FTA:

At least 50 people were killed and more than 120 wounded, with civilians among the casualties, in fighting in Basra that began yesterday and raged early today, President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party said on its Web site. An additional 14 were killed and 140 injured as Iraqi and U.S. forces fought the Mahdi Army militiamen in Baghdad's Sadr City, the PUK said.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who has been in Basra since March 24 to oversee operation Sulat al-Fursan, which means ``Knights' Charge'' in Arabic, today ordered the group to lay down arms within 72 hours, state television reported. There is a curfew on all routes into Basra province until March 28, and schools and universities are closed.

``The current fighting is as much a power struggle for control of the south and the Shiite parts of Baghdad'' as an attempt to establish government authority, Anthony H. Cordesman, a security analyst at the Washington-based Center for Strategic & International Studies policy group, said by e-mail.

Rival Shiite groups, including al-Sadr's followers, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and the Fadhila party, have clashed in a struggle for supremacy in the southern oil hub. The U.K. military transferred responsibility for the city to Iraqi forces in December.

Positioning for Struggle

The SIIC, which dominates politics and some of the police force in southern Iraq, is ``clearly positioning itself for a power struggle with Sadr and for any elections to come,'' Cordesman said. The transfer of authority to Iraqi forces in the south may be used by al-Maliki's Shiite Dawa party and the SIIC ``to cement control over the Shiite regions at Sadr's expense,'' he said.

The deaths of two more American soldiers in Baghdad today brought the U.S. fatality toll since the conflict began to 4,003, AFP said.

Separately, three U.S. government employees were seriously injured in a mortar attack on the fortified Green Zone, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said in an e-mailed statement.

The fighting may be a key test for Iraqi forces as the U.S. plans to withdraw some of its 158,000 service members in the country, reducing the number to about 140,000 in July. President George W. Bush will meet with the Joint Chiefs of Staff today, days after the fifth anniversary of the conflict, to discuss future moves in Iraq.

This all seems fairly odd to Spud.

Muqtada Al Sadr once reviled as the biggest threat to peace in Iraq and then later feted as the primary source of reduced casualties levels is still calling for his cease fire but allowing militias loyal to him to act in "self defence". Meanwhile Al-Malarkey is actually in Basra calling for forces loyal to Sadr to surrender themselves and their weapons in an apparent power play encouraged by the SIIC to shut Sadr out of the upcoming elections in the region.

Man, if this is the cease fire continuing Spud would hate to see wot it would be like if it broke down entirely.

Be Well.

al sadr consolidated his power (his militia)

he could not get al malarky to get teh US to commit to a timetable

so he abandoned malarky this past summer

Basra has essentially been a free fire zone for a year since the brits pulled out, leaving nothing in their stead.

Basra is the primary port for oil to leaving Iraq

numerous militia are fighting over control of the illiegal oil trade (can you say blood diamonds er oil)

malarky after breaking with al sadr is attempting to put govt influence into Basra. We really need to hope that he does, crushes sadr, crushes the badr brigade and the rest of the scumlords

if he fails (and he likely will) iraq will collapse ever further.

right now sadr has won in baghdad it has been ethnically cleansed so the sunnis and hte shiites arent fighting, but if they do....

man will we be sorry we armed the sunni militia.



oh btw no surge reduction.

come on righties lets hear you defend the surge

spud

al sadr is consolidating power, if he continues with his cease fire, the rival shiites ally with the govt he annointed and he loses power, he defeated the sunnis in baghdad and is extending his powerbase into the south.

ironically at the expense of iran.

Battle For Basra's Oil Gets Bloody

"It's going to get a lot worse before you pump it all out of me. *sigh*

Gaea"

Sad to say but the US has tried to marginalize the real power in Iraq...Moqtada al-Sadr. AS long as the US ignores him there will never be a political outcome in Iraq.

The only reason Bush, Cheney, McCain etc. can claim the surge is working is because Sadr call for and maintained a cease-fire.

Just needs a little minor "surgery".

Is this some of the same oil that Wolfowitz told us would pay for the war?

Besides ethnic cleansing, the next reason things have been better comparatively is because Muqtada Al Sadr called a ceasefire.

It was touted as one of the safest areas in Iraq.

Well, now he's back. The British left Basra to cut their losses. The Iraqis still don't have their act together.

100 years vs telling them we're leaving and they have 18 months to get it together, because we'll be gone by then. Only that will exert the neccessary pressure on the Iraqis to get it together if they want a stable country.

$30 million dollars a day in stolen oil. A $50 billion dollar war the oil was supposed to pay for.

Unbelievable.

$50 Billion? You using Vern's calc again?

Bush says it's "progress" so I feel better now.

Exactly, AU. Between bribing the insurgents, ethnic cleansing, and mass migration, we have had a "lull"...it was and is premature to call anything a success right now.

Of course, that won't stop the demagoguery on both sides.

$50 Billion? You using Vern's calc again?

Posted by Jomama

The $50 billion dollar figure we were told this war would cost us up front - with it repaid by Iraqi oil revenues.

Sounds like heaven there, 2112. When are you going for a visit? While you're there, be sure to try the chocolates, and say hi to Lokiderfl for us.

Did you know your a tool?

When Montecore says "try the chocolates," he is really demanding that you eat his ass with a spoon.

Joe's right. And he did it, and is still here, so why don't you give it a try? By the way, Joe, your mom says that your mouth still smells like ass, and she asked me to ask you to stop French kissing her.

Monte,

I would not travel to the mid east if you paid me.

Sorry AU, I stand corrected. There've been so many lies over the past 5 years I get confuswed.

And by "she asked you to ask me to ask you to ask me to ask her," Montecore really means "I run like a girl when I chase ambulances."

Weak Flag for Lil' Joe. Stick to sucking cocks, Joe, cause you're not funny.

al sadr is consolidating power, if he continues with his cease fire, the rival shiites ally with the govt he annointed and he loses power, he defeated the sunnis in baghdad and is extending his powerbase into the south.

ironically at the expense of iran

~Truth

Yup, ordinarily Spud is a huge fan of ironies but some days not so much. Iran as things stand, is gonna wind up being the one faction that profits the most from the Iraqi debacle in terms of wot they get and wot they pay.

The second biggest winners are the Kurds in their ongoing attempts to achieve statehood ultimately through achieving autonomy within Iraq's latest restructuring.

The US people, military and economy are the second biggest losers.

The biggest losers are, of course, the Iraqi people and their economy and enviroment.

Al Sadr is more popular than Malarkey's forces and those forces are liable to turn on him and the troops at the drop of a fez.

So much fer the "success" of the "surge".

2112 is still shilling fer the war?

Does he know that the average Iraqi hates the American presence and will not stop hating America ferever?

Building projects?

Bwa hah hah hah hah hah hah hah!

How many have been completed? After five years?

Iraq has an "independent media"?

Who aren't allowed to say anything bad about their occupiers or they get closed down and thrown in jail.

Real independent, 2112.

And the reason the MSM aren't showing us wot a happy and wonderful place is wot again? Beyond the fact that they will get killed if they walk the streets outside of certain neighbourhoods in Baghdad, Spud means. Cos they are such fierce anti-war advocates? Damn, yer funny! ^_^

Be Well.

Eat his ass with a spoon? What a visual that conjures up...

Actually Spuddud. I just received that as an email from a right wing buddie of mine and thought it would be fun to post.

I knew itd rile ya.

You know I aint no shill fur the war. Quite the opposite.

Be swelled

take care

im just sayin'

Those figures don't matter to the left wing nut jobs at this site, 2112. Just look at the "response" by Chill. Chill had nothing else to say about the information you provided so Chill decided to just insult you. Which, ironically, is what claim was made in your post. Instead of anyone talking about the good things they would rather just insult Bush, Cheney, and the entire effort in Iraq. Oh, and not to mention the indirect insulting of the soldiers over there who are making all of this possible.

They are facts however.

"What a visual that conjures up..."

Just replay the video of your wedding.

Everlong,

First, that would be a good porn star name.

Second, I did not know that chills remarks was directed at me. Go figure.

For or against I think we should be able to be given ALL the facts both good and bad.

and

Ole sputter ia a die hard, there is no open mind (or eye) to that root head.

You know I aint no shill fur the war. Quite the opposite.

Spud knows.

In truth, if Iraq could collectively wake up tommorow and fergit the past and start working constructively toward a future in which all Iraqis work together with the US in order to build a brighter future fer themselves then Spud would be the first one to stand up and cheer.

Unfortunately, given the nature of the conflict to date and the deeply ingrained shame and hate now almost genetically encoded onto the Iraqi's DNA: Sunni to Shia, Shia to Sunni, Sunni and Shia towards Kurds, Kurds towrds Sunni and Shia and all of them towards the US occupational forces that potentially bright future seems out of reach. Certainly for a mostly American based occupation force. Perhaps a more regional based, UN headed force would have beter luck but that's a bit of a pipdream too, considering the realties in play here.

America winning the battles in this "war" was never in doubt.

America's ability to win the peace was never seriously considered by BushCo nor planned for executed as a plan.

Too few boots on the ground, too few translaters, too many corrupt crony contracts, Too much bloody water under the bridge.

You take care too.

Be Well.

"Does he know that the average Iraqi hates the American presence and will not stop hating America ferever?"

And just how do you know that, Spud? Did you go there and take a poll?

Building projects?

Bwa hah hah hah hah hah hah hah!

How many have been completed? After five years?

Did you read what he posted?

Iraq has an "independent media"?

Who aren't allowed to say anything bad about their occupiers or they get closed down and thrown in jail.

And how the hell do you know that one, Spud? So far all you've done is make generalized statements that amount to opinion or conjecture.

Real independent, 2112.

And the reason the MSM aren't showing us wot a happy and wonderful place is wot again? Beyond the fact that they will get killed if they walk the streets outside of certain neighbourhoods in Baghdad, Spud means. Cos they are such fierce anti-war advocates? Damn, yer funny! ^_^

What the hell does that MEAN!?! The media could do any number of stories on places of success in Iraq. But you are right about one thing, it is dangerous, especially if you're white and American to be walking the streets. Have you heard about what type of enemy we're fighting? Oh, but you don't care about the agenda or tactics of the slime we are up against. You just want to police the action and hope it will go away.

Okay, now go put your head back in the sand, Spud. We'll take care of the dirty work, as usual.

"Have you heard about the type of enemy we're fighting...."

Yah. That would be the 60,000 man Mahdi Army, back from avation it seems.

Looks like the war's back. But I'm sure that's not significant, a mere comma.

Plent of sand for plenty of heads. Be sure to shake yourself before getting into bed.

"Back from vacation it seems...."

Yes, Moqtada al-Sadr is tanned and rested. I understand Bush is glad the Iraqi government is fighting him.

Now, any place but Bushworld that would be a strange sentiment. Moqtada al-Sadr is a large part of the Iraqi government, you see.

A sane person would be saying "civil war" right about now. But we don't let sane people be Commander-in-Chief any more, apparently.

"You don't care about the agenda or the tactics of the slime we're up against...."

Do you mean the Sunni slime we're currently paying off not to fight us? Are they now ex-slime? Perhaps they were always temporary slime?

I finished reading an account of how very glad the Shia were when we were fighting and disarming the Sunni. It was safe for them to go out at night when the Americans weren't around and do ethnic cleansing.

What a farce.

Geezer1,

Yes, I did.


and?

that makes all those facts what?

Still facts. That's what.

"We'll take care of the dirty work, as usual...."

Just the point. You don't do that. In George Bush's specific case, he either does not know how to do that, or is too lazy, or too frightened of personal risk. Perhaps all three.

How much time per day do you think Bush even spends thinking about Iraq? I'm willing to bet you it's a lot less than most people visiting this blog.

But we are nonetheless obliged to suffer through Bush's moaning he wish he could labor on the front lines of war.

Yeah, right. As if he ever wanted anything more in life than to be safe while other people are miserable.

ta ta all.

Yes, Zed, we're all quite certain that you know exactly how George Bush thinks and feels.

i tore this bullshit spam on iraq to shreds a few days ago

for example

Did you know

that 3100 schools have been renovated,

364 schools are under rehabilitation,

263 new schools are now under construction;

and 38 new schools have been completed in Iraq ?


bullshit, did you know 70% of IRaqi children dont go to school?

Did you know that 47 countries' have

reestablished their embassies in Iraq ?


did you know the actual number is 43 and that this is less than 20% of the number of countries in the world and most of these are in the coalition of the billing

EVERLONG

Whatever negative things I have to say about Bush will pale beside what we will learn about the man and his behavior after the Republicans are booted from the WH this November.

Prepare to be amazed. Bush is actinic rather than passively stupid.

There's a reason hard drives disappear over there now. But I am willing to bet they never get all of them.

Did you know

that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000

fully trained and equipped police officers?


loyal to whom?

Muqtada Al Sadr once reviled as the biggest threat to peace in Iraq and then later feted as the primary source of reduced casualties levels is still calling for his cease fire but allowing militias loyal to him to act in "self defence". Meanwhile Al-Malarkey is actually in Basra calling for forces loyal to Sadr to surrender themselves and their weapons in an apparent power play encouraged by the SIIC to shut Sadr out of the upcoming elections in the region.

Man, if this is the cease fire continuing Spud would hate to see wot it would be like if it broke down entirely.

Be Well.

Posted by dethspud at 2008-03-26 06:23 PM | Reply | Flag:


Another Odd thing about Muqtada Al Sadr that I found out last night while watching Frontline:

The men who carried out the hanging of Saddam were Muqtada Al-Sadr loyalists. You can hear them chant 'Muqtada' seconds before Saddam drops through the gallows.

I always thought it was Iraqi govt officials that carried out the sentence. NOPE! Al-Sadr loyalists. They got rid of their opposition and chanted the name of their leader.

Another Odd thing about Muqtada Al Sadr that I found out last night while watching Frontline:

The men who carried out the hanging of Saddam were Muqtada Al-Sadr loyalists. You can hear them chant 'Muqtada' seconds before Saddam drops through the gallows.

I always thought it was Iraqi govt officials that carried out the sentence. NOPE! Al-Sadr loyalists. They got rid of their opposition and chanted the name of their leader.

The Iraqi government is now almost all Shia because of the fact that they are in the majority in the country. Their is no way they were gonna trust any Sunis to carry out Saddam's hanging so it's not really that unusual. Al Sadr is actually part of the Iraqi government and his father was one of the founders of the party he's associated with.

"Bush's War" was a well done piece of work.

More folk need to see that one.

For Malarkey to call now for MAS's mahdi army to drop their weapons and surrender or start fighting again for real looks like the US calling for a return to civil war through their puppet regime.

Spud's big bitch with the hanging of Saddam was the fact that he was charged only with a crime that had absolutely nothing to do with America in an obvious and deliberate attempt to prevent America's involvement in the massacre at Halabja and the use of WMD in the Iraq Iran war from becoming a legal issue.

How convenient thought Spud.

Be Well.

Everlong wrote: "Okay, now go put your head back in the sand, Spud. We'll take care of the dirty work, as usual."

Who's this WE you're talking about? You have a mouse in your pocket? 'cause YOU ain't doing jack.

And spreading from Basra - currently 11 cities including Baghdad.

I said weeks ago that when Al Sadr decides to play all hell will break loose.

it's nice to see Iraq back to normal business. Hey McCain, how's that surge bet working out for you buddy? Time to pull back the troops to the borders and let the iraqi's kill themselves, the weak will fall and the winners we can negotiate with.

2112,
Did you know,

That when there is open warfare in the streets and building are coming under mortar fire; that all that other BS you brought up doesn't amount to squat?

FFS why do you guys insist on putting us in the middle of a civil war?

Let me rephrase that putting our soldiers in the middle of a civil war? I am safe here in Texas and was never in any real danger from any of this shit.

Will all of you stop talking and listen to the President?

It IS done, nothing to see here , move on....



next

I posted something similar to this a few days ago, but nevertheless I'll write it again:

The Iraq War is like a virus. it has spread like a plague across this nation-- in brains of ordinary people once predisposed toward rational thought. It confuses conservative and liberal alike. It affects all manners of our thought and speech. It distorts the view of all of us. It eats away at the fundamental health that this country was built on, one citizen at a time....

Iraq is like HIV. One you got it, you got it until either it kills you or you die of something else in the meantime.

Iraq is like a n STD between whore and her client-- The original transaction was consumated under shady and hurried circumstances, in the back of nice cars, intimate meetings behind closed office doors, greedy hands clutching at flesh and cash in orgasmic ecstacy. The event was powerful in its inception, but now later on it starts to leave a growing group of festering sores and scars. It reduces the potency of our nation. It makes others want to stay away from it out of revulsion and fear. The constant itch of the immorality bothers many, and there is absolutely no cure.

The Iraq War was a man-made virus created to infect another part of the world, to spread, yet instead it has effected the maker and emboldened those who it was intended to harm. Infection starts from the brain and works its way down into the extremities. From the President down to the common man smiling at explosions, body counts and dismembered lives on the daily news. And there is absolutely no cure.

So one may pray for two things-- one who is particularly fond of worshipping through some organized religion may pray for a miracle. We have plenty of such Americans who sit around and hope and pray for a successful outcome for one reason or another. They dream of either miraculous apparitions, beatific raptures, or even mushroom clouds in the name of the lord.

We may also decide to pray for our purification, and whether that means by water fire, or blood. we may start to question, "Does America need to die in order to be born again?"

There are those that say that all consuming forest fire is ultimately good for the forest.

That's a question worth serious consideration, and one that can makes the difference between a loyal citizen say, "pull the troops out IMMEDIATELY!" one day, and then say "for the good of the country, leave 'em in and let us burn" the next.

**** Oh, and not to mention the indirect insulting of the soldiers over there who are making all of this possible.

Posted by everlong *****

.......you mean like making all the dead people possible ?.....

......no, we wouldn't want to hurt our soldiers' feelings.......

Since the SIIC is closer to Iran than Sadr, it looks like Tehran picked who it wants in power. DAWA, was, and is, closely tied to Tehran and was part of Chalabi's INC group that suckered Bush into invading.

Looks like the mad ayatollahs still have control of the GOPpers.

"It's a Defining Moment. There have been other Defining Moments, and this is another Defining Moment"

President George W Bush March 28, 2008

"It's a Defining Moment. There have been other Defining Moments, and this is another Defining Moment"

Baghdad Bush

after reading a bit further I see why... it was bullshit spam...sigh...

I said weeks ago that when Al Sadr decides to play all hell will break loose.

Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2008-03-27 11:47 PM

Its true... I agreed then and I agree now... if only Chimpy was as smart as us two lil monkeys!