On the brink of anarchy

[kskiska]

· US fight on two fronts
· Arrest warrant for Shia radical
· Bush firm on Iraq handover

The Bush administration was last night facing a nightmare scenario in Iraq, fighting on two fronts against Sunni and Shia militants less than three months before it is due to hand over power to an Iraqi government.

Facing a critical moment in the effort to pacify the country, President George Bush vowed he would not budge from his June 30 deadline for the transition to self-rule, while US forces in Iraq opted for a high-risk strategy of attempting to crush both insurgent groups simultaneously.

(snip)

Faced with a rapidly deteriorating security situation and the prospect of a civil war following the transfer of power to a yet-to-be-determined Iraqi government, the US administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, cancelled a visit to Washington to deal with the crisis.

The US military commander, General John Abizaid, was considering the reinforcement of his 105,000-strong army of occupation. According to Pentagon officials, Gen Abizaid gave his aides 48 hours to come up with ideas on where fresh troops, American or allied, could be found.

Mention of reinforcements has been taboo in the Bush administration as it faces re-election in November, but the revolt in Shia majority areas on Sunday, a few days after the Falluja killings, triggered profound anxiety in Washington.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1186709,00.html

[Joanne98]

1. All they care about is ME ME ME............

[NMDemDist2]

2. DUH! Ya think?

"but the revolt in Shia majority areas on Sunday, a few days after the Falluja killings, triggered profound anxiety in Washington."

and everywhere else i should think

[PartyPooper]

3. Junior and his gang of murderers and thieves simply don't have a clue!

:grr:

[fishnfla]

4. Apache gunships in April, Democracy in July. yeah, right

From Sept12th, 2001, this administration has not done ONE THING RIGHT concerning Iraq. Now he's gonna ride cowboy on a hornets nest of chaos and keep his record perfect.

And the truly sad part is,(beyond the deaths of thousands more), the chimp is sticking his boney heels into the desert sand in a lame and blatant attempt to save his political career. Rove's focus groups say cut-and-run by June 30, or fold up the tents and call this prayer revival over Nov.5th.

Hey pResident Texas Souffle, can you say civil war?

Edit, grammer, context

[bpilgrim]

5. DON'T PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we still got the MOAB! Bring'em ON! - gwb

http://news.globalfreepress.com/flash/bring_them_home_now!

psst... pass the word

peace

[DrBB]

6. Fortunately the serenity of Dear Leader is undisturbed

...for he is blessed with knowledge direct from the Most High.

Also, he doesn't read the newspapers. He's getting objective reports straight from Condy, Rummy, and Dick. And he knows they're telling the truth because it's never anything he doesn't want to hear.

[wtmusic]

7. Come up with ideas on where fresh troops could be found?

Free Republic, of course (oh that's right, they just talk big)

[PfcHammer]

8. Social security/medicare rolls, call it "the senior draft"

[Robbien]

9. Looks as if they are cancelling plans of troops scheduled to return home

On Monday, a senior official with U.S. Central Command said that the return home of about 24,000 U.S. troops who were scheduled to leave in the next few weeks would be delayed as their replacements arrive.
With the 24,000 remaining and others who have arrived as intended replacements, there are 134,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

<snip>

Besides the extended deployment, they are studying which U.S. troops at bases around the world could be readied for a quick move to Iraq in an emergency, the senior defense official said. None of the units being considered for emergency duty in Iraq are in the USA now, he said.

<snip>

Some foreign leaders have expressed growing concern about their troops, especially since terrorist attacks in Madrid on March 11. Spain's incoming prime minister plans to withdraw his nation's 1,300 troops unless the United Nations assumes direct control. Honduran officials say they will pull their 370 troops out of Iraq during the summer. Some U.S. military officials in Iraq have speculated that El Salvador, Nicaragua and possibly the Dominican Republic, all parts of the Plus Ultra Brigade serving with the Spaniards, would also depart. Guatemala President Oscar Berger said his nation would not send troops as promised.

President Bush was unsuccessful last month in lobbying the Dutch prime minister to keep his nation's 1,300 troops in Iraq beyond June. South Korea has announced that the 3,600 troops it promised to send to Kirkuk to relieve the United States' 173rd Airborne will not go because of U.S. pressure to participate in "offensive operations." South Korean leaders said they would consider sending forces to other parts of Iraq to help rebuild the country

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-04-05-troops-stay_x.htm

[ultramega]

12. I'll volunteer some to prove they are more than just talk:

Numero Uno: Toby Keith. His feet should be the first to hit the desert sand on the next deployment, and since he's made so much money off of the war, he needs to take every dime of it and buy flak jackets and armored Humvees for our troops that he claims to love so much

2) Any fan of Toby Keith's who has every sang along to that lyric "we'll put a boot in your ass...". Well guess what patriotic ones, now is your chance, so what are you waiting for.

3)Kid Rock

4) Robin Leach- I overheard him insulting Sean Penn and Tim Robbins on Fox the other night calling them "characters" and saying they should...I stopped listeing at that point

5) The entire staff of Fox News

6) Wolf Blitzer/ Dennis Miller/Judy Woodruff/Mary Matalin/Karen Hughes/Brit Hume/etc, etc,

7) All the executives at Clear Channel and Cumulus who staged the whole Dixie Chick debacle for W. Lets let them put their money where their mouth is.

8) Arnold Schwarzen...He's the Terminator, the Running Man, the
gropin...whatever.


9)anyone who's ever called someone a "commie pinko faggot"

10) All college republicans

and last but not least

Ann Coulter the Revolter. She could turn them all to stone..

I'm sure I left some out, but these are my personal picks, and I've only just begun to think about it...

Oh of course Ollie North and John Stoessel, too

[oasis]

15. That's a great list ultramega, now let them walk the walk. (eom)

[teryang]

10. Sistani is ambivilent??

He is playing this whole thing like a fiddle. He gave the signal Friday and it was disseminated Saturday throughout the Shia community. He said he was done talking to Americans. What does the coalition think this means? Any slaughter of Shia will play right into his hands. This works for him in so many ways.

[teryang]

11. On the brink of anarchy?

The last several days have been anarchy. What we are looking at here is the resumption of conventional military operations.

[ultramega]

13. Yeah, thank God we're just "on the brink". nt

[TahitiNut]

14. The fecal matter has hit the Fallujah for sure.

I'm no alarmist. This, however, has all the earmarks of the beginning of a widespread insurgence. As forces are shifted to Fallujah from elsewhere, watch for other cities and towns to ignite. It's not just the Shiites, either.

The warmongering imbeciles in the Busholini casa blanca have put our military neck-deep in shit. It won't stop with Iraq, either.

[The Stranger]

16. Anarchy is the PNAC plan.

[74dodgedart]

17. Power does not corrupt.

Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power.
John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968)