U.S. Increases Efforts to Put Down Sunni and Shiite Fighters

[nodehopper]

U.S. Increases Efforts to Put Down Sunni and Shiite Fighters
By CHRISTINE HAUSER

Published: April 8, 2004

AGHDAD, Iraq, April 7 — The Iraqi uprising against the American-led occupation intensified Wednesday and spread to new parts of the country, with United States forces increasing their efforts to put down Sunni and Shiite combatants.

Pentagon officials in Washington signaled that they would probably delay bringing home as many as 25,000 troops as scheduled and probably move reinforcements to the south.
"We're facing a test of will, and we will meet that test," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said, adding that the plan to postpone the troop return was part of a plan "to systematically address the situations we are facing."

In Falluja in the Sunni heartland west of Baghdad, where the most pitched battles occurred, hospital officials said several dozen people had been killed after Americans fired rockets at a mosque compound. American officials said firing had come from the mosque, forcing them to retaliate. The mosque itself remained largely intact. </snip>

more here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/international/middleeast/08IRAQ.html?hp

[ClintonTyree]

1. We're winning.............

the hearts and minds of Iraqis at a record pace here. By Rumsfeld's reckoning, we must be very successful considering the amount of American soldiers that have been killed recently. If this is winning, I don't want to see what losing is like.
Our government is out of control.

[Quetzal]

2. The US forces would be crazy

if they tried to instigate or engage in serious combat this weekend. There will be tens, if not hundreds of thousands of worshipers going to Najaf this weekend.

[aquart]

3. Why?

I assume it's a sacred holiday, but which one?

[Aidoneus]

4. it's called Arba'in

commemorates 40 days after the day Husayn ibn Ali was martyred in a battle their ancestors should've shown up for. There are remarkable parallels that will no doubt be in the minds of those marking the event.

[FlemingsGhost]

5. George Santanaya said it best:

"Fanaticism consists of redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim."


If I'm not mistaken, the aim was to liberate an oppressed people.
Right?

[FearandLoathing41]

6. Yeah, I'd belive it, if Rummy had'nt just given up the cities

I can't belive you've all missed the truly big news of the day, indicative of just how bad things really are over in Iraq.

It was staring us in the face in Rumsfeld and Myers Pentagon Briefing today.

Here's the Clip, From todays Pentagon Briefing...



"U.S. and Iraqi security forces have taken all possible precautions to minimize risk for the civilian population participating in the pilgrimage, but we have been ask not to provide security in the cities. We are working closely with Iraqi security forces to mitigate the risks in these cities during the pilgrimage. We caution all pilgrims that the holy cities are potentially dangerous places during this period. U.S. and Iraqi security forces took precautions to mitigate those risks and to prepare for the possibility of violence."



Thats right, boys and girls, Blowing up a backwater Mosque in Fallujah, is just bluster and show, to cover up the real fact that we are SURRENDERING entire citys, down in the Shite Holy Areas, to Sadr's Militia's. This is the realty that Joe Biden was talking about, when he said the military commanders were telling him off the record, that we simply did not have the troop strength on the ground over there to handle the uprising.

[burrowowl]

7. Welcome to DU

:hi:

Should we be there in the first place?

[FearandLoathing41]

8. 20/20 hind sight has little or no bearing at all, on the coming election

This isn't a season of the "West Wing" were we can edit the script to ignore the current situation in the Middle East.

The Operative Reality is that we are in Iraq and a new Democratic Administration will have to come up with an adult foriegn policy to deal with it. Because come next January it's going to be OUR tar Baby.

Coming up with a real Foriegn Policy is what seperates the Madeline Albright's and Bill Clinton's from the sign carrying college kids.

[whatelseisnew]

9. Hindsight my ass! You will piss off many here who had foresight

We didn't even have to predict any of this because the PNAC cabal published their plans clear as day.

where the hell were you.

Sign carrying college kids? How dare you!

I'd get my comments deleted if I printed what I really feel about your comments.

You obviously have no clue who exactly it was that protested this

Quackmire CakeWalk!

Adults are in charge .

Get informed

[saigon68]

10. The Vets here told everyone what would happen

We called it IRAQ-NAM 14 months ago here.

A lot of Dino's said we were in the Jungles too long and were whiners

What goes around comes around

[whatelseisnew]

11. Also many who had Vet family and those with 8th grade history too

you didn't have to dig deep to find out what a steaming pile of

lies the media bulldozer was putting over us.

[Cooley Hurd]

12. Hi nodehopper

In an effort to keep the uprising threads consolidated, can you please repost this in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x472138

Thanks! :hi: