Posted on 08/05/2007 3:29:28 PM PDT by humint
Rogue Shiite militia fighters said to be armed and trained by Iran were responsible for nearly three-quarters of attacks that killed or wounded Americans in Baghdad last month, the No. 2 US commander in Iraq said Sunday.
Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno said factions that have broken away from radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army were believed responsible for most of the attacks. He said military successes against al-Qaida had left a void that was being filled by the rogue militiamen. He also blamed Iran for stepping up support for the Shiite fighters in an attempt to influence opinions in Washington ahead of a pivotal progress report on Iraq next month.
"We knew this was coming, but there's been a shift," Odierno told The Associated Press in an interview.
Uh, that would be “Define the conflict....”
I suggest this only to provoke a response from Iran. Get them to officially declare they are interfering with sovereign nation. Bring them out into the open. If that does not work then I’m okay with sudden lead poisoning.
Then why all the issues at Gitmo with this type? There are too many in our own government that will side with the bad guys. I wished we would just whack them after a few water board sessions but that is not the day and age we live in. Even our judges are undermining normal rules of war.
There was a report long a ago that there were about 4000 Iranian agents in Iraq.
Early in the war it was reported that about 3,000 Saudis crossed into Iraq in support of Saddam’s government.
That was one of the finest posts I’ve had the pleasure to read on FR. Thanks.
Your not wrong about the epic struggle we've found ourselves in. It's a struggle that's been underway for generations. Now, our generation has been called to serve. My point about living the legacy of Lincoln, Grant and Sherman is really about momentum. The world used to be a far darker place. Now, there are only shadows of barbarism. To your previous point, it's not that our more liberal American compatriots don't agree with liberty and justice for all, rather they've abandoned the context by which righteous things are born in a barbaric world. They take Western Civ for granted the same way all adults take for granted that they were children once, and therefore behaved childishly. The broad reality is; the ideas America is founded upon are universal. That is the legacy all Americans take with them into the future.
In regard to our generation's duty; I've studied the arguments for and against the Iraq war and the Global War on Terror. My search has been for a bipartisan common denominator. There are more than this, but one common denominator is the relationship between conflict and democracy. Those of us who avoid conflict are inadvertantly avoiding democracy. Democracy demands conflict. Not resolutions, but conflict. Sustainable resolutions such as liberty and justice were conceived in the heat of conflict and were adopted later by victorious men and women. That's how society evolves and that's why ours is evolving so quickly.
Not all Americans realize their role in this particular conflict but many do. Many of those that do understand their role will never find the words to describe it. For those that do realize how important they are and the role they play in fulfilling their legacy, they will sustain our great nation for future generations. We cannot dismiss the fact that our children will undoubtedly be called upon to serve the cause of civilization. It will be up to them to fight the shadows of barbarism we leave behind when we're gone. Will they look back on our generation as one that added momentum to our timeless cause? I hope so.
I wonder, are there more ATTACKS on our troops than there was a year ago or do the Shia attacks make up a higher percentage of the total because the Sunni attacks are down?
The last time I checked Defense Link the General's speech had not been posted. If and when it is, I'm going to defer to it for reliable statistics. In terms of your question, the impression the media coverage gives of the speech is that Shiite Militia attacks are up.
I couldn't have said it better.
I wish more people understood this. If there is a long fight ahead I much rather deal with it now than leave it to my children.
yeah man, thats my impression anyway. Its the Sunni-Shia split and the two sides dont like helping each other, even if their commen aims are similar
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