Iraqi prime minister pledges to root out militants

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By SAMEER N. YACOUB

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's outgoing prime minster pledged Monday to turn his country into "a big grave" for Sunni militants from the Islamic State group and commended security forces who achieved a rare victory over insurgents by ending the siege of a Shiite town.

Nouri al-Maliki made the comments during an unannounced visit to the northern community of Amirli, where he was greeted with hugs. A day earlier, Iraqi forces backed by Iran-allied Shiite militias and U.S. airstrikes broke a two-month siege of the town where some 15,000 Shiite Turkmens had been stranded.

In footage aired on state TV, al-Maliki was shown sitting at a wooden desk in front of a large poster of Shiite leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistsani, ordering promotions and awards for those who fought in the battle.

"I salute you for your steadfastness and patience against those beasts and killers," he told a gathering of fighters in a large hall as they chanted Shiite religious slogans. He vowed to root out Sunni militants from areas they control in the country.

FULL story at link.



Iraqi security forces hold a flag of the Islamic State group they captured during an operation outside Amirli, some 105 miles (170 kilometers) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Sept. 1, 2014. Aid began flowing into the small northern Shiite town in Iraq on Monday, a day after security forces backed by Iran-allied Shiite militias and U.S. airstrikes broke a two-month siege by insurgents in a rare victory by government forces. (AP Photo)


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140901/ml--iraq-a58d1a4a12.html

[Wellstone ruled]

1. And how many billions have we dumped into this

Bush-Cheney-Neo-Con created sewer? Powell's analogy of the Pottery Barn rule,you break it you pay for it,boy,that is the truth. This new puppet will only gain respect if things turn in the next week or so. After that,same shit just a different day. Thank you Neo Cons. Didn't turn out the way you expected did it Georgie Boy.

[freshwest]

3. You said, 'Didn't turn out the way you expected did it Georgie Boy.'

I'd say it turned out just the way Bush expected.

JMHO. YMMV.

[DhhD]

4. Bush/Cheney Administration set Iraq up so that after 4 years of Obama they could go right back into

Iraq under a new Republican President and continue murdering and pillaging the Iraqi people and stealing from the American taxpayers. The 4 years only plan, was enhanced by Republicans meeting at a restaurant on the night of Obama's inauguration.

Americans do not want to go back into Iraq or into Syria and Obama knows this!

[freshwest]

6. And he's holding back the dogs of war. I dread 2017 if 2014 increases the Neo-Cons' power.

I can just see what they'd do with all that is at their fingertips now. We're in a race to stop all of this.

Obama has a ong term plan and intends to get it in place to stop them. Perhaps the public will not be swayed into giving the keys back to the GOP and Koch's.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

2. I wish I had been wrong

when I predicted it would turn out this way, when we marched to stop the invasion of Iraq so many years ago.

[ballyhoo]

5. Me too. I can remember standing on the corner

of Wilshire Blvd in front of the Federal Building week after week. People would come in buses.