The US Supplied 278,000 Weapons to al-Sadr's Mahdi Army??

[leftchick]

Al-Sharq al-Awsat charges that last winter and spring after the Sadr Movement joined the political process, the government of then PM Ibrahim Jaafari allowed elements of the Mahdi Army of Muqtada al-Sadr to infiltrate the Ministry of the Interior and other security agencies. This access to the levers of power allowed the Mahdi Army to become more sophisticated and gain better training and organization. The London daily further charges that the 278,000 missing weapons that had been provided to Iraqi security forces by the Americans were distributed to the militias.

If all this is true, the US has unwittingly been supporting and arming the very militias it hoped to undermine and combat.

http://www.juancole.com/

I wonder how our soldiers feel about that?

[acmavm]

1. Unwittingly? I don't think so. Please note that Negroponte is in

Baghdad today.

Nothing is done 'unwittingly' causes more death and violence. At least that is my opinion. I truly believe that they are trying to kill all the adult and teenage males in that country.

[leftchick]

3. sadly

you may be absolutely right. :(

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. I remember, back in the dark ages, when we still had people in the

middle east willing to give us the benefit of the doubt, that the Egyptians offered to assist in the training of the new Iraqi police and military. We'd fly them to Egypt, a battalion at a time, where they could train in peace and security, where infiltrators could be weeded out over a three-four month training schedule, then the entire unit would return to take their place, free of the taint of the militias.

Of course, we didnt' agree. Not enough profit for Halliburton in it.