Comments | insideiraq: Local Militias = Trouble

mrvetinari in insideiraq

Local Militias = Trouble

Dec 22, 2005 18:28

I'm not going to get into the elections or how Al-Dulaymi has essentially declared the insurgency back into "full on" mode (with noticeable effects) or whatever. I'm not even going to get into how Iran now has enormous influence over the new leaders of Iraq. But this article comments on something I observed on the ground when last in Baghdad for ( Read more... )

Comments 10

snarkactual December 22 2005, 17:39:08 UTC

The influence of Iran and the pervasiveness of the militias both in the Iraqi military and the Ministry of Interior concern me greatly. I'm afraid that in building the "new" Iraqi army and police we've sacrificed doing what is right for doing what is expedient simply because of the nasty internal political situation in the US.

mrvetinari December 22 2005, 18:49:39 UTC

Don't be silly, nothing in the history of American Foreign Policy suggests we would EVER choose the expedient over the morally right.

snarkactual December 22 2005, 20:36:02 UTC

Your tongue is, planted firmly in cheek, right?

mrvetinari December 23 2005, 00:04:55 UTC

I don't toss salad, if that is what you mean.

Thread 8

fitfool December 23 2005, 04:59:02 UTC

Yeah...one drawback to going straight to democracy is "What do we do if they democratically elect and -want- a religious fanatic to lead their country?"

qp4 December 23 2005, 08:00:05 UTC

You have no idea. When we were still in south Baghdad we went out to do a vehicle recovery or some other bullshit task. S2 didn't take the time to tell us that there were TEN THOUSAND PILGRIMS marching down highway 8 to Hillah or Najaf or some bullshit like that. Anyhow....

Along with ten thousand pilgrims there must've been a thousand of those Mahdi guys in about a six mile stretch. We radioed higher when we saw the first AK (that guy can't possibly be a hostile here right?) and got the word that they might be out (no shit) and not to engage them.

That's about the closest to scared I was on a mission up there. Knowing that we were on that four lane with all those people and dozens of guys with AKs in sight. I don't think we would have won that fight.