As Badger reports, Maliki’s troops, under U.S. command, are razing another Shia part of Baghdad, Shoala in the north-east. As they have learned from their U.S. trainers, the first thing to do in such attacks (remember Fallujah) is to shut down the areas hospital. Otherwise wounded could get treatment and one can’t have that. The big idea is likely to make everybody flee the area the U.S. decided to clean.
In the Sunni Baghdad quarter Adhamiyah, the Awakening fighters are nervous. Their extortion racket, peace for money, worked well with the U.S. so far, but they know that this is only temp work and they want a permanent position. But the Maliki government does not want to take over the contract. Without perspektive of getting paid, some of these folks fall back to their old business – setting up bombs for whoever pays best.
U.S. military officers in Adhamiyah said they were not sure who was responsible for the growing number of roadside bombs — extremists sneaking back into the neighborhood or factional leaders jockeying for power. The U.S. military has more than 2,200 Awakening fighters in Adhamiyah and nearby neighborhoods.
Military officers said they have tried numerous avenues to get Awakening fighters hired into the Iraqi security forces, but they say they have no evidence that the vast majority of applications have been acted upon.
Dr. iRack sees the ‘success’ of the ‘surge’ falling apart:
We have to get this right . . . and get it right right now. The clock is ticking. The only solution is a political one, and it will involve pushing the Maliki government to move much faster to co-opt Sunni and Shia combatants.
But there is only one way the U.S. can really put pressure on Maliki and the green zone profiteers. The sole thing these folks fear is a retreat of the U.S. troops that are covering their asses.
The U.S. could threaten to withdraw its forces. But would that threat be believable unless really taken forward? Cheney would certainly not agree to a full retreat as there is this 1% chance that Maliki really might let them go.
The green zoners know that. The only thing they fear will not happen unless the U.S. administration changes. A grand political stalemate while the situation for the Iraqi people gets worse by the day.