The Battle of Baghdad (Law Enforcement)

[salim]

Senator Biden might need to watch the Asian soccer/football finals to know better about Iraqi dynamics. With all full respect, living Iraq current war-in-progress through media and US/Iraqi official reports might lead to the misconception that he talked about recently of losing hope in having one unified Iraq. . The hardship of the tragic situation didn’t split people apart. On contrary, Iraqis are getting more united and more considerate of others. Today , I was on the call with my sister who used to live in the Qaeda-controlled Alkhdraa discrete of west Baghdad, it was at the half time of the Quarter finals of Iraq-Vietnam match taking place in Bangkok/Thailand . Her daughter told me that they have no electricity to follow on the match. However, she is relying on that gun fire that is usually erupting in celebration of the Iraqi team win. If none then she would know that it is a loss. I asked her if that would be the case in Alkhadra too where Qaeda personals are touring the Sunni discrete, blocking people from showing any sign of celebrating such national events , specially a western “ infidel” sport one. She replied in very confident tone” that one they can’t the whole city of Baghdad turns into a celebrating fire works like sky”. The result of the first half was in favor of Iraq, one to null...

I am writing while traveling in a long trip, I am waiting for her text message telling of the final result based on the fire works that no western media dare mentioning over the last four wins of the Iraqi national team. A country that can write such a Cinderella story of coming up with a national team that reaches the semi final, after beating so many great teams , e.g. Australian team , is not a collapsed divided one. We might have our politicians living on the sectarian / factionist division, but people have no interest but to rebuild their country...

Senator Biden might need to hear and live the joy of the Iraqis that had just started now. I just got the message; Iraq beats Vietnam 2-0 and is playing in the semi finals “most likely against Iran” on the 25th. The Senator might watch that game, It is a real life lesson of how the two ME nations of Iraq and Iran will do their rival race, but in lovely peace than on the fronts of bloody wars of the era of Saddam. The era that was ended by the great commitment of US and Iraqi people. If any want to do so, then it will be live on Iraqia on wwitv.com, go for Iraq, Iraqimedia TV and watch for free on July 25th..

[salim]

Follow up..

 

Iran lost to Korea, so Iraq will play the later on Wednesday the 25th. Three Iraqis lost their lifes due the random shooting in the air in the mass celebration that covered all over Iraq.. As I expected the westeren media never put t any coverage to that huge celebrations.Have a look to the NT or WP of today as example.

It is a blow up for Qaeda goals of igniting a civil secterian war, the goals that unfortunately being shared with some one in the west, for different reasons thought.!

[salim]

Finally, some westren reprot on the huge celebration, though through the Terror bloody reaction !

 

Anyhow seems it is the Iraqi ways to cover the good news by the libral media..

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070725/ap_on_..._ea/iraq_soccer

 

 

Bombings strike soccer fans in Baghdad

 

Thousands of fans also gathered in the central district of Karradah to celebrate, dancing, beating drums and chanting "Iraq, Iraq." Elsewhere in city, traffic snarled as cars, Iraqi flags flying from their windows, moved slowly amid hundreds of fans. Motorists honked their horns.

 

The successful run in the Asian Cup has been a cause of much joy in this wartorn country, with Iraqis saying the mixed makeup of the team showed the country's rival ethnic and religious factions can unite despite years of sectarian violence.

[salim]

Yesterday’s speech by President Bush raised a very critical question “Why do some American politicians shy away from the fact that the current war in Iraq is the central part of the war on Qaeda?”. At least there are more than seven thousands foreigner Qaeda terrorists be captured or killed over the last four years inside Iraq, the biggest ever number of Qaeda casualties in any other country, since the last Russian Afghanistan war.

 

As Iraqi, I might be willing to keep Iraq away from that war. But as far as both parties, US and Qaeda, chose my country as a battle ground, I should have no option but to stand to my destiny ..

Earlier withdraw of US troops might be a good option. Qaeda have no any chance of survive in Iraq, but still there is a possibility of complete collapse of Iraq that would be caused by the race between different internal and external groups that want to fill the vacuum. A race that might break up Iraq and leads to further escalation of instability in ME. So from Iraqi pure prospective, building a strong central democratically elected government should be the most important goal for the time being. Such Government strength needs to be stemed from both military and political aspects. Creating any such vacuum before establishing that government is a recipe of disaster for the whole oil rich criticly important ME .

 

Would a premature withdraw from Iraq help the war on Qaeda?

 

With full understanding to the political motives that leads to the cut-and-run calls and all other reasonings of supporting them, I think there is appoint that these politicians might be working on.. They are not silly to fail knowing that Iraq is turned to be the war zone number one for Qaeda and that Qaeda was successfully be dragged to the killing zone and death trap of Iraq . They are not stupid to ignore the huge catastrophic consequences of the Iraq collapse. However, they are more a ware of Qaeda defeat in Iraq. They want to fight Qaeda in Iraq to the last Iraqi by keeping the Qaeda dragged more into Iraq instability rather than push it out of Iraq. Otherwise, such a defeat might defer the terror network away from Iraq to other places that are more critical to the US interests.

 

Anyhow , not to this option’s goals either, it might be more catastrophic to drawn Iraq into collapse with Qaeda be one of the components of such scenario that would trigger a whole ME struggle to fill the gap. The worst serious one is the ignition of large scale sectarian violence.. In such a war, the Arab Shia of Iraq who are controlling more than 80% of Iraq national wealth and human resources, has no choice but to lean to Iran as ally in facing the short minded Arab governments policies. Such a scenario will not drag Qaeda to Iraq as believers in this option might think of. It will simply create the new dominance system of the Iranians in ME.

Alqeada presence in Iraq is facilitated by the neighboring countries, these countries would no longer run after a losing horse controlling a vast deserted area while the Iranians are getting the core piece of the pie, Alqaeda can’t go beyond the Sunni Arab regions of Iraq and their strategy of igniting sectarian war would not help any one other than Iranians through pushing Shia Arab more toward the later. Arab neighboring States will have no option but to negotiate with Iran , some thing I am sure will be so hard with Tehran’s bazaar politicians. Iranians who play the win-win game in the Iraqi troubling situation, loss nothing both ways. A unified democratic free Iraq, or a divided weak instable one.

We need to push them into working for the first, as it is the only commonly shared one. Systani influence might be a good card to play, that what Iraqis are working on bringing both US and Iranian to open frank dialogue about Iraq.

 

For both American and Iraqi interests , there is no choice but to turn the temporary marriage that the war Sadam created, into a long term one through the full defeat of Qaeda and by having a great victory of establishing the new democratic strong Federal Iraq that can defend itself and live in peace with it’s neighbors. A goal that will be a killing poison to the seeds of Qaeda and other extremists around the world..

 

We have no choice believe it or not

[salim]

More accounts on the football/soccer celebrations.. Over the last tendays there where four such celebrations,.The NT finally agreed to put some coveage on the last one that was accompanied by the blood scene.

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/world/mi....html?th&emc=th

 

Soccer Victory Lifts Iraqis; Bombs Kill 50

Ali Yussef/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

 

Thousands of soccer fans in Baghdad celebrated the Iraqi team’s victory over South Korea in the Asian Cup semifinals. More Photos >

As the Iraqi national soccer team eked out a 4-3 shootout victory over South Korea on Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis poured into the streets in a paroxysm of good feeling and unity not seen in years.

 

It was more rapture than celebration, a singular release of the sort of emotion that has fueled so much rage and fear and paranoia. But this evening, at least at first, it seemed diverted into nonstop car-horn bliss; spontaneous parades clogged streets from Erbil to Karbala, from Basra to Mosul, from Ramadi to Baghdad.Then, just as suddenly, the moment passed in places, and the fractured Iraq re-emerged. As throngs of people danced and shouted in Baghdad, insurgents took quick advantage of the unguarded revelry. Two suicide car bombs ripped through cheering crowds in Mansour, on the western side of Baghdad, and in Ghadir, on the city’s eastern side. Together they killed at least 50 people and wounded 135 more, according to an Interior Ministry official

 

More photos from NT

 

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/07/2..._SOCCER_10.html

[salim]

The Suadi government's non constractive role in Iraq is not some thing new, but having it on the NT in such clear words is some thing to stop at.

 

A secular legislator, Judge Abdul Latiff , in a an interview with US sposnsored Radio Sawa, accused the Suadis of playing a very damaging role in Iraq for some stratigic goals of not having Iraq recoverd as this might impact the Suadis dominance in the Gulf oil industry.

 

He said that the Suadi government is financing a huge media propaganda against the new Oil law .

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/27/world/mi....html?th&emc=th

 

 

 

Saudis’ Role in Iraq Frustrates U.S. Officials

Pool photo by Awad Awad

 

 

By HELENE COOPER

Published: July 27, 2007

This article was reported by Helene Cooper, Mark Mazzetti and Jim Rutenberg, and written by Ms. Cooper.

 

WASHINGTON, July 26 — During a high-level meeting in Riyadh in January, Saudi officials confronted a top American envoy with documents that seemed to suggest that Iraq’s prime minister could not be trusted.

 

One purported to be an early alert from the prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, to the radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr warning him to lie low during the coming American troop increase, which was aimed in part at Mr. Sadr’s militia. Another document purported to offer proof that Mr. Maliki was an agent of Iran.

 

The American envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, immediately protested to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, contending that the documents were forged. But, said administration officials who provided an account of the exchange, the Saudis remained skeptical, adding to the deep rift between America’s most powerful Sunni Arab ally, Saudi Arabia, and its Shiite-run neighbor, Iraq.

 

Now, Bush administration officials are voicing increasing anger at what they say has been Saudi Arabia’s counterproductive role in the Iraq war. They say that beyond regarding Mr. Maliki as an Iranian agent, the Saudis have offered financial support to Sunni groups in Iraq. Of an estimated 60 to 80 foreign fighters who enter Iraq each month, American military and intelligence officials say that nearly half are coming from Saudi Arabia and that the Saudis have not done enough to stem the flow.

[salim]

More about the soccer match that might do what ever politicians failed to..

 

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8...1647039,00.html

 

Just as Iraq's team includes Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds, so did the victory celebration span all of Iraq's divisions. Not only were Shi'ite and Sunni communities celebrating with equal intensity in the capital, many had risked life and limb to watch the game together with old soccer pals from opposite sects. For Shi'ite education ministry employee Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Hassan, 40, the tournament had prompted a reunion with three Sunni friends and former teammates he hadn't seen in two years because sectarian violence had forced them into different neighborhoods. "None of our politicians could bring us under this flag like our national football team did," he told The Scotsman. "I wish that politicians could take a lesson from our team, which is made up of Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds who worked together regardless of their backgrounds and won." Similar tales were reported from all over the city. And the Iraqi flag was even waved by celebrating crowds in independence-minded Kurdistan, where its display is officially discouraged.

 

Soccer cannot bridge political divides that are based not simply on whether Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds can get along and pass the ball to one another, but on how power and control of territory and resources is to be arranged among them

[salim]

http://www.almalafpress.net/?d=143&id=39474

 

Have a look to how much stupid te Suadis are.. The document that the NT refered to which the Suadis had presented to the US administration as authentic that show a collaporation between Maliki and Alsaderees asking them to hide the leaders of almehdi army..

 

The call, as the document shows, is an official with number and date.. I don't know if the suadis are really as that far of narrow minded to think that such move, if any, would be part of the PM arch. Also the list of the cc parties,, that include the iranian embassy in Baghdad.

 

 

The suadis are do much harm to their interest in making Shia Arab of Iraq as enemy.. That has no result but to push them toward the Iranians.

 

 

 

Soccer cannot bridge political divides that are based not simply on whether Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds can get along and pass the ball to one another, but on how power and control of territory and resources is to be arranged among them

 

The NT reporter is raising a good concern.. It is true that Soccer cannot bridge political divisions, but that is not the question here. The question is if Iraqis had lost their faith in Iraq as one nation.. Over all over Iraq and arround the world, all celebrations were under one flag , Iraqi national .. Raising that flag in Kurdostan, where it is forbidden ,, is not some thing to ignore.

[salim]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20018999/

 

 

 

Iraq, in inspirational victory, wins Asian Cup

1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia unites nation divided by war

 

No comments.. It is a historical Cinderella story that no words can easily express

 

 

They are soldiers on different battle

 

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/07/29/...tml#cnnSTCVideo

 

As one Iraqi ladey celebrating the win told iraqi TvV while martching the streets of Baghdad "It is the win of the victims on their slotters, we will keep say no for terrorists who want to devide us"!

[salim]

http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/t...ion-in-baghdad/

 

 

July 29, 2007, 11:45 am

The Celebration Across Iraq

By The New York Times

[salim]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/07/29/...tml#cnnSTCVideo

 

More about te win..

[salim]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL7qWuXJsq0

 

In English.. Iraqi coach taking to radio sawa, the Iraqi enthem on the background with english translation

 

 

Full interview

 

http://radiosawa.com/RadioSawaAudio.aspx?type=ram&id=1330829

[salim]

I have a feeling that the Sunni accord front's withdraw today from the government is caused by the Iraqi soccer team .. There is a massive unity feelings among Iraqis. The front might find such move as threatening to one of it's main pillars, the factionist division. Take it seriously.. I was following the reactions by the front leaders to the Iraqi team achievements over the last three weeks. While all political leaders tried their best to show support, the front chose to save their support to other front of escalating a political confrontation..

 

Excluding , the Islamic party, non of the front groups or leaders were a known political figures or having any history of social leadership. They are mainly ex Saddam scholars and retired officials.. They found their opportunity to emerge as political leaders using the narrow faction tension triggered by the criminal acts of the Saddamists and Qeada. They got most of their votes using that fear by the Sunni Arab to the new Iraq dynamics.. Any unity among Iraqis would not work good for them. It is not surprising that they chose the day of the team win over Korea to announce their non reasonable demands , and to make their threat real on the eve of the team arrival to Baghdad, expected tomorrow .

 

 

The same might apply to most faction based parties of Shia a kurds , but the difference is that these groups were already well known in playing a political critical role and have their own base, either religious or sect.

 

What might be not to the front leaders expectations , the situation in Iraq is moving very fast away from the faction tension. Iraqis got sick anfd tired with the playing on the divisionand are not ready to be open to any call other than unity. There is a massive demands among street people to the politicians to learn from the team cooperation and unity.

On the other front, the main supporter and financiers to the front , the Arab states, are under a huge review to their narrow minded stands in opposing the new Iraq that brought nothing but to give the Iranians better chances in establishing roots within Iraq. They don't want to loss the last chance of opening doors with Iraqis. Yesterday, the prince of Emirates award the Iraqi team 5.5 million dollars in an unprecedented welcoming celebration held in honor of the team arrival to Emirate on the board of the royal private plane.

 

As for the Iraq micro dynamics , the situation inside Iraq is moving away from the Tawafuc front's domination on the Sunni Arab say.. The new tribal leaders of Sahwa councils are making their voice much more heard as real national Iraqi political leaders that might represent the new coming era of Iraq after Asia cup victory!

[salim]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/world/mi...ast/02iraq.html

 

 

BAGHDAD, Aug. 1 — Iraq’s largest Sunni political faction resigned from Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s cabinet on Wednesday, severely weakening the government’s credentials as a national unity coalition and setting back hopes of reconciliation.

 

Blasts struck the Mansour, Karada and Dora districts in Baghdad.

The move was accompanied by a wave of bombings in Baghdad that killed at least 76 people, including a suicide attack with a fuel tanker that killed about 50 people at a crowded gas station in the middle-class district of Mansour.

 

Any how the escalated car bombing had failed to block the Iraqi soccer team from keeping their plans to go to Baghdad and celebrate the win there.. The Iraqi hero player, Sunni Mahmoud, told news agency that he will go through all baghdad and will tour Alsader , Adamia and other parts . He added " I will go , let them kill me".. He was refering to increasing call to hold off the plan by some Iraqis who affriad that criminals might try to kill the team to redirect the current raised hopes of the national unity.

[salim]

Shiites, Kurds form legislative bloc

The governing alliance is hailed by the president and prime minister as a key step toward unity, but it's missing the Sunni Arabs.

By Carol J. Williams

August 17, 2007

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...ack=1&cset=true

 

 

All Sunni and some Shiite ministers had been boycotting the leadership over, among other things, conflicting views on tackling sectarian violence, which has taken thousands of lives in recent months.

 

Indeed there are still eight sunni ministers of Sunni background in the government, minister of defense , two from Alawee slate who refused to comply with the boycott, five sunni kurds ! Talabani, in his press meeting today commented on this . Saying that this bloc is between Arab and Kurds, Shia and Sunni, Secular and islamist.

 

The alliance of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and the Islamic Dawa Party -- both Shiite -- with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdish Democratic Party gives the two factions a 181-seat majority within the 275-member parliament, which is in recess until next month.

 

That is not accurate count.. It ignored the fact that not all Shia Coalition is represented in this bloc such as Alsadrees "30 seats", Alfadilah "15 seats" , non islamists "17 seats".

It would give the bloc about 115 seats, to assure the majority they need to bring one of the three , Alawee slate "420 seats" , or Alsadrees. and The Sunni Islamic " Iraqi muslim brotherhood" party who has about 15 seats only.

 

I think the bloc is moving more toward bringing the samll independent groups" the non-partisan Shia, communist, independent Sunni ""about 15 votes and to pacify the Sadrees and Islamic party.. Sadrees showed a soft stand , their representative met with Talabani today . Sunni Islamic party is deeply divided. Hashimi congratulated Talabani in public statement, but later denounced the agreement on Aljazera TV. Both Islamist parties votes in the Parliament is becoming more important to the bloc. Alawee might the biggest loser, as he lost control on his slate after the refusal of three out of four ministers to comply to the boycott

 

 

Sunni Arabs accuse Maliki of ignoring the violence unleashed by rogue Shiite militiamen, such as those of the Al Mahdi army, loyal to radical cleric Muqtada Sadr and blamed for much of the sectarian bloodshed in and around the capital

 

That accusation is coming at same time that Alsadrees accuse Maliki of ignoring the attacks by the Americans and Iraqi forces on their leaders. It might give some idea about the complication that are faces Maliki in running a government of what is called National unity.. I think a strong Iraqi government that is under close monitoring by the Parliament is becoming a necessity..