The civil war in Iraq
Thursday, 30 November 2006 | 321 readers so far
There is no doubt in my mind that Iraq is in a state of civil war. What an oxymoronic term.
It’s been a civil war for some time. In fact, it started more than 1,200 years ago. If you want to nit pick, Iraq’s current iteration of the larger scale war between Sunni and Shia “started” in earnest after the bombing of the gold-domed mosque last year.
President Bush can refer to the situation as “sectarian violence” all he wants, and he isn’t helping to solve the problem or frame it correctly when he does. He’s just being stubborn. Meanwhile people continue to be murdered in various horrific ways.
The Associated Press reports that Mr. Bush still says that the violence in Iraq is not a civil war. Rather, he says, it is actually part of an Al Qaeda plot to “use violence to goad Iraqi factions into repeatedly attacking each other.” He made the comments at a news conference with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.
I gave up a year of my life in Iraq trying to help stabilize the place and make it better for all those who are stuck there. That didn’t really happen. We made small steps forward and took big ones backwards. By nearly any measures that matter - quality of daily life, sense of security, economic indicators, death rate per capita, access to medical care, etc. Iraq has deteriorated in the last year. Baghdad is a mess. Operation Together Forward is stagnant.
Can we please stop debating whether there is a civil war and start talking about how many more troops are needed in the short term to get things secure in Baghdad? That would be nice. Of course, I find it unlikely that our politicians will manage to get much accomplished. If we lose in Iraq, it won’t be because our troops or military failed. It will be because our politicians bicker like four-year-olds and cause us all to lose face on what journalists love to call “the Arab street.” That’s stupid. In Arab culture, pride is just about the most important thing there is. American politicians need to understand that they are playing with the outcome of the way the entire century is going to go. Do we throw our hands up and run away from problems or do we continue taking our licks until Iraq is stable enough to manage its own affairs without turning into the century’s largest exporter of human incendiary devices that home in on Americans? On the other hand, Saudi Arabia currently holds that honor, and we continue speaking out both sides of our mouth about freedom and democracy while holding hands with the royal family in that rather unfree nation populated by an alarming number of violently oriented religious zealots.
What a world.
1 December 1st, 2006 at 3:07 pm
Dale says:
It isthe primary responsiblity of every government to protect its citizens. If it cannot do that , it is not fit to govern.
The US is the governing authority in Iraq.We are the occupying power. We alone have the power to protect Iraqi citizens from the legion of bad guys. It is our responsiblity. We have three tools to make it safe for ordinary people: our military, the Iraqi politicians, and the Iraqi police. We need to learn how to use all three most effectively.
After citizen safety is restored, we can work on the other issues.
2 December 2nd, 2006 at 9:15 pm
Walter E. Wallis says:
There must be restrictions on freedom of movement to limit the possibilities of movement of bombs, and there must be restrictions on assembly to reduce the targets. A half century ago the watch word was ‘Spread out, one round would kill all of you.”
3 January 6th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
iris says:
DEAD FOR USA AND THE SHIT GODLESS US SOLDIERS !!!
ONE DAY WE FLY IN YOUR SHIT BUILDINGS AGAIN !!!! REMEMBER 11 SEPT: THAT WAS A GREAT DAY !!!OVER 3000 DEAD AMERICANS !!! HOW NICE !!!
AMERICAN SOLDIERS ARE KILLERS AND RAPIEST`S OF LITTLE KIDS AND WOMEN !!!!OHH WHAT FOR HEROES !!!!!
PFUIIIIII !!!!
DIE MOTHERFUCKERS !!!! AMERICANS ARE THE REALLY NAZIS !!!!!
AMERICANS ARE THE REALLY GREAT ASSHOLES FROM THIS WORLD !!! THEY DON`T FIGHT FOR FREEDOM ONLY FOR OIL AND CONTROL !!!!!!
USA IS A SHAME !!!!!!
4 January 7th, 2007 at 3:50 am
Trevor says:
OK Iris,
You don’t live in Amsterdam, but you are connecting to my blog from there.
Americans may be hypocritical sometimes but I can’t think of an Arab country I’d rather live in. And frankly, with your attitude, you should understand why Americans are somewhat nervous about Arabs and Muslims.
How do you expect Americans to respond to people who say things like, “One day we fly into your shit buildings.” That’s kind of crazy and demands a reaction, don’t you think?
If you were my neighbor and you threatened to one day burn down my house because you don’t like me - and the reason wouldn’t matter to me - well, I might pay you a visit first to ensure you couldn’t burn down my house.
5 March 4th, 2007 at 1:12 am
IRIS says:
Resistance sharpshooter kills US soldier at checkpoint in al-Fallujah Thursday.
at 4:27pm Makkah time Friday afternoon, reported that an Iraqi Resistance marksman shot and killed a US soldier in al-Fallujah, 60km west of Baghdad on Thursday.
reported that a Resistance sharpshooter’s bullet scored a direct hit on a US soldier at the western entrance to al-Fallujah, killing him instantly. Residents of al-Halabisah told that the Resistance sharpshooter got out of his car near the al-Halabisah car park outside the city and near the checkpoint controlling the western entrance to al-Halabisah. The sharpshooter aimed at the first checkpoint where US and puppet “Iraqi National Guards†were posted and fired a shot, striking an American soldier in the head and killing him
One more Dead !!!
Next months come two iraqi resistance fighter to germany !!One of them is my boyfriend !!!Why you don´t visit us )????
Fucking Zionist
6 March 4th, 2007 at 1:15 am
IRIS says:
Next months come two iraqi resistance fighter to germany !!One of them is my boyfriend !!!Why you don´t visit us )????
Fucking Zionist
7 March 6th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Trevor says:
Iris, I can block you as many times as necessary. Have fun.
8 March 7th, 2007 at 12:00 am
the will to exist says:
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