Article

2007-05-02 Iraq

Iraq Sunni bloc weighs quitting government

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2007-05-02 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Provincial elections are fine, as they may help create more, and more local, power bases and orientations apart from the very problematic "national" parties. But again, I am very dubious of the actual, real-world payoff to getting any of these items passed.

If Hashemi and Dulaimi and Co. had the pull with the muchachos doin' the shootin' and killin' to "deliver" them in terms of stopping their mayhem, I've never seen any evidence of it. I'm sure there are various situations in different Sunni communities, but it strains credulity to assert, or assume, that the hydrocarbons law or Shi'a promises of Ba'athist re-integration in an environment of Shi'a revenge squads (pre-dated Golden Mosque bombing, more systematic) will motivate a meaningful number of "insurgents" to stop their shenanigans.

Such things might make the elected Sunnis feel less insecure, or embarrassed, but I don't see how that translates into valuable change.

By all means push for these sorts of limited progress - but beware the counter-intuitive mental affliction that has gotten us into so much trouble in Iraq and repeat before every senior staff meeting at Victory or in the North Wing of the Palace: bitter wars with high stakes are settled with "iron and blood" .... not political finesse.

Posted by Verlaine 2007-05-02 00:32|| 2007-05-02 00:32|| Front Page Top

#2 Plus the Sunnis can not take advantage of their Democratic allies to press Maliki for more rapid change, lest he fail to achieve the upcoming "benchmarks".

Waytago Dems! Make it impossible to achieve peace!

Posted by Bobby 2007-05-02 05:37|| 2007-05-02 05:37|| Front Page Top

#3 And it will be Bush's Fault. Because it always is and always will be. (Or so hope the Dems.)

Posted by eLarson 2007-05-02 17:30|| 2007-05-02 17:30|| Front Page Top

23:58 JosephMendiola
23:54 gorb
23:51 Anonymoose
23:44 gorb
23:43 Silentbrick
23:38 JosephMendiola
23:38 Anonymoose
23:32 USN, ret.
23:30 JosephMendiola
23:28 Zenster
23:27 JosephMendiola
23:26 3dc
23:08 Zenster
23:06 Zenster
23:06 trailing wife
23:04 Zenster
23:02 Zenster
22:56 trailing wife
22:43 RD
22:36 twobyfour
22:36 trailing wife
22:36 Seafarious
22:33 trailing wife
22:32 DMFD