It's March 2008 in Iraq

Happy 5th anniversary, Iraq war! I got you some fine silverware and fresh flowers. I made reservations at that restaurant you like.

Because it's all calm there, see:

A roadside bomb missed a passing U.S. military convoy and ripped into a bus on a highway south of Baghdad today, killing 16 passengers and injuring 17 others, Iraqi security officials said.

The bombing happened just outside Nasiriya, on the highway north to Baghdad, according to the Interior Ministry, which oversees police.

Also of interest -- Fallon stepping down.

i've got tom barnett's blog on my rss. usually i skip over it cos he's usually either deep in the weeds, doing one-line commentary on news stories that reinforce his views, or generally sounding like an egomaniac.

...but he's been talking about Fallon for months before this story came out, basically about how he's not nuts about attacking Iran or launching another cold war vs. China. so if his big story on the guy got him fired, it'll be interesting reading coming up

Fallon's resignation
by Thomas P.M. Barnett
I don't have any comment on it. I reported the story as I found it, because I thought it was crucial for readers to understand this officer and his thinking within the context of his incredibly important and high-profile position. As readers of my blog know, I have expressed a lot of admiration for the admiral over the years. In my 18 years of working for and with military commands, I have met few with the same capacity for strategic vision. I wish him well on whatever he chooses to do next.

This was really amazing, and moving:

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/3/14/hundreds_of_veterans_of_iraq_and

These guys are true bros.

Meantime, Petraeus is a little grumpy:

Iraqi leaders have failed to take advantage of a reduction in violence to make adequate progress toward resolving their political differences, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said Thursday.

Petraeus, who is preparing to testify to Congress next month on the Iraq war, said in an interview that "no one" in the U.S. and Iraqi governments "feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation," or in the provision of basic public services.

I had the troubling thought today that we've actually invented a kind of imperialism that might be on-the-ground WORSE than old-fashioned imperialism, i.e. the people in the more trouble Iraqi provinces might actually be better off if we had made them a colony.

Stratfor on the war's anniversary sums up the current situation thus:

We have been focused on the U.S.-Iranian talks for quite awhile. We continue to believe this is a critical piece in any endgame. The United States is now providing an alternative scenario designed to be utterly frightening to the Iranians. They are arming and training the Iranians’ mortal enemies: the Sunnis who led the war against Iran from 1980 to 1988. That rearming is getting very serious indeed. Sunni units outside the aegis of the Iraqi military are now some of the most heavily armed Iraqis in Anbar, thanks to the Sunni relationship with U.S. forces there. It should be remembered that the Sunnis ruled Iraq because the Iraqi Shia were fragmented, fighting among themselves and therefore weak. That underlying reality remains true. A cohesive Sunni community armed and backed by the American s will be a formidable force. That threat is the best way to bring the Iranians to the table.

The irony is that the war is now focused on empowering the very people the war was fought against: the Iraqi Sunnis. In a sense, it is at least a partial return to the status quo ante bellum. In that sense, one could argue the war was a massive mistake. At the same time, we constantly return to this question: We know what everyone would not have done in 2003; we are curious about what everyone would have done then. Afghanistan was an illusory option. The real choices were to try to block al Qaeda defensively or to coerce Islamic intelligence services to provide the United States with needed intelligence. By appearing to be a dangerous and uncontrolled power rampaging in the most strategic country in the region, the United States reshaped the political decisions countries like Saudi Arabia were making.

This all came at a price that few of us would have imagined five years ago. Cheney is saying it was worth it. Clinton is saying it was not. Stratfor’s view is that what happened had to happen given the lack of choices. But Rumsfeld’s unwillingness to recognize that a guerrilla war had broken out and provide more and appropriate forces to wage that war did not have to happen. There alone we think history might have changed. Perhaps.

No mention of the Iraq and Afghanistan Winter Soldier testimonies from last week? I've been listening to some of them via the Democracy Now! podcasts and some of the things these guys are saying they've seen and done truly beggars belief.

Why is this stuff not news?

Anyway here are some links: http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/testimony/video
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/3/14/hundreds_of_veterans_of_iraq_and

The only article about it I could find in the WP.

War Stories Echo an Earlier Winter: Iraq Veterans Speak Out On Both Sides of War

By Steve Vogel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 15, 2008; Page B01

Grim-faced and sorrowful, former soldiers and Marines sat before an audience of several hundred yesterday in Silver Spring and shared their recollections of their service in Iraq.

The stories spilled out, sometimes haltingly, sometimes in a rush: soldiers firing indiscriminately on Iraqi vehicles, an apartment building filled with Iraqi families devastated by an American gunship. Some descriptions were agonized, some vague; others offered specific dates and locations. All were recorded and streamed live to the Web.

The four-day event, "Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan -- Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations," is sponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War and is expected to draw more than 200 veterans of the two wars through tomorrow. Timed for the eve of the fifth anniversary of the war's start next week, organizers hope the soldiers' accounts will galvanize public opposition.

For some of the veterans speaking yesterday, the experience was catharsis.

Former Marine Jon Turner began his presentation by ripping his service medals off his shirt and tossing them into the first row. He then narrated a series of graphic photographs showing bloody victims and destruction, bringing gasps from the audience. In a matter-of-fact voice, he described episodes in which he and fellow Marines shot people out of fear or retribution.

"I'm sorry for the hate and destruction I've inflicted upon innocent people," Turner said. "Until people hear about what is happening in this war, it will continue."

Winter Soldier is modeled after a well-known and controversial 1971 gathering of the same name at which veterans of the Vietnam War gathered to describe alleged atrocities. John Kerry, then a young veteran, spoke at the Detroit event, which brought him to prominence. The soldiers' claims sparked lasting enmity, which resurfaced during Kerry's run for president in 2004.

The 2008 Winter Soldier will probably be no different. The event drew dozens of counter-protesters who were kept from the conference site at the National Labor College by a contingent of Montgomery County police. Although entrance to the event was limited to participants and the media, one protester managed to slip in and walked toward the stage, interrupting a speaker.

"Kerry lied while good men died, and you guys are betraying good men," the man yelled. The protester was roughly hustled from the room by several men in red knit shirts and jeans -- members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, who are providing security for the event.

Counter-protesters outside derided the event and were deeply skeptical of the claims being made inside. "We want absolute specifics," said Harry Riley, a retired Army colonel who leads Eagles Up!. "This is too important to our nation. The credibility of our nation and the credibility of our soldiers are involved."

Riley said those making allegations against the U.S. military should have to give sworn testimony instead of speaking at an antiwar conference.

Organizers said they have sought to verify the records of all soldiers speaking, including reviewing their service records and talking to other members of units. Some soldiers had videos and photographs, which were displayed yesterday on a large screen in the auditorium.

"The ubiquitous nature of video, photo and technology really sets this apart" from the original Winter Soldier, said Jose Vasquez, an IVAW member who directed the verification process. Organizers and speakers said Winter Soldier is not meant to vilify soldiers. Instead, they said, it is aimed at changing war policy.

"These are not bad people, not criminals and not monsters," said Cliff Hicks, 23, a former 1st Armored Division soldier from Savannah, Ga., who spoke about his experiences in Iraq. "They are people being put in horrible situations, and they reacted horribly."

A Defense Department spokesman said he had not seen the allegations raised yesterday but added that such incidents are not representative of U.S. conduct.

"When isolated allegations of misconduct have been reported, commanders have conducted comprehensive investigations to determine the facts and held individuals accountable when appropriate," Lt. Col. Mark Ballesteros said.

Yesterday's panels included two sessions on "Rules of Engagement," in which soldiers and Marines described in emotional and often graphic terms incidents in which they said unarmed and innocent civilians were killed.

Most of the stories involved Iraq, though some took place in Afghanistan.

Two former soldiers who served with the 1st Armored Division described an attack by an AC-130 "Spectre" gunship on an apartment building in southern Baghdad that they said took place Nov. 13, 2003.

"It was the most destructive thing I've seen, before or since," said Hicks, one of the soldiers.

Adam Kokesh, a student at George Washington University who served with the Marine Corps in Iraq, said Marines were often forced to make snap decisions about whether to fire on civilians.

"During the siege of Fallujah, we changed our rules of engagement more often than we changed our underwear," he said.

On the screen, a photograph showed him posing next to a burned-out car in which an Iraqi man was killed after approaching a Marine checkpoint.

"At the first Winter Soldier in 1971, one of the testifiers showed a picture like this and said, 'Don't ever let your government to do this to you,' " Kokesh said. "And still the government is doing this."

At a session on shortcomings in veterans' health care, audience members sobbed as Joyce and Kevin Lucey described the suicide of their son, Marine Cpl. Jeffrey Lucey, a death they blamed on his inability to get treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mental health specialists were on hand to help speakers and audience members, and a workshop was offered on PTSD.

Those who spoke yesterday described the experience as intimidating.

"It was terrifying for me," said Steven Casey, a former 1st Armored Division specialist from Missouri who also described the AC-130 attack. "I knew somebody needed to hear it. All I wanted to do is say what I saw. I'm not accusing anyone of a crime."

The conference can be viewed athttp://www.ivaw.org.

Staff writer Hamil R. Harris contributed to this report.

This all came at a price that few of us would have imagined five years ago. Cheney is saying it was worth it. Clinton is saying it was not. Stratfor’s view is that what happened had to happen given the lack of choices.

Uh, what?

yeah I've been listening to the winter soldier stuff too. Really powerful.

Bush speech hails Iraq 'victory'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7305023.stm

I heard a striking statistic recently about how Iraq coverage on daily/nightly news programs has practically fallen off the charts. I'm sure this is partly because of primary season, but it's also likely part of government media strategy. The surge is working, everything's fine, no new information to give out.

Summer will be interesting.

Put your mind at ease. Go shopping!

I did that after 9/11 and I still hurt inside.

Apparently "50% of Americans now believe the war is going well". So many ways in which that statement is fucked up.

Of course they believe it - the news repeats it over and over again unquestioningly

By appearing to be a dangerous and uncontrolled power rampaging in the most strategic country in the region, the United States reshaped the political decisions countries like Saudi Arabia were making.

"appearing"

"50% of Americans now believe the war is going well".

never understood why ppl were saying this was McCain's Achilles heel. Propaganda & 'line up behind our troops' make him the prohibitive favorite.

McCain is the candidate of cognitive dissonance

never understood why ppl were saying this was McCain's Achilles heel. Propaganda & 'line up behind our troops' make him the prohibitive favorite.

because shit is gonna blow up in Iraq prior to the election. if you're an iraqi insurgent (like, say Muqtada Al-Sadr), you want a president that's going to withdraw asap from Iraq. The best way to ensure that is to start a bunch of shit in the summer to ramp-up anti-war sentiment in the US. That poll figure is also misleading - majorities are still currently saying that the war was wrong and is a drag on the economy, etc. McCain's "all war all the time" approach to foreign policy is not going to look attractive to a whole lot of people who would rather have a home and a job.

if you're an iraqi insurgent (like, say Muqtada Al-Sadr), you want a president that's going to withdraw asap from Iraq

Unless you're Sunni.

I hope you're right, and expect the worst

Watch out, Americans, Al Qaeda is stealing your oil in Iraq!

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Bush_Al_Qaeda_in_Iraq_stealing_0320.html

I'm just posting the brain-bending doublethink part:

McCain says US succeeding in Iraq

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
42 minutes ago

Fresh off his eighth Iraq visit, Sen. John McCain declared Monday that "we are succeeding" and said he wouldn't change course — even as the U.S. death toll rose to 4,000 and the war entered its sixth year.

To underscore his view of the stakes in Iraq, the certain Republican presidential nominee twice referenced a recent audio tape from Osama bin Laden in which the al-Qaida leader urged followers to join the al-Qaida fight in Iraq and called the country "the greatest opportunity and the biggest task."

"For the first time, I have seen Osama bin Laden and General (David) Petraeus in agreement, and, that is, a central battleground in the battle against al-Qaida is in Iraq today. And that's what bin Laden was saying and that's what General Petraeus is saying and that's what I'm saying, my friends," McCain said.

"And my Democrat opponents who want to pull out of Iraq refuse to understand what's being said and what's happening — and that is the central battleground is Iraq in this struggle against radical Islamic extremism," he added.

informative rundown on tpm of what's happening with al-sadr and the militias in baghdad and basra

Busy day.

I guess all we have to do is kill all the radical Muslim extremists and this whole thing will be over.

How happy!

What a plan.

And such bad timing on McCain's part for his visit and all. Had he been there he could have told everyone what's what.

You know my Sadrette City, she's outta sight. She's alright.

Sorry am I nuts or is the Iraqi army currently three days into violating the cease-fire agreement they had with Sadr?

Yeah, it's funny you put it that way because I've been thinking the same thing. I think I even heard a guest on an NPR show today refer to the cease-fire as though it were still on, which it, uh, doesn't seem to be?

Apparently Sadr says the cease fire is still on but he's told his troops they can fire in "self defense". WTF?

Sorry I feel like I'm going insane. It seems everyone agrees that:

- Sunnis have been demanding provincial elections, and the whole bribery "Awakening" movement could fall to pieces if they don't get them

- However, provincial elections could see Sadr and his boyz defeat Maliki's boyz (our boyz), effectively kicking them out of Basra and other places

- To prevent this happening, Cheney et al have said "I know, why not just kill a bunch of Sadrists before the elections!" -- in violation of the cease-fire agreed to more than a year ago

This all adds up to... the US publicly supporting and approving violence as a way to forestall election results they don't like. Is anyone even disputing this? Why is this not a scandal??

Authorities imposed a three-day curfew in Baghdad to contain the violence, in which more than 200 people have been killed since the government launched the offensive on Tuesday.

Reuters reported that in southern Nassiriya, Mahdi army fighters loyal to Sadr had taken over the city centre.

Militants also took control of the town of Shatra, 25 miles to the north, according to the report.

Coalition jets launched their first air strike on Basra today since violence erupted between Shia militias and Iraqi security forces this week.

The Iraqi forces requested aerial support from the coalition on at least two locations, said a British military official.

He would not give further details about the targets or say how many people were killed or injured in the bombings.

Tens of thousands of the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's supporters marched in Baghdad in a show of force, demanding Maliki's removal.

Last night Sadr called for talks, issuing a statement: "We ask everyone to adopt the [means of] political resolution and peaceful protest. Do not shed Iraqi blood."

But Maliki, previously accused by Iraqi Sunni Muslims of being soft on Shia militias, has vowed to finish the job. He went to Basra to be with forces there, and gave an ultimatum to local Shia militias to surrender their weapons by today. "We entered this battle with determination and we will continue to the end. No retreat. No talks. No negotiations," he said.

W

T

F

Putting down Shia rebellions is back in fashion. Break out the poison gas!

It's a good thing the troop surge has changed the face of the war.

(I really should stay away from this thread. I hate the taste of bile rising in my gorge.)

hey my cousin-in-law just called to let us know he was NOT killed in the mortar attack that hit the Green Zone the other day!

*sigh*

What are Sadr's demands, by the way? Anybody? Presumably Maliki feels that a sovereign nation should have a monopoly on the use of force. It's one of the building blocks of sovereignty. And presumably Sadr won't give him the Mahdi army's weapons until certain conditions are met. What conditions are those? I never see that part reported. It seems similar to the IRA actually in a lot of ways. In the case of the IRA, their demands were pretty well reported.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/

Haha yeah I imagine there are sources to go to for that kind of question.

So Maliki's people go to Iran to meet with Sadr, who wants amnesty for Mahdi fighters and the release of all Sadrist prisoners who haven't been convicted of crimes. In exchange, Sadr tells the Mahdi army "to end all military actions in Basra and in all the provinces" and "to cooperate with the government to achieve security."

Now, if I remember right, Maliki was saying that the Mahdi army had to give up all its weapons. Which is a preposterous demand in the first place, but when it comes out of the blue like that you figure it's meant to be preposterous, unfulfillable, in order to give the Badr corps free license to whoop up on whoever they want, down in the rabbit warrens and barrio redoubts of Basra and Baghdad. And they did. But now Sadr's keeping his weapons, and possibly springing some people from prison!

Sorry, still trying to get my head around this.

US jets yesterday widened the bombing of Basra when they dropped two precision-guided bombs on a suspected militia stronghold north of the city. Iraqi police said that earlier in the day a US warplane strafed a house and killed eight civilians, including two women and a child.

I was watching the first part of "Bush's War" yesterday. Pretty sad stuff, though the weird thing I noticed is that it really tries to paint Colin Powell as the lone "good guy" in the administration up until the war starts, which seems... a little rosy.