Falluja force 'restoring order'

[Barrett808]

Some see the Iraqi force's entry into Falluja as a defeat for the US
A new Iraqi military force taking control of the restive city of Falluja is beginning to restore order, a senior US marine officer has said.

The all-Iraqi force has begun moving into positions vacated by withdrawing US marines.

The move comes under an agreement reached after a month-long US siege of the predominantly Sunni Muslim city.

US Marine Col John Coleman said: "There is a percentage of the city where normalcy has returned."

Meanwhile, four suspected insurgents have been killed by US forces in the capital, Baghdad.

(more)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3683689.stm

[krkaufman]

1. I fear that this is the first baby-step towards civil war

I'm all for obtaining peace, however we must, but I fear that this move will be subject to the law of unintended consequences.

I have a hard time seeing this move, restoration of one of Saddam's generals over a military force, sit well with the Shiites -- especially al Sadr. This force may initially be focused on restoring order to Falluja, but may also be the first step towards development of a Sunni-centric military force.

Kurds in the North
Sunnis in the middle
Shiites in the South

All of them now armed.

[Iceburg]

4. Dems in the North and West, Republicans in the South

all armed, fundamentalist christian sprinkled throughout the country bombing abortion clinics, children with guns mowing down fellow students, election fraud, hsitory of prisoner abuse, a history of civil war in a nation only 200 years old. On the otherhand, we have Iraq, one of the oldest civilizations on the planet, the birthplace of mathematics, science and philosphy and NO history of civil war but a history of being the target of foreign invasions ....
I know where I would put my money.

[krkaufman]

5. We came close in 2000

... and I think it could've gone hot had Gore rightly been inaugurated. And I don't expect much different when Kerry wins this Fall.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

6. A few tidbits

>NO history of civil war

18th century: Mamlukes are used to suppress tribal risings and Iranian infiltration, and they stayed to become a local ruling dynasty

1921: Prince Faisal of Hijaz (now: southwestern Saudi Arabia) wins a popular election, with 96% of the ballots, and is declared king of Iraq August 23. The new state did not get an easy birth, as the Shi'is in the south and the Kurds in the north fought for their independence. And outer forces, like Arabia in the south and Turkey in the north, tried to destabilize Iraq, and the cooperated with the Kurds to take control over the Mawsil area in the north. British forces stayed in the country, much because of a request from king Faisal.

1974 March: Fights between government forces and Kurdish groups. The Kurds received aid from Iran. Kurdish cities like Zakho and Qalaat Diza are razed to the ground, and hundreds of thousands of Kurds flee the cities.
1975: Settlement of border disputes with Iran, makes Iran stop aid to the Kurds, and the revolt is crushed.

— Unrest among Kurds, inspired by unrest in Iran, after the Islamic revolution there. Religious animosities in Iraq are linked to what is happening in Iran.


Nothing particularly spectacular.

[Just Me]

7. Civil war has never been my concern. Uniting against a common enemy

, being the USA, has always been my fear.

[NNN0LHI]

2. Looks like the Marines gave up on the combined patrols idea in Falluja?

I think we lost over 100 soldiers there last month alone and now we give it to them and say we will stay out and leave them alone. Why didn't we do this at the beginning? Who is the idiot running this war?

Don

[Gothmog]

3. Baathization vs. Vietnamization

Are we seeing the first signs of a Vietnamization effort by the Bushies. However in this case, it is a Baathaziation by putting the Baath party members back in control.