KUWAIT CITY (AP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Tuesday he was disappointed that neighboring countries have not done enough to his war-torn nation and urged them to stop terrorists from infiltrating over their borders.

Al-Maliki spoke at the opening of a meeting of Iraq’s neighbors held in Kuwait aimed at rallying support for Iraq’s beleaguered government.

A copy of the conference’s draft resolution obtained by The Associated Press also calls for increased help from Iraq’s neighbors in fighting militias and “assistance in solving the issue of Iraqi debts.”

But Iraq’s neighbors have made pledges to help Iraq at two previous meetings, with little follow-through. They have also promised to open diplomatic missions in Baghdad, but none has yet done so.

Full Story Here:
Iraqi PM to neighbors: Stop terrorists from crossing borders

I am only guessing here, but I have got to believe that al-Maliki didn’t say “he was disappointed that neighboring countries have not done enough to his war-torn nation“, I am supposing that’s either a mis-speak or a typo, he must have said “done enough FOR his war torn nation“, maybe AP needs a few proof readers with spell check and a working knowledge concerning the use of a thesaurus…

And you just have to know, IF al-Maliki were an American, he’d probably be as liberal a libber as a libber can be, you need an example??

He wants his neighbors to do more to stop terrorists from entering HIS nation?? Hey Al, it’s YOUR nation, do it yourself!! Where did you get the idea that your neighbors need to secure your borders for you?? I mean, if I didn’t know better, I’d say that was a page right out of the ‘Let’s secure America’ play book by G.W. Bush…

And I don’t really care if your neighbors give you ‘debt relief’, hell, we’re BILLIONS of dollars in the hole because of our own Moron in Chief and his unflinching support for your nation, although that precise definition of support came after several redefinitions of our mission TO Iraq, but seriously Al, you can’t expect the world to do it all FOR you, you’re sitting on a fortune in oil revenue, Saddam was able to capitalize on that revenue, are you telling the world that you’re not as competent a leader as Saddam was??

al-Maliki said he finds it “difficult to explain why diplomatic exchange has not taken place.” referring to other Arab nations, well Al, here’s the deal, the other Arab nations don’t trust you, they’re using their oil reserves to make tons of money, and you can’t even support your own nation, it’s business Al, it’s NOT personal, and I don’t think your fellow Arabs are too much into charity…

And many of them aren’t too happy about those nasty infidels being in your nation, you know who I mean Al, the U.S. army, the guys that have, so far, kept your ass from being blown to Mecca and back, many look upon them as occupiers, well, if you could stand up an army that would fight, and not go into automatic desertion mode every time al-Sadr farted, you might gain some respect for Iraq from you fellow ’sheet-heads’, not to mention the fact that IF you were able to take care of Iraq with Iraqi police and army troops, those nasty infidels would gladly go home…

Grow a set Al, you’re starting to sound like an old worn out Hollyweird star crying about her lost youth and blaming everyone else for her demise, stand up Al and ‘MAN UP’, no guts, no glory, just lead your nation or get the hell out of the way and let someone have the job that has the cajones to get the job done!!

And Mr. Bush, you might need to consider some of this as well…

Just sayin’…

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BAGHDAD (AP) - Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said Sunday that he was pulling his fighters off the streets nationwide and called on the government to stop raids against his followers and free them from prison.

The Iraqi government quickly welcomed al-Sadr’s apparent move to resolve a widening conflict with his movement, sparked Tuesday by operations against his backers in the oil-rich southern city of Basra.

Al-Sadr’s nine-point statement was issued by his headquarters in the holy city of Najaf and broadcast through loudspeakers on Shiite mosques. It said the first point was: “taking gunmen off the streets in Basra and elsewhere.”

He also demanded that the Iraqi government stop “haphazard raids” and release security detainees who haven’t been charged, two issues cited by his movement as reasons for fighting the government.

Full Story Here:
Al-Sadr Pulls Fighters Off Iraq Streets

al-Sadr blinked. And you can bet it wasn’t from fear of the Iraqi army or police, it was because of the raids being conducted by U.S. aircraft, ground support being provided by the U.S. military and artillery barrages being provided by British forces, had it not been for those 3 factors, Iraqi forces, such as they are, would be locked in a bloody struggle right now, or, should I say, more of a struggle than they already are?

This is the question I asked in a post on Tuesday, “Will al-Sadr and his cohorts blink 1st? Will al-Maliki have to return the balls he appears to have found once this is over? Is there going to be a massive push into Sadr City and Basra to oust these radical vermin?”, al-Maliki and al-Sadr both rattle their sabres and now I wonder, is al-Sadr truly a man of his word, will he be capable of controlling the actions of his Mahdi army thugs?

We shall see I suppose, time will tell, but I am reasonably sure this will not be the last we hear from al-Sadr and his Mahdi army, they will continue to be a thorn in the side of the Iraqi government as they try to establish a working democracy in Iraq.

I also wonder, has al-Maliki got the balls to actually pull this off? Does he have the power to stop his police from surrendering to the Mahdi army and turning their weapons over to them? “We can’t fight our brothers in the Mahdi Army, so we came here to submit our weapons,” one policeman said on condition of anonymity for security reasons.”, Shiite Leader Al-Sadr Defies Iraq Gov’t

I am, quite frankly, a bit surprised that al-Maliki is still alive, given the preferred methods of removal from office incorporated by the Iraqi insurgents, maybe the man has more to him than has been seen so far, maybe it’s because American forces and some really sharp private security forces have protected him that well.

Or maybe the puppeteer is pulling the right strings.

All I know for certain is this, I am very tired of hearing that even more American troops have died for this cause, I am tired of hearing how many BILLIONS of our tax dollars are being poured into a nation that will, in all likelihood, never return a penny of that cost to us, I am tired of hearing how we are fighting to help establish a true democracy in an Islamic nation, a nation consumed by a religion that will never allow democracy to live, they can’t allow it to live and remain an Islamic nation, Islam and democracy are in direct opposition to each other.

And another thing I am tired of is this, I am tired of being told that this Debacle in Iraq is making us safer here in the USA.

If our shores, ports and borders were actually secure, if our immigration laws, as well as the issuance of travel and student visas were well regulated and policed, there would be no way that any of the insurgents in Iraq could possibly make their way into this nation and do us harm.

As retired U.S. Navy Commander Jeff Huber of Pen and Sword said a while back, and I loosely quote, “How are they going to threaten us if our borders are secure? Attack us with their air force? Sail their navy over here with an invasion force? An air force and navy they don’t have?”

Cmdr. Huber has also points out some of the same facts that I have, on numerous occasions, we don’t have to worry about an invasion by radical Islamic terrorists and/or insurgents that would come here from Iraq or other places, they’re already here, they are living right here in the USA, right now, and it’s only a matter of time until they strike the American people.

I am only guessing with this statement, but I am of the opinion, so far, the reason we haven’t seen terrorist attacks in the USA is because of the ARMED citizenry of America, the radical insurgent factions of Islam, those that would conduct terrorist attacks on our shores, are FULLY aware that if they were do so, something like HALF of the population of this nation would rise in anger and strike out against ALL Muslims in America, with NO concern as to whether they were striking radical terrorists or innocent bystanders, it would simply be the fact that they were Muslims, and that my friends is a cold hard truth.

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BAGHDAD (AP) - Anti-American Shiite militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers Saturday to defy government orders to surrender their weapons, as U.S. jets struck Shiite extremists near Basra to bolster a faltering Iraqi offensive against gunmen in the city.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki acknowledged he may have miscalculated by failing to foresee the strong backlash that his offensive, which began Tuesday, provoked in areas of Baghdad and other cities where Shiite militias wield power.

So, al-Maliki thinks he may have miscalculated the strong backlash by the insurgents? I hate to say ‘I told you so’, but, I told you so, the Iraqis have NO idea of what to do or how to do it, even after over 5 years of American and British leadership and training, if the Americans and the Brits don’t win this battle against the Mahdi Army, the Iraqi forces will get their asses handed to them on a platter.

And that’s the way this Debacle in Iraq will continue to go for as long as ANY kind of insurgency can be maintained, we’ll do the biggest part of the fighting and dying and the Iraqis will keep on doing what Iraqis do best, just enough to get by.

Despite the mounting crisis, al-Maliki, himself a Shiite, vowed to remain in Basra until government forces wrest control from militias, including al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army. He called the fight for control of Basra “a decisive and final battle.”

British ground troops, who controlled the city until handing it over to the Iraqis last December, also joined the battle for Basra, firing artillery Saturday for the first time in support of Iraqi forces.

2 days ago I made a blog post that asked, “Would that push be led, in force, by the Iraqis, of is this another U.S. mission that will bear a striking resemblance to missions in Vietnam, missions where U.S. troops fought and died to take positions and then turned them over to ARVN troops only to see them give it back to the NVA/VC and then U.S. troops have to go back, fight and die once again, all to re-take that very same useless position, and do it over and over, all within a very short period of time?”, al-Maliki and al-Sadr both rattle their sabres and I am even more convinced that this is exactly the scenario we will be seeing as the Debacle in Iraq heats up once again, and as of right now it’s the Brits that are having to save the Iraqis in Basra, after they, the Brits, had secured Basra and then turned it over to the Iraqis, and the Iraqis failed to hold a secure position.

I don’t know about my younger readers, but to me, and many of the older readers, those of us that can and do remember Vietnam, in vivid, full color memories, what we are seeing right now is exactly the same drive and determination to win from the Iraqi Army as we saw from the ARVN troops during that war, we’d take it, hand it over to the ARVN’s and they would promptly hand it right back to the NVA and/or VC, and in the process, surrendering weapons and munitions to those that would turn them on American troops.

Oh, but the Bush Bots say that just can’t be happening in Iraq, Bush and the American military are loved by all in Iraq, and to the Bots I say, loud and clear, BULL SHIT! The Iraqis are Muslims, they are loyal to their religion, their sects, and even that has warring factions, the Iraqis, for the most part, don’t give a damn for us or what Bush claims to be doing for their benefit.

The growing turmoil threatens to undermine White House efforts to convince a skeptical Congress and the American public that the Iraqis are making progress toward managing their own security without the presence of U.S. troops.With the Shiite militiamen defiant, a group of police in the Mahdi Army’s Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City abandoned their posts and handed over their weapons to al-Sadr’s local office. Police forces in Baghdad are believed to be heavily influenced or infiltrated by Mahdi militiamen.

“We can’t fight our brothers in the Mahdi Army, so we came here to submit our weapons,” one policeman said on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

He said about 40 policemen had defected to the Mahdi Army. The figure could not be confirmed, but AP Television News footage showed about a dozen uniformed police, their faces covered with masks to shield their identity, being met by Sheik Salman al-Feraiji, al-Sadr’s chief representative in Sadr City.

When I began writing this commentary I started it off by saying “I hate to say I told you so“, but you know, I really DON’T, because I, and a few other Conservative bloggers have been trying to tell folks that this was how it was going to be, we’ve been trying to get it across to the Bush Bots for a long time, and all we got for our efforts was the label ‘TRAITOR‘ and Bush Hater, but ya know, I just can’t argue with the Bush Hater thing, at least that part IS true.

Here’s the bottom line folks, if U.S. and British forces don’t pursue this offensive through to a definitive solution, it will not happen, the Iraqis are basically a useless lot when it comes to warfighting and in my not so humble opinion, the entire nation of Iraq is not worth the death or wounding of so much as one more U.S. soldier, sailor or airman.

WHY should we have to defend these gutless backstabbers that can’t wait to get an American in their sights?? If the Iraqis can’t stand on their own, after several years of intense training, an unlimited supply of weapons, munitions and logistics, not to mention some fantastic support from American and British forces, if it can’t happen NOW, if they can’t defeat a rag-tag bunch like the Mahdi army, I have to ask, WHEN??

When will the Iraqis be capable of standing and fighting in defense of their nation? And do so without us being forced into doing the fighting for them as they continue to give up, turn weapons over TO the Mahdi army and slam the door in OUR face?

Is that a people we should be dying for?

Full and Complete Story Here:
Shiite Leader Al-Sadr Defies Iraq Gov’t

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BAGHDAD (AP) - A U.S. helicopter fired a Hellfire missile during fighting in a Shiite militia stronghold of Baghdad Friday, killing at least four people as deadly clashes broke out in Iraq’s oil-rich south for the fourth day.

American jets also dropped bombs overnight in Basra in the first use of U.S. air power in the southern oil port since the Iraqi government launched a crackdown against Shiite militias there earlier this week.

Defying a curfew in Baghdad, extremists also lobbed more rockets or mortars against the U.S.-protected Green Zone.

At least two rounds struck the nearby offices of Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, killing two guards and wounding four, his daughter Lubna said.

If it’s war al-Sadr and his bunch of Little Shiiteheads want, then let it be war they get, let’s see if The Bush and his puppet al-Maliki have the balls to do it right this time, because removing al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army from the face of this earth shouldn’t be that much of an effort if we seriously get with the program and do this thing as it should be done and must be done.

Ground forces called for the airstrike in Sadr City after coming under small-arms fire while clearing a main supply route at 4:10 a.m., U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Steve Stover said.

And THAT is exactly what we should have been doing all along, when you’re the mightiest military nation on earth you use what is available and you use it to win, to hell with PCness and standoffs, KILL the enemy and save OUR troops.

He ( Lt. Col. Steve Stover) said four gunmen were killed, but Iraqi police and hospital officials said five civilians died and four others were wounded in the attack.

And by the time al-Jazeera and the assorted Muslim moonbats of the world gets done with telling this story their way, we will have bombed 3 mosques, an old folks retirement village and 2 children’s hospitals, killing a multitude of innocent Iraqi civilians.

The strikes came as tensions rose among followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr angry over a crackdown that has threatened to unravel a militia cease-fire and spark a new cycle of violence after months of relative calm in Iraq.

Here’s a simple and easy to understand solution, KILL al-Sadr and as many of his followers as you possibly can, that tends to send a message, it says, ‘we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore’.

And it also serves another purpose, it tells ALL the radical Muslims, of all nationalities and all branches of Islam, we’re serious in our War on Terror and if you mess with us again, scores of your people WILL DIE, and that my friends, is the only message, the only action and the only logic that these people understand.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has insisted the fight is targeting criminal gangs in Basra, not al-Sadr’s movement, and he has promised “no retreat.”

It’s statements like this that tend to make me wonder, isn’t al-Sadr’s bunch the “criminal gangs” that are causing all this brouhaha?? I guess al-Maliki is taking his queue from The Bush and going for PCness by using political doublespeak.

Personally, I don’t think al-Maliki has the BALLS to do this thing, I don’t believe he will go to war against his Shiitehead brothers, and al-Sadr IS his religious brother, and I also wonder how long before The Bush reins in our troops as well, it’s just not PC to go around killing your enemies, you might make them angry, and we all know, it’s just not right for us to have enemies that hate us.

What I wouldn’t give to see a real military type leader in the White House, and a entire Corps in the field comprised of nothing but Gen. George S. Patton clones, this Debacle in Iraq would be over in a week or so.

Many folks complain that we must find a way out of Iraq, I am one of them, but I don’t just cry about it, I offer viable solutions to the problem, and the most viable solution that I can present is this, KILL the insurgents, wipe them out and leave their carcasses in the street as a reminder to any that follow, WIN this thing and do it in such a massive and brutal fashion that other radical nations will take pause before they disturb our nation again, and even though I don’t believe that Iraq and Saddam were involved in the attacks of 9-11, we ARE in Iraq, be that action right or wrong, it makes no difference, we’re there, now get it over with and stop playing games.

Full Story Here:
US Airstrike Kills at Least 4 in Baghdad

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