US troops called back to put down sectarian massacre

[cal04]

AMERICAN troops have been forced to redeploy to a town that they had handed over to Iraqi forces only a month ago, to quell a rampage of “ethnic cleansing” that killed almost 100 people, many of whose bodies were left strewn in the streets for days.

With the death rate among American troops rising to near-record highs, the return to Balad, 60 miles (100km) north of Baghdad, underscored the limited options facing Washington as a committee led by James Baker, a former Secretary of State, tries to thrash out ways that America can extricate itself from the quagmire.

America’s exit strategies depend on building up Iraqi forces to the point at which they can prevent the country collapsing into a full-blown civil war that would drag the whole oil-producing region into conflict. The days of bloodshed in Balad, which US forces handed over to Iraq’s Fourth Army amid great fanfare a month ago, showed just how far they still have to go.

The US troops returned only after the worst of the Sunni-Shia violence had claimed about a hundred lives. The sectarian conflict cast serious doubts over Mr Baker’s option of basing US forces outside the country in future, ready to return to hotspots when needed.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-2410700,00.html

[libodem]

1. Gut wrenching

We can stand down when they stand up and this anthill of trouble will always need a baby sitter. Now it will cost us more to loose than to stay and win. But just what does the elusive 'WIN' mean? That all those fucking Iraqis will be dead? My nephew just came back from over there and his answer is to nuke it into glass. Please excuse my cynisysm....I just hate that we started something that we can't win and the cost on every level is enormous.

[madrchsod]

2. according to a report on npr

the us military sat in thier camp and did nothing untill it was over....the problem is who does the us military side with? it is an impossible situation that our troops have been put into and we are supposed to stay the course? the iraqi military is not capable of stopping anything....