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Even as conservatives like the Minneapolis StarTribune's very own Katherine Kersten were talking up how The Surge Has Made Everything All Better, a rocket attack on the Green Zone belied the happy talk:
A barrage of rockets hit the Green Zone – landing near the US Embassy – in Baghdad on Sunday morning.
The rockets appear to have been fired from the Shiite militia stronghold neighborhood of Sadr City in what observers see as further evidence that a cease-fire by the group loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr may be unraveling.
[...]
"Yes we confirm there was an IDF (indirect fire) attack in the Green Zone. There were no dead or major casualties," said US Embassy spokesperson Mirembe Nantongo. But she gave no further details. A US military spokesman also declined to comment on the rocket attack, which is the most significant in months. Following the attack, large plumes of black smoke were seen rising from the walled Green Zone, which also houses top Iraqi government officials.
Why is this a big deal?
Because Sadr's truce, and not the surge, is the main reason why there is still a semblance of pockets of order in the bloody carcass that once was Iraq. Even the mainstream US press comes close to admitting it on occasion -- such as last month, when it looked for a while as if the truce might not be extended.
Another key factor: The refusal of the Sunni Sahwa, or "awakening", militia groups to fight for the US unless and until we pay them. Instead, they'll go back to shooting at us, when they're not shooting at Sadr's people and Shia in general.
Bush and McCain were hoping that this excrement wouldn't be hitting the whirling blades until after January of next year. But as we all know, hope is not a plan.
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This is exactly why I’m so worried about Busted. His niece is there in the green zone, PW.
So we can expect all hell to shortly break loose…
Loo Hoo checked in on an a.m. thread - no mention of his niece
Ah, but hope (and denial) has been their plan all along.
This will go down in military history as the worst ever. Can you imagine what lessons West Point will be teaching from this? How many papers will be required written about the mistakes?
It should be mandatory
Thanks!
Excellent post, PW. Watching the news via the net the last few days has made it obvious.. the place is like a volcano about to blow again. (or already blowing)
I have read in separate places that there are about 80,000 Sunnis who are threatening to go on strike and that it would cost about $180 a month for each. That comes to $14.4 million a month. The Pentagon could cough that up from petty cash and never know it was missing.
PW!!!
How many more days?
How many more deaths and injuries?
It’s called take the money and run. They wanted enough to fill their pockets and didn’t care about anything else. Greedy bastards.
Chalabi, Chalabi, Chalabi.
Frontline 2 hour special on (central time zone now).
My niece (West Point ‘03) and her husband are also there. And hearing that pervert Cheney say “So?” to the statement about Americans thinking the war not worth it or “They volunteered.” to the 4000 dead report, enrages me to no end. When she entered West Point in ‘99 there were sane and competent people running the country. What a puke!
It’s on at 11:00 in TX, when everybody has crashed, of course….
sorry to hear about commenters who have kin there. Let us pray all goes well.
But, hasn’t Sader already given warning the truce may be rescinded at his pleasure? My understanding is that for most of the last year, Sader said his people were standing down, and anyone not stood down took their chances with the US forces. He wasn’t going to respond, since they were bad actors disobeying his order to stand down. That is, he sorta said he would deem any of his people attacked were guilty.
My understanding is that when he recently said he would continue the truce, he also said that the cease fire was now conditioal on proper restraint by US forces, and unprovoked and unjustified attacks by US forces (or what he deemed to be such) would be resisted or revenged. That is, he was saying that his people just might start shooting back.
I forget where I read that, or maybe I read it on the Young Turks website.
Anyway, that seemed to me to be very significant signal Sadr sent that he is expanding his options to do whatever he sees as most advantageous.
I think things will continue sliding down hill. The US has more or less revealed its intentions (and confirmed the worse suspcions) so now it is a matter of timing regarding the response of the Iraqi factions who are not on the Bush-Cheney A-list.
shoot. i just finished typing a comment for the last thread and already everyone has moved on to pw’s excellent post…. well, instead of posting it downstairs in epu land, i’ll post it here. it’s a little OT, but not entirely if you are concerned that our war with iraq may expand to iran.
……………………………
earlier today there was a bit of a discussion on betrayus’ claim that iran was behind the recent shelling of the green zone… i count myself among those who are concerned it sounds like an attempt to justify hostilities with iran.
then kirk pointed out yesterday’s news:
but what has me really worried is what i read in a link from hugh on the location of our carriers (please disregard my earlier incorrect list).
here is how i read it:
The USS Truman departed Norfolk on Nov 5, 2007 for a 7 month deployment to the ME and was scheduled to relieve the USS Enterprise (which had been on duty in the ME for 6 months). The USS Truman arrived in the persian gulf in mid-Dec 2007, which means it probably will be in the ME until July, when it would normally be relieved by another carrier.
Here’s the problem - wtf is the USS Lincoln doing going to the ME now? Doesn’t this seem like an escalation of carriers in the ME? Isn’t this what Fallon was previously reported to have prevented? or am I misremembering that?
Is anyone else concerned that Fallon announced his resignation on March 11, the Lincoln left for the ME on March 13 - and the Truman doesn’t need to be relieved until July?
When do you know Bush’s War machine is backed against a wall and lost, again? OK, they don’t like that word “lost”; how about gross miscalculation. You can bet your last dollar (if you have one left after filling up at the pumps) Patraeus blames IRAN. Point the finger at Iran. They did it! They attacked the Green Zone.
Sadr has bitten his nails up to his elbows eager to let loose. The Sunni’s want lots more money which they’ll need as refugees when the Sadr camp comes after them.
“More sacrifice” so says the decider.
No news is good news.
I’m OK.
I will get ahold of my Mom, she is in constant touch with my niece’s Mother. if something bad would have happened, i think we would have heard by now, something like that would travel like wildfire in my family.
Well, yeah. They are planning to attack Iran. They are planning to attack Iran. They are. They will if they can. They will do it. Without a doubt. it is part of the Axis of Evil, and Bushco will do it, if they can.
It is totally obvious that Fallon was ditched, because he opposed war with Iran.
Hi Busted- people have been asking about you. Thanks for the report.
Does anyone know why thee U.S. is not paying the Awakening Counsels?
;)
Because the id10ts in charge are both stupid and cheap?
What are the “Awakening Counsels”?
It’s on 9:00 pm here
No news is good news. Thanks, Busted.
I’ve been doing some oppo research on my own, with the view to taking down Saxby Chambliss.
I ran across this comment on one of the blogs I was reading, and followed the YouTube link.
from commenter: ~~Please consider watching my latest YouTube video. It’s only about one minute long, but it packs a punch. In it I contrast video clips and photos from the war with images of one of the war’s biggest supporters (Senator, Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga)).~~~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmRaKLilM2Q
KO is on again here at 9:00, which is instead of 11:00…(I think that is a good thing).
yes, thank you, busted.
Same reason they didn’t pay AT&T? Stupidity and incompetence?
if that’s true, what are we going to do about it?
From the post
The Axis of Evil is about to have an addition, Venezuela. Chavez is accused of creating unrest in Peru and other places for offering eye surgery to people who are blind and can benefit for this surgery. Bad, bad man. What does he think he’s doing restoring blind people’s sight? Of course, if Peru and other countries are so upset with Hugo’s “ulterior motives” they could provide the same themselves.
Good question. My guess is somebody else pocketed it first. What an incompetent lot we have running things.
The Cheney-Bush will do as it will do. They pay their help when they feel like it. They couldn’t be bothered to pay the telcoms on time to protect the country, why should be bother about paying some other help bribes to protect the troops.
The help should be greatful for any scraps that fall from the table.
–but acutally, the sunni tribesman may be preparing for breaking off, and the not getting paid line is just a BS line to start expanding their options while keeping up appearances. No one can trace the money anyway, what is Bush Cheney gong to do, have Perino wave the receipts at the next press conference.
Maybe they are getting paid, but this is just a little hint to get the Iraq government act together quick like a bunny or there will be trouble.
An integral part of the ’surge’, whereby the military met with many of the Sunni Tribes in Anbar province and agreed to pay them to keep them from attacking our forces. The councils were set up to receive and disburse said funds…!
Thanks…I missed that.
It was very interesting to note that Bushco’s actions have caused Venezuela to be a major profiteer of the war…what’s up with that…Iran and Saudi Arabia too.
Sometimes I am hopelessly confused. We installed a Shia gov’t and we are paying the Sunnis not to fight? Do I have that straight? If so, would someone tell me why and is this “winning?”
What worries me, is that Fallon couldn’t do anything about it!!! I hope he squawks bigtime!!!
OMG, ValleyGirl, that Chambliss vid is so heart breaking.
All good hypotheses.
So I guess everyone else, like me, has seen no actual explanation being offered by anyone.
Thanks, I didn’t catch that they were referred to as “Awakening”…thanks.
This has to be one of the most absurd notions. A college of war strategies.
When you think about the enormous waste of resources devoted to killing it is mind blowing.
I am sure Sadr is just dreaming about setting up mosques in Flatbush, Canarsie, Pottstown and Elmira. WOW image the mosque of the Hamptons! These ebemies of our are drawing up plans for every corner in america.
not me, i don’t do things by faith only reason … i think it takes that alternate reality of bush and cheney that dwells in the land of ‘faith’
OT, but great news… “State GOP Parties in Dire Straits!” Bwhahaha…
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories.....1610.shtml
I’ve just added a comment over at EW — far below the sophistication of their typical comments, of course — pointing out this site. Read through the posts for the last few days. They add up to a case that the U.S. will attack Iran in, say, May. Ups and downs in the combativeness of various factions in Iraq will hardly matter at all after that.
I’m tellin’ ya, frikkin’ Chalabi is behind a lot of this…Iraq and Iran…
That is a good thing. I just wish the Frontline special was at a ‘watchable’ time across the nation.
As near as I can figure out, the U.S. is paying & arming all the groups that hate us or want to break up Iraq. But enemies with the person Muktada al Sadr, who might want to hold the country together.
seems pretty clear that they do plan to attack Iran. This seems a little soon … gives the country a chance to react. I’d guess Sep this year …
I get a blank CBS page, buddy.
That is most likely. Spring is the optimum time….Fall doesn’t make sense really but it could still happen then. I’d guess May is more likely…but, but, but….Jenna is getting married…they may postpone it so it doesn’t mess up her “day”…/s
They are paying local tribal leaders to patrol each square kilometer. Nothing short of bribes.
wow!
And they might all come together against our troops, till they leave. Then they can continue with their war that they have had for centuries. (Except for during the Saddam Hussein reign)
Jeralyn on msnbc NOW
I think it is unwise to trust appearances too much: for example, the business about whether Bush Cheney is paying the Sunni tribesman and whether that is the true cause of their disatisfaction. As I said previously, Bush Cheney has pretty much laid out its real plans through its actions -turn Iraq into a military and energy resource colony ruled by violence, with the current government as the local US-backed strongman. Those actions and announcements mean something, unlike the drivel and threats that constitute their communications with the US public.
So, now it is the other factions’ (and there are several other factions) turn to decide how, when and where to respond. That is why I thought, right after I read about the Bush Cheney enduring relatinship BS a few months ago, that things would start deteriorating as the other Iraqi folks scoped out the possbilities for response. Only question is when it starts and how fast it moves toward the recent civil war like levels. Excpet it will be a civil war this time in which the US troops will be unavoidably involved very directly, since we have staked our claim and chosen our local side.
Wow, that’s Jeralyn!!! Go Jeralyn!!
Hmmm… I clicked on it just now and it worked…
I believe that the there will be a false flag and perhaps the Israelis may do something. I don’t think the US can manufacture a legal argument to get a fig leaf UN resolution this time.
Why bother. They claim our troops are being attacked my Iran and we must end that interference. Or a naval vessel will tangle with a rubber dinghy, like the Cole and badda boom another shock and awe lesson for the Ayatollahs. Nuke the Ayatollahs!
Loo Hoo- yes it is. It has the most graphic and heart-breaking personal images (put together in one place) as to what we have done to the people of Iraq of any YouTubes I’ve seen.
I’ll try again…
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories.....1610.shtml
they don’t need anything legitimate … just enough to steal another election ….
They will say Kyl/Lieberman gave them the authority. Petraeus citing “Quds” as the ones behind attacking the Green Zone is part of the justification.
Gad, I hate it when people start agreeing with my hunches. BTW, I was glad to run into the /s tag closure after you mentioned Jenna’s wedding plans — nearly thought you were serious. *g* How did we ever let our country get into the hands of sadists?
Thanks, EG!
Hello, everyone! Sorry I’m late!
that’s my point!
up until now it’s looked like that want to attack iran.
but deployment of the USS Lincoln is, i think, a very big deal in support of the possibility that it’s not just a wet dream of cheney’s but that real action is being taken to support an attack.
lee- it really does show what it’s all about at a personal level, no?
Very good. I think I would like to see that at the movie theaters right after the recruitment films.
The all the merikans go skeerdie and they come out with some phony polling and steal the election.
Eyes wide open.
Did you catch this one, about how U.S. prefers strongmen? This guy sounds like quite a character.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpoi.....ad_301.php
DemocKracy, W style.
They sent a nuke sub through the canal on the way to the gulf.
All the strutting is in place.
Yup. Eyes Wide Open!
Good. Abrams saying “Teflon John”….
Jeralyn raises the idea of charging Rush with “aiding and abetting” a crime by urging people to cross register to vote for HRC in Ohio, where they have to sign an affadavit that they are truly Democrats. There is concern over a new Rush campaign to get people in PA to crossover in the same way.
PW–-please excuse the off topic. Lot of Jeralyn admirers here.
Great post, PW
you’ve just given me an idea. I’m teaching a freshman seminar (college) and somehow we got off to looking at the army recruitment site and the “video games” they use to make it seem glamorous. I’m going to show that YouTube to my Freshmen. They really need to see it.
I think today was the last day to change voter registration in Pa.
What was the source of the quote you included in the Emptywheel comment?
I know every night abrams is all over obama and HRC. It’s about time McInsane gets some attention along with his pastor problems.
“They” are going to do exactly what they said they were going to do…they are.
I have no idea how you stop them. Fallon was a firewall, and now he’s gone. He needs to go to Congress, publicly tell them the truth about what’s happening, and Nancy Pelosi needs to impeach. That’s all I can think of.
But, but…John McCain says everything is going great!
Correct. Today was the last day.
I figure it will be a two-step operation. A first strike against “arguably valid” targets, then the Iran response with anti-ship missles, leading to the vaporization of a carrier group, then the real attack, supported at home by all the patriotic fervor the country can muster. Anybody who can see beyond that has a splendid crystal ball, but invocation of Continuity of Government machinery to maintain domestic tranquility does come to mind. And why would the Unitary Executive object to that outcome? At that point, we would be living in one of the all-time, world-class rogue nations.
Impeachment still off the table? Anybody think that impeachment after CoG kicked in would still be possible, even with all the political will in the world?
This is very irregular. Normally, subs on deployment almost never surface, much less reveal their locations…this, to me, bespeaks of haste. That sub was in a hurry, or no one would have ever seen it.
Heh, heh, heh!!!
America does not want Bush, Cheney, or McCain.
All of the hoopla, as if he is equally in the standings with either or both Dems is pure media fabrication.
If McCain were to win the general, it is a fix. Period.
Meanwhile, Juan Cole has more on why the truce is probably already broken.
OT and not really fair, but just saw this:
(nyt linky)
sigh …
Good point, and who leaked the whereabouts? The military? Bushco?
Nancy Pelosi needs to impeach. That’s all I can think of.
I live in her state. I was so thrilled when she became Speaker. That being said she has very bloody hands. I would be pay big money to know why she is unwilling to impeach the most criminal administration in the history of our republic. She is almost as pathetic as bushco and that fucker cheney.
The quote was from http://www.chris-floyd.com./. I didn’t check whether the link had taken — apologies if it didn’t.
And now for a brief moment of dark comedy:
Bush Given Plan to Put Off Further Cuts in Troops in Iraq
New York Times
Troop levels in Iraq would remain nearly the same through 2008 as at any time during five years of war, under plans presented to President Bush on Monday by the senior American commander and the top
Should we put her in the corner? *g*
That’s a hell of a “misspoke.”
Ding, Ding, Ding…! Hello! COG and Directive 51! A true ‘October Surprise’… 8-(
Check this out, the military knows what’s goin’ on:
http://www.infowars.com/?p=1005
She loves W.
Excellent post, PW.
it’s gotta be something like that. just straight election fraud will be harder to pull off this time. vp-for-life isn’t going anywhere soon. state of emergency, hostile attacks by iran, elections put off w/ till hostilities cease …
Oh good. I find those films at the movie theater downright nauseating…the one that really bothers me is the one that shows Revolutionary War soldiers and then morphs to present day…George Washington would weep. It would be good to have a counterbalance.
And the Freshmen will enjoy the music on yours, too.
Hadn’t seen that, thanks. We took out the guy who kept it all under wraps. I wonder what Saddam Hussein’s wife and daughter(s) are up to these days.
Thanks, Kirk! How goes it in foggy San Francisco?
I have been extremely busy last week, so have not been able to follow news closely. So, again I read things that I find difficult to believe… am I losing my mind? early dementia? maybe I caught something and have a 110 degree fever and am hallucinating.
I read in the news that there is some flap about whether Dem candidate X was under shooting fire on some trip. Why would being under fire for a few minutes constitute ‘commander in chief’ leadership experience. I cannot even take seriously the premise on which this controversy is based. Is any adult in the population taking this silly flap seriously?
McCain three or four times says absurd things about Iran working with Al Qaeda and the news idiots are assuring us that they are not reporting it only because they happen to know (somehow or other) that McCain really has ‘commander in chief’ qualifications and deep foreign policy expertise.
And did McCain really stop and look flustered for moment when he was asked about what interest rates should be, before blurting out ‘ihnterest rates should be zero’?
Am I caught in a Marx brothers movie? Duck Soup was funny. This is not funny.
And now maybe attacking Iran just as things are starting to slide downhill in Iraq again? I guess we will learn how they say ‘Dunkirk’ or ‘lost battalian’ in Iraqi Arabic soon.
Abrams on Cheney’s statement:
”Unbelievable”.
The comment cited Egyptian sources…could have been anybody, since the sub would have to surface to go through the canal. Possible reasons, other than attacking Iran, include a time-sensitive SpecOps deployment, which our subs do a lot of, or extraction of a SpecOps unit…we’ve had people on the ground in Somalia, for instance.
The spooky part is that Directive 51 allows an economic collapse to trigger the COG machinery, too… So, what’s gonna happen first? Iran or the economic meltdown…?
Yes. Can the Department of War just say that Congress can’t call someone to testify? Seems curious that Betrayus can testify, and not Fallon. Either or neither.
he’s does a pretty good chimp-in-chief imitation …
And, we’ve have people on the ground in Iran already…for quite awhile…you know, Chalabi!!!!!!
VG, you may well already know of this (or have posted it here - I’m behind the dial-up curtain), but the good folks at Indymedia (SF Bay Area) shared the “NoArmy” site (”The Truth Recruiters Don’t Want You To Know.”)