How It Is Done
The Washington Post reports U.S. troops raided an Iranian consulate in Iraq and seized a number of Iranians suspected of aiding the insurgency. No doubt the Iranians will squawk about the violation of diplomatic immunity, incursion on sovereign Iranian territory, international law, blah blah blah. I encourage them then to raid our embassy and consulates in Iran. …oh yeah, we don’t have any. Remember why? This is an early indicator that the gloves are in fact off, which is the key component to success in this change of strategy.
Another Washington Post report warns that sending large numbers of U.S. and Iraqi troops into trouble spots to take down militias will lead to a big urban battle and casualties. The Post, apparently not clear on the concept, seems to suggest this is a bad thing. Worst of all, it may put us in a big fight with feared militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr, who is scary and mustn’t be piqued!
Meanwhile, the AP reports al-Maliki is following the Bush script and has put the Shiite militias on notice. Disarm or else. This should be taken as seriously as anything else out of al-Maliki’s mouth, which is not at all. It is simply a warning to his pals to cool it for a while, the heat’s on.
The good news in this is not that al-Maliki is turning on al-Sadr, but that he has just publicly given the United States the green light.
Mohammed at Iraq the Model tells us what it sounds like in Baghdad, and offers this interesting note. For all the telling intensity of fire, notably 30mm, the Iraqi government says it has not started yet. Can’t wait to hear what it sounds like when they do start.
Cassandra at Villainous Company on the homefront.
Thunder Run rounds up the reax.
The Washington Note: “Did Bush declare secret war on Syria and Iran?”
Washington intelligence, military and foreign policy circles are abuzz today with speculation that the President, yesterday or in recent days, sent a secret Executive Order to the Secretary of Defense and to the Director of the CIA to launch military operations against Syria and Iran
.
I dunno. I kind of picked up on it. How secret can it be?
Topics: Uncategorized
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 11:00 am on Thursday, January 11, 2007
8 Responses to “How It Is Done”
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January 11th, 2007 at 11:44 am
About damn time.
January 11th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I’ve included you in my Blog Reaction Roundup.
January 11th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Looks like “The Dunce” might just invade Iran and Syria while he’s still in office…God help us.
http://www.minor-ripper.blogspot.com
January 11th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Roger Simon notes Bush’s sad eyes. And I note, his eyes remind me of Lincoln’s eyes. And Lincoln made hard choices, as did his end game generals. Sadness does not indicate weakness. Bush is not weak, not at all.
If I were Assad, I would be making sure my Swiss bank accounts are OK; and if I were in Iran, I would pay attention to those Great Big American Troop Carriers on my coastline…
January 11th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
I excerpted and linked at U. S. troops raid Iranian not-a-Consulate. Raid yes, consulate no. Persian speak with forked tongue. Shocked!
January 11th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
might just invade Iran and Syria while he’s still in office
I got $1,000 says that doesn’t happen.
January 11th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
This post, which raises an important point - war, when it is fought, is fought to be won, whatever it takes - makes two points:
1) War should be avoided whenever possible
2) The goals of each side should be taken seriously, because victory for one side is not the same thing as victory for the other side.
I think that when we talk about war as evil and terrible, we are forgetting that the alternative to war is often conceding territory to those who have their own ideas about how the world, or any given nation, should be governed, and that the consequences of one side winning the war are very, very different than the consequences of the other side winning the war.
I think the “Peace Community” does not realize this. They see War Itself as the enemy where in fact the enemy is the side which, if it enjoyed victory (whatevery tactics it uses), would inflict the most misery upon its votaries.
Looked at that way, who would any reasonable persone want to win in Iraq?
January 12th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
The Kurds are squawking as loud as the Persians. Remember the Kurds like Iran more than the Arabs. Saddam gassed the Kurds during the Iran Iraq war for siding with the Persians.