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« Shout Out | Main | Quick Links » October 24, 2006
A (Slightly) Buried Lede
Posted by Bill In an article headlined "U.S. Officials: Iraqi Security Could Be Ready in 12-18 Months," the second paragraph reads: Acknowledging that weeks of escalating bloodshed have had a demoralizing effect on American perceptions of the conflict, Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad spoke bluntly about the growing civil strife in and around Baghdad and the challenges it poses. Casey, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, said it was possible that the number of U.S. troops there would need to grow in coming months, before Iraqi security forces can begin to take control. The question: are we talking about a few thousand, or the truly large increases (with the start of a requisite military expansion) requested from various quarters? UPDATE: Rashomon, Iraq-style: "GOP Senator Say Iraq Is Near Chaos" "We're on the verge of chaos, and the current plan is not working," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in an Associated Press interview. U.S. and Iraqi officials should be held accountable for the lack of progress, said Graham, a Republican who is a frequent critic of the administration's policies.
I hate to call for a parade in the middle of a thunderstorm, but the fact is that democracy - the political process of self-government - is plainly succeeding in Iraq. The violence has slowed it down, but has not been able to stop it. Indeed, the reconstruction effort remains much more vast than the insurgency, which has never been able to achieve national scope and will never achieve national unity. "Good news from Iraq - Terrorists running out of bullets!"
The most interesting aspect to the Sadr-related conflicts so far is the relative competence of the Iraqi Army. They seem have to 5:1 or 10:1 kill ratios in every engagement with Sadr's people, who from most accounts are little more than street gangs with AKs and RPGs. With the Kurdish militias remaining essentially passive, the IA seems to already be the pre-eminent native active military force in the country, which bodes well for the continuity of the elected government. Posted by Bill at October 24, 2006 12:20 PM | TrackBack (0) Trackback PingsTrackBack URL for this entry: CommentsRashomon is a good movie. I don't really have anything else important to say. Posted by: Foster at October 24, 2006 03:15 PM Do you think they know in Iraq we are about to have elections over here? Do you think this escalation might be the terrorists going all out trying to influence the elections? Do you suspect it is going to quiet down a good deal when the elections are over? Why is nobody much talking about it from this perspective? Or am I just missing it? /andyrooneyoff Posted by: B Moe at October 24, 2006 04:53 PM No, No, and Maybe but not for the reason you're thinking of. I understand what you mean but I genuinely doubt anyone in Iraq cares very much about midterm elections in the United States. I think the spike in violence has to do with a lot of other factors, and I don't think Lamont v. Lieberman is one of them. Posted by: Foster at October 24, 2006 08:35 PM |
