Meanwhile....In between rabid cable "news" discussions of flag lapel pins, and other distractions, Sadr City in Baghdad has been under continual bombardment from American forces and the Iraqi military for nearly two months. Civilains are essentially trapped there, caught in the crossfire of war. Hospitals have been hit by our bombs, houses blown up, civilians vaporized. A heavily urban area, with a dense civilian population on the receiving end of american bombs and missles. But, surely we didn't mean or intend to kill any civilians, or children. So sleep easy. Of course the anti-occupation mahdi army has committed its fair share of shocking "collateral" damage too, so we can always use the ever reliable "the evil doers do it too!" canard. Supposedly, a cease fire is in the works, but after 5 years of this BS, and countless pleas of "just give us 6 more months", is any sane person going to fall for more of this crap-ola?
I've lost track of all the reasons we are supposed to be occupying Iraq, although the most recent reason, evidently, is to keep our iraqi government puppets/allies from falling to shia militias and the mehdi army. The evil doers, as it were.
My judgement, based largely on the expertise of those I trust, is that this has nothing to do with fighting dead enders, nor about rescuing the iraqi people from evil shia militias.
It's about whether or not we will be allowed to continue to occupy iraq, and gain economic and military benefit from doing so.
Malaki, and his green zone-ensconsed Iraqi government support the american occupation.
The Mehdi Army and allied shia militia don't - they oppose an american occupation. That's the reason. That's the bottom line. No amount of "fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them here" baloney will suffice, or pass the laugh test.
Astonishingly, the Mehdi army is apparently staunchly anti-iranian; pro-arab nationalists. They have no love for the Persions. They would almost certainly not be an iranian ally, even if they ran Iraq. Malaki and his green zone government, are in fact, nominally more friendly to the Iranian government. Which pretty much blows out of the water, any BushCo. lie that we are there (now) supposedly to oppose Iran. Nope. We are there to support the Green Zone governmental factions that will collude with, and support our long term occupation. Its about money, economics, and geopolitics. Its about the occupation. It's not about "al qaeda in iraq" (which is a relatively insignficant irritant), nor is it about slapping down some evil shia militias. Its' about support the groups that will allow our occupation.
And if some hospitals have to get blown up by our bombs, that's the price of supporting an iraqi green zone government that will permit a long term american occupation -- maybe for a 100 years ("that'd be fine with me!" --John McCain)
I've lost track of all the reasons we are supposed to be occupying Iraq, although the most recent reason, evidently, is to keep our iraqi government puppets/allies from falling to shia militias and the mehdi army. The evil doers, as it were.
My judgement, based largely on the expertise of those I trust, is that this has nothing to do with fighting dead enders, nor about rescuing the iraqi people from evil shia militias.
It's about whether or not we will be allowed to continue to occupy iraq, and gain economic and military benefit from doing so.
Malaki, and his green zone-ensconsed Iraqi government support the american occupation.
The Mehdi Army and allied shia militia don't - they oppose an american occupation. That's the reason. That's the bottom line. No amount of "fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them here" baloney will suffice, or pass the laugh test.
Astonishingly, the Mehdi army is apparently staunchly anti-iranian; pro-arab nationalists. They have no love for the Persions. They would almost certainly not be an iranian ally, even if they ran Iraq. Malaki and his green zone government, are in fact, nominally more friendly to the Iranian government. Which pretty much blows out of the water, any BushCo. lie that we are there (now) supposedly to oppose Iran. Nope. We are there to support the Green Zone governmental factions that will collude with, and support our long term occupation. Its about money, economics, and geopolitics. Its about the occupation. It's not about "al qaeda in iraq" (which is a relatively insignficant irritant), nor is it about slapping down some evil shia militias. Its' about support the groups that will allow our occupation.
And if some hospitals have to get blown up by our bombs, that's the price of supporting an iraqi green zone government that will permit a long term american occupation -- maybe for a 100 years ("that'd be fine with me!" --John McCain)
