CNN's Barbara Star in Iraq talking about "Pace walking the streets in Ramadi.

[applegrove]

US comanders are now working with the Sunni tribal chiefs and that has turned it around in Ramadi.... February was the last time they had an IED explode."

So.... the USA Army is working with the people who have previously blown them up. They must be truly desperate. The first 4 years of the war were obviously nothing but bullshit. Good. Now the forces can leave Ramadi and soon the rest of the country. All the initial policies of the neocons were batshit crazy "Bring em on". Iraq, like any other conflict needs negotiations not war. That is how peace came to South Africa and Northern Ireland.

Will neocons admit their policies were wrong? Don't hold your breath.

[sandnsea]

1. What are they promising in Ramadi

Does anybody know? Because when the Ramadi Sunnis figure out they've been lied to, I think we might want to know what the lies were.

[applegrove]

2. That is a good question.

[Imagevision]

3. Yeah right, just like strolling thru Central Park, Didn't McCain try this stunt??

[applegrove]

4. I think the fact that they are dealing with Sunni Tribal Leaders is very

interesting. Goes against the * policy of debathification which he was warned was way, way too deep in the first year. The piece did point out Pace was surrounded by troops - but mentioned that the last IED when off 5 months ago. We will have to see if this pans out. Though how it would translate to Sunni leaders in other areas is not known. They are all just tribal leaders after all.

[sandnsea]

5. Irony, from my perspective

The Sunni Baathists oppressed the Shia. Oh the shame of it. We had to go save the Shia. Sadr is the exact same Shia leader who Saddam was fighting. We immeidately had problems with him, and still do. So now we're back with the Sunnis in Ramadi, and doing who knows what in Sadr City, formerly Saddam City. Are we going to end up with another Sunni regime that oppresses the exact same Shia?? Probably.

[applegrove]

7. Seems nothing can get done until the Sunnis are brought to the table.

Irony is the wrong word. It is more like a twister it is so messed up. And Bush didn''t know the difference between the two groups as he led the US to war. Unbelievable.

[sandnsea]

8. It'll end up what was already there

A Sunni US puppet. It looks to me as if getting the Shia to the table is the problem.

[applegrove]

9. It is hard to think about. Iraq is so depressing. I can hardly imagine

how horrid it is to be there on the ground. Lucky Pace.

[Bluestar]

6. I never believe anything that Barbara Star says

She is the Pentagon version of Harriett Miers. She has her nose so far up the butt of this RW regime that all of her reports are pandering and sycophantic.