Iraq open thread #9

I am unbelievably busy with things in the real world. Back to blogging when I can. Maybe Thursday evening?
Meantime, talk about Iraq here if you want.

32 thoughts on “Iraq open thread #9”

  1. Part of the declassified NIE key judgements reads as follows:
    Four underlying factors are fueling the spread of the jihadist movement: (1) Entrenched grievances, such as corruption, injustice, and fear of Western domination, leading to anger, humiliation, and a sense of powerlessness; (2) the Iraq “jihad;” (3) the slow pace of real and sustained economic, social, and political reforms in many Muslim majority nations; and (4) pervasive anti-US sentiment among most Muslims—all of which jihadists exploit.

  2. How nice to know that our “intelligence” community has finally broken its own secret code and discovered what most intelligent users of the Internet already knew in early 2002.
    Really, I can remember when Daniel Elsberg almost went to jail for “leaking” the “highly classified” non-news history that things in Vietnam hadn’t gone very well for a very long time already.
    “Secret information” in the American government has only two purposes: (1) to keep competing bureaucratic departments from encroaching on each other’s turf, and (2) to keep the American people from knowing of this and voting accordingly to throw the bastards out.
    The American War on Vietnam had nothing to do with Vietnam. The American War on Iraq has nothing to do with Iraq. The generic “American War on …” has only to do with what H. L. Menken called “the strife of the parties at Washington.” Right now in America and for the next six weeks nothing in Baghdad or the Middle East will matter one iota next to the incumbent’s fear and loathing of the American voters who don’t know much about anything except that their “intelligent” government has lied to and betrayed them — again — and big time.

  4. “(1) Entrenched grievances, such as corruption, injustice, and fear of Western domination, leading to anger, humiliation, and a sense of powerlessness;”
    Does the document mention that the fear of Western domination is based on Western actions? Probably not is my guess. Does it also, by any chance discuss that a large percentage of the grievances are a direct or indirect result of Western interference?
    “(2) the Iraq “jihad;””
    What the hell are they talking about here? The “Iraqi jihad”?!!!!! Is this their way of suggesting that the problems in Iraq are due to some “jihad” or is “Iraqi jihad” the new code name for George Bush’s excellent Iraq adventure?
    “(3) the slow pace of real and sustained economic, social, and political reforms in many Muslim majority nations;”
    Of course they do not mention how much of that is directly or indirectly due to Western (including Israeli) interference and aggression.
    “(4) pervasive anti-US sentiment among most Muslims —all of which jihadists exploit.”
    And do they bother to mention that this pervasive anti-US sentiment is completely justified, and by the way shared by most of the rest of the world? No, I am sure not. Most likely they assume it is just due to envy and hatred of freedom.

  5. D. Mathews,
    I doubt these points you mentions really applicable to Iraq as such.
    As I am Iraqi, in regards to US there is sensitivity from them yes, but not to the point you put that Iraqi to be “jihads”.
    Iraqis are more open minded, more developed from all the surrounding neighbours which theses point you mentioned its suite them more than Iraqi society and Iraq resistance.
    Yes Iraq having high nationalism feeling and more prod of their history and their land with its richness but in same time they are opening minded and not hostels to the westerns.
    Just give one example, Iraqis hade never ever been participated or killed any westerns inside Iraq or outside, they did not do any doggy things outside Iraq.
    The only Iraqi who participated in one operation out side Iraq after he joint Palestinian group was in Paris, I think in mid 70th; but that guy had a family problem may contribute to what he did..
    I think here the main problem US supporting the wrong guys and the most hated guys by Iraqis from Ahmad Galabi, Sistani, Alhakim and others, I think these guys just went in with US inside then each one or group run to his personal goals and left normal Iraqi with as you said with misery and here Iraqi find themselves they marginalised so badly and they lost their land for the foreigners, what I mean here foreigners most those Clerics are Iranians not Iraqi and the other things here Saudis Kuwaitis doing their dirty job here, Saudis found its good to get rid of those extremist inside Saudi by sending them to Iraq they get rid of them Kuwaitis they have their problem and revenges from the old regime and they run madly to inside Iraq, Jordan and Syria and other they participated in different level but almost in same scenarios and goals.
    In the end the surrounding regimes they fearing very seriously from a new Iraq as US plan for a new Iraq, each regime trying to do his best to bring Iraq down each one with his excuses and goals.
    You tell me what Iraq can do with a very long and different terrain of borders with Iran, Turkey, Jordan, and Saudis Kuwaitis Syria. They all knew Iraq was unable to secure 1cm from its borders but for them, its important job they doing it well for years before invasion why they let all those Jihads and criminals crossing the borders towards Iraq?
    I think the American were right when they chose Iraq to set their goals of democracy, back to early days if you recall a lot if Iraqis specially the engineers and all those educated peoples run and put their name forwards to rebuild the country, so if they are Jihads they will never participated in that big numbers and fast. Also the resistance started after six months from Invasion by those groups who belong to the regime they are already criminals as their job description is to protecting the regime and killing Iraqis not defending Iraq as a country.
    Also these guys they got good relation with Jordanians, Saudis some with Syrians and Lebanon because they are only guys from the Iraqi they cane travels and go outside Iraq either in official work or personal, but most Iraqi for 25 years they live in a big prison we are not allowed to travel out side Iraq, so those regime group it might be they involved helping those neighbouring regimes to send their jihads to Iraq and we know from some news that some caught they came to Iraq and they thought they fighting the Americans, they admitted they sent to some Iraqi leaders (Regime commanders) who ordered them to do some suicide explosions and mass killing of civilians.
    To this point I can assure you no Iraq have the well or he would like to kill civilians and innocent people we had enough of wars and all Iraqis got sick from wars and from the regime and section they would like to start their new future, which is unfortunately hijacked by many groups and militia and clerics which US help them to gain power for three and half year for now.

  7. I didn’t intend to make any particular point other than throw out a small excerpt of the US Intelligence Estimate for discussion. My personal view on the invasion and occupation of Iraq is that it was a neo-colonial venture from the outset cynically cloaked in anti-WMD and subsequently pro-democracy, anti-terrorism rhetoric. Furthermore, the whole venture has oil written all over it. Hence, I would have to disagree with my Iraqi colleague when he says I think the American were right when they chose Iraq to set their goals of democracy. I don’t think anyone annointed the USA police chief of the world thereby authorizing them to invade countries of their choice to establish regimes which suit their purposes. Furthermore, I fail to see any US plan or intention of reducing or removing their troops in the short run. Despite the negative reactions to Mr. Talabani’s speech welcoming the establishment of permanent US bases in the country, the US has already made up its mind. Democracy my foot!

  8. Mother whose son is serving in the US military in Ramadi:
    “My son cannot bear what he is forced to do, and has probably through sheer terror, confusion, and split-second decisions, killed innocent civilians. He is well aware of this, and I have witnessed the consequences first hand. He probably carries innocent blood on his hands. The killing of innocent people is virtually unavoidable. He is in Al-Anbar region. You are the ONLY person in the media who has responded to my emails. The other emails I sent to news organizations questioning why so little news out of Al-Anbar were unanswered. I believe that it is because the US has lost that region, and is suppressing that news to the American public. My son called me last week from Ramadi and said the war is lost – they are just going thru the motions, again, forced to carry out orders and risk their lives for an unobtainable and unjust goal. I continue to read your web site, as well as others, while I pray for my son’s safe homecoming in spring.”

  9. Believe me, Mr Talibani would never say anything his American masters did not tell him to say. He is the very personification of the word opportunist.
    As for the intentions of the USA – they will never leave until they are forced to do so.

  10. يوماً ما وأنا أتجاوز سكة القطار رأيت كهلاً جالساً قرب العارضة معه سكائره وإبريق الشاي وجرّة الماء . لا عمل له سوى أن يغلق العارضة كلما زمّر القطار . قلت لأولادي وأنا أنظر إليه : أتعلمون من هو الجندي المجهول ؟ إنه هذا الرجل الكبير . ما زال مخلصاً في عمله منذ ثلاثين عاماً ولم نسمع أن حادثة وقعت هنا إلا ما ندر ، ولم يفكر أحد منا مَن يقف وراء هذا الأمان .. يرى الناس العوارض ولا ينظرون من يُنزلها ونادراً ما يعبأ به أحد أو يقدم له هدية ، وهو راضٍ وقانع وربما لم تحدّثه نفسه بأنه مغمور أو مضطهد ..
    هؤلاء هم حراس السكة .. لكنّ سكّتهم لا يسير عليها قطار الموصل أو البصرة بل يسير عليها قطار الدعوة .
    منذ وعيت وسمعت من أبي وغيره من الدعاة علمتُ أن أعلى مراتب العمل للدين هو الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر وما زال المربّون يذكروننا بهذا الواجب وقرأنا كتب الدعوة في العقود الماضية سرّاً أو علنا ً حتى حفظنا أصول الدعوة وتذكرة الدعاة وإلى اي شيء ندعو الناس وقوارب النجاة في حياة الدعاة والدعوة الفردية والمنطلق والمسار وغيرها من الكتب رضي الله عمن ألّفها وغفر لهم ذنوبهم .
    وكان حراس سكة الدعوة لاهمّ لهم سوى الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر .. تارةً يحببون الصلاة لشابّ ، وأخرى يدعون فتاةً إلى الحشمة ، وثالثة ينصحون الناس بترك موالاة الطغاة والظلمة ، ورابعة يعظون الشباب بترك الاختلاط بالمجتمعات الفاسدة التي تؤذيهم وتقسّي قلوبهم .
    وقد سمعنا وصحبنا الكثير من حراس السكة .. سمعنا بالعلامة أمجد الزهاوي والعلامة كمال الدين الطائي والشيخ الداعية محمد محمود الصواف ، وصحبنا وتتلمذنا على أيدي المرحوم الشيخ عبد العزيز البدري والشيخ محمود غريب والمرحوم عبد الوهاب السامرائي والدكتور عبد الكريم زيدان والشيخ الفاضل ابراهيم المدرس والأستاذ الفاضل الراشد والدكتور احمد الكبيسي والدكتور أحمد حسن الطه السامرائي وغيرهم كثير كثير .. أطال الله في أعمار الأحياء منهم ورحم من مضى ..
    من هؤلاء ومن غيرهم لم نسمع سوى دندنة الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر يحدّثوننا بطرائق مختلفة وأهداف واحدة كلها تدور حول قوله تعالى ( ومن أحسن قولاً ممن دعا إلى الله وعمل صالحاً وقال إنني من المسلمين ) .
    ومما أدخل السرور إلى قلوبنا أننا راينا إخواناً لنا من حزب الدعوة في سبعينات القرن الماضي كانوا يشهدون الصلاة معنا في مساجد الجامعات ويقرأون الظلال ونتبادل المصافحة وقلوبنا تنبض بالمحبة وألسنتنا تلهج بالدعاء ان يجمع الله صف المسلمين ، وخصوصاً عندما علمنا أنهم كانوا يرغبون في التخلص مما علق بالمذهب من قيود حالت دون تقدمهم وارتقائهم من أجل النهوض بالأمة .. كانت البداية طيبة وتأملنا خيراً .. لكن القدر حال دون ذلك وكانت الهجمة الشرسة عليهم وقضت على المئات من دعاتهم بين اعتقال وتهجير وإعدام حتى غدوا في غضون سنوات أثراً بعد عين وعاد من بقي منهم إلى العمل السري .. وطبعت تلك الحوادث الجسام بصمات من آلام غيّرت شيئاً من مسيرتهم .
    ومرت السنون والعقود وما زال حراس السكة يحرسونها وهم يعلمون جيداً أن خططاً تحاك في الظلام كي تشغل المسلمين في أنفسهم وتلهيهم عن دعوتهم .. وكانت الليالي حبالى ، كل يوم تلد خَطباً .. حروب وغزوات وحصار ونزعات انفصال وظهور نظريات جديدة تتساءل : من هو أصل البلاء ؟ اليهود ؟ أم الحزب الحاكم ؟ أم الزعيم ؟ أم عائلة الزعيم ؟ أم العرب ؟ أم اهل السنة ؟ أم بالأحرى هم العرب السنة ؟ ومن يقود العرب السنة ؟ أليسوا العلماء والدعاة ؟ إذاً فعليكم بهم … فاقتلوا حراس السكة ودعوا القطار يسير كيفما يشاء ولترتطم به العجلات وليدهس الأفراد .
    سبحان الله ما هذا الاستنباط الغريب ؟ بدأت العداوة ضد اليهود وانتهت ضد الدعاة !!!
    واليوم وبعد احتلال العراق تحدث أمور عجيبة غريبة .. فلقد استشهد من العلماء والدعاة الألوف ولا أبالغ .. بعضهم نال الشهادة مقبلاً مقارعاً للمحتل وآخرون تم خطفهم وتعذيبهم أو اغتيالهم وهم يعملون لهذا الدين من خلال السياسة أو المنظمات الجماهيرية فيُقتلون وهم يسيرون في طرقات المدينة أو الريف ..
    والغريب واقولها بصراحة .. المحتل ينظر إلى الدعاة على انهم متمردون أو إرهابيون ولا غرابة في ذلك .. وبعض الأحزاب السياسية تنظر إليهم على أنهم مسعّرو حرب طائفية !!.. والمليشيات تنظر إليهم على انهم أعداء لآل البيت !! .. والعلمانيون يقولون إنهم طائفيون ضيقو النظرة !! .. والتكفيريون يقولون إنهم عملاء أمريكا !! ..
    وفي ظل هذه الفوضى يُستهدف حراس السكة وتستباح دماؤهم رخيصةً من قبل العدوّ والصديق معاً .
    ورغم أنّ ذلك لا يفتّ في عضدنا ولا يغيّر إيماننا بالقضاء والقدر وبأنّ كلاً يموت بأجله .. إلا أننا نقول لشعبنا : مهلاً وما الذي أصابكم ؟ وهل أنتم زاهدون في دعاتكم ؟ وهل يكفي أن يعود الأمن والكهرباء إلى وطننا ويُقضى على أولئك المرشدين الذين يصوّبون المسيرة ويُصلحون ما أفسد الآخرون ؟
    إننا نخشى أن يتحسّر الناس على فقد من كان يربّي أبناءهم .
    ومن هؤلاء الرجال فقيدنا الشيخ الدكتور مهند الغريري الذي اغتاله الغلاة . فقد عرفته في أواسط التسعينات حين كان يحيي الأعراس الإسلامية بصوته الشجيّ ودفـّه القوي ثم خطيباً مفوّهاً ثم مقدّماً للبرامج الاسلامية للأطفال ثم مدرساً في كلية العلوم الإسلامية ثم ناطقاً إعلامياً لمؤتمر أهل العراق إلى غير ذلك من أفعال الخير والبر التي كان يقوم بها فضلاً عن مواقفه الوطنية المناهضة للاحتلال قولاً وعملاً .
    ولا أدري كيف فكّر أولئك الذين سوّلت لهم أنفسهم أن يقتلوه مثلما قتلوا الشيخ إياد العزي وحبيب الراوي وغيرهم من حراس سكة الدعوة ؟
    لا ريب أنهم كانوا سكارى بحشيشة التعصب الأعمى .. أعماهم بريق المال عن نور الهدى وما دروا أن المال الحرام سيطوّق أعناقهم ويشنقهم كما شنقوا الأبرياء من أمة محمد .
    لن ننساك يا أبا مجاهد ما حيينا .. ولن ننسى مواقفك الرجولية يوم كنت تقف لإخوانك في أفراحهم وأتراحهم .. وإن العرسان الذين طربوا لصوتك الشجيّ يوم زفافهم والذين زفّوك إلى الحور يوم استشهادك سيكونون حراس السكة من بعدك . فنم قرير العين وليخسأ الغلاة الذين تجرأوا عليك وعلى حراس الأمة
    – بقلم الدكتورعمار وجيه

  11. ” Several members of the CPA’s Interior Ministry team wanted to blow the
    whistle on Kerik, but they concluded any complaints would be brushed
    off. “Bremer’s staff thought he was the silver bullet,” a member of the
    Justice Department assessment mission said. “Nobody wanted to question
    the [man who was] police chief during 9/11.”
    Kerik contended that he did his best in what was, ultimately, an
    untenable situation. He said he wasn’t given sufficient funding to hire
    foreign police advisers or establish large-scale training programs.
    Three months after he arrived, Kerik attended a meeting of local police
    chiefs in Baghdad ‘s Convention Center. When it was his turn to address
    the group, he stood and bid everyone farewell. Although he had informed
    Bremer of his decision a few days earlier, Kerik hadn’t told most of the
    people who worked for him. He flew out of Iraq a few hours later.
    “I was in my own world,” he said later. “I did my own thing.”
    Ties to GOP Trumped Know-How Among Staff Sent to Rebuild Iraq Early U.S. Missteps in the Green Zone
    By Rajiv Chandrasekaran
    Washington Post Staff Writer
    Sunday, September 17, 2006; Page A01

  12. salah- sistani is not hated by most of the iraqis i know or know of.
    but I’m glad yuo acknowledge the US was trying to spread democracy in Iraq, not prevent a WMD attack or al queda network in Iraq as our leaders lied to us about. it was indeed a globalist experiment like NAFTA, with similar (bad) results for americans and most iraqis alike.

  13. Shirin
    Believe me, Mr Talibani would never say anything his American masters
    Yes I agree, he need them to secure his power their in his region in an increasing numbers of Kurds opposing him and his militia.
    Also it’s not his call to say that and not his authority to do that, as there is parliament and members they should vote for this very serious matter isn’t it?

  14. lester,
    salah- sistani is not hated by most of the iraqis i know or know of.
    I not agree with you in this, simply Iraqi hate to see a person like him to dominated the politics in Iraq as far as I know this ongoing hidden war for the central governments in Iraq these Mullah they used their positions in the society to brain wash there supports to build their virtual power inside the state this exactly Mullah Nasrallah doing in Lebanon, in Iraq Saddam was so harsh those Iranians Mullah flee Iraq or they shuts their mouths Like Sistani “he was in dominated status” when time come he tried to be the one in fact the Americans used him and elevated him more what in reality he worth between real Iraqis.
    but I’m glad yuo acknowledge the US was trying to spread democracy in Iraq,
    I tell you these stories although I was apposing the war from the start but I talked to many friends a round me “I am outside Iraq now” before and just after the invasion there were very high believe that Iraq will be Like Qatar in ME, in fact some they believed will be Hon Kong of ME, with all the richness and resources Iraq can offer very importantly the richness in the people of Iraq who are skilled people available just to work with and guiding them to better future.
    The other story here its our families “Both Side my family and My wife family” You know with the sanction it was very hard time for all Iraqis and we support them with some money transferred to them but after the invasion we joked with them in one instate they told us that they will transfer money to help to us which really indicated that they are so happy with the out come at that time (first several months of invasion) but some thing went bad from US, and neighbours I still on my words our neighbours they share the chaos and they have Iraqi blood on theirs hands with US.
    Thanks

  17. “I’m glad yuo acknowledge the US was trying to spread democracy in Iraq…”
    The invasion of Iraq had as much to do with democracy as it did with WMD’s and terrorism – perhaps even less. If democracy had been the goal, the Bush administration would have set about immediately to help Iraqis put democratic processes and institutions in place, and would have put the decision making and implementation into Iraqi hands in all aspect and at all levels. Instead, they took great pains to thwart any movement toward the establishment of democratic processes and institutions, and systematically shut Iraqis out of any meaningful participation at any level.

  18. P.R. Group That Paid Off Iraqi Papers Gets New $6.2 Million Media Contract
    A public relations company known for its role in a controversial U.S. military program that paid Iraqi newspapers for stories favorable to coalition forces has been awarded another multimillion dollar media contract with American forces in Iraq.
    Washington-based Lincoln Group won a two-year contract to monitor a number of English and Arabic media outlets and produce public relations-type products such as talking points or speeches for U.S. forces in Iraq, officials said Tuesday.
    http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003157690
    Well done…….more Cooooooorruptions

  19. I’m usually the optimist in this forum. But after having seen the new draft law on the formation of regions, I’m quite worried. I’ve posted a few thoughts on it here.

  20. I would say if Reidar Visser is worried, we should be alarmed.
    (By the way, you can see his report in a bigger window if you go directly to http://www.historiae.org/aqalim.asp)
    If I could try and summarize via just a few of his main points: Major reasons for concern include:
    (1) The draft law makes it way too easy to keep on proposing new federal regions, adding governates to existing regions, and so on, without setting a deadline after which there would have be a long period of stability. For instance, there would be only a one-year delay between a proposal being rejected, and the ability to try again with the same proposal. At the very least, this will be a major distraction from the job of creating adequate national-government structures.
    (2) (In his subsequent note at the bottom of the report): It even appears that a governate where the majority wanted to stay linked to the central government and stay out of a regional entity, could find itself forced into a super-region (because it appears referendum vote-counting would be on the regional, not governate, basis).
    (3) There have recently been signs that some Shiites and/or Shiite groups were willing to compromise with Sunnis in a project to limit federalism in the interests of fostering a strong central government, but this isn’t reflected in the now-agreed-on process. It’s true there has been a committee set up to study constitutional revisions (pursuant to a last-minute provision in the constitution to get Sunni areas to vote for the constitution in the first place). But Visser looks at the composition of this committee and notes that it doesn’t include the expected representation from compromise-oriented Shiite groups.
    In other words, I think he’s saying the agreed-on procedures seem to promote a drift toward federalism and regionalism, in the absence and at the expense of the stability needed to foster a competent central government.
    This is important. For one thing because there seems to be a growing view in the region (justified or not is another question) that the whole “Western scenario” for the Middle East is in the direction of sect-based disintegration.

  21. salah- so are you “secular”?
    and I don’t think nasrallah and co are “brainwashing” so much as they are simply being given massive amounts of power via the actions of western countries.

  22. lester ,
    Did you in your life see Mullah?
    Did you watch and see their life?
    Did you see how they deal with people and their massages?
    Did you watch them how they use the some event to get their supporters?
    Did you heard and get some info about their life “real life”?
    Did you know how they wash the human brains with their crap?
    Did you know how they collecting the money and what the resources for that?
    Then come to me after all that we will talk with a lot of stores…

  23. بلال حسين، المصور الصحافي العراقي الذي ساعد وكالة أسوشيتد برس على الفوز بجائزة بوليتزر العام الماضي، هو الآن في شهره السادس في سجن للجيش الأميركي في العراق. وهو لا يعلم سبب وجوده هناك، كما لا يعلم بهذا السبب زملاؤه في الوكالة. ويقول الجيش انه يعتقد ان لدى بلال الكثير من الصلات بين المتمردين. وقد التقط صورا يعتقد الجيش الأميركي انها لا يمكن أن تلتقط بدون موافقة المتمردين. ولهذا فان بلال نفسه لا بد ان يكون واحدا منهم أيضا أو على الأقل متعاطفا معهم.

  24. To those who defending Iran and Baddar Iranian Mullah and Militia read this and make your mind..
    وكشف مسؤول عسكري أميركي كبير أن جماعتين شيعيتين هما «جيش المهدي» و«منظمة بدر» قامتا بقتل آلاف من العرب السنة منذ فبراير (شباط) الماضي، مشيرا الى ان «منظمة بدر تقوم بجمع المعلومات عن الأهداف وتعد قوائم التصفية التي ينفذها أفراد جيش المهدي». وقال المسؤول انه في بعض الحالات يرافق فرق الموت «شخصية دينية من اجل إقامة محكمة شرعية لمباركة عملية القتل».
    وكشف ايضا ان ايران تقدم أسلحة وأموالا لميليشيات عراقية.
    http://www.asharqalawsat.com/details.asp?section=3&article=385060&issue=10167

  26. For one thing because there seems to be a growing view in the region (justified or not is another question) that the whole “Western scenario” for the Middle East is in the direction of sect-based disintegration.
    thanks for the clarification…somehow I was under the impression that
    sect-based disintegration was the Iraqi strategy of al-Zarqawi and the other Salafist jihadists.

  28. sect-based disintegration was the Iraqi strategy of al-Zarqawi and the other Salafist jihadists
    What a nice impression and nice clarification!!

  29. Of course, no adjustment of borders, however draconian, could make every minority in the Middle East happy. In some instances, ethnic and religious groups live intermingled and have intermarried. Elsewhere, reunions based on blood or belief might not prove quite as joyous as their current proponents expect. The boundaries projected in the maps accompanying this article redress the wrongs suffered by the most significant “cheated” population groups, such as the Kurds, Baluch and Arab Shia, but still fail to account adequately for Middle Eastern Christians, Bahais, Ismailis, Naqshbandis and many another numerically lesser minorities. And one haunting wrong can never be redressed with a reward of territory: the genocide perpetrated against the Armenians by the dying Ottoman Empire.

    Blood borders
    How a better Middle East would look
    By Ralph Peters

  31. Woodward: Bush concealing level of Iraq violence

    Insurgent attacks against U.S.-led forces in Iraq occurred, on average, every 15 minutes, Woodward said in a CBS “60 Minutes” interview taped for broadcast on Sunday.

    “It’s getting to the point now where there are eight, 900 attacks a week. That’s more than a hundred a day. That is four an hour attacking our forces,” Woodward said in excerpts of the interview released on Thursday before the release of his book on the administration, called “State of Denial.”

    Christiane,
    According to Tom Engelhardt
    How many Sunni Arabs support the insurgency?75% of them, against American occupation.
    How many Iraqis want the United States to withdraw its forces from their country? found 71% of all Iraqis favor the withdrawal of all foreign troops
    More accurate answer here
    Poll Says Most Iraqis Want U.S. Out
    Published: September 29, 2006
    WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 — About three-quarters of Iraqis believe that American forces are provoking more conflict than they are preventing in Iraq and that they should be withdrawn within a year, according to a poll conducted by the Program on International Policy Attitudes, a group from the University of Maryland.
    The poll found that 78 percent of Iraqis believe that the American military presence causes more conflict than it prevents, including 97 percent of Sunnis, 82 percent of Shiites and 41 percent of Kurds.

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