Posted on 01/14/2007 4:40:32 PM PST by TheConservativeCitizen
Here come the Kurds....
It is my understanding that there are actually two Kurdish brigades and an additional Shiite brigade that will be brought in to help the additional US 'surge' troops attempt to pacify Baghdad. A good tactical decision to use Shiites to suppress the insurgent Sunnis, and now use the Kurds to pacify the Shiite militias. These Kurdish brigades are mostly Kurdish militia (the Peshmerga) who have been rewrapped as units of the Iraqi army. The Kurds need the moderate Shiites and a unified Iraq to protect them from Turkey. The moderate Shiites need the Kurds to protect them from a complete takeover by al-Sadr and his ilk.
'The Last Surge' requires some unique strategizing and new thinking to have a chance at success. What we are seeing is the set up for what may become a three way civil war in Iraq. The moderate Shiite government, the Kurds and most of the regular army backed and supported by the US; the Sunni insurgents, foreign jihadists, leftover Baathists and the like financed and supported by Syria; and the radical Shiite Mahdi army and their allied militias backed and supported by Iran.
This will get real interesting, real quick. The Sunni terrorists probably only number about 10-15,000 fighters, the various elements of the Mahdi army and Badr Brigades may number anywhere from 50-100,000 at the moment, though how many are trustworthy fighters is another story. Currently al-Sadr is very nervous about what is unfolding. He sleeps in a different house every night and has given his fighters orders to avoid clashes with any US troops. The 'surge' has wrecked his political and military plans for Iraq, and his place in it, and he is undoubtedly heavily weighing what his options are at the moment.
Many have felt that stalemate was the outcome of the Iraq war. In reality, the true struggle for the heart and soul of Iraq has just begun. And it is a phase of this war that must be fought sooner or later.
Alternate thread headline:
"Make 'Way' For The Kurds"
LOL, not to worry -- some copy editor making $200K will post it in the press soon...
Shrillary headbobs in synchronism with Poloski's eye blinks.....cankle and an occasional ashtray flies all over.
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