The Night Life
"People (in America) think it's bad, but that we control the city. That's not the way it is. They control it, and they let us drive around. It's hostile territory."
--1 LT Dan Quinn, 1st Infantry Division Platoon Leader
The sun goes down, the night rolls in
You can feel it starting all over again
--You Belong to the City, Glenn Frey
There's too many of them. I can't kill the world
--Rev. Harry Powell, from Night of the Hunter
Speaking of the Iraqi Army and police units in the article, "Mahdi Army Gains Strength Through Unwitting Aid of U.S.," 1st Lt. Quinn further notes, "Half of them are JAM [Jaish al Mahdi] They'll wave at us during the day, and shoot at us during the night." Nothing new here; in RVN the saying was, "Charlie rules the night," Charlie being the Vietcong.
The 1st Lieutenant expressed the platoon-level view of the war. However, the article notes, "Four senior American military reps in Baghdad declined requests for comment." Well Lt. Quinn, start looking for another job. Hint: Department of Defense should not be on your wish-list.
Further noted in the article, "al-Sadr's success in infiltrating Iraqi security forces says much about the continued inability of American commanders in Iraq to counter the classic insurgent tactic of using popular support to trump superior military firepower."
This is somewhat contradictory, as the Mahdi Army is not insurgent; rather, it is the major supporter of Shia dominance in Iraq. It is safe to assume that the "infiltration" of these units is an official policy of the Maliki government.
Al-Sadr in 2004 reportedly decided "to use the American's plans for building Iraqi security forces to rebuild his own militia." In his scheme right out of the pages of Sun-Tze, "His recruits began flooding into the Iraqi Army and police, receiving training, uniforms and equipment either directly from the U.S. military or from the American-backed Iraqi Defense Ministry."
As we consistently note, American military personnel are being killed by U.S.-armed and trained resistance fighters. It is easier for GWB to blame the Iranians than to admit that our policymakers have not got a clue.
The intriguing aspect of this Iraqi experiment is that neither the Sunnis nor the Shias possess any democratic principles, regardless of administration propaganda labeling Maliki's government a democratic entity.
The GWB war machine is so desperate for success that they are willing to accept the appearance of success.
Close enough for government work.
--1 LT Dan Quinn, 1st Infantry Division Platoon Leader
The sun goes down, the night rolls in
You can feel it starting all over again
--You Belong to the City, Glenn Frey
There's too many of them. I can't kill the world
--Rev. Harry Powell, from Night of the Hunter
Speaking of the Iraqi Army and police units in the article, "Mahdi Army Gains Strength Through Unwitting Aid of U.S.," 1st Lt. Quinn further notes, "Half of them are JAM [Jaish al Mahdi] They'll wave at us during the day, and shoot at us during the night." Nothing new here; in RVN the saying was, "Charlie rules the night," Charlie being the Vietcong.
The 1st Lieutenant expressed the platoon-level view of the war. However, the article notes, "Four senior American military reps in Baghdad declined requests for comment." Well Lt. Quinn, start looking for another job. Hint: Department of Defense should not be on your wish-list.
Further noted in the article, "al-Sadr's success in infiltrating Iraqi security forces says much about the continued inability of American commanders in Iraq to counter the classic insurgent tactic of using popular support to trump superior military firepower."
This is somewhat contradictory, as the Mahdi Army is not insurgent; rather, it is the major supporter of Shia dominance in Iraq. It is safe to assume that the "infiltration" of these units is an official policy of the Maliki government.
Al-Sadr in 2004 reportedly decided "to use the American's plans for building Iraqi security forces to rebuild his own militia." In his scheme right out of the pages of Sun-Tze, "His recruits began flooding into the Iraqi Army and police, receiving training, uniforms and equipment either directly from the U.S. military or from the American-backed Iraqi Defense Ministry."
As we consistently note, American military personnel are being killed by U.S.-armed and trained resistance fighters. It is easier for GWB to blame the Iranians than to admit that our policymakers have not got a clue.
The intriguing aspect of this Iraqi experiment is that neither the Sunnis nor the Shias possess any democratic principles, regardless of administration propaganda labeling Maliki's government a democratic entity.
The GWB war machine is so desperate for success that they are willing to accept the appearance of success.
Close enough for government work.
posted by rangeragainstwar at 7:18 PM
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