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The Surge of Violence in Iraq

By Larry Johnson on March 29, 2008 at 3:21 PM in Current Affairs, Iran, Iraq

With all of our focus on the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, little attention has been paid to the growing disaster. All the happy talk about the surge is being drowned out by the roar of artillery, air strikes and gunfire. But this one is different–instead of Sunni versus Shia we are witnessing the battle of the Shia militias. On the one hand are the official Iraqi government Shia contingents, who are closely aligned with Iran. On the other hand, our old nemesis, Moqtada “Mookie” Al Sadr.

And who are we backing in this fight? The guys most closely aligned with Iran. Right? You see, the Bush Administration believes Iran is really the biggest threat we face in the region. And we have boosted are naval presence in the Gulf to rattle our sabers at Tehran. But at the same time, we are backing the guys in Iraq who are best friends with the clerical rulers in Iran. Got it?

So don’t feel bad if you are confused and are unable to understand what the U.S. policy is? Hell, our government does not understand. Problem is the most of the folks in the Middle East really believe we have a secret plan we are not telling them about. There is lots to read. Check out these pieces over at icasualties.org:

03/29/08 Reuters: Iraq’s Sadr tells followers to keep arms -aide

03/29/08 KUNA: Two Iraqi policemen killed by unknown gunmen

03/29/08 LATimes: Sadr urges militiamen in Iraq to reject calls to disarm

03/29/08 AP: 40 Iraqi police hand over weapons to radical cleric’s office

03/29/08 Reuters: Turkish army says kills 15 PKK in N Iraq

03/29/08 NPR: U.S. Launches Airstrikes as Basra Fighting Continues

03/29/08 LATimes: Questions of timing emerge on Iraq offensive

03/29/08 WaPo: 19 Tense Hours in Sadr City Alongside the Mahdi Army

Yep, things are swell. I also suggest you check out these two pieces at Pat Lang’s blog:
More on Basra
Pale Rider on Iraq/Iran and the MSR

  • jwrjr

    The cheney/bush regime is profound in it’s non-understanding of the Arabic parts of the world. It seems as though they have tried to find everybody in the administration with any expertise in the matter and fire them.

  • Jess Wonderin

    Actually a recent WH Press Release announced that the Maliki Weapons Turn In Program is working . . . mortars are being returned to the Green Zone several times a day . . .

  • tiffany

    Al Sadr was paid to calm his followers down and now the six months are up. The Democrats know this but they are all going along with the criminals in the White House. The surge is a sham! The Dems are hardly better than the Repubs and if Obama is the nominee, they deserve to lose.

  • http://www.despair.com/changewinds.html Smilin’ Jim

    So what is the skinny on Dempsey?

  • http://NoQuarterUSA.net Larry Johnson

    Now that is flat out, jiggle your belly, funny!!

  • mudkitty

    The dems are not going along with it…stop with the hysteria. Don’t be a republican troll.

  • Patrick Henry

    Good to See You staying on top of This Larry.. and thanks for all the Good Links..

    Where are all the MSM War Experts Now.??

    .Where is the Media Coverage on Iraq compared to the “OBALMINATOR” Grand Opening Event..??

    TV Tabloid Journalism..The PUKES…

    How Many ways can the Media give Hillary bad revues..or show her worst pictures (Drudge) after sahe has put in a long 12-14 hour Day talking about the Issues..Like Iraq..Our troops..Thier welfare and benefits..The economy..Jobs..Health care..and Standing up to the PUNDITS..ansd POLITICAL BULLYS..
    who enjoy Kicking that WOMAN Around..

    She just earns more of my respect every day..

    oh..I forgot..All those problems are “Liberal’” HUSTERIA..What ( We were told) is..the WAR will be OVER in SIX Months and Iraqi Oil revenue will pay for It..You see..Thats the reality..Folks..

    We are just caught in the Twight Zone..Having NIGHTMARES..

    EVENTS Have Been..and Are to be blamed on MEDIA MANIPULATION..

    If they wanted BUsh Impeached..It would start tomorrow..

    If they wanted Fair Coverage of Hillary and to do responsible Objective Coverage..of Obama..They would point out that Obama is whwere he is now..Only because they gave Him ROCK STAR Coverage..without Background or Vetting..

    Lets Go All the Way..Lets Put” 100 More Years in Iraq McCain and His Buddy Liberman ..under the Media Microscope..Lets get back to BUNKER BUSTER
    BUSH..and His ART Work..and..

    Lets Stand by Hillary.. Shes IN IT..TO WIN IT..

    Stand by Our Woman..The Only Smart One Out there..

    The ONLY One we can TRUST..

  • chris

    This was nothing surprising to me. Master Sun Tzu continues to show his genius as time moves on. When you have a major power (the US) fighting against you in your home turf and they have overwhelmed you with firepower and numbers…LAY LOW. LET THEM GET LAZY. They’ll get arrogant and believe they’ve dominated. As they relax you strike.

    And it is inevitable that the US will have to leave, the Mongols are not in Eastern Europe, Rome does not control Ireland, The Ottomans are now simply turks. The uprisings eventually cause the occupying force to leave. So, why not let it move along now. That is why I’m for withdrawing the troops because the inevitable will come, better save people and resources.

  • TeakWoodKite

    I am confused alright. “Mookie” is wanting something.
    What I am confused about is the role of Iran, historically has been stronger in Basra. I am confused about the disposition of nationalistic Shia, and if Iran is such a threat, what talking point was Cheney telling the Saudi’s recently? Is Iran looking to stall some action here or is Bush?

    Wars in Iraq (plural, indeed)

  • Patrick Henry

    Its Alway ALL in the “TIMING”..

    The nlast page of the Script had..Cheney..McCain..Lieberman..and “Staff”..taking thier “MESSAGE”..to “FRIENDS”..that could be Discussed over TEA..and Getting Appropiate MESSAGES to take back Home..along with a few PEERSIAN RUGS..
    and Perhaps a “KOSHER” Lunch for Lieberman..

    Stalling…hmmmm..Ya Think..Damned “TERRORISTS”..

  • Newport News Dem

    Juan Cole reports that elements of the Shia Maliki police (militia) are refusing to fire on the Shia Mahdi militia and are being purged.

    He poses the question, Where will these well trained militia members turn?????

    I choose “the Mahdi Army” for $100, Alex.

  • Kevin

    it’s not a question of “turn”… it’s a matter of “return”

  • OxyCon

    I’m no worried.
    President Obama is going to bring back that Bush41/Reagan foreign policy that worked so well.
    The hell with that Clinton foreign policy!

    Obama Says on Foreign Policy He’s Like Reagan and Bush 41 - From …Barack Obama argued that his foreign policy proposals are more in line with former presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan than with the current …
    http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/03/28/politics/fromtheroad/entry3978821.shtml

  • Fleaflicker

    Things are going to hell quickly. That is for certain.

    Thanks for bringing this very important information to the forefront. Honestly I have been so caught up in the primary fight that I haven’t paid much attention to anything else. I agree with the article that questions the timing of this activity. It doesn’t make a lot of sense.

    And thank you for providing the Pat Lang link. I have always thought he was one of the sanest people out there in describing this war.

  • mudkitty

    It’s not like the Bushites won’t spin this “surge” in violence as success.

  • simon

    I think the dems are going along with it, shake your moneymaker.

    What’s the difference between Obama, and Bush, when they both take money from Carlyle, and Auchi?

    None.

    This is why certain people have been screaming, the war will not end until they get people in smart enough to handle it, and that includes the military.

    It’s interconnected, a million different factors affect Iraq, and Bush, and Cheney are the least capable of understanding, and handling it.

    Oh, wait, the second least competent, the most incompetent would have to go the would be future president Obama, and crew. (cough cough)

    War profiteering is not a buzz word, and Carlyle, and Auchi cannot run an army.

    Period.

    OTOH, who pulls the strings for Carlyle, and Auchi?

    And it’s probably not who we think, my theory being asymmetric war works both ways.

    Larry summarized in his excellent pig post of two weeks ago the essential US loss, achieved in less than 7 years of Bush( military, economic political US losses), but I sometimes wonder if a greater strategy is at work.

    So, if I were the Chinese, say, I would start looking to see how I was being played, making sure all that flush American cash, et al wasn’t a trojan horse, of sorts, situations are hardly typical.

    Perhaps they can graph, or power point it…

  • simon

    And it is inevitable that the US will have to leave, the Mongols are not in Eastern Europe, Rome does not control Ireland, The Ottomans are now simply turks. The uprisings eventually cause the occupying force to leave. So, why not let it move along now

    Well, we’re fighting a war, at home, too, and really world wide, right?

    Asymmetric?

  • TeakWoodKite

    Obama said, “She, like McCain and Bush, said you shouldn’t talk to leaders of countries like Iran.”

    mmm. Why do I keep hearing ACK,ACK,ACK? from this gutless wonder? Obama’s Foreign Policy is akin to something out of “MARS ATTACKS” !

    How can he suck up to George the first? If he knew even a sliver of the Foreign Policy of George Bush I, he would need to change his diapers. Iran/Contra?
    WTF?
    We have the lives of human beings on the line and whole lot more.
    Thanks Larry for keeping it real.

  • simon

    And it will blow up in their faces, guaranteed.

    Stupid men should not pretend they can fight a war, it’s worked out so well for them, hasn’t it?

  • simon

    Obama Says on Foreign Policy He’s Like Reagan and Bush 41 – From

    Right.

    By arm twisting, bombing Pakistan, and threatening those who don’t do as he wants.

    Ask Bush how that worked out.

    Whoops! There goes Exxon’s lines into Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

    And boy is Putin MAD…

    Shitheads.

    Obama camp says: “Russia? WTH does Russia have to do with Iraq? WTH does Russia have to do with OIL?”

  • Patrick Henry

    Hell No..

    They will Spin it as The Reason Why Senator McCain
    is right ..and why We Can’t withdraw troops anytime soon..100 years or so..Its an Election year Folks..

    Things get to Peaceful..then Hillary and the Dems can justify pullouts..

    Amazing How well Zeroed in the Green Zone just Gor..

    How Many Times did McCain say IRAN..??? What a Dink and Dork Duo He and Lieberman were..Sorry John..but
    Your Saliva is showing..Who is going to Be on Your Gravy Train..while you keep the war going..??

    NeoConNutSHIT~ N ~Gravy ….Bush Baby BBQ ~Sauce..
    On PORK..Spicy “Right” Wings..Salad w/Sweet Oil..

    Oh God..Don’t You just Love those PERKS…and a NICE Pension ..free Health Care..and a RoloDex full of Friends for Life…(Until they get Indicted)…

    How can anyone get pardoned unless there is a George Hugging`McCain..(how Sweet was that..) in the White House..

    PS..I wonder ..If the OBALMINATOR gets elected…will the INSIDE Joke be that is the
    “WRIGHT HOUSE”…??

    Just Wondering..??

  • simon

    The greater danger is men, idiots like Obama, and Bush the 2nd, can be trolled into anything.

    They’re corrupt, greedy and stupid, and owned by the same men, men like Auchi, and Carlyle.

    They are not bright men, period , Obama, Bush, Carlyle and Auchi.

    Cheney, too.

    And the sad thing is, Obama looks dumber than Bush.

    Imagine having that crew of loser democrats behind you, like Kennedy, and Kerry, and Dean.

    Shudder….

  • ybnormal

    It’s called recycling.

    Iraqi security forces get mortars, some are passed to militias, then some in militias turn them in, then start next cycle.

  • Patrick Henry

    Right Now..the German Chef is Making Spaghetti..so I’m gonna “Spin” Some on a fork…The toast garlic Bread Looks Great,,

    Hmmm….Wine..?

  • Michael D. Adams

    Thanks for getting back to something that matters…, unlike the Democratic Primary Race. The last election that mattered was in 2004 and the bend over Democrats let the Bushites steal it again. Whoever is elected is fucked so it may as well be McCain.

  • http://360.yahoo.com/ommotherlifeforce fred heidrick

    the so called surge didnt bring realitive calm to iraq….al-sadr had a 6 month moratorium on fighting and got iraq out of the news. so the bushes cant take credit for the so called peace of the surge.they allso are paying the othere groups to stop fighting. the bushes wanted the war out of the news so it woulnt be a issue in the election. but al-sadr threw a monkey wrench in to there plans.

  • Cee Hussein

    Teak,

    He wants US OUT!

    Mar 29, 2008
    Muqtada Al-Sadr interviewThe most important thing Al-Sadr said is:

    What ever happened, Mahdi Army will still exist so long the occupation exists, no matter what will happen to me.

    I check the goings on at the following blog before I listen to anything coming from the US MSM

    http://www.roadstoiraq.com/

  • Philip Henika

    No Quarter:

    http://counterterrorismblog.org/2008/03/iraqi_shiites_copying_from_the.php

    March 29, 2008
    Iraqi Shiites Copying From Their Hezbollah Cousins in
    Lebanon?
    By Andrew Cochran

    In reviewing the action this week between Iraqi forces
    and Shiite militia, it’s instructive to compare press
    accounts of this conflict to reports from the 2006
    Hezbollah-Israel conflict in Lebanon, as posted or
    discussed on this website {Counterterrorism Blog].

    Some examples:

    “Hizballah has proven to be a far more effective
    fighting machine than Israel anticipated, and the
    Israelis find themselves in a difficult situation:
    Continued military operations in Lebanon risk
    escalation and further destabilization, while a quick
    withdrawal would hand Hizballah a significant
    victory.” Daveed Gartenstein-Ross (“DGR”), July 18,
    2006. “Nasrallah admitted that it took five months of
    preparation to plan this operation.” Olivier Guitta,
    July 19. 2006. “A senior Iraqi military adviser has
    said the crackdown is taking longer than expected,
    partly because militia fighters have superior
    weapons.” Washington Post, posted March 28. 2008.
    “It’s likely that Israel will begin a major ground
    engagement within the next two weeks designed to
    obliterate Hizballah’s infrastructure and neutralize
    as much of its military wing as possible.” DGR, July
    18, 2006. “A source in the police command in Basra
    said he expected British and U.S. ground units to join
    the fight in coming days. Shiite fighters gave similar
    predictions.” Washington Post, March 28. 2008.
    There are still unknowns in the current situation. We
    don’t yet know if Shiite militia possess the range of
    armaments, the training and discipline displayed by
    Hezbollah units in 2006, or the same degree of
    integration with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that
    Olivier Guitta and Bill Roggio reported here (see
    Olivier’s July 19, 2006 post and Bill’s July 21, 2006
    posts, during the period when our efforts were
    combined on this website). But it shouldn’t surprise
    us if we find that the Shiite militias have prepared
    for the same type of warfare engaged in by their
    Hezbollah cousins in 2006, using Iranian arms, IRGC
    advisers and trainers, and similar tactics.

    The obvious difference between Lebanon 2006 and Iraq
    2008 is the direct action in Iraq by the U.S.
    military, who are now far more efficient in
    counterinsurgency and urban warfare than the Israelis
    were entering the 2006 conflict. Did the Shiite
    militia desire such a reaction? Is that why they
    shelled the Green Zone so early in the conflict with
    the Iraqi army, to draw the Americans in and inject
    more uncertainty over Iraq into the 2008 election
    cycle? Perhaps, perhaps not – perhaps it was a
    strategic miscalculation which will lead to the
    eventual defeat of the Shiite militias. But the Shiite
    militia leaders have already achieved one strategic
    goal: they showed Pentagon planners and American
    voters that the Iraqi army is nowhere ready to secure
    Iraq, much as Hezbollah exposed the weaknesses in
    Israeli armed forces. We can also expect that unless
    the American military completely wipes out the Shiite
    militia (an unlikely outcome given the tactics of the
    militia), the Shiites will take another page from
    Hezbollah leaders and claim victory, thus raising the
    morale of their followers and their reputation on “the Arab street.” And that would mean another strategic victory for their Iranian backers.

  • Cee Hussein

    Newport,

    They are driving around in OUR HUMVEES. The Iraqi police gave them to Mahdi Army members.

    Time to GET OUT!

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