Latest developments in Iraq..

[Air Force Cane]

Clearly, Prime Minister Maliki did not get the telegram yet from Rep. Murtha that all is lost and we have to surrender immediately..

http://iraqthemodel.com

"Finally, Prime Minister Maliki puts an end to the confusion and ambiguity that was associated with his reconciliation plan:

1. He said it clearly that amnesty will not be offered to killers of coalition soldiers: The amnesty doesn't include those who have killed Iraqis or even coalition forces because those soldiers came to Iraq under international agreements to help Iraq I feel better about Maliki's plan now; mostly because with this point clarified, the government will avoid falling in the serious contradiction we warned from.

But this raises an interesting question; if amnesty is not going to be offered to killers of MNF soldiers, Iraqi soldiers or Iraqi civilians then to whom? With trigger-pullers excluded, maybe amnesty will be given to the facilitators and sympathizers; those who provided safe houses, transportation and facilities to the insurgents. If this is the case and if those facilitators accept the offer I think it will significantly reduce the ability of insurgents to carryout their operations and the effect will be more profound on foreign terrorists who depend largely on local facilitators.

2. Three more insurgent groups have decided to join Maliki's reconciliation project, according to al-Sabah:

Al-Sabah's sources revealed that the three groups that announced their supports for Maliki's initiative were Ammoriya Forces, Jaish al-Mujahideen and the Brigades of Saladin. This brings to ten the number of militant groups that responded positively to the initiative, our sources expressed hopes that more groups will join in in the coming days.Vice president Dr. Tariq al-Hashimi told al-Sabah that he proposed to organize a meeting for tribal powers to empower the good relationships among the sons of the one nation and to smother the fires of sectarian rift. Sheikh AbdulSalam al-Dulaimi said that more than 30 sheikhs who are prominent tribal leaders in al-Anbar region are about to announce an 'honor pledge' that forbids bloodletting.

So far things seem to be progressing smoothly, but nice words and promises mean very little until they translate into real work; which is my hope.

Posted by Omar @ 15:43 postCount('115149530998527376'); Comments (32) | postCountTB('115149530998527376'); Trackback (0)

3. Breaking News…Samarra bombers arrested!!

In a news conference currently being broadcast on TV, Iraq's national security advisor Muwaffak al-Rubaie says Iraqi security forces arrested Abu Qudama al-Tunisi in a raid in the suburb of al-Dhuloiya north of Baghdad.

15 other foreign terrorists were killed in the raid according to al-Rubaie.

The terrorist of Tunisian origin confessed that he was responsible for the attack that destroyed the Askari Shrine in Samarra back in February 22 of this year.

Muwaffak al-Rubaie said the security forces are still searching for Haitham al-Badri who is believed to be the field commander under whom Abu Qudama was operating. Al-Rubaie described Al-Badri is a terrorist with connections to elements in the past regime who later became one of the leaders of Ansar al-Sunna and later al-Qaeda organization in Iraq. Al-Rubaie adds that this terror cell was responsible for the assassination of the late al-Arabiya reporter Atwar Bahjat. Al-Rubaie described the bombing was organized and says details were taken from the confessions of the captured Abu Qudama: 4 Saudis, two Iraqis and one Tunisian entered the mosque at night, handcuffed and locked up the guards in a room and spent the night planting the bombs all around the mosque. Next day they kidnapped and murdered Atwar Bahjat while she was trying to cover the news of the bombing. Al-Rubaie displayed a poster showing the Shrine before and after the bombing along with a photo of Haitham al-Badri and urged the people to cooperate with authorities in locating the runaway terrorist."

[TradeTheBeal!]

Thanks for the unbiased article and link.

[Air Force Cane]

oh yeah, I'm sorry that US/Iraqi government victories upset you so much..

[wskin44]

It sounds like things are getting on a better track. Ultimately the Iraquis have to win the victory themselves rather than have us prop them up forever.

[cjcdaman]

Thanks for the unbiased article and link.

:doh:

oh yeah, I'm sorry that US/Iraqi government victories upset you so much..

:laugh: :applause:

[Predicto]

ah why bother

[TradeTheBeal!]

:doh:

:laugh: :applause:

The link was to a pro-military blog. Nothing wrong with that but it's hardly a creditable, unbiased source. I felt the original poster framed it as something other than an opinion/blog piece. I enjoy victory as much as the next guy, I just have trouble defining it within the context of our occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some smilies for ya... :dallasuck

[Thiebear]

I just have trouble defining it within the context of our occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.

That is the problem with your thinking.

Name another Coalition in the history of this planet that attacked another country, removed the government, rebuilt the infrastructure and left?

or do you REALLY believe were going to rule Iraq for years to come? Do we rule them now?

[TradeTheBeal!]

That is the problem with your thinking.

Name another Coalition in the history of this planet that attacked another country, removed the government, rebuilt the infrastructure and left?

or do you REALLY believe were going to rule Iraq for years to come? Do we rule them now?

Our Coalition of the Willing is only half done, it would appear.

I think we're gonna be in Iraq for quite some time, ruling. It might be the best option now.

[Seabee1973]

The link was to a pro-military blog. Nothing wrong with that but it's hardly a creditable, unbiased source. I felt the original poster framed it as something other than an opinion/blog piece. I enjoy victory as much as the next guy, I just have trouble defining it within the context of our occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some smilies for ya... :dallasuck

So in other words you would take the word of a guy from new york who was never in the military over some guy that was in the military serving over there?

[cjcdaman]

I enjoy victory as much as the next guy.

I have a very hard time believing that.

[nelms]

I have a very hard time believing that.

Most liberals do not want any progress being made in Iraq. That's the cold, hard truth. It's a mindset that I'll never be able to understand.

[dreamingwolf]

I have a very hard time believing that.

I dont, Im sure enjoys victory and he would enjoy any victory in aiding in a Bush failure.

[dreamingwolf]

Most liberals do not want any progress being made in Iraq. That's the cold, hard truth. It's a mindset that I'll never be able to understand.

and liberals is a bad term to use its mainly the leftists. Its simple Bush hatred.

[cjcdaman]

I dont, Im sure enjoys victory and he would enjoy any victory in aiding in a Bush failure.

That's what I mean. I can understand not liking some of the the things Bush has done or even liking him at all. But to just be so ****ing negative about the good things that happen in Iraq just makes me shake my head.

[tizzod]

That's what I mean. I can understand not liking some of the the things Bush has done or even liking him at all. But to just be so ****ing negative about the good things that happen in Iraq just makes me shake my head.

It is a bit of a head-scratcher, isn't it? Sure seems to me they are making some progress. I would like to see a bit more info, but I know I'll never get it from the mainstream media.

I find myself going to the Defense Department website, however "biased," just to get some idea what kind of positive things are going on there. It's sad that I have to do that. Call me crazy, but I like to read about schools being reopened, and power plants and water treatment facilities that have been repaired and reopened. Stories about Iraqis working with us and being grateful and friendly, which is the vast majority of the country. I have yet to read ANYTHING about such things in the mainstream media. Sucks, really.

And for the record, I'm no Bush fan. So don't go there.

[nelms]

Every day, I receive confirmation that liberalism is a mental disease.

[chomerics]

That's what I mean. I can understand not liking some of the the things Bush has done or even liking him at all. But to just be so ****ing negative about the good things that happen in Iraq just makes me shake my head.

nm. . .I'm taking Predicto's tact. Why bother.

[Fred Jones]

Every day, I receive confirmation that liberalism is a mental disease.

I am sorry you feel that way.

[TradeTheBeal!]

Most liberals do not want any progress being made in Iraq. That's the cold, hard truth. It's a mindset that I'll never be able to understand.

More Cold, Hard Truth:

Opposing the current role of the military in US foriegn policy does not make one a liberal.

GW takes no more abuse than any other recent president, even I don't bash him much. In fact, his father was the one who really got crushed by the media against Clinton in 92'..."Read My Lips"! GW got kid gloves his whole first term, on account of the War against Terror.

Progress is a dangerous word.

Iraq is a valuable teritorial asset - oil reserves, major waterways, prime middle east real estate. Given the clear opportunity, I suspect that either Russia and China would have established their military inside Iraq, had we not.

So,

I'd much rather have HUMVEES rollin through Baghdad than Russian/Chinese tanks. But, those HMVs are a tribute to the skill of the US soldier, not the masterful leadership of Rumsfeld/Cheney/GW and friends.

In fact, GW hasn't been impressive since DAY ONE. He and his cabinet's lack of savvy, diplomacy and leadership has aided the rise of Al-Queda and fostered mutual acts of war. The US has basically been at war for the entirety of GW's tenure, from 9/11 on. It's bad government, and sayin so indicates patriotism not liberalism. :2cents: