Moktada al-Sadr, Emperor of Iraq

[hoosier]

I don't know what is going on.

Just like the rest of the world.

I now refer to "Operation Iraqi Freedom" as "Operation Majestic Goatfuck". It is becoming increasingly hard to find words to describe just how fucked up the entire operation has become. The sheer waste of resources and money let alone lives is just mind boggling. Of course it will continue for a long time.......

that would be LOL funny if it weren't so sad

[Scott Campbell]

Re: Moktada al-Sadr, Emperor of Iraq

I'm disturbed..........

Agreed.

[oregonpackfan]

I don't know what is going on.

Just like the rest of the world.

I now refer to "Operation Iraqi Freedom" as "Operation Majestic Goatfuck". It is becoming increasingly hard to find words to describe just how fucked up the entire operation has become. The sheer waste of resources and money let alone lives is just mind boggling. Of course it will continue for a long time.......

Iraq = The Three Trillion Dollar War

[Deputy Nutz]

I don't know what is going on.

Just like the rest of the world.

I now refer to "Operation Iraqi Freedom" as "Operation Majestic Goatfuck". It is becoming increasingly hard to find words to describe just how fucked up the entire operation has become. The sheer waste of resources and money let alone lives is just mind boggling. Of course it will continue for a long time.......

Without the USA's presence in Iraq the balance of power will be totally shifted to Iran in the Middle East. Iran is going to run rough shot over Iraq with sending in their little milita men and what not to stir up problems and disrupt the already floundering government of Iraq.

So I think you got the goatfuck part correct.

[Harlan Huckleby]

sorry for interrupting the war, but thought you might want to take a break to see Paul McCartney's man boobs.

[Freak Out]

sorry for interrupting the war, but thought you might want to take a break to see Paul McCartney's man boobs.

Is he using Grecian formula or something? Who's the woman he's with?

[Harlan Huckleby]

The huffingtonpost.com to me is the flagship of the demogogueing left of the Democratic Party. Maybe this year is their season. I'm sad that they are driving moderates out of the party with their relentless hate and name calling. But enough about my sorrow.

Arianna Huffington wrote a column Closing the Message Gap on Iraq: A Responsible Plan to End the War

Look at her summary of the this plan:
The 20-page plan (which you can read in its entirety here), doesn't just lay out how to end the war -- it also addresses the institutional failures that led to the tragic invasion and occupation of Iraq. This includes rebuilding the U.S. diplomatic apparatus, banning the use of armed military contractors like Blackwater, banning torture, promoting government transparency, and restoring accountability through the checks and balances laid out in the Constitution.

How idiotic. As if spending more time reviewing 2003 is going to provide us with answers on dealing with Sadir. And replacing the evil, evil private contractors like Blackwater with U.S. military will improve matters significantly.

I read the report. The military recomendation is to pull-out U.S. troops and replace them with peace-keeping troops from "international organizations." This is just laughable. The U.N. won't even put in an office in IRaq. Can you imagine blue helmets providing security on the streets!?

John McCain may have the advantage next fall on Iraq. Everybody wants to unload this mess, but few realistic answers. McCain at least makes sense when he says we have to see the process through. Iraq will be having Provincial elections next October, which may provide a shot of optimism about political reconciliation. Getting the regional governments functional and legitimate is important step forward.

[Harlan Huckleby]

using Grecian formula or something? Who's the woman he's with?

that's his new girlfriend. i suppose u guessed that much. his breasts are real but the hair is fake.

[The Leaper]

The only way to deal with Iraq is to split it up 3 ways geographically, giving each main group a chance for autonomy...and brokering an oil agreement to split the proceeds of everything produced and sold from Iraq between the groups in a way that promotes civility at least in a financial respect between the sects.

Forcing Iraq to have a centralized government representing all three groups combined is a recipe for failure.

[Harlan Huckleby]

You might be right, Leaper. But I'm not positive. The tensions are not so much between the three main ethnic groups (as we saw recently), it's more of a mass clusterfuck.

The Provincial elections next fall are a step in the right direction.

[texaspackerbacker]

Leaper, the three part thing, i.e. Joe Biden's plan is unrealistic. There is just too much geographic overlap of ethnicities. Baghdad alone would be block by block in some parts. You'd end up with ethnic cleansing like in Yugoslavia only worse.

Actually, the whole "mess" as it is characterized by detractors, really isn't that bad. The whole problem of stabilization/nation-building/harmony among the groups would NOT have been significant and would have long since been solved for the overall good of all Iraqis if not for one factor: the outside force of al Qaeda deciding to prioritize screwing up of Iraq--bombing mosques, killing a bunch of civilians, etc., stirring up ethnic hatred that was always there, but NOT a serious active problem. You can pinpoint the start of the whole "mess" to the bombing of that shrine in Najaf, I think it was.

In sending in outsiders to instigate trouble in Iraq, however, al Qaeda had to de-emphasize committing terrorist acts against American--which, thanks to the Patriot Act and other Bush security measures, had become a "harder target".

People whine about the "mess" in Iraq, how it has cost us 4,000 troops, how it has cost us hundreds of millions of dollars, etc. Well, even one repeat of 9/11 or worse would have cost us near that or more than that, both in money and human cost.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Actually, the whole "mess" as it is characterized by detractors, really isn't that bad..

3 million people have left the country, very few have been able to come back.

the outside force of al Qaeda deciding to prioritize screwing up of Iraq--bombing mosques, killing a bunch of civilians, etc.

outside force? estimates are that less than a thousand foreign fighters remain in Iraq. We've been fighting a native insurgency, that's 90% of the story.

You seem to shape reality to fit your ideology. Although I do generally agree that we have to keep a lid on Iraq and see it through.

People whine about the "mess" in Iraq, how it has cost us 4,000 troops, how it has cost us hundreds of millions of dollars, etc. Well, even one repeat of 9/11 or worse would have cost us near that or more than that, both in money and human cost.

there is ZERO evidence that the Iraq War has been anything but harmful in our struggle with terrorism. I do agree it is criticial that this FIASCO end on decent terms. In that sense, yes, it is critical.

And I hope that Iraq can someday serve as a succesful influence on other countries in the region. I'm still on that rickety neocon bus.

[Joemailman]

People whine about the "mess" in Iraq, how it has cost us 4,000 troops, how it has cost us hundreds of millions of dollars, etc. Well, even one repeat of 9/11 or worse would have cost us near that or more than that, both in money and human cost.

Actually, that's hundreds of billions of dollars. But with this administration, who's counting?

[Tyrone Bigguns]

People whine about the "mess" in Iraq, how it has cost us 4,000 troops, how it has cost us hundreds of millions of dollars, etc. Well, even one repeat of 9/11 or worse would have cost us near that or more than that, both in money and human cost.

Actually, that's hundreds of billions of dollars. But with this administration, who's counting?

Stop your whining. The whole thing will be paid with Iraqi oil.

[Joemailman]

The huffingtonpost.com to me is the flagship of the demogogueing left of the Democratic Party. Maybe this year is their season. I'm sad that they are driving moderates out of the party with their relentless hate and name calling. But enough about my sorrow.

Actually, Huffington Post is the moderate wing of the left wing blogosphere. Have you read Daily Kos?