn't work for the Administration anyway you spin it.

[Zhade]

15. "...transfer power but increase troop strength."

Hand over cosmetic power, while ratcheting up the source of REAL power in Iraq. Priceless.

Like no one will keep fighting against an INCREASED occupation force!

[mobuto]

17. Well, actually they won't

I don't think decreasing US strength - which has been the Bush Administration policy until now - is exactly a recipe for success. If we can't put down the insurgency with 150,000 troops, Rumsfeld thinks we're sure to do it with 80,000. I think Rumsfeld's nuts.

We need a lot more troops in Iraq - more than we can supply alone, but not more than we'd get if we were able to set up a real international coalition. That's really the only solution to this mess.

[Zhade]

20. "I think Rumsfeld's nuts." Absolutely correct. He's crazy.

The only part of your post I agree with, alas.

The Iraqis want us gone. More troops will simply mean more dead troops. The resistance (and it is a resistance against an illegal occupation, mind you) will not die down due to more troops - if anything, it will increase as the number of invaders increases.

We are not on the side of right here. We might be able to 'pacify' Iraq with, oh, a few million soldiers - doubtful, but maybe - at the risk of further becoming the New Nazis.

Bring them home now, I say.

[Just Me]

6. Bush has united the Iraqi people,...

,...against US corporatist occupation.

Go figure that the man who has divided our country and our relations with the rest of the world could actually serve as the,....ummmmm,...what is it called,...that culminating adversity which forces people together,...ugh,...

,...well, congratulations, GWB,...you HAVE succeeded in uniting a force AGAINST you and your corporatism.

[lumpy]

7. Bush supporters and apologist have been

all over TV News Wonderland today claiming that Sadr has only a small minority of Iraqis joining the fight against US occupation. Common sense tells me the number is growing by the minute. I'm afraid it will take many more American lives before the TV Wolf Blitzers and Bushco talking heads have to alter the propaganda they are feeding the American viewer. Saw Dennis Kucinich being cut off unable to reply to some Congressional ignoramous who I'm sure Kuchinich could have painted into a verbal corner if he had been allowed to reply to the twisting of Kuchinich's statements. Not so strangely enough Kerry is keeping mum. I rarely watch TV news it's so infuriating and biased. Saw no mention of how many Iraqis are being killed in the manhunt for Bush's enemies. Thank God for the internet and the ability to get foreign views and news about what is really going on in Iraq.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lumpy]

11. Fortunately I am not in denial.

The Iraqi death toll is not a piece of fiction. The feeble excuse put forth by the US military for the Iraqi mosque deaths is a real piece of fiction.

[lordwhorfin]

12. Exsqueeze me?

Fog of war at best, but there are many, many dead in Falluja as reported on MULTIPLE different media streams. We know there are between 33 and 35 US Marines and RA dead since Sunday, plus 2 coalition troops.

This is NOT a video game, my friend, nor is it a 'pantload.'

[mobuto]

13. 40 US Occupation soldiers killed in the last three days:

Now that's a pantload.

No it isn't, or at least not the reported deaths of occupation troops. That's what CentCom has reported and I seriously doubt CentCom is exagerating the deaths of US servicemen and women. The civilian casualty figure is taken from an Associated Press report, which may or may not be accurate.

[Cocoa]

14. sounds in line with mainstream sources

which figure do you take issue with?

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Robbien]

18. You are a very "Alert" poster

Seems someone lost their way home.

[Zhade]

19. Hehe...yeah, I know, I should just alert on them, but he was so OBVIOUS.

I just had to toy with him before he was destroyed. Er, banned. :D

[boobooday]

21. Where are our leaders?

My god, our planet is hurtling through space with a drunk driver behind the wheel!

It's friggin' scary.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[amber dog democrat]

22. Bring em on !!

Mission accomplished! The Chimp IS a uniter.