U.S. and Iraqi forces are preparing major assault on Najaf

[Nambe]

http://www.iht.com/articles/533506.html">AP Reuter (IHT

U.S. and Iraq forces are preparing a major assault on Shiite militia positions in Najaf, the U.S. military said on Wednesday.
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"Iraqi and U.S. forces are making final preparations as we get ready to finish this fight that the Moktada al-Sadr militia started," Colonel Anthony Haslam, commanding officer of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Najaf, said in a statement.
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Earlier Wednesday, insurgents fired mortar shells at U.S. forces moving into Najaf's vast cemetery and American jets roared overhead, as the radical cleric leading the fight against coalition forces urged his followers to battle on even if he is killed.
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Fighting in Najaf entered its seventh day, with Iraqi police manning checkpoints that cut the holy city in two.
"We've pretty much just been patrolling and flying helicopters all over the place, and when we see something bad, we blow it up," said Holahan, executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines Regiment.

[berner59]

1. hold off fellas...

until Aug 30th...Bush needs a good PR backdrop for his convention...

Boy can you read the tea-leaves...

[gratuitous]

2. "We see something bad, we blow it up"

Now THERE's a military strategy you won't see from panty-waists like Sun Tzu or Clausewitz.

And they're gonna finish the fight that the other guy started. Hoo boy, macho bullshit pronouncements set to "high." Nothing can stop us now. Unless the other guys fight back, or set a trap, or refuse to fight on unfamiliar turf, or refuse to engage when they're at a horrible disadvantage, or . . .

Prediction: This won't "solve" anything, and a lot of people, military and civilian, will die for nothing.

[SOS]

8. Strategy

Is it likely that Al-Sadr is baiting the US to destroy the shrine, thereby unleashing a massive Shia rebellion? Once again, it appears that the US is playing football, while the insurgents are playing chess.

[russian33]

3. wow, this democracy thing is working out well...

..what's the motto? 'if they don't want democracy, we'll stuff it down their throats even if it kills them'?

[allemand]

4. BBC: US troops 'poised to storm Najaf'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3555546.stm

"Iraqi and US forces are making final preparations as we get ready to finish this fight that the Moqtada militia started," said Col Anthony Haslam, commanding officer of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Najaf.

"The desired end state is one of stability and security, where the citizens of Najaf do not live in fear of violence or kidnappings, and where the city of Najaf can once again return to peace and prosperity."

<...>

The US military said on Monday that Najaf's Governor, Adnan al-Zorfi, had given its troops permission to raid the Imam Ali mausoleum. The US says the insurgents are using the shrine as a refuge, but an attack could anger Shia Muslims.

[Cocoa]

5. Sistani got out of there just in time

what fortuitious timing on the part of his heart, which happened to require treatment in London just when things are about to hit the fan in Najaf.

[jmcgowanjm]

6. journalists are relying almost totally on US military propaganda reports

“Resistance pummels American base in at-Taji; US airlift of casualties lasts over five hours.

“Iraqi Resistance fighters at 7:45am on Tuesday morning
fired six massive Grad rockets at the US aggressor
base in at-Taji, northwest of Baghdad. The rockets slammed
into the camp, and one of them scored a direct hit on the
main ammunition storehouse, setting off a series of
massive and continuous explosions.

“With the road cut by Resistance activity, the Americans
used huge Chinook helicopters to evacuate the dead
and wounded after the explosions died down at 8:30am.
The movement of the huge helicopters evacuating
casualties continued until 2:00pm in the afternoon, according
to the local correspondent of Mafkarat al-Islam.”

From GossipNews sources.

But you gotta love the Details!

Go ahead and carpetbomb Najaf, the
Vatican of the Shias and see what happens.

[allemand]

7. Maybe that was the rationale behind the closing of Al-Jazeera's office?

n/t