Baghdad Burning - Riverbendblog

[kpete]

Baghdad Burning


... I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend...

Tuesday, May 02, 2006
....................

So while Iraqis are dying by the hundreds, with corpses turning up everywhere (last week they found a dead man in the open area in front of my cousins daughters school), the Iraqi puppets are taking their time trying to decide who gets to do the most stealing and in which ministry. Embezzlement, after all, is not to be taken lightly- one must give it the proper amount of thought and debate- even if the country is coming unhinged.

As for news of the new Iraqi army, it isn’t going as smoothly as Bush and his crew portray. Today we watched footage of Iraqi soldiers in Anbar graduating. The whole ceremony was quite ordinary up until nearly the end- their commander announced they would be deployed to various areas and suddenly it was chaos. The soldiers began stripping their fatigues and throwing them around, verbally attacking their seniors and yelling and shoving. They were promised, when they signed up for the army in their areas, that they would be deployed inside of their own areas- which does make sense. There is news that they are currently on strike- refusing to be deployed outside of their own provinces.

One can’t help but wonder if the ‘area’ they were supposed to be deployed to was the north of Iraq? Especially with Iranian troops on the border… Talbani announced a few days ago that the protection of Kurdistan was the responsibility of Iraq and I completely agree for a change- because Kurdistan IS a part of Iraq. Before he made this statement, it was always understood that only the Peshmerga would protect Kurdistan- apparently, against Iran, they aren’t nearly enough.

The big question is- what will the US do about Iran? There are the hints of the possibility of bombings, etc. While I hate the Iranian government, the people don’t deserve the chaos and damage of air strikes and war. I don’t really worry about that though, because if you live in Iraq- you know America’s hands are tied. Just as soon as Washington makes a move against Tehran, American troops inside Iraq will come under attack. It’s that simple- Washington has big guns and planes… But Iran has 150,000 American hostages.

http://www.riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2006_05_01_riverbendblog_archive.html#114651778124834749

[Oceansaway]

1. Touche !!..n/t

[NVMojo]

2. phucking A! Say it like it is!

[acmavm]

3. ...But Iran has 150,000 American hostages. blivet & Co.

don't care about that. They have nukes. They think that's all it will take.

[madokie]

4. I was wondering about riverbend earlier today, thanks for the link to her

blog. And Thanks kpete for being here for us news challenged

[watrwefitinfor]

5. "Iran has 150,000 American hostages"

Like Bushco cares.

Wat

[ninkasi]

6. I feel that I know her

I've been reading Riverbend for quite some time, and feel that she's a friend I just haven't met in person yet. I would e-mail her, to express my sorrow for what she and her fellow Iraqis are going through, but fear that might be something that would jeopardize me. How sad is it, when an American citizen is afraid of her own government for the first time in over 60 years? What does it say about the man occupying the Oval Office, and using all of the power and might of the American government to cause war, death, destruction, and torture to people's lives?

I still have a great deal of trouble dealing with the "new Murca" that this simian shit-for-brains has created. Sadly, the men and women we elect to serve as our representatives, and pay salaries to, have their own agendas, and it sure as hell isn't making sure that the will of We, the People, is followed. We pay their salaries, and that of the Bush Administration officials, to screw us. How truly, truly sad.

[Synnical]

7. I had intended to Bookmark this blog for ages

Now, I've finally done so. Thanks for posting this.

[Synnical]

8. . . .

[Canuckistanian]

9. What a refreshing and REALISTIC portrait of Iraq.

All Republican politicians should be required to read this before making any more decisions on Iran...

[PATRICK]

10. There goes another "smart" strategy

You always use troops that are not local. Local loyalties ruin repression or bloody orders. natural hostility between groups is even moire desirable.

But here, that age old stratagem backfires, because the troops are very vulnerable and WANT to be among friends who won't kidnap and shoot them. Because they don't want to repress even non local or hated minorities. because they were lied to much too blatantly and are not fully disciplined to the new military. because they will get nothing out of it.

This is what happens(typical WH) when you uncritically abuse a cynical ploy or system without regard to reality. Presumptive arrogance. Stupidity. Madly rotten execution. A rush to set up a disastrous sham so the Iranian war can happen and the Iraqis can get sidetracked and scattered in horrible chaos. They probably thought they could keep the soldiers from aiding the irregular local militias this way.

All this, and you don't even have the major Shiite revolt that will send all the US forces running for home. Yet.

[annabanana]

11. Our troops are already hostages...

surrounded and infiltrated.
Could any administration have done worse.