BAGHDAD (AP) - Anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gave a “final warning” to the government Saturday to halt a U.S.-Iraqi crackdown against his followers or he would declare “open war until liberation.”

A full-blown uprising by al-Sadr, who led two rebellions against U.S.-led forces in 2004, could lead to a dramatic increase in violence in Iraq at a time when the Sunni extremist group al-Qaida in Iraq appears poised for new attacks after suffering severe blows last year.

Al-Sadr’s warning appeared on his Web site as Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government claimed success in a new push against Shiite militants in the southern city of Basra. Fighting claimed 14 more lives in Sadr City, the Baghdad stronghold of al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army.

Fighting in Sadr City and the crackdown in Basra are part of a government campaign against followers of al-Sadr and Iranian-backed Shiite splinter groups that the U.S. has identified as the gravest threat to a democratic Iraq.

Full Story Here:
Anti-US cleric al-Sadr threatens new uprising in Iraq

If the U.S. military doesn’t stop this moonbat, uh, radical Shiite cleric al-Sadr, it WILL NOT happen, if the job is left to the Iraqi forces, they will lay down their arms, or, surrender them to the Mahdi army would be a more accurate description, and then will join forces with al-Sadr in this deepening CIVIL WAR, also known as The Debacle in Iraq…

I realize that al-Sadr and his Moonbat, uh, Mahdi army aren’t that much of a serious threat, more of an annoyance really, like flies in the barn yard, but they can and do cause death and destruction, the waters in this Debacle in Iraq are so muddied now that it’s going to be difficult to determine exactly who the good guys and the bad guys actually are…

One of my readers recently suggested that the way to end the insurgency in Iraq would be to shoot ANY person seen that was carrying a rifle and NOT in uniform, and to a certain degree I can find NO fault with that strategy, but even that won’t get all of them, not to mention the fact that private contractors and CIA guys aren’t in uniform, and they DO carry weapons, and the possibility for error would be huge, and the results could be catastrophic…

You see, as I, and many others have told our readers for quite some time now, the Iraqi army and police have more supporters of al-Sadr in their ranks than they do supporters of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and once the fighting begins in earnest, the Iraqi military and police will turn tail and run, mostly to the al-Sadr camp, or, just maybe become simple deserters, like the cowards they are…

I have said repeatedly, Iraq IS in the midst of a CIVIL WAR, and that’s a place where we have no business being involved, Vietnam should have taught us that lesson, and yes, I know that it was OUR deposing of Saddam that brought this on, I also know that it was the utter and absolute mismanagement, and ill conceived planning by the Bush War Machine that allowed what should have been a relatively minor combat operation to become an all out debacle that has transgressed into CIVIL WAR…

al-Sadr doesn’t scare our troops, they would love to annihilate this trouble maker, but our Presidential PCness has not allowed that action to come to fruition, and so, this reprehensible cretin al-Sadr is allowed to rear his ugly head once more…

It’s time for Mr. Bush to make a decision, but I think we already know what HIS decision will be, Stay the Course, as we are faced with being the total support of and the only viable combat force in Iraq, and are forced to work within the limits of the leash that has been placed upon our troops by their CiC as they watch the Iraqi troops exhibit their known propensity for cowardice and desertion…

Our troops have nothing but the best of intentions and will follow whatever orders they are given, it is MY opinion that they need to be given the order to clean out the entire nation of Iraq or be given the order to clear the AO and come home, how simple can it be??

Our troops deserve to see this thing brought to an honorable ending, they have given everything they have to give, and are prepared to give even more, Bush OWES them a chance to see the payoff for their efforts…

I read a lot of blogs that claim to be in total support of our troops, but they also remain in total support of The Debacle in Iraq as well, Iraqi Freedom if you will, and they have no problem with telling Bush what a marvelous job he’s doing by keeping our troops mired in this mess…

To me, by not encouraging the POTUS, and our Senate and Congress to bring this thing to a decisive conclusion, and by not making every effort possible to get the WIN THIS THING message out there, well, that is not exactly what I would call maximum effort where troop support in concerned…

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BAGHDAD (AP) - The Iraqi government has dismissed about 1,300 soldiers and policemen who deserted or refused to fight during last month’s offensive against Shiite militias and criminal gangs in Basra, officials said Sunday.

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said 921 police and soldiers were fired in Basra. They included 37 senior police officers ranging in rank from lieutenant colonel to brigadier general.

The others were dismissed in Kut, one of the Shiite cities where the fight had spread.

Last month, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered the security forces to confront armed groups in Basra, Iraq’s second largest city.

But they met fierce resistance and the attack quickly ground to a halt as fighting flared across the Shiite south and Baghdad.

Full Story Here:
1,300 Iraqi Troops, Police Dismissed

1,300 Iraqi troops and police are dismissed?? For desertion?? DISMISSED??

They deserted in time of WAR, they should be lined up and SHOT!!

That’s numbers coming close to being half of a combat brigade folks, a brigade is 3,500 troops, and we have many brigades in Iraq, and they are waiting on the Iraqi army to STAND UP so that they can come home, but the Iraqis have desertions in these kinds of numbers, and ALL that gets done is a dismissal, a mere slap on the wrist??

These are the people that OUR troops are fighting and dying for, our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, husbands and wives, and many friends as well, and this is what we can expect from the Iraqi army and police??

It’s time to re-think this Debacle in Iraq, I have NEVER voted for a Democrat in my life, but if that’s what it takes to get our troops OUT of Iraq, then by God I WILL vote Democrat this go round, and make NO mistake, I know that over all, a vote for the Dems is a bad thing, but voting for a Democrat is exactly what you’ll be doing if you vote for John McCain, a Democrat without the name, a candidate that is nothing more than a RINO, and the one thing that John McCain guarantees is this, we’re going to stay in Iraq, fighting and dying for a people that will NOT stand and fight for themselves…

We were attacked by the Taliban and their cohorts on 9-11-01, and I never balked so much as once when we went to Afghanistan to take on that bunch of thugs, but Iraq was NOT about the Taliban or al-Qaida, not in it’s inception, Iraq was simply George W. Bush having a temper tantrum because Saddam defied his wishes and threatened ‘Daddy’, and after several changes of mission statement and definition, we’re still there, in Iraq, an entire nation that is NOT worth the life of so much as ONE of our fine men and women in uniform…

I know there will be many that disagree with this post, but quite frankly, I DON’T CARE, if you can’t open your eyes and see what us being in Iraq has done to this nation, and what George W. Bush has brought upon this nation by taking us TO Iraq, then you are truly one of the blind Bush Bots, and if that offends you, feel free to click out of this blog and stay clicked out!!

I personally feel that those who support the Debacle in Iraq are doing a dis-service to our military members, if we are going to go to war, anywhere in this world, we owe it to our men and women in uniform to prosecute that war in the most expeditious manner possible, and to get them home safely, as soon as possible, and that has NOT been the case in Iraq, we are still conducting a tit for tat, a travesty which we have no apparent desire to end…

And once again the war fighting skills of the Iraqi army make it quite apparent as to exactly WHY we rolled over Saddam and his Republican Guard in such short order, the Iraqis WILL NOT FIGHT, they will conduct insurgent and guerrilla operations, they WILL persecute defenseless people, they will dominate and murder those that won’t fight back but IF there is a challenge made against the Iraqi army, they, as a whole, show their true colors and run like dogs…

Any nation or people that refuses to fight for it’s own freedom is NOT worth fighting FOR, not by us or any other nation, a people that will not stand in their own defense are not worth defending!!

Support Iraqi Freedom?? Screw Iraq AND it’s freedom, bring our troops home NOW, or deploy them to a place where they can actually do some good in the War on Terror, and not leave them act as stand-ins and IED fodder for some insurgency and their civil war!

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. general commanding the Iraq war called Tuesday for an open-ended suspension of U.S. troop withdrawals this summer, reflecting concern about a recent flare-up in violence and leaving open the possibility that few, if any, additional troops will be brought home before President Bush leaves office in January.

Gen. David Petraeus told a Senate hearing that he recommends a 45-day “period of consolidation and evaluation” once the extra combat forces that Bush ordered to Iraq last year have completed their pullout in July. He did not commit to a timetable for resuming troop reductions after the 45-day pause.

“At the end of that period, we will commence a process of assessment to examine the conditions on the ground and, over time, determine when we can make recommendations for further reductions,” Petraeus said.

Full Story Here:
Petraeus Calls for Troop Withdrawal Halt

There is an on-line petition at the site for U.S. Senator John Cornyn asking for signers to show their support of Gen. David Petraeus, and Sen. Cornyn plans on giving this list of supporters to the General personally:

Please sign this petition telling General Petraeus that we support the job that he and his troops are doing in Iraq.

The next time I see General Petraeus I’ll be sure to pass along a big Texas “thank you” to him and to all of our men and women in uniform for all that they do.

Your signature will assure General Petraeus that he and his troops have the support and admiration of all Texans and Americans, no matter what Democrats and their third party attack machine would have you believe.

~ Senator John Cornyn

The petition can be found here:
Sign the General David Petraeus Petition

I went to the site and signed this petition, and just below is an exact, word for word copy of the message that I sent to Sen. Cornyn for him pass along to Gen. Petraeus on my behalf.

I DO support the troops, I have NEVER agreed with the reasons stated by the Bush administration for us going to Iraq though, I was NEVER convinced that Iraq was ‘Priority 1′ but I DO support our troops, even if I don’t agree with our POTUS and his stated reasons for them being there.

My Son has already done one tour in Iraq and his Guard unit has been told they will be going back in early 2010.

I have a suggestion for General Petraeus, IF we’re going to be in Iraq, why don’t we go ahead and kick the living crap out of the entire insurgency, AND the supporters OF that insurgency, and get this thing over with, not some ‘SURGE’, but a real, hardcore, massive offensive that will bring this thing to an acceptable solution…

We were directly involved in WWII for 3 years and 9 months, we’ve been in Iraq for over 5 years and the insurgency is still active, and still killing OUR troops, and to me, and my way of thinking, this is a totally unacceptable situation…

We are, supposedly, the strongest nation on earth, with a military that is 2nd to none, tell Bush to let the guys DO THE JOB, stop the PC bullshit and get this thing over with, our troops have the will to DO that job, does General Petraeus have the will to tell his CiC to allow them to do it??

Does General Petraeus have the balls to lead them IN that mission?

I certainly hope so..

Several of the Bush Bot bloggers seem think I am anti-war for some strange reason and have called me lots of names over the last couple of years, traitor being the most common so far, and nothing could be further from the truth, I am NOT anti-war, I am anti-bullshitting around, if we’re going to fight, by God, let’s do some fighting and get this thing over with.

If you can’t see the logic in that then you’re not a Conservative, but I’d bet you’re a Bush supporter that’s going to become a McCainiac very soon.

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BATAVIA, Ohio (AP) - The father of a soldier listed as missing-captured in Iraq since 2004 said Sunday that the military had informed him that his son’s remains were found in Iraq.

Keith Maupin said at a news conference in suburban Cincinnati that an Army general told him DNA testing had identified the remains of his son, Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin, or “Matt” as he was commonly known.

Lt. Lee Packnett, an Army public affairs officer in Washington, confirmed that the Maupins were notified Sunday that their son’s remains had been identified. Packnett said an official statement about the identification would be released Monday.

Matt Maupin was a 20-year-old private first class when he was captured April 9, 2004, after his fuel convoy, part of the 724th Transportation Company, was ambushed west of Baghdad.

A week later, the Arab television network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape showing Maupin sitting on the floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.

That June, Al-Jazeera aired another tape purporting to show a U.S. soldier being shot. But the dark and grainy tape showed only the back of the victim’s head and not the actual shooting.

Full Story Here:
Remains ID’d As Missing Ohio Soldier’s

Rest in Peace Matt, you served bravely and you did your duty, you’re coming home now, and your Mom and Dad can have some peace in just knowing your fate, I hate the word closure, but for lack of a better word, maybe they can finally have some closure.

All our love and sympathy to the Maupin family, and to ALL the families of our brave troops that have given their lives in the line of duty.

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A special thanks to these wonderful folks, they all either commented, blogged or did both regarding Matt Maupin, you folks are the very best!! If I have missed anyone, I DO apologize, drop me an email and let me know, I will gladly include you in this list of GREAT bloggers!!

The Ranando Report, Bloviating Zeppelin, RTaylor, Right Truth, Marilyn, Chicago Ray, The BoBo Files, Patrick Sperry, GM Roper, GuyK, ablur, Jenn of the Jungle, An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings, Driving Out The Snakes , I’m Thinking of the “O” Word, Southern Sass on Crime, ARRA News Service

WASHINGTON — For Sen. Jim Webb, it’s a question of fairness: Why don’t veterans of today’s armed services get the same benefits the GI Bill provided “the greatest generation” after World War II?

Actually Senator, the answer is pretty simple, Vets have always been handed the slick end of the stick, and you know that, perhaps PCness keeps you from saying it, I would hope NOT but that statement is nothing but the cold hard fact of the matter, if the government feels it needs a budget cut, Vets are the 1st to feel it.

But the Virginia Democrat’s effort to remedy the perceived slight, which has gained support in Congress, runs afoul of how officials at the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs want to manage the all-volunteer military. Besides being too expensive and more administratively complex than the current GI Bill, they say it would make it more difficult to retain experienced troops beyond their first hitch.

Too expensive?? Too expensive to take care of our Vets and offer them better benefits after they have put their lives on the line in service to this nation?? The DoD and V.A. need to rethink that position and define the word ‘expensive’.

In my opinion expensive is Iraq, and what we are doing there, we are spending BILLIONS of U.S. tax dollars on a gamble that we’re not even certain is going to pay off, but we won’t spend the money to give top shelf benefits to the troops that are working their tails off in an attempt to make this gamble in Iraq and elsewhere work?

And another thing, if the DoD wants to retain experienced troops beyond that 1st hitch, they need to take into consideration exactly what those troops are going through, what their families are sacrificing, the ‘big picture’ if you will, and the DoD needs to address the issue of WHY troops are now on their 3rd, 4th and in some cases, their 5th combat rotation to Iraq, personally I think that ANY troops that has given that much of themselves, to and for this nation, deserve nothing but the very finest educational opportunities available.

“I see the educational benefits in this bill as crucial to a service member’s readjustment to civilian life and as a cost of war that should receive the same priority that funding the war has received the last five years,” Webb said.

The benefit would cover tuition and fees for the most expensive public university in any state where the veteran resides and pay an allowance for books and housing.

I have often said, I don’t support the ‘political party’, I look at the individual and make my decisions based on what I see from that individual and their actions, and in this case I have to say, I support the efforts and statements of Sen. Webb, and of those in office that are supporting him and his effort to obtain more and better benefits for our Veterans.

I read a lot of so-called Conservative and Republican Blogs that are always tooting their own horns about how much they support the troops, several sites come to mind, but they will go unmentioned because I won’t give linkage to hypocrites, and those same sites will call BS on this story simply because Sen. Webb is a Democrat, and that is why I believe certain individuals are the hypocrites I accuse them of being when it comes to REAL troops support.

If you truly support the troops, PROVE IT, support this effort to help increase educational benefits for our Vets, don’t just sit there and say “Oh yeah, I support the troops“, help get this thing moving, call or write your congressman or senator, tell them to support Sen. Webb in this effort, if you can support the war then you can surely support the futures of guys and gals that are doing the work. They deserve it!

Full Story Here:
Boosting GI Bill benefits could hit military roadblock

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