Tag: Iraq

Video: Some thoughts from your host

I really have not done one of these in a good while. I thought I would share it with you. Please. excuse the unpolished look of this video. I do not own any video editing software and this slow laptop does not have enough memory to do alot of video editing; I know, I tried that and it locked the machine up. 🙄

Anyhow, here’s the video:

Some very good advice on Iraq

One of the best thing written on the situation in Iraq so far, is found here:

At noon today, President Obama issued his first statement on the deteriorating situation on Iraq. “This is not solely or even primarily a military challenge,” he said. “The United States will do our part, but understand that ultimately it’s up to the Iraqis as a sovereign nation to solve their problems.”

Obama left the door open to unspecified “actions,” but repeated that the Iraqis themselves had to seize the opportunity that the years of American effort gave them.

This will no doubt be greeted by the President’s opponents with something akin to apoplexy. They will be arguing that in fact the problem does have a military solution, that the U.S. can solve it, and that whatever is happening, everything would be better if we applied more force.

We have now reached the rather ironic situation in Iraq where we find ourselves allied with Iran in an effort to save the corrupt and thuggish government of Nouri al-Maliki, while the army we spent eight years training falls apart. I’m not going to pretend to have unique insight into Iraqi politics (I’d suggest reading Marc Lynch, for starters, as a way of getting up to speed on what has led to this point).

But there are few people who understand Iraq less than the Republican politicians and pundits who are being sought out for their comments on the current situation.

As you watch the debate on this issue, you should remind yourself that the most prominent voices being heard are the very ones who brought us the Iraq War in the first place, who promised that everything was simple and the only question was whether we’d be “strong” and “decisive” enough — the same thing they’re saying today. They’re the ones who swore that Saddam was in cahoots with Al Qaeda, that he had a terrifying arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, that the war would be quick, easy and cheap, that since Iraq was a largely secular country we wouldn’t have to worry about sectarian conflict, and that democracy would spread throughout the region in short order, bringing peace and prosperity along with it.

via On Iraq, let’s ignore those who got it all wrong – The Washington Post.

Also too, there is some very good writing on Iraq here.

UPDATED: On Iraq

If you’ve been following the news; Iraq is imploding and I mean badly.

There has been a good deal of ink spilled about Iraq; I’ve done a bit of that myself in the past. However, I feel the need to discuss something here: The Left. The thing the cracks me up about the left and Iraq; is that the left is still, to this day, spouting the same old tired line about Iraq: Blame Bush.  🙄

As much as I hate to admit it; Noah Rothman is absolutely correct. However, I, unlike, Noah, will tell the complete truth about it. (As a former left of center, how could I do any less?) Yes, Bush oversold the war. Yes, Bush was totally incorrect about the reasons for going into Iraq in the first place. Yes, Bush dithered on the execution of the buildup of troops, when the insurgency between Sunni and Shia began; by keeping Rumsfeld in his position for far too long.

However, President Obama has been the President of the United States since January of 2009; that is six whole years. Bush had agreements in place with the Iraqis for a residual forces. When Obama took office, Maliki changed his tune and wanted to be able to prosecute American troops according to Iraqi law; and instead of Obama trying to work with the Iraqis; he simply walked away and began withdrawing ALL forces out of Iraq. This was an epic blunder; and that blunder is all on Obama and the left cannot place that blunder on Bush at all.

The bad part is Jalal Talabani, Iraq’s current President Updated, Please see below! Maliki excluded the Sunni’s out of the Government; this caused major problems. Now, is that, in itself, Obama’s fault? No, it is not. However, President Obama could have handled this situation, a whole bunch better than he did; instead, he was gung-ho about getting out of Iraq, for political reasons and because of that, we have the situation that we do now.  To be clear; this entire thing is Obama’s baby and no amount of historical revisionism is going to change that at all.

Those who try to place the blame of this situation squarely on Bush, including left-wing bloggers; simply have no credible leg to stand on at all.

Update: I guess I should pay better attention, I was under the impression that Maliki was the President of Iraq; I was wrong. Maliki is the prime minister of Iraq and was not voted out of office. This shows you how long its been since I’ve written about Iraq! I’m over here blaming the falling apart on the wrong dude. Oopsie. Sorry about that. I shall pay more attention in the future! 😀

Update #2: A perfect example of what I am referring to is found here. National Review refutes the idiocy right here.

So much for a stable, secure and safe Iraq!

Can someone remind me again, why it is that we even bothered going into this Country?

4000+ of our Nation’s treasure; and this is the result? The neocons will say, “we left too early.” I call B.S. we knew this sort of stuff would start right back up, the minute we left. The truth is, we never should have went in there in the first darned place. As 9/11 had zero to do with Iraq at all. Now, you have chaos in Iraq, thanks to the Americans. 🙄

The Story:

BAGHDAD (AP) — A series of car bombs exploded across Iraq’s capital Saturday night, killing at least 52 people in a day of violence that saw militants storm a university in the country’s restive Anbar province and take dozens hostage, authorities said.

The attacks in Baghdad largely focused on Shiite neighborhoods, underscoring the sectarian violence now striking at Iraq years after a similar wave nearly tore the country apart following the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Now with U.S. troops gone, Iraq founds itself fighting on fronts across the country, as separate clashes in a northern city killed 21 police officers and 38 militants, officials said.

The first Baghdad attack took place Saturday night in the capital’s western Baiyaa district, killing nine people and wounding 22, police said. Later on, seven car bombs in different parts of Baghdad killed at least 41 people and wounded 62, police said. A roadside bomb in western Baghdad also killed two people and wounded six, police said. All the attacks happened in a one-hour period and largely targeted commercial streets in Shiite neighborhoods, authorities said.

Hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details to journalists.

The day began with militants killing three police officers on guard at the gates of Anbar University, a police and a military official said. Islamic extremists and other anti-government militias have held parts of Anbar’s nearby provincial capital of Ramadi and the city of Fallujah since December amid rising tensions between Sunni Muslims and the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.

The gunmen detained dozens of students inside a university dorm during their attack, the officials said. Sabah Karhout, the head of Anbar’s provincial council, told journalists that hundreds of students were inside the university compound when the attack started at the school. Anbar University says it has more than 10,000 students, making it one of the country’s largest.

According to one student, the gunmen identified themselves as belonging to an al-Qaida splinter group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The Sunni terror group, fighting in Syria with other rebels trying to topple President Bashar Assad, is known for massive, bloody attacks in Iraq as well often targeting Shiites that they view as heretics.

The Islamic State did not immediately claim the attack on the school.

Several hours later, gunmen left the university under unclear circumstances.

Students then boarded buses provided by the local government to flee the school, though gunfire erupted as security forces attacked retreating militants, police said.

via Bombs kill 52 as gunmen storm university in Iraq – Daily Inter Lake: Nation/World.

Oops: Suicide Bomb Trainer in Iraq gives very a realistic lesson

Maybe a wee bit too realistic…. 😯

This is too good. 😀

Quote:

BAGHDAD — If there were such a thing, it would probably be rule No. 1 in the teaching manual for instructors of aspiring suicide bombers: Don’t give lessons with live explosives.

In what represented a cautionary tale for terrorist teachers, and a cause of dark humor for ordinary Iraqis, a commander at a secluded terrorist training camp north of Baghdad unwittingly used a belt packed with explosives while conducting a demonstration early Monday for a group of militants, killing himself and 21 other members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, army and police officials said.

Iraqi citizens have long been accustomed to daily attacks on public markets, mosques, funerals and even children’s soccer games, so they saw the story of the fumbling militants as a dark — and delicious — kind of poetic justice, especially coming amid a protracted surge of violence led by the terrorist group, including a rise in suicide bombings.

Just last week a suicide bomber struck a popular falafel shop near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here, killing several people. On Monday evening Raad Hashim, working the counter at a liquor store near the site of the attack, burst out laughing when he heard the news.

“This is so funny,” Mr. Hashim said. “It shows how stupid they are, those dogs and sons of dogs.”

via Suicide Bomb Trainer in Iraq Accidentally Blows Up His Class – NYTimes.com.

Reminds me of this here:

Oops. 😆

Others, laughing as well: The Moderate Voice, Liberaland, Mashable, Talking Points Memo, Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit, Gawker, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, BizPac Review, Jihad Watch, Sister Toldjah and HotAir.com’s Green Room

John Podhoretz gets exposed for the intolerant Trotskyite that he truly is

This is great;  a Trotskyite Zionist goes for a debate; and the minute he sees that he is losing the debate — he storms off the stage, takes his marbles and goes home.

I am referring to the greatest Trotskyite, Zionist, Neoconservative of them all — John Podhoretz.

See here, here, here and here.

Money quote:

Bottom line: I’d had a long day and I didn’t see the point in spending more of it getting booed and shushed. So I left. So sue me.

If only we could sue you and your family for all the trillions of dollars — and the 4000+ lives that were  wasted in the Iraq War —- which you and your satanic Father were cheerleaders for, after 9/11. Actually, I would very much like to see criminal charges filed against you and few of your Trotskyite friends as well. However, as we realists know; that will never happened to a protected class as yourself.

You want to know what got wrong with Conservatism? You want to know why the GOP is in the shape that it is in? Look no further than this man here and his idiotic Trotskyite magazine that he runs. They are the true enemies of America; they are the ones who put us in the war that almost broke this Nation and ruined its standing in the world.

It is a pity that there is not true justice in this Nation of ours; otherwise, this man and his friends would be sitting in jail cells.

 

More Fruits of Wilsonian Foreign Policy in Iraq

Remember the stupidity of Wilsonian foreign policy that I wrote about in my previous posting?

Well, here you go! The fruits of what happens when the United States of America invades a sovereign Nation based on bad intelligence.

The Story:

Several car bombs have exploded around the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing at least 38 people, officials say.

The bombs were placed in parked cars and detonated over a 30-minute period in busy streets, mainly in Shia areas.

At least 100 people were injured in the attacks, some of which targeted markets and bus stations.

Hundreds have been killed in Iraq this month, with the often sectarian-fuelled violence reaching its highest level since 2008.

Almost 1,000 people were killed and more than 2,000 wounded in September alone, according to the UN.

And unofficial counts for October suggest more than 600 have been killed.

Sunni militants, including the local offshoot of al-Qaeda, are often blamed for the attacks, which usually target Shia areas.

The Shia-led government has been accused of failing to address grievances among the Sunni Arab minority, including allegations of abuses by security forces.

via BBC News – Iraq car bombs cause Baghdad carnage.

You’d think that the United States and American Jews would learn from that horrible mistake; but if Sheldon Adelson and his bumbling idiot friends have anything to say about it, we will be making the same mistake again with Iran.

This my friends above, is why you do not allow the Israeli or the Saudi Governments to dictate foreign policy.