Maliki Throws Away Iraq

From Baghdad's Own Tahrir Square to Mosul: the Friday of the Free
Lieven De Cauter of Foreign Policy in Focus presents a letter from his colleague in Iraq: "Ah, the scenes in Tahrir were phenomenal, because Maliki and his henchmen yesterday ordered people to demonstrate in two football grounds, again on a sectarian basis, can you imagine? But he is a stupid man and so are his advisors. The Iraqis are much too intelligent and clever for all of this and proved that they are now at the point of no return in their rebellion and revolt. They assembled in Tahrir and told Maliki and his parliamentarians to go and play football in the stadiums he has assigned."
Read the Article

What Moqtada al-Sadr Teaches Us

FirstPost.co.uk

Our leaders are lying to us. Foolishly, they want to pick a fight with Iran.

The Triumph of Moqtada Al Sadr
British Troops Sent Back to Basra

British troops have been sent back into Basra just months after control of the southern city was placed in the hands of the Iraqis. Up to 150 British soldiers are now "embedded" with Iraqi army units in the town, fighting insurgent groups which now hold power in large areas of Basra. The news has led to allegations of "mission creep". (Sunday Telegraph)

Most Iraqis

What We Learn about Iraq

Our troops can suffer extended duty in the combat zone of up to 18 months. This contributes to an abnormally high suicide rate [120 per week as calculated by a 2005 survey]. The President can issue a “stop-loss” order to extend troops when their contract expires.

Winter Soldier Kristofer Shaun Goldsmith testified to this and to his suicide attempt. Anyone can Google the fuller story of these tragedies.

Sectarianism doesn’t lie at the root of the conflict.

Maliki and his Assembly receive backing from only one-third of the population. Maliki’s faction lost support:

1. When they failed to deliver basic services.
2. As they refused to expel the Americans.
3. When they favored privatization of the oil fields.
4. When they refused all attempts at reconciliation towards a democratic future for Iraq.

The opposition nationalists are also mainly Shiite. They favor a central government with enough power to expel the Americans and the big oil companies. Sadr had the strength to force a unilateral cease fire last year. Falsely, the Americans claim it was the surge that lessened the hostilities.

Indeed, the US and Maliki took advantage to murder nationalists. They threatened mutiny if they were not re-armed to defend themselves.

Even with the USAF bombing the nationalists, I doubt if the fighting will end quickly.

Yesterday, I saw a video of the Charley Rose Show. Two Iraqis told the facts calmly to him. They shocked Rose, who had apparently taken the US MSM lies hook, line and sinker.