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| Iraq |
| General Patreus' real problem is back in Washington |
| 2007-02-09 |
| by Amir Taheri, always well worth reading. IN civilian clothes, Lt. General David Petraeus, the newly appointed Commander of the U.S. forces in Iraq, looks more like an academic discussing an intellectual topic rather than a war leader preparing for battle. However, in an informal "off-off-off-the-record" exchange, over a plate of cheese and grapes and bottles of mineral water in a London restaurant, the general, on his way to Baghdad, showed that he knows what he's after. And that, compared to the contradictions that have plagued U.S. policy in Iraq since before the liberation, is refreshing. Petraeus begins his mission with three advantages over his predecessors. The first is his reassuringly deep understanding of the Iraqis, their sensibilities and their complexities. Having picked up a smattering of Arabic over his long tenures in Iraq, Petraeus seems to have also developed a genuine sympathy for Iraqis. Second: His predecessors - especially Gen. George W. Casey Jr., a successful war leader by normal standards - have achieved much in what matters in the long run: the creation of a new Iraqi army capable of defending the country against internal and external foes. It is in recognition of that fact that the new operation for restoring security to Baghdad will be under Iraqi command. Finally, Petraeus arrives on the scene at a time when both the insurgency and the Shiite militias are facing major problems. * Having failed to achieve their "Ramadan Objectives," which included the creation of an "Islamic Emirate of Iraq" somewhere in the ethnic fault-lines west of Baghdad, the insurgents are being sucked into turf wars. They're also losing some funding sources as moderate Arab states begin to disrupt networks that raised money for jihadists in Iraq. * The Shiite mischief-makers, especially the loose coalition known as the Mahdi Army, are also splintering under military pressure from Iraqi and U.S. forces. Since December, hundreds of Mahdi fighters have fled to Iran - following their nominal leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who is in Qom. More than 1,000 others have been killed or captured. The broader regional picture also looks promising. America's Arab allies have rallied to create a front to oppose Iran's strategy (as part of its proxy war against Washington) of fomenting chaos in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon. The new front has succeeded in frustrating attempts by Hezbollah and its Maronite allies to topple the Lebanese government. It has also taken initiatives to stop Tehran's domination of Hamas, thus preventing the mullahs from extending their sphere of influence to the Palestinian territories. Nevertheless, Petraeus still faces a number of major problems - the most important one being uncertainty in Washington. Go to the link to read Mr. Taheri's analysis of the defeatists in DC... although much of that has been pointed out on Tantburg before. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #8 Doh! I ment to write, there wasn't any other source of that news aside from the Post. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2007-02-09 20:18 |
| #7 musta come home for instructions/orders |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-02-09 20:17 |
| #6 Musa al-Sadr was born in Qom, south-west of Tehran. The city is home to Iran's largest seminary. The New York Post reports that Muqtada al-Sadr, is in Qom. News to me too. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2007-02-09 20:15 |
| #5 My bad. Arabic is correct. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-02-09 17:50 |
| #4 Having picked up a smattering of Arabic over his long tenures in Iraq Thought Farsi was the main language in Iraq. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-02-09 17:46 |
| #3 The next question: What will the donks say when the "surge" works? Oh, I know, it's Bush's fault. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2007-02-09 15:53 |
| #2 Tater had planned his 2007 vacation to Qom since he was a little tot. Coordinates, plz |
| Posted by: Captain America 2007-02-09 15:51 |
| #1 news to me that Sadr is in Qom |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-02-09 15:13 |