Start of Civil War? Attacks Across Iraq!

[East Street Trader]

Strangely enough one thing which a force such as the US/UK force in Iraq can do to help pacify an area is to offer a target to groups which would otherwise target each other.

I saw this working when I was a boy in Cyprus. The Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots had long standing problems getting on with each other but for a considerable while the young men of the two communities who enjoyed making this a reason to indulge in violence would take pot shots at British, and later UN, troops rather than at each other.

This kept the temperature down a bit and even allowed a certain amount of desultory conversation to go on between the principals. Although sadly that came to naught and the two communities finished up segregating themselves.

Anyway professional soldiers are quite good at ducking so for them to be the target can turn out generally better than for bitterly opposed factions to go at it directly against each other.

But there is a bit of a knack to being a good piggy in the middle. I suppose it requires a good deal of professionalism and self confidence to avoid making macho responses. Which may be a bit tricky for a teenaged sort of country like the USA to pull off.

[Arrian]

Oooh, nice troll at the end there.

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

Not really... too obvious.

[Arrian]

Oh, sorry, forgot to indicate my sarcasm via the clever use of a smilie.

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's a serious transgression, but I'll let you go with a slap on the wrist this time.

But NEXT time

[My Wife Hates CIV]

'Armed insurgents are not going to be given carte blanche sanctuary to operate from within mosques with impunity, and if the Iraqi religious leaders and Iraqi people don't like it, they should consider coming up with some means to prevent misuse of mosques as fighting positions, staging and supply areas for combatant forces. Or they should consider that if they fail to come up with a way to address the problem, they may not like the results.

'

have to agree with MtG on this. I really don't think the US would target a hospital. They should stage and hold-up somewhere like that. Even still, I see nothing wrong with targeting a hospital... if you give people 10-15 minutes to leave. The US needs to come down very hard on a city or two. Make an example for the rest. However, it looks like it might be a little too late for example making. I'm kinda surpirsed it took this long for this kinda thing to start up.

[MOBIUS]

No I don't care if you have armed insurgents in a mosque - you just don't bomb it in a country like Iraq!

Sure you may kill a bunched of insurgents - but how many MORE are going to sign up just because of this!!?

This is sheer stupidity on a grand scale and the US has played into the insurgents hands!

The area should have been locked down and cordoned off and handed over to Iraqi security troops with US supervision. Religious leaders of the mosque could have helped in getting the men inside to surrender - or deal with it Iraqi to Iraqi...

But no, let's do Overkill US stylee...

BIG F*CKING MISTAKE!

You guys don't get it, the more brutal you are - the more resistance you are going to get! It is that simple!

But then again, this whole mission is just a revenge attack anyway cos a bunch of mercs got toasted...

US bombards Iraq mosque complex

[My Wife Hates CIV]

'You guys don't get it, the more brutal you are - the more resistance you are going to get! It is that simple!
'

disagree - look, the US did not go in and destroy cities (russians) and kill just because you don't wear a US flag. We tried to restore utility services. We tried to restore order. this is how some respond. The resistance will be there no matter what course we take. carpet bomb and take the oil i say. sure, it's bloody and harsh. but in the end the results will be the same. do it now or fight it out everyday for years to come.

[Tripledoc]

IS there any evidence that there were insurgents inside the mosque? The US policy, since someone set up the four mercs to be killed (how did the insurgenst know they were there at exactly that time, and what were they doing there, and who is the fourth merc?), has been one of continued escalation.

Then the newspaper was closed, a paper which had used violent language but not called for violence, then the aide was arrested, but the Spanish were not told, leading them to deny his dentention, and then it exploded. And this at a time when the number of combat troops in Iraq was artificially high due to rotation.

This whole incedent has been finely tuned to take place at this exact time. The bombing of the Mosque is futher escalation, and it should be seen as part of the overall plan.

[GePap]

The mosque building was not hit-the mosque compound was hit. HOw much this difference will matter perception wise in Iraq, we will see.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Originally posted by My Wife Hates CIV
The resistance will be there no matter what course we take. carpet bomb and take the oil i say. sure, it's bloody and harsh. but in the end the results will be the same. do it now or fight it out everyday for years to come.

But then the Bu****es will lose their "we were trying to liberate the oi...people, the people!" argument

[GePap]

The US military can not terrorize the population becuase, as the dancing cow said, the rationale for the war, now that no threat has been found, is that we are there to liberate Iraqis-under this line of argument, the vast mayority of Iraqis approve and support the US and it's actions. Thus, to strike against the population is to attack this rationale-an undermine the whole point of the Bush war.

[C0ckney]

Originally posted by Tripledoc
This whole incedent has been finely tuned to take place at this exact time. The bombing of the Mosque is futher escalation, and it should be seen as part of the overall plan.

am i the only one who thinks trippledoc's tin foil hat needs a slight adjustment?

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by GePap
The US military can not terrorize the population becuase...

...that is the final excuse the US could use for kicking Saddam out...

And when the liberator becomes the oppressor you've gone full circle!

[Arrian]

Mobius, as usual, you see what you are inclined to see. This is true of all of us, myself included. But, IMO, you're one of the absolute worst here at the 'poly OTF for taking a preconceived notion, applying it to a situation, and getting exactly your preconceived notion right back out, with some vitriolic condemnation of the US thrown in for spice. If you're trying to troll, well, I've been dense, and have been reeled in, but I don't actually think that is your intent.

Personally, I feel a "strong military response" to the death of the contractor/security guards/mercs (doesn't matter to me what the hell you call 'em) is likely to be counterproductive. In that I sense we agree. But we will have to watch as this plays itself out. Thankfully, not only do we have the internet for a variety of news sources, but also a 'poly regular on the ground in Iraq, giving us relatively frequent updates (and hopefully keeping his head down!).

-Arrian