Bremer Increasing Pressure for a Quick End to Iraqi Uprising (NY Times)

[markses]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/19/international/middleeast/19IRAQ.html?hp

BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 18 — With no sign of a breakthrough in talks with rebels in Falluja and Najaf, the leader of the American occupation appeared to move closer on Sunday to a military showdown, saying that the rebels' failure to submit to American demands would necessitate decisive action against those who "want to shoot their way to power."

"They must be dealt with, and they will be dealt with," the administrator, L. Paul Bremer III, said, breaking a week of silence on the confrontation with Moktada al-Sadr, an anti-American Shiite cleric, in Najaf and Sunni Muslim insurgents in Falluja. Mr. Bremer spoke of the need to bring an early end to the standoffs, to return Iraq to the political path the United States has mapped out, starting with the formal return of sovereignty on June 30.

Mr. Bremer spoke on a weekend when at least 10 American marines and soldiers were killed. The deaths, announced Sunday, pushed American troop deaths in April to more than 90, higher than the 82 who were killed in November, the largest number until this month. Nearly 700 American soldiers have been killed since the invasion of Iraq began 13 months ago.

Unofficial counts based on tallies taken at hospitals and morgues have put Iraqi casualties so far in April, including insurgents and civilians, at about 1,000 killed.

---snip---

Tough guy Bremer, talking caca as per usual.

[brokensymmetry]

1. (Sigh)

This sounds like a bad sign. As if anything good could come of this mess.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Jerry of Arabia.

Christ.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

25. Actual Aug.2, 1920 Lawrence of Arabia'a Report from Mesopotamia. Read.

"The people of England have been led in Mesopotamia into a trap from which it will be hard to escape with dignity and honour. They have been tricked into it by a steady withholding of information. The Baghdad communiques are belated, insincere, incomplete. Things have been far worse than we have been told, our administration more bloody and inefficient than the public knows. It is a disgrace to our imperial record, and may soon be too inflamed for any ordinary cure. We are to-day not far from a disaster.

>snip<

We have not reached the limit of our military commitments. Four weeks ago the staff in Mesopotamia drew up a memorandum asking for four more divisions.


>snip<

How long will we permit millions of pounds, thousands of Imperial troops, and tens of thousands of Arabs to be sacrificed on behalf of colonial administration which can benefit nobody but its administrators?"


source-
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/lawrence.php

[pinkpops]

4. want to shoot their way to power - unlike Bremmer and his pals

[wtmusic]

18. x-actly

first thing I thought of too! These people have serious self-perception issues...

[Minstrel Boy]

3. The Gauleiter of Baghdad has spoken!

Iraqis must love him so.

[CabalBuster]

5. Does he ever care about getting out of Iraq alive? This man is digging

his own grave. F****ing idiot, our soldiers are not your peons.

[NNN0LHI]

6. I get the feeling that Viceroy Bremer wants out of that mess ASAP n/t

[pinto]

11. me, too. He there and he knows how f'd it is. Hand off to Chalabi.

[Gman]

13. Then let the Iraqi people deal with Chalabi

in their own way.

[starroute]

21. I wonder if he ever thinks about "Chinese" Gordon and the Mahdi

http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/mostpopularwar_gordon.htm

[alcuno]

7. Hey! what does it say when Sadr is taking days off from the conflict

against the US? I mean think about it. This little cleric is calling for a couple of days off during an uprising. In other words, we'll be back at it on Wednesday because we'll be here long after you are gone. We've got time!

[psychopomp]

22. Resupplying

Both sides are resupplying, digging in, doing recon, probing defenses, plotting strategy and timing for attack.

All soldiers are likely doing a lot of praying.

[shockingelk]

8. You're liberated damnit!

Can't you feel how free you are! Be happy! Be free! NOW! Be free or we'll put your town under siege! Do you feel the freedom yet? You'd better start feeling free or I've going to come don there and liberate your pants off! Shape up! Shape up you terrorists! Be free!

[Alpharetta]

9. "increasing pressure"?

When I saw those two words, I expected a story about how he was desperate to turn over the reins this summer.

As usual, a Bush appointee underperforms and fails to meet my already low expectations.

Why does America accept this appointee?

He was appointed to find a diplomatic solution to the democratization of Iraq. Instead he pushes military buttons.

Does Bush have one single frigging diplomatic success?

NO!!!

[Disturbed]

10. Bremmer's job ends on June 30th.

"to return Iraq to the political path the United States has mapped out"

There you have it! Maybe that is what the Iraqis aren't so keen on?

[despairing optimist]

14. June 30, but on which calendar?

He who plays the game moves the goal posts. Isn't that an administration motto? Condi will just go on Meet the Press before the deadline, claim that no one ever regarded June 30 as a firm deadline, and tell everyone to relax and tune in to American Idol. Tim Russert will make some ominous noises, grimace a bit, and not follow up.

[newyawker99]

24. Hi ceejayay!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[aquart]

17. What? You don't think he looks "muscular"?

Don't you like this "muscular" foreign policy? "Let them hate, as long as they fear." George's favorite philosopher isn't Jesus, it's Caligula.

[DemoTex]

12. Lookit. This is like having a June 30 closing on a $1-mill house ..

Without a cent in the bank, no down payment and a really shitty credit rating. Bu$h and Bu$hco have made a low-ball offer on real-estate they can never afford. The big brokers realize this (France, Germany, and other solvent states). Again, we are fucked by the Bu$h cabal.

[mulethree]

15. resistance is futile, you will be assimilated

We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us.
We only wish to raise quality of life for all

[goforit]

16. The arroggance of this administration is unbelievable.

Just like the RED COATS in 1776...........

They just don't get the picture that these people refuse to support
the King in the US.

[bemildred]

19. They've been making these threats for two weeks now.

This is actually a bit "restrained" compared to some of the
stuff I've seen.

[daleo]

20. Bluster?

I wonder what the military situation is really like for Bremer right now. Closing roads into Baghdad, marines doing ceasefires with Fallujah resistance, convoys destroyed, marines suddenly being killed in towns that were not previously in the news, Spanish pulling out, U.K. having trouble with recruitment, "contractors" pulling out, ...

It just doesn't sound like he holds all the high cards right now. If I were him, I would be looking under the bed before I went to sleep.

[markses]

23. Yup

n/t

[gristy]

26. Is this a variation on "The beatings will continue until morale improves"?