Comments on: Al-Sadr Press http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/ Forward Movement Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:04:43 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Jules Crittenden http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/comment-page-1/#comment-2027 Jules Crittenden Fri, 09 Feb 2007 23:51:27 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/#comment-2027 Welcome back and welcome to the site, sarnt, always good to hear from someone who's been there and done that. Welcome back and welcome to the site, sarnt, always good to hear from someone who’s been there and done that.

]]> By: Buck Sargent http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/comment-page-1/#comment-2025 Buck Sargent Fri, 09 Feb 2007 23:33:33 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/#comment-2025 This is an extremely positive sign that Maliki has finally seen that he can't have it both ways. Actually, the first sign was when he gave an interview reportedly stating that he "wished his term as PM was over already." But this is the first positive development in terms of actually engaging the Sadrist elements militarily rather than politically appeasing them ad nauseum. One of the hallmarks of Jaish al-Mahdi was to emulate Hezbollah in the ways they got the people on their side by offering public services and protection (a la the Mob) that the new government was struggling to accomplish. Infiltration of the highest level of the Health Ministry fits their m.o. perfectly. Expect to see other ministry officials running for cover in the weeks to follow. If this more serious attitude had been in place last fall when my Stryker unit was still in country, we already would have had things under control. The problem was, we had the military muscle in place but not the political will to back it up. Didn't do much good to wrap up rogue elements if the Iraqi government was going to cave and make nice with them afterward. Political will is everything in a low intensity war like this one. This is an extremely positive sign that Maliki has finally seen that he can’t have it both ways. Actually, the first sign was when he gave an interview reportedly stating that he “wished his term as PM was over already.” But this is the first positive development in terms of actually engaging the Sadrist elements militarily rather than politically appeasing them ad nauseum.

One of the hallmarks of Jaish al-Mahdi was to emulate Hezbollah in the ways they got the people on their side by offering public services and protection (a la the Mob) that the new government was struggling to accomplish. Infiltration of the highest level of the Health Ministry fits their m.o. perfectly. Expect to see other ministry officials running for cover in the weeks to follow.

If this more serious attitude had been in place last fall when my Stryker unit was still in country, we already would have had things under control. The problem was, we had the military muscle in place but not the political will to back it up. Didn’t do much good to wrap up rogue elements if the Iraqi government was going to cave and make nice with them afterward. Political will is everything in a low intensity war like this one.

]]> By: The Anchoress » Anna Nicole, Palestinians, Al Qaeda, Stem Cells http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/comment-page-1/#comment-2011 The Anchoress » Anna Nicole, Palestinians, Al Qaeda, Stem Cells Fri, 09 Feb 2007 17:04:58 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/#comment-2011 [...] You’re also not hearing about these remarkable medical advances using amniotic (not embryonic) stem cells. Jules Crittenden catches the press almost getting a story right. [...] [...] You’re also not hearing about these remarkable medical advances using amniotic (not embryonic) stem cells. Jules Crittenden catches the press almost getting a story right. [...]

]]> By: The Thunder Run http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/comment-page-1/#comment-2008 The Thunder Run Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:58:01 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/#comment-2008 Web Reconnaissance for 02/09/2007

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention.

]]> By: Bill's Bites http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/comment-page-1/#comment-2004 Bill's Bites Fri, 09 Feb 2007 08:49:11 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/#comment-2004 <strong>Al-Sadr Press</strong> Al-Sadr PressJules Crittenden[L]et’s give the AP credit where it’s due. Even though this article on the arrest of an allegedly corrupt deputy health minister is overly concerned with the reaction of Sadrist members of parliament, it does include so... Al-Sadr Press

Al-Sadr PressJules Crittenden[L]et’s give the AP credit where it’s due. Even though this article on the arrest of an allegedly corrupt deputy health minister is overly concerned with the reaction of Sadrist members of parliament, it does include so…

]]> By: Old War Dogs http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/comment-page-1/#comment-2003 Old War Dogs Fri, 09 Feb 2007 08:41:56 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/#comment-2003 <strong>Bill's Nibbles-- 2007.02.09 </strong> Some Bill's Bites posts, some things I excerpted and linked but I'm sending you to the original post. I may rearrange the order of the items within this post as I add new things that I think belong above the Bill’s Nibbles– 2007.02.09

Some Bill’s Bites posts, some things I excerpted and linked but I’m sending you to the original post. I may rearrange the order of the items within this post as I add new things that I think belong above the

]]> By: alphie http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/comment-page-1/#comment-2001 alphie Fri, 09 Feb 2007 06:19:59 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/02/09/al-sadr-press/#comment-2001 Wonder if they found any of the $12 billion worth of cash Bush shipped to Baghdad in there? Wonder if they found any of the $12 billion worth of cash Bush shipped to Baghdad in there?

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