Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
April 16, 2008
Iraq News

Some news from Iraq where the situation is so chaotic now that it is hard to put this in one narrative.

The Associated Press detects differences between U.S. and Iraqi strategies towards al-Sadr. But while the U.S. may use softer words than Maliki, facts on the ground tell a different story.

Fighting continues in Basra and Sadr-City with the U.S. firing missiles from helicopters and drones killing ‘criminals’. (When will that tactic migrate to fight ‘criminals’ in the homeland?)

A company of the Iraqi army sent as cannon fooder in front of U.S. lines in Sadr city simply packed up and left.

Maliki sacked Basra’s army and police commanders who both had been appointed in June by his  central government.

Yesterday’s bombings in Baquba,  Ramadi and Mosul by the Iraqi resitance seem to have been aimed at police and awakening forces, but also killed and wounded many civilians.

Turkey again bombed PKK positions in the Zagros mountains in north Iraq.

Sadr’s movement is the biggest humanitarian aid agency in Iraq.

Two aids of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani were seriously wounded in seperate assassination attempts and another one escaped unharmed.

The State Department threatens to order its diplomats onto Iraq positions where the new imperial embassy building is now ready to recieve them.

Maliki is in Brussels working on deal to sell Iraqi gas to the European Union. Certainly the most important thing for him to do right now.

ADDED:

Badger reports how Maliki and the U.S. by creating ‘awakening councils’ in Sadr city try to instigate another civil war.

Comments

the U.S. firing missiles from helicopters and drones killing ‘criminals’. (When will that tactic migrate to fight ‘criminals’ in the homeland?)

that has already been done, Police Drop Bomb on Radicals’ Home in Philadelphia
what a fvcked up world we live in.

Posted by: dan of steele | Apr 16 2008 17:39 utc | 1

More Insurgent Deaths, Apache 30mm and UAV Airstrikes
A pox on the house of Busch and all his ilk. May they know retribution.

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Apr 16 2008 17:53 utc | 2

Reality (via Blood and Treasure):

Often, the problem for logisticians in Iraq is not whether the equipment exists in country but, rather, finding where the equipment resides. In this resource-rich environment, many logisticians find it hard to believe that the military will be leaving Iraq in the near future because of the preponderance of American equipment interspersed around the country. Military analysts often quote Carl von Clausewitz’s dictum that “war is a continuation of politics by other means.” Nonetheless, it seems political decisions are reflecting the ground truth of the war, which is that American materiel at bases such as LSA Anaconda will be difficult to deconstruct, and it will require a Herculean effort to return this equipment stateside.
Military bases in Iraq are not being downsized but, rather, improved and developed. The roads within the U.S. base at the Baghdad International Airport are being paved and expanded. Tents are being replaced with trailers and buildings. In some cases, the bases in Iraq are more resource-rich than U.S. military bases in Germany or stateside. Units preparing to deploy often find it difficult to procure equipment during their preparations because of the emphasis on funding units already in Iraq. Similarly, units redeployed from Iraq find that little funding is available to refurbish, reset and service equipment that has survived a year or more of combat operations. The vast majority of the billions of dollars a month the military spends is devoted solely to units in Iraq, at the expense of units that are not deployed. As a result, training for these units suffers and maintenance after a deployment is reduced.

Posted by: biklett | Apr 16 2008 18:08 utc | 3

oh and if you think that the police only bomb inner city appartment buildings where there are actual gunmen inside, look how they go after those fiendish Mormons.
link

Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints spokesman Rod Parker said the group did not offer any resistance to the force mustered against them, which included police agencies from six counties, the Texas Rangers, the state highway patrol and wildlife officers.
“Instead they responded by singing and praying,” he told the AP.

this episode bothers me a lot more than others, not because I am a polygamist (good grief! I have enough of a time with one woman, who can handle more?) nor because I am a mormon. this whole confrontation is mostly fear and loathing toward a group of peaceful people minding their own business. I am quite appalled at how easily supposedly liberal and progressive people have sided with the child protection services in the state sponsored kidnapping of over 400 children. the original complaint was alleged spouse abuse in the form of forced sex and/or some kind of physical abuse. with this excuse the state of Texas took every child from the community.

Posted by: dan of steele | Apr 16 2008 18:33 utc | 4

In some cases, the bases in Iraq are more resource-rich than U.S. military bases in Germany or stateside.

granted, economic common sense (that is, economic thought conceived as the management of a household’s expenses and consumption) would suggest that this sort of investment would only be done in the long term. But perhaps you and I should stop a moment to recall that the proper field of reasoning in which to address these matters is not economics, but political economics – a term forbidden in ‘serious’ U.S. economic circles since the founding of institutional U.S. economic circles.
And in political economics, we know that the kinds of returns demanded by “the market” (another curious term, because it is neocons’ way of saying that they worship at an altar whose measurements are best known to us through the work of a rather well known 19th century ‘tailor’, Mr. K.M.)
where was I?
ah yes, the demand that investment managers produce impossibly high returns eventually requires “the market” to produce goods whose primary virtue is that the destroy themselves and other capital investments. Take a moment and check, It’s right there in that 401k statement about the GE stocks and special investment vehicles…
When you recall all this to mind, it makes sense why the United States Executive is asking the United States military and its assorted subcontractors to “invest” (chuckles all around) in facilities that we cannot keep, but will, one day, just have to blow up…
… ever so reluctantly.

Posted by: citizen | Apr 16 2008 18:50 utc | 5

the original complaint was alleged spouse abuse in the form of forced sex and/or some kind of physical abuse. with this excuse the state of Texas took every child from the community.
it’s sort of a dicey issue dos. some of those female children get married off to old men when they are 13. by that time they are often (brainwashed?) on board w/this lifestyle so usually they don’t break away and complain to authorities. also, by the time a girl has a baby the idea of leaving that child is completely unnatural, finding the courage to leave w/a child might seem rather daunting.
if someone wants multiple partners that is different than arranged marriages for children. i have a personal friend who’s parents were in the christian cult children of god. during the course of our friendship i have met some of her ‘siblings’ (some of which share a natural parent, some not). some of them still carry (deep)scars, including her.
so while i agree invading that place under the pretext of protecting one 16 year old girl might seem an over reaction, the consequences of many children following that path, and they do, is staggering to me.

Posted by: annie | Apr 16 2008 19:09 utc | 6

sorry, OT

Posted by: annie | Apr 16 2008 19:09 utc | 7

The war on Sadr has become one of those moments when the overall strategy of what the U.S. is really doing in Iraq is cast into high relief, and is exposed for what it is. Can there be little doubt that what we are seeing is indeed the instigation of another round of political consolidation (Maliki/Badr/U.S.) being instituted under the cover of “civil war”- just as the previous round of “civil war”, the ethnic/political cleansing of Baghdad of Sunni/resistance – led to the formation of the Awakening Councils. Or in other words, the de-facto defeat of the Sunni resistance that resulted from the ethnic cleansing, and then retroactively made to look like the successful product of the surge. Not unlike the subsequent wall building cantonization of neighborhoods under the guise of “providing security to the residences”. This is all of course, what they would like to do to the Sadr movement. Which in many respects, with the Sunni resistance co-opted, represents the last major obstacle confronting the final de-nationalization of Iraq.
Except that there are several significant differences between the former “civil war” scenario and the move against Sadr, in spite of the effort to apply the same principals and propaganda labels. First of all and before this latest thing got underway, the Sadrist movement represented no militant threat toward the government, and had been comfortable enough to have ceased its offensive military operations, in some measure of compliance to the government/U.S. needs to reduce violence, as they are also functional participants in the government. Secondly, and in spite of new found arcane propaganda labels i.e. “special groups”, the Sadrists, unlike the Sunni’s, are not plagued by a threatening and exploitable internal enemy, like al-Qaeda in Iraq. And thirdly, there is no obvious or significant ethnic cleavage lines between the government and the Sadrists to exploit and that can be used to justify or shield the assault later as the product of “ethnic strife” and ultimately as an out of control “civil war”.
So everything is more obvious than usual, the Maliki/Badr/U.S./Iranian,and Sunni Party have embarked upon a violent offensive military operation, without provocation, against a part of its own government noted for its vast and functioning social service network, its nationalists credentials, and independent stance with regards to foreign intervention. They have done so against an internal political opponent that is growing in popular support.
There is no common enemy (as in AQinI) to warrant an Awakening program in Sadr City. There is no need for security walls in Sadr City or Basra. No one in either city has asked for government intervention, or government security measures.
The assault on Sadr violates every previous reason and justification for the surge.
The civil war in Iraq is and has always been violence sanctified, undertaken, or instigated by the United States and its Iraqi puppets. the only difference is that this time there is no cover of fig leafs of justification left.

Posted by: anna missed | Apr 16 2008 19:21 utc | 8

the only difference is that this time there is no cover of fig leafs of justification left.
which is precisely why ‘the iranian backed militia’ meme for the benefit of the american public when anyone who knows anything about bad and sad knows just the opposite. w/mainstream americans having no understanding of shia sunni anyway what possible explanation could they give the dumb downed audience for engaging in another ‘civil war’ this time inside one sect!? they cannot explain the differences in politics for it would show their cards! hence, it is all pawned off as ‘iranian’ when in fact we’re supporting the iranian influence.
i would like to amend my comment here
the drumbeat about iran at this time drowns out the genocide taking place in sadr city.
should read the drumbeat about iran at this time justifies the genocide taking place in sadr city!
this is really driving me a little nuts frankly. it is sooooo obvious once i finally see it (thank you anna missed and others).
btw, on one of the iraqi sites i frequent, the blogger linked back to an old post feb when turkey started bombing northern iraq, wondering what kind of grand bargain the US had made w/turkey using iraq as a bargaining chip for it seemed completely unlikely any country would just stand down as their borders were being invaded. obviously the US could go after pkk if they wanted, or iraqs military. he suggested it was probably some deal regarding turkey entering the EU…kurdistans oil law and peshmerga salaries(both that just happened, synchronizing w/malikis trip to EU.. pipeline..) so what exactly was americas ‘gift’ from this? everybody gets a prize, turkey, kurds, maliki….the US gets sadr city. maliki was probably supposed to guarentee iraqi troops would take the lead but it seems this is going a little ape shit in terms of image control. aside from the ‘cannon fodder’ aspect of this failed mission last night (b’s nyt ‘Iraqi Unit Flees Post’ link) we have this choice morsel of truth..
That approach was intended to build up the Iraqi military’s fighting capacity and put an Iraqi face on the operation in Sadr City
that is what america needs more than anything right now, an iraqi FACE on this operation which is decidedly NOT iraqi.
here’s what i think…i think americans have a short memory, if you ask them they would not remember off the top of their heads what summer ‘operation forward together’ took place , or that it was before our elections. they would not really remember anything about the initiation of that bloodbath except ‘samarra mosque’ if that. but iraqis have longer attentions spans and very much remember that summer. and how bad it was. while sadr troops were encouraged and supported in their drill roles during that conflict, now the recruitment of ‘awakening’ members to replace the 1300 IA’s who weren’t loyal enough amounts to sanctioned revenge killings. apparently they can’t count on shias to kill eachother so they are importing ex sunni ‘insurgents’ into a cordoned off area.
really i am going crazy. did i say that already? i have to get off the computer before i go balistic.

Posted by: annie | Apr 16 2008 20:30 utc | 9

I don’t know that I would describe the situation in Iraq as chaotic. The US military is attempting to conquer, perhaps just to cow, Sadr City, in order to put the Sadrists out of the scene for the coming election. I would say that the aim is unachievable, as it was in Basra. You can’t beat a national movement by a military attack.
By the way, all talk of a new strategy against insurgents has disappeared. We are back to Falluja mk 2 but lite so far.
These instructions must be coming direct from Washington.
Not surprisingly there are defections from the Shia units. Do we know how many of the Iraqi units involved are Shia and how many Peshmerga?

Posted by: Alex | Apr 16 2008 20:42 utc | 10

Pray for the day that corrupt/US Parrots Patriots do their “Bring ’em on” sale of Walmart Bullets.

Posted by: Cloned Poster | Apr 16 2008 20:59 utc | 11

http://arablinks.blogspot.com/2008/04/tamimi-lets-abandon-arms-for-politics.html
they are probably the ‘elite’ forces referred to in the nyt piece. i would imagine most peshmerga is otherwise engaged in mosel.

Posted by: annie | Apr 16 2008 21:01 utc | 12

how did that happen! lol, that missing links url was left over from my last copy paste. the italic was supposed to read..
Do we know how many of the Iraqi units involved are Shia and how many Peshmerga?
sorry, i am missing a few brain cells today (only today mind you).

Posted by: annie | Apr 16 2008 21:04 utc | 13

Actually, concerning the role Awakening councils are meant to play in Sunni areas, it’s pretty hopeless to achieve it in Sadr City for one obvious and annoying reason. Sadr movement is the shia equivalent of an Awakening council.

Posted by: CluelessJoe | Apr 16 2008 22:11 utc | 14

if or when the Medhi achieves or begins to approach the relevance among Shia that Hezbolla has in S. Lebanon (must not forget the overall nationalism factor too), its pretty much over. Thats what the ceasefire (time-out) was all about. Follow the money. The oil-money. From Basra to Sadr-City and on to social-services.. And it seems its worked so well thats why we have this.

Posted by: jony_b_cool | Apr 16 2008 22:52 utc | 15

From b’s NYT link – Iraqi Unit Flees Post, Despite American’s Plea:

“It bugs the hell out of me,” said Sgt. George Lewis

It bugs me too. Darn stupid Iraqis refusing to kill each other. What the hell is the World coming to if we can’t get foreigners to kill each any more. Oh well since we don’t mind killing them it ain’t all that bad.

The major’s company had replaced a more battle-hardened Iraqi unit just two days earlier, and he had been unhappy to find that he would be occupying a position to the front of the better trained and equipped Americans.

Stupid Iraqis always complaing, what do they expect? do they think we are going to give them better arms than we have? You never give a sucker the means to get ahead. Next thing you know they’d be asking us to leave.

He also complained that he had no means to communicate directly with the American troops.

Well of course stupid, do you actually think we are going to trust you within our communication network? Not to worry there are other suckers er I mean Iraqis around that don’t worry about such minor details:

According to the last reports monitored by Company B, the Iraqis were stopped short by several roadside bombs, and planned to resume the push in daylight.

Ahh the good Iraqis found the roadside bombs for us. How very nice of them.

Posted by: Sam | Apr 16 2008 22:52 utc | 16

Bush and his colleagues have to kill 25,000,000 Iraqi men, women and children before they can finish the job they’ve set for themselves. They would certainly finish it if they could, but alas! they lack the means: not enough money, not enough weapons (atomic bombs would hardly start the job), not enough killers in American uniforms to bring it off. And anyway they keep getting killed, those troops–only a few so far, it’s true, but the numbers are sure to increase exponentially as the fighting continues. This, because the Iraqis know their own people, their own territory, their own language, their arts of war, and the enemy–call it the target!–at hand (all loaded down with the wrong weapons and the wrong skills, underformed, underinformed….).
So yes, by all means let the fighting continue! Bleed off the American military machine. And when it finally dies in the desert–achieving the extinction it so richly deserves without the slightest disturbance at home–no one, finally, will care, because no one’s paying attention, and no one will know when it’s over. And peace will fall on the land like manna from heaven.

Posted by: alabama | Apr 17 2008 0:48 utc | 17

Bush and his colleagues have to kill 25,000,000 Iraqi men, women and children before they can finish the job they’ve set for themselves. They would certainly finish it if they could, but alas! they lack the means: not enough money, not enough weapons (atomic bombs would hardly start the job), not enough killers in American uniforms to bring it off. And anyway they keep getting killed, those troops–only a few so far, it’s true, but the numbers are sure to increase exponentially as the fighting continues. This, because the Iraqis know their own people, their own territory, their own language, their arts of war, and the enemy–call it the target!–at hand (all loaded down with the wrong weapons and the wrong skills, underformed, underinformed….).
So yes, by all means let the fighting continue! Bleed off the American military machine. And when it finally dies in the desert–achieving the extinction it so richly deserves without the slightest disturbance at home–no one, finally, will care, because no one’s paying attention, and no one will know when it’s over. And peace will fall on the land like manna from heaven.

Posted by: alabama | Apr 17 2008 0:49 utc | 18

sorry for the repeat….

Posted by: alabama | Apr 17 2008 0:49 utc | 19

sorry for the repeat….
it was worth repeating alabama

Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 17 2008 2:26 utc | 20

Omar, at Gorilla’s Guides, has rewritten the NY Times article about the defection of Iraki troops in Sadr City, adding, ah, clarifications, corrections, comments.
See Iraqi GZG Unit Flees Post Behaves Rationally, Despite American’s Plea
Gorilla’s Guides also reported earlier about the assasination of Sadr’s brother-in-law and his importance. There was a very enlightening report as to what happened in Basra when the Iraki troops were moved south. In the opinion of the bloggers, the Peshmerga troops are hated for their ruthless methods, so it is not a good idea for Maliki to use them.

Posted by: Owl | Apr 17 2008 6:58 utc | 21

Sadr, the biggest relief agency in Iraq, Duh?

Posted by: anna missed | Apr 17 2008 7:21 utc | 22

On the Basra debacle, Echos of Vietnam

But Tet is not the only relevant Vietnam analogy. The other parallel was Operation Lam Son, the 1971 invasion of Laos by the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN). The United States pushed South Vietnam to attack Laos in order to demonstrate that the ARVN could stand on its own two feet, and to make the point prior to the upcoming 1972 U.S. elections that Nixon’s policy of “Vietnamization” was working.
Instead, U.S. audiences watched as panicked ARVN troops clung to helicopter landing skids in their desperation to escape from Laos. Lam Son “was a disaster,” writes historian A.J. Langguth in Our Vietnam: The War, 1954-1975: “Vietnamization became one more doomed fantasy. After 10 years of training and costly equipment, South Vietnam’s troops seemed to be no match for the Communists.”
Radey says the Lam Son analogy is a useful one. The invasion didn’t work “because the [ARVN] soldiers didn’t believe in the cause they fought for,” while their opponents, with far less fire power, “believed in what they were doing. Vive la difference.”
As for Iraq and the recent fighting: “Was anyone paying attention the last time this lesson was taught in Vietnam?” Radey asks. “Did anyone do the reading? Hello? Do I have to start throwing chalk?”
I thought I heard an echo.

Posted by: anna missed | Apr 17 2008 7:41 utc | 23

Still waiting for the Suadis to come to the resuce:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is hopeful Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations will offer diplomatic and financial help to Iraq at a conference of its neighbors next week, said a senior U.S. official on Wednesday.
“The Sunni Arabs have not covered themselves with glory (in helping Iraq’s government),” he added.

U.S. hopes Saudi Arabia, others to offer Iraq help
Yes I’m sure the Sunni Saudis can’t wait to open an Embassy in Baghdad to celebrate the glory of the Sunni genocide orchestrated by Maliki and Hakim. After all what could be more glorious than supporting a Judeo-Christian nation occupying Arab land. I’m sure they’ll also offer to open an Embassy in Israel too in support of such glory. The Saudi newspaper al-Riyadh is brimming with such glory:

Dr. Mohamed al-Mesafir professor at the University of Qatar criticized the Western demands of democracy in the Arab world, and the insistence on interfering in Arab affairs, saying : That the West wants a democracy that serves its interests and democratic agenda and serve Israel, which does not recognize the rights of others, pointing out that the Likud Party rejects peace and rejects Palestinian rights, as well as Shas Party, the west describes Hamas as a terrorist organization despite its victory in a democratic elections, where is this democracy in rejecting a movement came via the ballot box and supporting racist parties in Israel reject peace and understanding with the Arabs.

An “old symphony” in Doha Forum!
Same old shit, different day. Our glorious leaders just can’t seem to get past the obvious in their dreams for remaking the entire ME. For example here’s what the Iraqi Commander said in response to the NYT’s article – Iraqi Unit Flees Post, Despite American’s Plea:
“Most of my soldiers have family inside Sadr City,” he said. “Their tribes and cousins and relatives are there. They can’t fight in Sadr City.”
Desertion or a Break? An Iraqi Gives His Side

Posted by: Sam | Apr 17 2008 9:14 utc | 24

If the US hasn’t already done so, it will soon be asking China, Russia, India and Brazil–along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Syria (why not?)–to assist in the massacre of 25 million Iraqis by providing all the soldiers, weapons, and money needed to do the job.
It’s not that things will unfold as the US might wish: none of these requests (as addressed to friendly nations) have really borne fruit in the past five years. It’s only that the administration is fated to express the frustration of its sense of entitlement and its homicidal self-righteousness by seeking assistance in any way that might come to its deranged mind…. The one thing I don’t expect to see: I don’t expect to see Israel drop 250 atomic bombs on the towns, cities and refugee camps of Iraq, because Israel has nothing to gain from participating in a holocaust four times as large as the Shoah. It just wouldn’t look very good on the résumé.

Posted by: alabama | Apr 17 2008 12:14 utc | 25

Iraq to Open Oil-Field Bidding

Iraq will open at least six major oil and natural-gas fields for exploration and production in the first bidding for licenses since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
Iraq, which pre-qualified international oil companies this week for the bidding, will open the southern fields of Rumaila North, Rumaila South, West Qurna and Zubair for exploration, Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said in an interview in Brussels yesterday. In the north, international oil companies will be invited to develop the Kirkuk oil field and the Akkaz gas field.
“At least six giant fields will be included, including some gas fields,” Shahristani said. “There will be other bid rounds next year, and more companies will be qualified as we go along.”

Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest oil company, and Europe’s two biggest, Royal Dutch Shell and BP, were among the 35, as were ConocoPhillips, Chevron and Total. Others included Russia’s Gazprom, the world’s largest natural-gas producer, and Lukoil, the Russian oil producer with the most overseas assets. Mitsubishi and Inpex Holding of Japan and China’s Sinochem were also accepted.

Posted by: b | Apr 17 2008 12:29 utc | 26

Our Iranian freinds in the Iraqi government speaks:

Baghdad, Apr 15, (VOI) – The head of Badr organization, affiliated with the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC – Shiite political entity), stressed on Wednesday the necessity that the Sadr movement dissolves “Mahdi Army militias,” if it wants to participate in the political process, saying that only the Mahdi Army and al-Qaeda “carried weapons” against the state and army.
Al-Amiri denied that “any political component or Iraqi party currently has an armed militia, excluding the Sadr movement.”

link
There are no pershmega, there are no awakening councils, there are no Sons of Iraq. It’s all a mirage. All Iraqis love the occupation except for Sadr and Al Queda. He must be getting coached from FOX News.
As far as oil contracts go outside of Kurdistan any work on Iraqi oil is pretty much guaranteed to get blown up. They’ve been trying for 5 years and nothing has changed.

Posted by: Sam | Apr 17 2008 14:33 utc | 27

What fun to see Gazprom, Lukoil, Mitsubishi and Sinochem walk off with the prizes!….

Posted by: alabama | Apr 17 2008 14:35 utc | 28

Link to 27

Posted by: Sam | Apr 17 2008 14:38 utc | 29

U.S. sees Iraqis in control in Baghdad in a year:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – U.S. forces in Baghdad hope to turn over responsibility for security in most of the Iraqi capital to Iraqi forces in about a year, the chief of staff of the American military in the city said.
The remarks by Colonel Allen Batschelet describe a smaller role for the U.S. military in Baghdad after the next U.S. president takes over from George W. Bush in January.
“We anticipate transitioning the majority of Baghdad city into a tactical overwatch by the time of our division’s departure in early spring (2009). We believe that is attainable,” Batschelet wrote in an e-mail interview with Reuters.

In 2 years we anticipate that robots will do all our work for us. In 3 years we anticipate colonies on Mars. In 4 years we anticipate star travel. In 5 years we anticipate Bush will get re-elected.

Posted by: Sam | Apr 17 2008 14:59 utc | 30

What fun to see Gazprom, Lukoil, Mitsubishi and Sinochem walk off with the prizes!….
Like that is gonna happen. Just because they are able to bid does not mean that anybody other than Chevron and Exxon Mobile are going to win any of the contracts. After spending a half trillion of our money you can bet those guys are not going to let somebody else get the loot.

Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 17 2008 16:10 utc | 31

Okay. But let’s watch Total do its thing….

Posted by: alabama | Apr 17 2008 16:20 utc | 32