Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Well, Gee....imagine that!
The Shia finally take off the kid gloves and get serious about putting some bullets in the brains of known Sunni bad guys, and while the New York Times and other outlets screech incoherently that Iraq is edging closer to "all-out civil war," the actual number of insurgent attacks is down 7% this week.
Splash, out
Jason
P.S. Hey New York Times: regarding this paragraph:
Why is that "a measure of concern?" We do that every pilgrimage season as a matter of course! Sounds like prudence to me. In 2004 the first Sadr uprising coincided with the Shiite Arbaeen pilgrimage to Najaf. And last year more than 1000 pilgrims perished in a tragic stampede during the same period.
In 2004, the U.S., if you will recall, was constrained from attacking some Shia areas right away because the streets were clogged with pilgrims, and General Sanchez quite wisely waited until the innocent pilgrims cleared out of the area before putting the screws to the Sadr Brigades.
Splash, out
Jason
Splash, out
Jason
P.S. Hey New York Times: regarding this paragraph:
In one measure of concern, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld hinted in Washington that troop levels might be increased temporarily, to coincide with the arrival of Muslim pilgrims in coming weeks.
Why is that "a measure of concern?" We do that every pilgrimage season as a matter of course! Sounds like prudence to me. In 2004 the first Sadr uprising coincided with the Shiite Arbaeen pilgrimage to Najaf. And last year more than 1000 pilgrims perished in a tragic stampede during the same period.
In 2004, the U.S., if you will recall, was constrained from attacking some Shia areas right away because the streets were clogged with pilgrims, and General Sanchez quite wisely waited until the innocent pilgrims cleared out of the area before putting the screws to the Sadr Brigades.
Splash, out
Jason
Comments:
I'm always cynical about reductions in attacks...seems to me that that's what would happen during a military buildup as one side disengages, regroups and prepares a new offensive.
If I remember correctly, there was a big lull before the Golden Mosque bombing which resulted in hundreds of deaths over weeks of violence, although how much of that was normal every-day insurgency I'm not sure.
One thing's for sure, Sadr's militia can not be allowed to keep up its vigilante policing system much longer.
Post a Comment
If I remember correctly, there was a big lull before the Golden Mosque bombing which resulted in hundreds of deaths over weeks of violence, although how much of that was normal every-day insurgency I'm not sure.
One thing's for sure, Sadr's militia can not be allowed to keep up its vigilante policing system much longer.
