New Developments II

[Damien]

From the Boston Globe:

INSURGENT ATTACKS IN IRAQ AT HIGHEST LEVEL IN 2 YEARS
Militants exploiting political uncertainty, Pentagon says

By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff | May 31, 2006

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon reported yesterday that the frequency of insurgent attacks against troops and civilians is at its highest level since American commanders began tracking such figures two years ago, an ominous sign that, despite three years of combat, the US-led coalition forces haven't significantly weakened the Iraq insurgency.

In its quarterly update to Congress, the Pentagon reported that from Feb. 11 to May 12, as the new Iraqi unity government was being established, insurgents staged an average of more than 600 attacks per week nationwide. From August 2005 to early February, when Iraqis elected a parliament, insurgent attacks averaged about 550 per week; at its lowest point, before the United States handed over sovereignty in the spring of 2004, the attacks averaged about 400 per week.

The vast majority of the attacks -- from crude bombing attempts and shootings to more sophisticated, military-style assaults and suicide attacks -- were targeted at US-led coalition military forces, but the majority of deaths have been of civilians, who are far more vulnerable to insurgent tactics.

``Overall, average weekly attacks during this `Government Transition' period were higher than any of the previous periods," the report states. ``Reasons for the high level of attacks may include terrorist and insurgent attempts to exploit a perceived inability of the Iraqi government to constitute itself effectively, the rise of ethno sectarian attacks . . . and enemy efforts to derail the political process leading to a new government."

As if to underscore the grim report, a spate of violence swept Iraq yesterday. Bombs and other attacks killed 54 people, including an American soldier, according to wire reports. The deadliest bombing, in a popular market in a town about 20 miles north of Baghdad, killed at least 25 people and wounded 65.

On Monday, 40 other people were killed in various attacks, including two CBS journalists who died in a bombing that critically wounded a network correspondent. To date, 2,468 US soldiers have died since the March 2003 invasion, while more than 4,000 Iraqi civilians have died in war-related violence since the beginning of the year, according to government figures and media reports.

The Pentagon report, made public yesterday, contained some positive news, including an opinion poll that indicates most Iraqis don't like the insurgents' use of violence as a political tool. In addition, according to the report, a growing number of Iraqi security forces can operate without US military support, more ethnic groups are represented in the security forces, oil production has remained steady, and more than 10,000 new business registrations have been issued.

But the overall picture of progress in Iraq is grim, dominated by the seemingly ceaseless violence.

Despite military crackdowns on insurgents and the installation of the new Iraq government, the Pentagon wasn't optimistic about quelling the violence in the near future. Officials who briefed reporters on the Iraq assessment cautioned that violence against troops and Iraqi civilians probably won't slow until at least 2007 -- if the unity government exerts more of its own authority and, according to the report, ``addresses key sectarian and political concerns" that fuel the bloodshed.

The 65-page report, compiled by Multi-National Forces Iraq in Baghdad, identified a disturbing trend: New signs that former members of Saddam Hussein's regime who are fighting the American-led coalition and other Iraqis who don't like the new government are collaborating with Al Qaeda operatives and other foreign terrorists who are responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in the country.

The progress report also concluded that militias loyal to Iraq's various ethnic groups are to blame for a steady number of ethnic reprisals touched off by the Feb. 22 bombing of a revered Shi'ite Muslim shrine. The militiamen apparently have also infiltrated the Iraqi Security Forces.

``Individual militia members have been incorporated into the ISF, but the loyalties of some probably still lie, to some extent, with their ethno sectarian leaders," according to the report. ``Shi'ite militias, in particular, seek to place members into Army and police units as a way to serve their interests and gain influence."

Though the sectarian violence has subsided a bit in recent weeks -- and fears of a full-blown civil war have not been realized -- conflict among sects is still far higher than before the February mosque attack, according to the report. More than 1,000 casualties from sectarian violence were reported in February, compared with more than 1,500 in March, and about 1,200 in April, according to the Pentagon report. Before the mosque bombing, which has been blamed on foreign terrorists loyal to Al Qaeda, there were a few hundred sectarian-based attacks per month.

On the positive side, Pentagon officials pointed out that newly-trained Iraqi Security Forces have become more capable, and a growing number of units are leading or playing significant roles in anti-insurgent missions.

``Increasingly, Iraqi Security Forces are taking the lead in operations and primary responsibility for the security of their nation," the report said. ``As of May 15, there were two Iraqi divisions, 16 brigades, and 63 Army and National Police battalions with security lead in their areas of responsibility."

Meanwhile, as of May 6, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Finance have assumed control of 34 bases from US-led forces, according to the assessment. Though the Pentagon has acknowledged that Sunni Muslims in particular are not fully represented, the Iraqi security forces are becoming more representative of the country's ethnic breakdown -- Shi'ite, Sunni, Kurd, and other minorities.

The report also outlined growth trends in the Iraq economy and steady political progress, culminating with the establishment of a unity government in Baghdad earlier this month.

For example, the number of independent mass media outlets has steadily grown; new business registrations are up by nearly 10,000 from the more than 20,000 in early 2005; and weekly oil production has remained at more than 2 million barrels per week.

At the same time, polling data has indicated that most Iraqis do not support violence as a political tool -- a sign that support for the insurgency may be falling, officials said. For example, after the Feb. 22 attack on a revered Shi'ite Muslim shrine in Samarra, 96 percent of Iraqis said such attacks were not acceptable. Another poll cited in the Pentagon report showed that 78 percent of Iraqis believed violence was never acceptable.

Meanwhile coalition forces have received more than 4,500 tips per month from average Iraqis about potential insurgent operations, up dramatically from about 400 in March 2005.

[Sonic Youth]

<span style='font-size:17pt;line-height:100%'>2,455</span>


BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Four U.S. soldiers and their Iraqi interpreter were killed by a roadside bomb Thursday and at least two dozen Iraqis died in violence across the country, as politicians worked on a government they hope will restore security.

Outgoing Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari held his last Cabinet meeting ahead of Saturday's presentation to parliament of the new national unity government.

Prime Minister-designate Nouri al-Maliki was looking over final candidates for the defense and interior ministries, and had reportedly shortlisted a small group for both. Sunni Arabs want the Defense Ministry, which runs the army, while the Shiites want the Interior Ministry, which controls the police.

The failure to reach agreement on the two posts had delayed the formation of the Cabinet after elections Dec. 15. Without an eventual agreement, no resolution is possible of the conflict between Shiites and Sunnis.

It has been suggested that al-Maliki, a Shiite, might appoint himself to head the two ministries until all parties can agree. Saturday would be two days ahead of a 30-day deadline for al-Maliki to present a Cabinet, and it was unlikely he would take the risk of presenting a deal parliament would reject.

Meanwhile, the kidnappers of a United Arab Emirates diplomat in Iraq demanded the closing of the country's embassy in Baghdad in a videotape aired on Arab television. Al-Jazeera TV did not air audio with the video, which showed a man said to be the hostage, Naji Rashid al-Nuaimi, 28, who was abducted by gunmen Tuesday in Baghdad.

In violence around Iraq, clashes broke out in the Sunni Arab city of Ramadi - an insurgent stronghold and the capital of western Anbar province. Ramadi hospital reported at least one Iraqi was killed when his car was hit by a mortar.

Iraqi police said four officers were killed and three wounded in a mortar attack apparently targeting a U.S. base in nearby Fallujah.

Four U.S. soldiers and their Iraqi interpreter died when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb northwest of Baghdad, the U.S. command said. It had earlier said a U.S. sailor died Wednesday in Anbar province.

The five deaths raised to at least 2,455 the number of members of the U.S. military who have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Gunmen stopped a minibus in southwestern Baghdad and killed all eight Iraqis on board - a group of car mechanics and the driver. And a roadside bomb exploded near a police patrol in northern Baghdad's Waziriya neighborhood, killing three police officers and five bystanders.

In Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, where most of Britain's 8,000 soldiers are based, police chief Gen. Hassan Swadi narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when his convoy hit a roadside bomb, police spokesman Karim al-Zeidi said. Their were no casualties.

Britain's new defense minister, Des Browne, visited troops in Basra Thursday and said the situation in the oil-rich region was under control.

Violence has been escalating in Basra between armed groups and some militias, and Iraqi government officials have expressed fears it could spiral out of control. Hundreds of people have staged demonstrations in recent days and Basra's governor last week fired the provincial police chief amid charges he was doing little to control violence and crime.

President Jalal Talabani discussed Basra with his Shiite and Sunni vice presidents, Adil Abdul-Mahdi and Tariq al-Hashimi.

``We are following this issue closely, not because other parts of Iraq are violence-free, but because of the importance of the city with regard to the security of the south as a whole and the economy of Iraq,'' Abdul-Mahdi said.

Elsewhere, 15 Iraqi taekwondo athletes were kidnapped in western Iraq while driving to a training camp in Jordan, and coalition forces killed three insurgents and wounded 10 in fighting in and around the northern city of Mosul, the U.S. command said.

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and Olympic sport popular in many parts of the world.

[criddic3]

Read the post again, moron. I said the memo's headline did not lead to anything inside the memo that said we were about to be attacked.

[Greg]

Greg, I will not go into the whole thing about that being an historical memo, not an actual warning.

Gee, and to think I always thought a memo could be used as a warning.

[criddic3]

Greg, I will not go into the whole thing about that being an historical memo, not an actual warning. The headline was sensational, but that's all it was. There were no specifics and no evidence to back up a claim that they were about to attack. But spin away.

[Greg]

As I said before, the intelligence was so scattershot on any mysterious activities before the attack that no serious effort could have been mounted to prevent what happened on that day.

Since you have proven only in the past week that what you don't know could fill up the Grand Canyon, I'll post a list of all the evidence we had about this when I get back from my trip. Of course, this has all been in the news since forever, but at least it will be proof positive that you've finally seen this.

If you can find it, remember to include that memo to Dubya that said "bin Laden determined to strike in the U.S."

[Sonic Youth]

As I said before, the intelligence was so scattershot on any mysterious activities before the attack that no serious effort could have been mounted to prevent what happened on that day.

Since you have proven only in the past week that what you don't know could fill up the Grand Canyon, I'll post a list of all the evidence we had about this when I get back from my trip. Of course, this has all been in the news since forever, but at least it will be proof positive that you've finally seen this.

[criddic3]

Timothy McVeigh was a U.S. citizen and his wasn't a major long-planned conspiracy like that of 9/11.

As I said before, the intelligence was so scattershot on any mysterious activities before the attack that no serious effort could have been mounted to prevent what happened on that day. Also, I seriously doubt that 15 or 20 minutes was enough time to get a jet up and there to shoot down a plane that was going however many miles per hour into the Towers and which was not foreseen as an occurance.

8:46am: American Flight 11 from Boston crashes into North Tower.

9:03am: United Flight 175 crashes into South Tower.

Yeah Bush didn't do enough to stop the second plane. What kind of nut thinks that would have been feasible? It is entirely possible that the planners of this attack wanted as little time in between the crashes, so that such an action could not happen to thwart their mission.

Now it might have been doable to stop American Flight 77 from crashing into the Pentagon, had anyone had an inclination to think that this would happen. There was more time between the WTC attack and that attack, but again no warning.

McVeigh's bomb was not a take-down of the government (and a bid to weaken our strengths), as 9/11 clearly was intended to be.

[OscarGuy]

Only because Bush didn't do enough to stop the attacks. From the time the first plane hit and the second plane hit the WTC, he could have had jets scrambled and the second plane shot down. It wouldn't have been as massive. The LAX incident COULD have been much worse...you seem to discount it because it didn't happen but thousands of passengers go through that airport every hour...had an explosion happened there, it would have been more serious than the WTC...

[criddic3]

Once again, you don't read my post the way it was written. I said he didn't have an attack on the massive scale of 9/11, which you will surely agree was larger (and had more impact on the Presidency, as well as the country) than any of those you listed.

[OscarGuy]

Really? Clinton didn't face a major attack on US Soil? I present to you multiple attack plans, some successful, some not.

The LAX thing Sonic brought up.

How about: The Oklahoma City Bombing? Sure only 168 died but that was a MAJOR ATTACK on US Soil. Timothy McVeigh was executed and all men involved brought to justice...

Al Qaeda would be fighting us in whatever Arab country we attacked, whether Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya...the list goes on and on but when we bring an unwarranted war to that part of the world, they're going to get involved. To say they wouldn't would be shear lunacy.

I can't believe you would go back to the same old BS about there being LINKS between Hussein and Al Qaeda. How stupid is that? There has already been plenty of proof, proof that has been there the entire time, that Osama Bin Laden may have contacted AGENTS of Husseins but there was NEVER any support of collusion between the two "governments". No...the only thing that was mentioned about a connection was some "enough X to kill thousands" bs that wasn't true and was one of the many false justifications for getting us into war.

Desire and execution are two different things. Just because someone WANTS to do something doesn't mean that they will or have the capability to do something. Let's say I decided someone I know pissed me off enough that I wanted to kill them. I have the desire but if I don't act on it, it's no harm to anyone. By saying Hussein had the desire to do us harm is misleading. There are LOTS of governments in the world that would want to see harm come to us...but we aren't attacking them.

Don't use that line on smart people. They won't flock to some high-minded ideal over broad "scare tactics".

[criddic3]

Please no one argue with him on this. To do so would be sheer lunacy.

It's only my opinion, as I said. To clarify, I think this was the correct course of action. This is because I believe we would have eventually dealt with Hussein sooner or later anyhow. Doing so when we did provided us with a central way in which to fight these terrorists.

I've changed the wording, however.

[Damien]

Consider: Would the al-Qaeda and other groups be fighting us in Iraq if they didn't think our being there was a threat to them? I don't think so. While the planning in Iraq didn't go the way President Bush and others would have liked, it turned out to be a stroke of brilliance in my opinion. We are fighting these fanatics and terrorists there and not here. I know we've heard that many times, but the fact is it's true.

Please no one argue with him on this. To do so would be sheer lunacy.

[criddic3]

Some in this country argue that the solution is to -- is to deport every illegal immigrant and that any proposal short of this amounts to amnesty. I disagree. It is neither wise nor realistic to round up millions of people, many with deep roots in the United States, and send them across the border. There is a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant, and a program of mass deportation. That middle ground recognizes that there are differences between an illegal immigrant who crossed the border recently and someone who has worked here for many years, and has a home, a family, and an otherwise clean record. I believe that illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay should have to pay a meaningful penalty for breaking the law, ... to pay their taxes, ... to learn English ... and to work in a job for a number of years. People who meet these conditions should be able to apply for citizenship but approval would not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the law. What I've have just described is not amnesty it is a way for those who have broken the law to pay their debt to society, and demonstrate the character that makes a good citizen.

-- The President of the United States.
__

You said Clinton presided over an easier time than Bush did. I'm explaining that the times were not easier, that Clinton faced the same challenges. He just handeled them better, that's all.

--Sonic Youth

Are you seriously saying he faced the same challenges?

Okay, whatever differences you and I have in these threads, you cannot honestly say the two Presidents shared the same challenges. Yes, law enforcement was used in both the WTC bombing of 1993 and the U.S.S. Cole, but these and other events together (and i can list them all if you want) constituted a growing problem. President Clinton did not deal with a massave attack on U.S. soil and its aftermath. He didn't have to deal with a War on Terror. This was as far from the minds of most Americans as can be imagined, at that time. I would also like to highlight the fact that I said "relatively" calmer, more peaceful time. This is absolutely true. The biggest perceived threat was the Y2k virus, which never happened. I don't know if this is because of something Clinton did or not, but the fact that it never really reached a level of seriousness in most circles that I can recall is enough to prove that he did not face the same difficulties our society faces today. Having said that, there are some issues that seem eternal throughout many administrations, like what to do to improve education, the drug issue, Health Care, etc. I submit that President Bush has done as much, and in some cases, more than Clinton has in some of these areas.

And Clinton DID try to take Bin Laden out with a missile. Guess what happened? The Republicans (and maybe you did too, Criddic) accused him of diverting the country away from the IMPORTANT issues driving this nation, ie. Monica Lewinsky's dress.

-- Sonic Youth

To his credit President Clinton did acknowledge (in a minimalist fashion) the threats of both al-Qeada and Saddam Hussein.

-- Criddic, May 14, 2006.

Do you see any mention of Monica Lewinsky or even impeachment in the entire passage in my post about Clinton?

"next logical step?" By saying that, you are implying that Afghanistan was the right place to be but that Iraq was a place to attack the terrorists? Why not attack Saudi Arabia, then? SA provided a significant number of terrorists to the plot. But was Iraq involved? No. Not a single report actually shows that there was a connection between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden or Al'Qaeda.

-- Sonic youth

Actually, several reports indicated that there were contacts between the two groups. The fact that no known joint action was taken doesn't explain anything. You're statement is misleading. There is no evidence that Saddam had anything to do with 9/11, but there were connections between the groups.

Afghanistan was logical, since the Taliban was giving sanction to Osama bin Laden and his terrorist groups. Bin Laden was the mastermind, and also the one who took full credit, for the attacks. The onto Iraq...

We could have attacked a number of other places that might seem more dangerous given what we now know, but we had a long history of problems with Saddam Hussein. He definitely had a desire to do us harm. And I believe that there was a terrorist threat from out of that general region. Iraq is a central part of that region and our involvement there has been central to the War on Terror. Consider: Would the al-Qaeda and other groups be fighting us in Iraq if they didn't think our being there was a threat to them? I don't think so. While the planning in Iraq didn't go the way President Bush and others would have liked, it may turn out to have been a good thing. We are fighting these fanatics and terrorists there and not here. I know we've heard that many times, but the fact is it's true.

Our involvement there has led to some positive developments, including Libya's voluntary action to reveal its programs. We may end up with a new ally. Also the idea of democratic elections is an idea that is and will be catching on in the overall region.

I don't think you can argue for any course of action after 9/11 that wouldn't have involved military action, which would bring us approximately to where we are today. Who would we have used diplomacy on? And anything less than a War on Terror would have been met with much criticism for inaction. So I think Iraq was a logical extension of what happened on 9/11 and also the history of Saddam Hussein's regime.

[Sonic Youth]

<span style='font-size:17pt;line-height:100%'>2,443</span>

Yup, things are going just swell in Iraq. Note how American casualties are going down.


BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Insurgents shot down a U.S. helicopter south of Baghdad and killed two soldiers, bringing the weekend death toll of American service members to seven, the U.S. military said Monday.

The military also said American forces killed more than 40 insurgents, including a known al-Qaida operative, in five raids south of Baghdad in an area commonly known as the "Triangle of Death" because of the large number of insurgent attacks.

Insurgents also launched new attacks Monday, firing more than 30 mortar rounds at a British military camp in southern Iraq, wounding four soldiers. Elsewhere, 19 Iraqis were killed, including eight police officers in southern Basra and one in a roadside bomb attack that hit an oil tanker in Baghdad, sending a large plume of black smoke billowing over the capital.

Four of the U.S. military raids occurred on Saturday and Sunday around Latifiyah, 20 miles south of Baghdad, the U.S. command said.

American soldiers and helicopters killed 16 suspected al-Qaida insurgents, including one militant who allegedly had led an April 1 militant attack that downed an AH-64 Apache helicopter and killed the two soldiers aboard in the Youssifiyah area, about 12 miles south of Baghdad.

A new al-Qaida group had claimed responsibility for downing the Apache and posted a gruesome video on the Web showing men dragging the burning body of what appeared to be an American soldier across a field as they shouted "Allahu akbar!" or "God is great!"

During the Latifiyah raids, U.S. forces killed al-Qaida member Abu Mustafa and 15 other suspected al-Qaida associates, the U.S. command said. Abu Mustafa was wanted for "his leadership role" in the shooting down of an Apache helicopter on April 1, the U.S. command said.

The weekend raids also wounded four Iraqi civilians and two suspected militants, and detained eight suspected insurgents, the military said. The wounded included two women, one of whom was pregnant, and two children, the U.S. military said. All of them were treated or were evacuated to an American military hospital.

In a separate raid Sunday, U.S. forces and American planes and helicopters attacked an insurgent haven in Youssifiyah, killing 25 insurgents, detaining four and destroying three safe houses and a vehicle loaded with weapons and ammunition, the U.S. command said. One woman and two girls were wounded in the raid.

When U.S helicopters, including one carrying two of the wounded, were leaving the scene, insurgents shot down one of the aircraft, killing two American soldiers aboard, the U.S. command said.

Other Americans killed over the weekend included two U.S. Marines who died Sunday during unspecified "enemy action" in Anbar Province, the area of western Iraq that is the heart of the Sunni-Arab led insurgency. Two U.S. Army soldiers also died Sunday in a roadside bomb attack in Baghdad, and another one died in a roadside bomb in the capital on Saturday.

The seven fatalities raised to at least 2,443 the number of U.S. military personnel who have died since the war began in 2003, according to a count by The Associated Press.

In other attacks Monday, insurgents fired more than 30 mortar rounds at a British military camp in southern Iraq, wounding four soldiers.

The mortar barrage occurred Monday at Britain's Camp Abu Naji in Amarah, 180 miles southeast of Baghdad, said British spokeswoman Capt. Kelly Goodall. One of the British soldiers received a serious leg injury, but the other wounds were minor, said Holly Wheeler, a Ministry of Defense spokeswoman in London.


(AP) Iraqi President Jalal Talabani center, Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi, right, and Vice President...
Full Image


The attack raised the total of British casualties in the past nine days to six soldiers killed and five wounded - all in southern Iraq, an area that has traditionally been far more peaceful that central and northern Iraq where U.S. forces are based.

On Saturday, two British soldiers were killed and one was wounded by a roadside bomb as they patrolled in their armored vehicle north of Basra city.

On May 6, four British soldiers died when their helicopter crashed in Basra, apparently downed by a missile. The attack triggered a confrontation in which jubilant Iraqi residents pelted British rescuers with stones, hurled firebombs and shouted slogans in support of a radical Shiite cleric. Five Iraqi civilians, including a child, died and about 30 were wounded in the melee as Shiite gunmen and British soldiers exchange.

A total of 111 British service personnel have died since U.S.-led coalition forces invaded Iraq in 2003, according to a count by The Associated Press.

On Monday, tribesmen killed eight Iraqi police officers and injured another 10 in clashes just outside Basra. The clashes broke out when the tribesmen took over a police station just outside the city after a group of men wearing police uniforms allegedly gunned down a local leader from the Garmasha tribe, said police Cap. Mushtaq Khazim.

Three teachers - two brothers and a cousin - were killed along with their driver as they were heading to their school in a village near Balad Ruz, a town 50 miles northeast of Baghdad, police said. The attackers and the victims were both riding in minibuses when the gunmen forced one over and killed them. The small private vehicles charge small fees to transport the general public.

In central Baghdad, a roadside bomb targeting a police patrol missed the officers but killed one civilian, wounded four and set fire to an oil tanker parked nearby. "The explosion caused a huge fire," said police Capt. Ziyad Naji.

Three drive-by shootings and three other roadside bombs in Baghdad and other cities killed six Iraqis and wounded seven, police said.