U.S. Arming Likely Enemies-An Act of Desperation Shows Dishonesty and Disaster of Iraq

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/23551

U.S. Arming Likely Enemies
Submitted by davidswanson on Tue, 2007-06-12 03:33. Media

An Act of Desperation Shows Dishonesty and Disaster of Iraq
By Kevin Zeese

The U.S. military has decided to provide arms to Sunni Arab groups some of who have been suspected of involvement in attacks on Americans. This act of desperation shows the deceit in any claims of success of the “surge.” The DoD would not be taking this risky approach if the U.S. military strategy was working.

On June 11th the NY Times reported “With the four-month-old increase in American troops showing only modest success in curbing insurgent attacks, American commanders are turning to another strategy that they acknowledge is fraught with risk: arming Sunni Arab groups that have promised to fight militants linked with Al Qaeda who have been their allies in the past.”

The Times reports that “American commanders say, the Sunni groups are suspected of involvement in past attacks on American troops or of having links to such groups.” The U.S. military now plans to provide weapons, arms, money and fuel to these groups.

The Department of Defense seems to be repeating a mistake made too often in U.S. foreign policy – provide arms and ammunition to people who then become enemies – indeed the hall of fame of enemies armed by the U.S. includes the recent additions of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. Unless perpetual war is wanted it seems absurd to arm your future enemies.

ABC News quoted an anonymous DoD source explaining the risky choice: “This may blow up in our faces, but it can’t get any worse than its been.” Indeed, it can: U.S. weapons could be used against U.S. troops. The U.S. could be providing weapons that will fuel the civil war – the US has already been funding the Shia’a side. Or, the Iraqi government may find itself at war with large well-armed groups of its citizens. NBC’s concluded his report quoting critics inside the military who fear this could backfire if these Sunni fighters turn against the United States.

A similar strategy, less than a year old in Fallujah is falling apart. DoD is calling the “new” strategy the “Anbar Model” because it was used with tribal chiefs in Anbar for the last nine months. But, on the same day that the plan to arm Sunni’s in Baghdad was announced the Washington Post reported that the Anbar tribal coalition was falling apart.

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[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Will we have to invade their country because they have these

weapons after we are done invading their country because they didn't have these weapons???

[BridgeTheGap]

2. There is no "done" in Iraq

It's "permanent bases" time, baby!
"Done" will be when all the oil is out of the ground...though your point is well made.