Iraq.......imploding

[marmar]

from the Independent UK:




Iraq implodes as Shia fights Shia
Another tragedy as the Shia majority turn on each other
By Patrick Cockburn
Thursday, 27 March 2008


A new civil war is threatening to explode in Iraq as American-backed Iraqi government forces fight Shia militiamen for control of Basra and parts of Baghdad.

Heavy fighting engulfed Iraq's two largest cities and spread to other towns yesterday as the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, gave fighters of the Mehdi Army, led by the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, 72 hours to surrender their weapons.

The gun battles between soldiers and militiamen, who are all Shia Muslims, show that Iraq's majority Shia community – which replaced Saddam Hussein's Sunni regime – is splitting apart for the first time.

Mr Sadr's followers believe the government is trying to eliminate them before elections in southern Iraq later this year, which they are expected to win.

Mortars and rockets launched from Mehdi Army-controlled districts of Baghdad struck the Green Zone, the seat of American power in Iraq, for the third day yesterday, seriously wounding three Americans. Two rockets hit the parking lot of the Iraqi cabinet. The mixed area of al-Mansur in west Baghdad, where shops had begun to reopen in recent months, was deserted yesterday as Mehdi Army fighters were rumoured among local people to be moving in from the nearby Shia stronghold of Washash. "We expect an attack by the Shia in spite of the Americans being spread over Sunni districts to defend them," said a Sunni resident.

Forty people have been killed and at least 200 injured in Basra in the last two days of violence. In the town of Hilla, south of Baghdad, 11 people were killed and 18 injured yesterday by a US air strike called in support of Iraqi forces following street battles with Shia militia members in the city's Thawra neighbourhood. In Baghdad, 14 have been killed and 140 wounded. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iraq-implodes-as-shia-fights-shia-801214.html

[acmavm]

1. Does Maliki not fit the definition of a traitor? A 'quisling'?

[tekisui]

2. Definitely not Pro-democracy.

[bryant69]

4. I'm pretty sure it's not my place to judge that, but

The United States is going to elevate somebody; perhaps he felt he could do some good there.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Wizard777]

27. What Chalabi did was treason. Nothing good ever comes from that.

Just look at our War on Drugs. Nothing good ever comes from treason. That's why it's the highest crime of the land.

[bdamomma]

3. We need to get out.

[mac2]

5. This morning on the radio news they said Bush was

disappointed on how the Iraqi government was letting things get out of control. Place the blame for violence and chaos on the country we invaded and destroyed? Is this the bahavior of a seven year old or what?

[marmar]

6. "Place the blame for violence and chaos on the country we invaded and destroyed?"

I know. It's unfreakingbelievable.....But what else should we expect from psychopaths?

[bdamomma]

10. placing blame on others, and never on himself,

one of signs of a madman.

[tridim]

19. He also said the Iraqi's destroyed their own infrastructure.

That BS got my primal scream going this morning.

[Virginia Dare]

20. This is the same mind-set that the rich have about the poor..

that they are responsible for their own blight. Remember when his momma said that the Katrina victims were better off because they were living on the government dime now?

These attitudes come easily for him.

[mac2]

21. What they are clumsy? They don't have big bombs like

Bush's Shock & Awe.

[wtmusic]

7. What does 'Shia' have to do with this? Absolutely nothing.

This is Iraqi nationalists fighting against a foreign-backed puppet government. Let's call it what it is.

[Strelnikov_]

9. And the twist is, the 'government' Shia, who are our allies, are aligned with Iran

and where the Sadrist's are more nationalists, as you say.

Wonder how many Merican's think the Sadrist's are the Iranian front organization? 80% 90%

[wtmusic]

11. I must confess

I didn't know that al-Maliki's forces were more closely aligned with Iran. Although it would make sense that nationalists like al-Sadr would be resistant to the idea of Iranian influence in Iraq.

Quite a mix over there.

[leftchick]

26. exactly. And our puppet is a dead man walking......

An Iraqi Shiite burns a picture of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during a demonstration in Baghdad's Al-Kadhimiyah neighbourhood. Maliki has vowed to enforce a crackdown on Shiite gunmen despite protests and mounting casualties, as Iraqi troops battled militias in the cities of Basra and Kut.
(AFP/Alli Al-Saadi)

[Strelnikov_]

8. "eliminate them before" we bomb Iran is more like it

Don't have to worry about a Shia uprising when they have bled themselves, and used their armaments, through internecine warfare in the preceding months.


Divide and conquer.

[bdamomma]

12. Where is the stupid Congress when all this shit is going down??

oops on recess, how sick.

[Jennicut]

13. Anyone who has followed this knew it was going to happen sooner or later, all except Shrub

All of us here knew that supplying and arming and paying money to both sides would blow up in our face. Its starting now. You can't essentially blackmail both sides of a conflict and hope it works out. And its not even just Sunni vs. Shiite anymore. Its within the Shia muslims where there is a major problem of the U.S. supported Iraqi government and the Medhi army. Sunnis have their own issue of former Baathists vs. former Al Qaeda members both in the "Awakening" (the Sunni militias). The shoes are all going to drop and "the decider" just watches and says its positive or blames the Iraqis. Idiot. This "war" is unwinnable. How long do we stay until Iraq works itself out? How long to we artificially hold back the two sides and stuff down infighting within those two sides? Lets face it, McCain does not have a plan for whats next. Its just, lets stay there indefinitely. 2years, maybe 5, or 7, or maybe it is 100 years then, if McCain gets elected. Sickening.

[underpants]

14. So..... they are not going to make the deadline????

Wow who'da thunk it :shrug:

[bdamomma]

15. FYI

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/303FAF6B-AA73-49DB-838E-4B83D9C9B1A6.htm

[marmar]

16. Thanks for the link, alyce.

:hi:

[bdamomma]

17. your welcome marmar!!

it is nice to read what other media sites are saying.

[wtmusic]

30. 67 Iraqi civilians killed by US airstrikes

doesn't make American MSM. In other news...

[L. Coyote]

18. What is imploding is the delusion that Iraq was not imploding all along! 250 die each day!

The quantification of that implosion is hundreds of dead EVERY day during Bush's war.

The USA lost 4,000 soldiers in 5 years.
That many Iraqis have died about every 2 weeks since Bush invaded!

[mac2]

22. For five years since we set them free for democracy.

[bdamomma]

23. kick

[librechik]

24. At least we won't have to keep up the silly fiction that the surge is successful much longer.

Thank you Moqtada Al Sadr!

[leftchick]

25. "the seat of American power in Iraq"

pretty much says OCCUPIER. This is what Empires get eventually.

[lebkuchen]

29. It's time for McCain to strut his stuff in Baghdad's markets again

No point in debating McCain. Bush's policies alone are sinking the man.

[lebkuchen]

28. Although I can't wait for 20 Jan 09,

I'm glad Bush is around to see what a failure he is.