Article

2005-09-30 Iraq

US troops storm house of Iraqi president's advisor for religious affairs

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Posted by Fred 2005-09-30 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Interesting trend - the latest in a string of swoops. I wonder about the intel sources leading to targeting these "official" mooks - and what they're finding... must be paying off. More. Melike.

Posted by .com 2005-09-30 01:25|| 2005-09-30 01:25|| Front Page Top

#2 There was a joint press availability with this guy and Amb. Khalilzad a few weeks back. It was hilarious and interesting in various ways. First Duleimi detonates on-stage, ranting and raving and denouncing the draft const. and accusing the MoI of death squad activity against the Sunnis. Our ambassador stands next to him, smiling weakly. The worst public affairs meltdown I've ever seen is followed by questions from the press.

The nitwit Reuters guy, having just witnessed the most spectacular PR disaster in recent memory, proceeds to ask a "question" (more a snitty outburst full of incorrect implications and lots of attitude) about Reuters stringers shot/detained by Coalition forces. Khalilzad and Duleimi (and the Iraqi media present) all look puzzled at the non-sequitir; Khalilzad mumbles something about investigating all incidents, and they move on. An Iraqi reporter asks an excellent question of Duleimi about his position on the Coalition and constitution -- Duleimi, displaying fine authoritarian/fascist form, angrily dismisses the question and refuses to answer it, saying it "smells of sectarianism".

Next the totally hot but clueless CBS babe asks ANOTHER question about detained reporters. More exasperated looks from Iraqi reporters, some forgettable non-answer from Khalilzad.

As I said, hilarious. And greatly revealing of all involved. Only the Iraqi journalists came out looking like sane, intelligent adults.

Posted by Verlaine in Iraq 2005-09-30 02:56|| 2005-09-30 02:56|| Front Page Top

#3 Heh, confirmation they are on the right track. Thx ViI!

Posted by .com 2005-09-30 03:00|| 2005-09-30 03:00|| Front Page Top

#4 Perhaps showing up in Abu Azzam's rolodex, for example, might have consequences.

Posted by .com 2005-09-30 03:32|| 2005-09-30 03:32|| Front Page Top

#5 Where the HELL did that come from Janice????

Posted by ARMYGUY 2005-09-30 07:56|| 2005-09-30 07:56|| Front Page Top

#6 Read a few of hercomments and you'll conclude it's either chemically induced or congenital idiocy.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-09-30 08:01|| 2005-09-30 08:01|| Front Page Top

#7 Fred,
Do monosynaptic scatterbrains like Janice count like real trolls ??
I suggest we leave her droppings here as they are for their amusement value

Posted by EoZ 2005-09-30 08:03|| 2005-09-30 08:03|| Front Page Top

#8 'Janice' might be a bot. It wouldn't be too hard to set one up for specific topics at the Burg, I think ....

Posted by lotp 2005-09-30 08:15|| 2005-09-30 08:15|| Front Page Top

#9 Or, s/he might just be as stupid as most software programs. Either way ....

Posted by lotp 2005-09-30 08:16|| 2005-09-30 08:16|| Front Page Top

#10 Her IP address says she's in western Australia. I'm guessing she's a freshman at a remedial education college.

Posted by Fred 2005-09-30 09:52|| 2005-09-30 09:52|| Front Page Top

#11 How do they train them to spout those slogans, anyway? Do they give 'em a food pellet each time they recite one correctly? Or a mild electric shock every time they get one wrong?

Posted by Dave D. 2005-09-30 09:57|| 2005-09-30 09:57|| Front Page Top

#12 I sure hope our guys went after the right guy and arent being played by the Minister of the Interior. Dot com has said in the past that he mistrusts Sistani - with some reason, I think. All the more we need to be careful in our trust of some of the more hardline Shiite pols from SCIRI, of whom the Minister of the Interior is one, IIRC. Just cause theyre pushing hard against the Sunnis, doesnt mean we should buy off on everything they say.
.

Posted by liberalhawk 2005-09-30 09:57|| 2005-09-30 09:57|| Front Page Top

#13 phil_b's daughter, probably. :-)

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-09-30 09:57|| 2005-09-30 09:57|| Front Page Top

#14 LH,

I'm with you. We shouldn't trust Sistani as far as we can throw him.

Sistani and his boyz are not positioining themselves to help America's position, that's for damn sure. They help us only as long as it benefits them, then when they have enough of their own power without us, bam.

I'm just waiting for the night of death that is surely to come for the Sunni.

EP

Posted by ElvisHasLeftTheBuilding 2005-09-30 11:53|| 2005-09-30 11:53|| Front Page Top

#15 They help us only as long as it benefits them, then when they have enough of their own power without us, bam.

This is true of everybody in the world except Oz and maybe UK. And it's true of us from the perspective of every other country in the World. Bismark said it over a century ago, countries have no permanent allies, just permanent interests. Why does it always seem to come as a shock to people.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-09-30 12:18|| 2005-09-30 12:18|| Front Page Top

#16 Not a shock Mrs D, and dont confuse my position with Elvis's. Quite frankly I think Sistani is a huge part of the reason things have gone as well as they have in Iraq in the last 18 months. But I dont think it wise to dismiss every Sunni Arab claim about the Interior Minister, and alleged abused by security forces - whatever shadenfreude we may feel at the turn of the tables. We're in Iraq to win - and letting US forces get turned into the army of particular SCIRI politicians is NOT going to help us win. There has been some evidence that our troops have in the past made arrests based on tips from informants with their own agendas. (im not blaming the troops, theyre doing their best with the intell available)

Basically all im saying is I dont know whats happening here. Its certainly possible the Centcom has independent, solid rationale for these raids on prominent Sunni figures. If so, good for them. But lets hope theyre being careful, cause if they DONT, their risking alienating some of the few people who can help achieve the kind of political progress with the Sunnis that would considerably ease the military problem. IE lets not become captive to our local allys agenda, just cause theyre currently our allies.

Posted by liberalhawk 2005-09-30 13:05|| 2005-09-30 13:05|| Front Page Top

#17 BTW - i didnt mean you HAD confused my positions with Elvis's = sorry if that sounded harsh.

Posted by liberalhawk 2005-09-30 13:05|| 2005-09-30 13:05|| Front Page Top

#18 Mrs. D,

Who's surprised?

I'm just restating the obvious, and I am sure our negotiations with him reflect this reality, but my distrust is deeper than most as it concerns the new "Islamic" leadership of Iraq and its supposed embrace of democratic processes.

I can't see Sistani and the Shiia allowing any major role for the Sunni in their new government minus our insistence. My friends in country reflect these sentiments, and agree that if we weren't present to keep them from it the Shiia would eradicate the Sunni insurgency and eventually the entire Sunni apparati in Iraq once and for all.

EP

Posted by ElvisHasLeftTheBuilding 2005-09-30 15:55|| 2005-09-30 15:55|| Front Page Top

#19 Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]

Posted by Janice 2005-09-30 03:57|| 2005-09-30 03:57|| Front Page Top

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