Iraqi Resistance Dwarfs Recent US Estimates (not 5,000 but 20,000)

[G_j]

http://www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=2015807

Baghdad, Iraq-AP -- U-S military officials say the Iraqi resistance dwarfs recent official U-S estimates of about five-thousand guerrilla fighters.

Several officials tell The Associated Press that the uprising has so much popular support among nationalists who resent the U-S presence, a military victory is impossible.

One official who has criss-crossed Iraq to learn more about rebels says the resistance also doesn't fit the Bush administration's description.

An Iraq analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies says official estimates of a core of five-thousand fighters are "now clearly ridiculous."

Military analysts estimate up to 20-thousand rebels, including part-time fighters.
..more..

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http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/19190/

Facing the Enemy on the Ground

By Scott Ritter, AlterNet. Posted July 9, 2004.


The Iraqi resistance has been years in the making. And with the help of American involvement, the insurgency will continue to flourish and grow until no force can defeat it.

The battle for Iraq's sovereign future is a battle for the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. As things currently stand, it appears that victory will go to the side most in tune with the reality of the Iraqi society of today: the leaders of the anti-U.S. resistance.

Iyad Allawi's government was recently installed by the United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) to counter a Ba'athist nationalism that ceased to exist nearly a decade ago. In the aftermath of the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein's regime shifted toward an amalgam of Islamic fundamentalism, tribalism and nationalism that more accurately reflected the political reality of Iraq. Thanks to his meticulous planning and foresight, Saddam's lieutenants are now running the Iraqi resistance, including the Islamist groups.

Not only has the United States failed to put into place a viable government to replace the CPA in the aftermath of the so-called "transfer of sovereignty," but more importantly, it continues to misidentify the true nature of the Iraqi insurgency. As a consequence, the resistance will inevitably continue to flourish and grow until no force can defeat it, Iraqi or American.

..more..

[billybob537]

1. Call me when Bush

does something right, then I'll be surprised.

[LittleApple81]

2. This Doonesbury cartoon is very applicable to this. Clarity!

[G_j]

4. good one n/t

[catmandu57]

3. That's a great big no cheneyian duh

isn't it.

[THUNDER HANDS]

5. part-time fighters?

So, are they like regular fighters, only without health benefits and overtime pay?

[G_j]

6. kick

[m-jean03]

7. Kick

:kick:

Thanks for posting this (although it gives me a really ominous feeling.)

[G_j]

8. ominous .. a good choice of words.. n/t

[Pow_Wow]

9. Iraq toll hits 1000

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,10092207%255E663,00.html


'nuf said

[G_j]

10. also

U.S. Official: Resistance "Cannot Be Militarily Defeated"
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/071004A.shtml

[Disturbed]

11. The Dems

A majority of the Dems want to continue the US Occupation of Iraq. This Occupation is cloaked in "The US needs 140K + Troops to provide security" deception. The real deal is that both Dems and Repubs want the US to develope permanent precense in Iraq and establish Multi-Corp dominance over the Iraqis and control the oil and maintain a Military of 14 bases of 100K strong troops to control the ME. If that takes another 10K Troop deaths, another 40K wounded and $100 Billion off the backs of the American Middle Class, so be it.

[G_j]

12. unfortunately

for the most part that is right.

I caught that Hillary, Daschel and Biden all said they would have voted the same way on the war if they had known what the 'report' 'revealed' about bugus intelligence.