We have to turn on the Shiite political coalition so that our troops can come into armed conflict with their militias so that we will have an excuse to attack an Iran that has been arming some of these militias for decades so that the 2008 election will be held in the opening months of a new war so terrifying that the electorate will be terrified into voting for the Republicans. The Iranian nuclear program nonsense must not have focus-grouped well, so they needed a new pretext. Same underlying political imperatives, just a new pretext.

…and not a war-crimes tribunal in sight.

If we here at FDL aren’t calling for it, it won’t happen. Nor will a Truth & Reconciliation Commission. Because most Americans don’t yet recognize that we’ve committed war crimes, that launching this war was a war crime, and that all the wire-tapping and other crap was a follow-on to the original war crimes.

We are missing the very big picture, that the USA has committed a massive crime and we’re not going to do anything about it, except go shopping.

shame on you. One crime does not make another less vile. Everybody knows mall shopping is a war crime.

Of course you’re right. We have to keep screaming through the toobz!

I took pictures with my cell phone… am writing the local tv stations now.

Speaking of using a video camera, are there people doing the macaca watch on all the presidential candidates this year?

If we here at FDL aren’t calling for it, it won’t happen. Nor will a Truth & Reconciliation Commission. Because most Americans don’t yet recognize that we’ve committed war crimes, that launching this war was a war crime, and that all the wire-tapping and other crap was a follow-on to the original war crimes.

We are missing the very big picture, that the USA has committed a massive crime and we’re not going to do anything about it, except go shopping.

“In more than a dozen interviews, U.S. military officials expressed growing concern over the Iraqi government’s failure to capitalize on sharp declines in attacks against U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians.”

“Capitalize” is just another disarming euphemism. Translation = 780 (and counting) American troops have died since the surge began in late January.

That should be the primary metric going forward in any discussion of the failed will of Iraq’s backward politicians, not fading purple fingers.

Just saying.

I’ve been down with that idea for several months now.

I think that’s how the American public is looking at things, too. That the price of getting nowhere has dropped from 80-100 U.S. lives/month to 40-50 isn’t much worth celebrating.

So Swopa,

What’s next? U.S. retreats more into permanent bases, warlords press iron thumb on their spheres of influences, Moqtada al Sadr has another 6 month hiatus?

Hugh took some flak up above, but his analysis is basically correct — the Sunni-Shiite civil war is not nearly over, but both sides are lying low because they are waiting for the American speed bump to get smaller.

“Withdrawal” or no, the removal of the brigades added in this year’s escalation will represent the first temptation for any faction that feels like acting up. None of them have been good at resisting temptation in the past, so you could see violence start rising again as we get into next year.

Then again, if the U.S. keeps pouring in money to buy off the Sunnis while the Shiite alliance manages to keep kicking the can down the road on just about every conceivable front, things could stay as “quiet” as they are now.

A factor I haven’t seen discussed much is the Shiite alliance’s recognition that there is geniune and massive (and, of course, overwhelmingly justified) popular dissatisfaction with their government. At first the Sadrists were benefiting from this, but their wave seems to have crested and the “truce” looks like a recognition that they need some image rehab, too.

As a result, Team Shiite knows they have to buckle down and deliver more services & security somehow, or that popular discontent may spin out of control between now and the 2009 elections (despite their extensive ability to rig the latter). But there’s no way they’re going to sincerely yield any share of power to the Sunnis. So those are the poles they’re going to try to steer between as events unfold.

I apologize – completely OT, but I as so pissed! Those clowns who were up in Santa Barbara yesterday – the ones who are “collecting signatures for the children’s cancer hospital”? the one where you have to sign “multiple forms”…. where what you are actually doing is signing other ballot initiatives but unless you remove the rubber band at the top, it is difficult to read them… and the biggie in the middle is that “split CA’s electoral votes” initiative…

They were out in front of the Target in Rancho Santa Margarita. I yelled at anyone who tried to sign that they were getting scammed. I told the manager of the store and she tried run them off… but after an hour, I had to come home…

just who the hell do I call first about this crap? I tried calling the sheriff’s dept. but since Mike Carona is in so much trouble, they seemed to have shut off the “non-emergency” line… I stopped in at the sheriff’s substation, but they told me I had to call the non-emergency number…

OC, don’t know if you’re still here, but from what I understand about what you’re saying is that they might be guilty of a misdemeanor.

http://lawyers.wizards.pro/cal…..-18603.php

Are they covering the summary with other initiatives?

Or just the title with the rubber bands? (don’t know if this counts)

They are allowed to gather signatures, but not fraudulently

“Capitalize” is just another disarming euphemism. Translation = 780 (and counting) American troops have died since the surge began in late January.

That should be the primary metric going forward in any discussion of the failed will of Iraq’s backward politicians, not fading purple fingers.

Just saying.

behindthefall @ 50

This thread is slow.

Fine, YOU take the damn wheel and drive, if you’re so smart!

LMAO Swopa! You made my night. :-)