Iraq will have to learn to live with attacks, says general

[jmc247]

Source: Washington Post

Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said the ongoing increase of nearly 30,000 U.S. troops in Iraq has achieved “modest progress” but has also met with setbacks.

Assessing the first two months of the U.S. and Iraqi plan to pacify the capital, senior American commanders – including Petraeus; Adm. William Fallon, head of U.S. forces in the Middle East; Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander of military operations in Iraq; and top regional commanders – see mixed results.

They said that while an increase in U.S. and Iraqi troops has improved security in Baghdad and Anbar province, attacks have risen sharply elsewhere. Critical now, they said in interviews last week, is for Iraqi leaders to forge the political compromises needed for long-term stability.

“I don’t think you’re ever going to get rid of all the car bombs,” Petraeus said. “Iraq is going to have to learn – as did, say, Northern Ireland – to live with some degree of sensational attacks.”

Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/358/story/45118.html

[xchrom]

1. learn to live with 180 people blown up in one fell swoop --

:crazy:

[jmc247]

3. The explosives yield the terrorists are using are massive

Between 7,000 and 10,000 pounds of explosives were used in the deadliest blast on Tuesday, making it one of the largest since the war started four years ago, a senior U.S. military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been officially released.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2991951&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
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This suicide attack on Tal Afar created a 700 feet wide crater in the middle of a marketplace. One suicide bomber killed 150 in that one.

And, they are profecting their chlorine and other mass casulity attacks as we speak. Make no mistake about it the Islamic State in Iraq will continue to follow the Zarqawi strategy of trying to provoke the Shia to mass murdering Sunnis.

The Islamic State in Iraq hopes that if they can provoke the Shia to attack the Sunnis again it will force the Sunnis to support the Islamic State in Iraq.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jody]

4. U.S. gives up training Iraqi troops, Iraq must learn to live with car bombs and * says we're winning

What would losing be like?

[Solly Mack]

5. “America is going to have to learn – as did, say, Northern Ireland

– to live with some degree of sensational attacks.”

Just saying

What a piece of shit.

[LynnTheDem]

8. That's different; we're AMERICA BY GAWD!

And we wonder why the world thinks Americans are arrogant hypocritcal assholes.

What a total piece of shit.

[Solly Mack]

16. Exactly!!!

[BeyondGeography]

6. Just another one of our freedom-related "gifts"

eh Petraeus?

[LynnTheDem]

7. Funny how they didn't have to under Hussein.

Funny how Iraqis were far better off under Hussein.

Funny how America is now a rogue state.

Actually, not funny at all.

[gratuitous]

10. No, no, it was MUCH worse under Saddam

Everyone on the morning talk shows says so, and they must know.

Just remember that when some Iraqis, fed up with all the freedom and car bombs our benevolent presence bestowed upon their society, decide to visit a little of that violence and misery on us, it will be totally unjustified and incomprehensible, and the only thing we can possibly think of that they hate us for is our freedom.

[LynnTheDem]

12. "Do what we say, not what we do."

It's the American Way.

After all, we said "invasions are the supreme crime".

That "hate us for our freedoms" is such an amazingly ridiculous piece of shit, especially as America isn't even one of the top 5 nations with the most freedoms. How can even rightwingnuts be so deeply stupid as to repeat such shit??! One would have thought even rightwingnuts would be smarter than that!

Fucking embarrassing.

[ckramer]

9. Freedom has given Iraq instability

Let's admit it.

[NeoConsSuck]

11. Was there this much bloodshed under Saddam? (nt)

[mike_c]

13. a future of car bombs and death: America's gift to Iraq....

eom

[FloridaJudy]

14. Learn to live with 8 Virginia Techs a day?

In a country a less than a tenth the size of this one?

What part of "Are you out of your freaking mind?!" don't you understand?

(edited for spelling and abusive language, though the general's statement is the bigger obscenity)

[entanglement]

15. Oberkommandierender General von Petraeus is one of the Party faithful...

n/t

[Amonester]

18. Yep. Another Herr Yesman from the Fourth Reich family of...

War criminals.

[CBHagman]

17. I don't think Northern Ireland was ever like this.

I really don't think there was ever a similar rate of casualties in Northern Ireland.

And if Petraeus is saying that the Iraqis should settle in for decades of this, what does that say about his own incompetence?

[Miss Chybil]

19. I don't think anyone would ever learn to live with being attacked.

They might learn to die with it, though. How would such a comment be taken if it were directed at New York City? What a shameful thing to say.

[VegasWolf]

20. Boy, you just can't make up these bush administration sayings! nt

[truthisfreedom]

21. If the Dems don't sieze upon this mad statement and make hay with it all week,

they're idiots.