salim Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6121801477.html Some thing to support my concern on increasing fighting troops proposal! Today Iraqi Parliament foreign affairs committee submitted a request to the government to put the Turkey economic and political relations on hold till getting an explanation on the allowing of the terror encourage conference to be hold in IStanbul. Turkey itself had a lot of complains that Kurds terrorists are having safe haven in northern Iraq. The turks might as well consider Iraqi concerns. Having Qaeda affiliates taking chance to send killing messages is not a responsible move. There is some news that Allawee party is planning to join the new political front to support Maliki. Security adviser, Alrubaie , talked to a local newspaper about the new plan for Baghdad. According to the newspaper, there will be as much as 20 thousands Iraqi troops to take charge over baghdad next month. There will be no supporting any coalition forces and this will be a sole Iraqi exercise. The escape of Corrupted electricity minster by some fake American troops, is flagging a lot of conspiracy theories and rumors. The minister him self is not an issue, it is more about how much the corruption is penetrating into the American and Iraqi forces.. Alsamuraei was expected to stand against the more important charges of corruption during the Allawee government.. The concern is that his life might be under real threat now. Many groups might find him a good catch to hijack . According to close sources to him, Alsumuraei had build a big financial empire in UAE under the name of his relative who was his agent for the commissions . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 A radical approach to Iraq is to try to visualize an American presence that would be sustainable whether things went well or badly. What would it look like? For starters, we would treat Iraq more like a normal country. Americans would be in a fortified embassy compound rather than the Republican Palace. U.S. troops would be redeployed so that they could assist allies and punish enemies, rather than remaining hunkered down in the midst of a civil war, providing easy targets to both sides. The United States would pull back enough to have some freedom of maneuver. But it would remain engaged enough that it could intervene quickly to prevent a bloodbath. It would set red lines rather than try to dictate events. A very interesting washingtonpost's article A Realistic Approach To Iraq Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted December 23, 2006 Report Share Posted December 23, 2006 Iraqi Prime Minister Tells Gates He'll Let U.S. Decide on Troop 'Surge' By Thomas E. Ricks and Sudarsan Raghavan Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, December 22, 2006; Page A23 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6122100629.html About Mr. Gates visit.. On other front, Systani official spokesman in Najaf denied the reports that the Marjea had already gave his blessing to the new proposed coalition between Kurds, Alhakeem and Islamic party. I think this is an indication that things are not going well. Usually such announcement is an indirect way to express concerns. I can understand such concerns. The proposal was accompanied with huge propaganda by western and Arab media that this is coming to divide the Shia coalition and to make it’s goal as to be against Alsader. Alsystani,, Shia and Kurds politicians think that the real issue in Iraq is the Qaeda and Sadamists coalition. Alsaderee are part of the current political process and the acts by those militia members can easily be contained if the real issue got solved. Such proposal should be based on dealing with main issue rather than going after it’s outcome, something that the Islamic party “ Muslim brotherhood” might be reluctant to admit. I personally think that such a proposal need more efforts, and it might be possible after t the new Maliki security plan gets its chances of securing Baghdad’s streets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted December 27, 2006 Report Share Posted December 27, 2006 The Sadam sentence approval would give some comfort to Iraqis that are still under shock of all rumors and news of the escape Mr. Ayham Alsamurraie who was accused of corruption in executing 2 billion dollars of electricity projects during Alibrahimee government " Alwai government". Today the Jordanian interior minister said to reporters that Mr. Alsamuraei arrived to Jordan on an American plane and using his American passport. So Jordan can’t deal with him as Iraqi. On other front, the British forces raided Basra government jail of special crimes killing seven of its guards, demolishing the building and releasing the 176 prisoners. 27 of them were accused with links to Alqaeda. I don’t know the details, but according to Newsweek, the British found that some of the prisoners were tortured and beaten. So torturing of some accused prisoners justifies the killing of their guards. ! However, Basra is considered the safest province despite the geographical location of near by to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia boarders where most of these Alqaeda members are trying to sneak in.Just last month A well known Qaeda leader Kawiatee Umer was announced dead by Qaeda web sites. Many Iraqis praise those Iraqi police in Basra for having a tough stand. Sadamists and Alqaeda web sites call them militia, so do Newsweek. I am wondering why the British forces chose such harsh move to deal with the jail, why not surrendering the jail and prosecute the case.What made the case look more odd, the Iraqi polices head in Basrah told Aliraqia TV that the 27 terrorists were not released back to the Iraqi authorities, only those who had no connection to terror crimes where returned back to another jail. Today after the very low reaction by Sunni Arab to the Sadam court announcement, Sunni Arab Adhamia discrete was beaten by three car bombs... A friend of mine lived over there told me that this was a punishment by Sadmaists to Adhadamia which was once considered as Sadamist’s strong hold... Having such no reaction to the announcement might have made it a target for Sadamists. Same thing happened last month after the low reaction to the sentence of Sadam. The discrete was hitted by mortar shells for couple days .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 In his speech to the PM council yesterday, the ministry of education admitted that the his mystery was failing short of fulfilling the national shortage for schools, he said that the 3000 new schools are needed , only 300 are planned for the next year. As for the school staff, he said that there is 180 thousands application, only 20 thousands were hired in the year 2006. He said that a tremendous job is being carried to move the curriculum from the traditional memorizing based teaching to the debating base one. The Sadam execution is getting much less attention by Iraqis than the media was expecting. Seems to me that for many Iraqis, the real execution had already happened when he was caught in the hole...I call it burial process and have no much interest of following up with the burying services any more... People are more debating the timing than the execution itself. There is a lot of media talk about when this would happen, some said it shouldn’t be during the Eid Aldtha four days, starting from Saturday. I don’t know if there is any religious law that blocks it, but I personally don’t think it to be good idea to have it during these four days. There is a big propaganda by the western liberal media and the Arab government's supported one that the execution might trigger more sectarian violence. I personally don’t think so. Most of those who used to support Sadam , are no longer putting any faith in him.. There might be some isolated car bombings and mortar shelling, but the government already applied car curfew which had proved very good protection from both before... I think such mile stone will be very helpful in Iraqi conciliation process, and most of Iraqis wanted to put Sadam era page behind to go with building their country. They got sick and tired of such Sadam story and want to get out of it as soon as possible. The more delay means more casualties... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted December 31, 2006 Report Share Posted December 31, 2006 I chose not to comment immediately on Sadam execution. As I expected, it didn't bring so much popular reaction as to what was the media and Sadamists warring about. There were some isolated juice among those communities that had suffered much . At same time, some anti-execution demonstrations by those who were most attached to the old regime.. Both fed down very rapidly.. What most Iraqis today talking about is not the death of a former leader , they are more attached to the birth of new one! Almaliki with his strong leadership and tough stand in dealing with the Sadam execution case had sent two very critical messages. The first was to those Iraqis who felt very disappointed by the long delay of Sadam trial process in a cuture where such cases are resolved overnights as was the case with Sadam prosecutions to his political enymies. The other message was toward those who were still under the fear of Sadam return.. One unified message " let us go over this , Sadam is a history !" The decision of going with the hanging was not easy. There were a huge pressure to stop it by many regional governments, there were so much worry that such move might get Iraq into more violence. The president council, fled Baghdad so not to face the responsibility. Kurd Talabani, went to Kurdistan, Sunni Arab Alhashimee went to meet Barazani in Erbil, Shia AbdulMehdi chose to do Hajj in Saudi Arabia!.. It was Maliki who stood firm and took full responsibly and sign the order to go with it. Putting all blames on his shoulder, gaining all benefits too! Iraq is in desperate need for such tough leadership, specially being emerged from the hardship of the current democratic process.. Almaliki is expected now to grasp the moment and move very fast ,being as much courageous ,in opening all the impossible doors to Baathists and to send all comforting messages and necessary acts for all those who might feel in need for help in joining the process of rebuild and protect of their country.. He did the first step already. In his message immediately after Sadam death, he asked all Baathists to join their brothers and be part of the Iraq unity.. Such call need to be facilitated by rapid acts to accommodate the former Baathists and Sadam Army personals , excluding only the handfull criminals who were directely involved in crimes. Any move need to come and initiated by Maliki himself, otherwise it will be received as a sign of weakness and it would be very damaging to the whole process of healing from the era of darkness! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted January 2, 2007 Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 The calm in Baghdad’s streets over the last two days is making its residents much nervous... My brother who used to live in a very hot spot Sunni Arab discrete told me that they could have a deep quiet night sleep for first time in two years... They afraid that this might be the one before the big storm though... On other hand, the non official copy of the Sadam execution video on the net is making some debate among Iraqis. In that film, there was someone who had some exchange with Sadam . Then what looked like some official voice asking for calm and that such conduct is not accepted. In that footage there was some one who shunted some Islamic slogan “ Pray on Mohamd “ which ended with a very weird non Islamic and new ending of mentioning “Moqtada three times” . I don’t know if that part was a dublage to the original or not. There were about 20 witnesses from victim’s representatives. So I don’t find it much unexpected that some of them went out his temper by praying on Mohamed that Sadam him self joining too. Alsadree head in the parliament, Nassar Alrubiaee, denounced such act and called it as a personal act to shunt such religous slogans in such places.... Any how Sadam got a hanging procedure that no one of any Arab governement political opponent got. What is very important is that by posting this video, a great benefit had been accomplished. That is the assurance of Sadam death. Aljezera in its very intense and wide coverage of that film had made this fact as 100% assured. This is very important issue in a culture where conspiracy theory is very common in controlling people minds. After the airing of the first official shots, many friends called me to express their concern that this is just a fake Hollywood style conspiracy. The Iraqia showed some parts imediately after the execution where Sadam was dealt with so in respect and calm as if he is still the president going on a tour ... Then , the Aljazera propaganda about internet clip came that changed such perception. Such assurance is very helpful for both those who are loyalist to him and they might keep affriad of his return. And for those who want justis be accomplished , so it would be a good mile stone in the nation healing for conciliation. The reaction by Gadafee of Libya was not unexpected; however Hamas reaction was very helpful. It is at least healing Sadrees from the Hamas complex! For first time, an out spoken Sadree, legislator Bahaa Alaarajee, when asked about his opinion on Hamas stand, he was so critical in denouncing it. He added that it will for sure injured the feelings of Iraqis for long time .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Farewell to Zalmai .. If there is some one that need to be paid a big a salute, then it is the American Ambassador to Baghdad... He really did a great job bringing Sunni Arab radicals to the political process. Many Iraqis might blame that soft policy to cause the inflation of some Sadamists to the political process, however I think that was a critical mile stone achieved by Shia, Kurd s and Mr. Zalmai as broker... The Sunni Arabs were in need for some one to help them to join. Their prejudges blocked them from talking to what was supposedly be their slaves, so Khalil zadeh was the one... However I need to highlight some thing about the Iraqi fortune teller, Dr. Alchalabi. In a TV interview with Iraqia , couple of months ago, AlChalabi praised Zalmai for his great job. He also added that he might be of better chances to move now. Alchalabi expected that “his next post will be either the deputy to Ms. Rice or the American envoy to UN replacing Bolton”! Hope I can get hold of Chalabi asking if Iraq will be stable in the next couple months... I wish.. The move of Mr. Zadeh might send a comfort message to Maliki who found the dealing with him bit defficult in the recent months . Maliki is trying to impose a strong Iraqi leadership that Iraqis are missing. Seems to me the two men are not getting along on this. Mr. Zadeh might become used to a situation that the Embassy is having the final say. That situation was dramatically changed two monthe ago by the shrud move by President Bush opening the direct personall dialogue with Maliki bypassing Zadeh. On other front, President Bush talk to Maliki on Wendsday talking about the new Iraqi plan. According to westren report, half of the two hours talk was private with translators only!..Such news was recieved with a lot of shock by the Arab anti new Iraq media. Till now no any of them posted that piece of information. That media is used to portrait Maliki as an American pupit, such news might give a conflicting message to their brain washing.. In the last meeting with Bush in Amman , they insisted to call the meeting as " Bush ordered Maliki to come to Amman to criticize him " in Arabic " Estad aa" !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Almaliki today’s speech is for sure the one that many in Iraq were waiting for... Full confidence and direct to the point on his policy to striking on all those who run militia, of all kinds... What Iraqis waiting now is the action. Many in Baghdad had bad experiences with the last failing security plan; they need real thing on ground before raise their thump up to him. I think he is grapping a unique opportunity to become a national tough leader that Iraqis are missing, especially after his strong action of Sadam hanging... He should invest that very popular act to build on his leadership... Most Iraqis, including Sunni Arab, are supporting his tough stand and asking for more... Today, the head of both Alsadree and Altawafuc Sunni Arab parliament spoke man said that are fully supporting Maliki crack down plan... This is very good news. Most of Baghdad residents of all sects that I talked to were supporting any plan that brings security to the capitol so their kids can go to schools safely... Some told me that the plan is to divide Baghdad into local zones with each having a military unit responsible for... Each unit will have full authority to deal with any armed or violence independently with full support from the coalition forces. According to Baghdadee resident that I talked to, this is a very critical point. Because currently the Iraqi units need to get authorization from the top higher command for any acts, something that made their move very slow to respond to guerrilla style war Let us hope, I have a feeling that this chance is the last one, there might no other, we have one option... Win this war against anti new Iraq and Iraqi people should prevail... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 I don’t know if Maliki is reading my comments or it just common sense to go for what I called for. Yesterday in his speech on Iraqi Police national day, Almaliki went so far to declare that ALL former Iraqi Army are welcomed to the new one, those who can’t be accommodated, will be awarded with a good package and retirement... Very good message while his forces are cracking down Alqaeda and Sadamists strong hold in central Baghdad... Most of those baghdadee’s that I talked to told me that this guy is “ Killing by thread not by knife” an expression used by them to talk about a smart one who know how to defend his enemies using the less sacrifices ! Just couple of miles from the war front on terror, the Iraqi Parliament holds his first session in 2007 to discuss the “explosive” budget balance for the year... 40 billion dollars of government investments. A huge one to the ME standards... Syria and Jordan budges are about 5-7 billion dollar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7010901331.html? Don't Give Up On Iraq Yet By Tariq al-Hashimi Wednesday, January 10, 2007; Page A13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 The plan in general seems to be concentrating on the security file first, then to mix this with the Maliki government plan of economical boosting and political reconciliation .. Some thing I can't agree more on.. I don't know about the need for soldiers surge but looks to me that this part shouldn't be the critical issue here. Making it as the main point in this plan is not serving the plan and is making it of single failure point plan. It might give the impression that the main battle now is the Capital. Such impression might ignite those terrorist groups rather than help in defeating them. They would try all posible to make this as a fail assuming that it the last one. To be honest it looks like that .. Having the main battle to be about Baghdad is a realistic point, however, making Baghdad as the main battle field without deep preparation, might not be as good. The problem in Baghdad is that it is a crowded city with a huge mix that might make any crack down as difficult. I would go with a necessary step before doing it.. Let us encourage the temporary evacuation of Baghdad.. Not by calling people to leave but to provide alternatives.. I have many friends and relatives who want to leave the city either to go abroad , which is costly, or move to live with relatives in a nearby city. Those who can't are either having kids at university, or couldn't arrange a temp housing for financial reasons.. Crack down operations can be carried on the mid term school holiday that can be advanced from early next month to what ever the time is.. Also there is a need to support those who chose to go for an alternative house out side the region of operations. As a solution to this, the plan might be executed in well known timely organized steps and not in one shoot.. By this, people can have some other temp housing with a friend or relative while their discrete is getting cleaned.. Today absolute majority of Baghdad residents are looking for restoring security to their city, we need to invest in this feeling and make it as easy as possible to lessen their sufferings.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 There is another issue regarding what is called the low moral of some Iraqi soldiers. I did my reserved service during Sadam wars in the engineering military college as a professor and I exercised my compulsory military service before that too. I don't have any professional military education but I can say that I have my own personal Iraqi style experience working under such environment of low moral . The moral during these wars was very low, most Iraqi didn't believe that these wars were carried under the Iraq national interest.. Statistics of the war prisoners is an indication of such low moral. It was almost same thing on the other front, the only difference was that Sadam used to randomly GAS the Iranians even before having the chance to have a better choice! Sadam advisors came to a very powerful tool to boost the moral through an encouraging package for those who fall in the battle. At same time a very fearful one for those who retreat, the death Squad team that had orders to kill ANY one with his back to the front line.. That package includes a good financial award to his inheritance, a nice car, a land , a descent amount of money and many other privileges for the fallen soldier family.. Today the believe in fighting terror and defending Iraq stability is boosting the moral of those soldiers, however there are two points that would break it down.. Being fighting under the orders of foriegn authority,and having absolutly no insurance to their family and kids. I know some who fall last year and their families are still waiting for their retierment process! Iraqis are well known for not accepting any foreign control, what ever such control might come under. So having their command in the hand of their fellow Iraqis is critical.. And that what the Bush speech already addressed in accepting Maliki demands for Iraqi to take over the baghdad battle. What left is an absolute encouraging package that include activating Sadam Alshaheed package law and Sadam Alshujaa package law . The first for those who fall in battle and second for those who do very good at the battle.. During Sadam wars, Saudi Arabia was paying the cost of that package, I don't think Maliki government would find it hard to find a finance to that program that would immediately support the fallen soldier family away from Bergerac.. Which by any calculation would not go beyond 50 k USD per person.. As far as the other packages, there are a already many programs in Iraq to substitute those who were politically killed during Sadam era, we can easily add them to the list.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 The debate in the congress about Bush’s plan is very interesting. For first time I start to hear about the positive change in dynamics of war in Annbar where the Sahwa Shiakhs are fighting the Qaeda and Sadamists. Some thing that I was commenting on for more than one month at a time the western media barely mentioned... The reference to that change was very annoying though, many legislators called it “A change from Qaeda side to our side” I would go with "from Qaeda to Iraqi side". such claim is so damaging and portrait these brave sheikhs as agents to foriegn forces while they went that way to protect their country through the great support of Maliki in person when others were not giving that move a serious appreciation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/a...-news-a_section Alqaeda affiliate in Iraq " the Sunni Scholars association" denounces Bush's plan and call for American support for another plan to re establishing the old system but with simple modification, to install the Qaeda's friends in replace of Sadamists, same banner that Sadam used to sell his regime abroad " the kill of Shia".. Alfaidi's boss, Aldharee " in Arabic the wild savage animal" is that same guy who publicly praised Qaeda two months ago for their "resistance and Islamic courage. A stand that made the Maliki government to issue a warrant against him on base of anti-terrorist law . I am wondering why the reporter didn't ask Mr. Al Faidi about his opinion about Alqaeda.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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