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Friday, 15 February 2008
 

Haider Ajina: Good news from Iraq

Via email from proud American citizen Haider Ajina, who lived the early years of his life in Iraq:

Greetings,

The following are two article and my comments with good news from Iraq.

Passage of three key laws dominates Baghdad press   
Baghdad - Voices of Iraq 
Thursday , 14 /02 /2008  Time 8:35:29
 
Baghdad, Feb 14, (VOI) – Baghdad newspapers on Thursday focused on the Iraqi parliament's passage of three contentious legislative items on the 2008 budget, general amnesty, and provinces not affiliated with a province.

The independent daily al-Sharq al-Iraqiyya newspaper published an opinion article by its Editor-in-Chief Abdul Rasoul in which he described the parliamentary approval of the law as a "new beginning" that indicates a good sign for the future.

"The parliament's belated vote on the budget came at a time when we most need funds to embark on programs and projects in a bid to counteract the negligence caused in previous eras," the author said.

The author explained that the general amnesty law can be a real start for national reconciliation efforts in the country and a new stage of real tolerance.

Yesterday, Iraq's parliament passed three crucial laws that set legislations for provincial elections, allotted $ 48 billion for 2008 spending, and provided general amnesty to detainees in Iraqi custody.

The Sadrists and some members of the Shiite Fadhila Party, the Iraqi National List (INL), the Shiite Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC), and the Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) withdrew from the session.

The U.S. administration has demanded the passage of a provincial powers law as one of 18 benchmarks for political reconciliation in Iraq.

The last time Iraqis voted for local officials was in January 2005, when nationwide elections ushered in representational government across Iraq for the first time in modern history.

Al-Muwatin, another independent daily, published an article entitled, 'Parliament between collusion and accordance,' by its Editor-in-Chief, Salam al-Haidari in which he raised doubts about possible collusion between Iraqi politicians to pass the three laws.

"Statistics released by the Ministry of Planning and Development say that Kurds constitute 13% of the total population. Why then would they be given 17% (of the budget)? How could a vote be taken on a general amnesty law that includes criminals and murderers? Doesn't that suggest that there is a bargain between these parties?" the author wondered.

My Comments,:

An Iraqi elected parliament has passed three highly important laws. This shows reconciliation and cooperation. Many annalists inside and outside Iraq and many politicians outside Iraq have said that the Iraqi government is paralyzed and can not get anything done. The passage of these three laws and the recently passed law which replaced the Bremer debathification law show this not to be the case. Politics of debate reconciliation and cooperation is a new skill to be learned and exercised in Iraq. While tribal leaders elders and other Iraqis are familiar with the concept of cooperation and reconciliation and consensus building they have not used it in governing the country before. In addition to it being new, matters in Iraq proceed much slower than what we are used to in the States. It is the nature of the country and the people.

The Iraqi executive branch is in the midst of a major ministerial (cabinet) restructure, with a focus on technocrat ministers rather than sectarian and ethnic favors. This is taking place because of the recent and substantial decline in violence and increase in revenue from Oil exports. These editorials in Iraqi papers is a modern occurrence unheard of just over four short years. Iraqis can think, discuss, engage, debate and criticize their government freely now.

Adwaniyah Residents Look to Brighter Future, Normalcy   
Thursday, 14 February 2008

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Last year, the community of Adwaniyah witnessed the worst of what the insurgency brought to the people of Iraq. There were reports of kidnappings and murders. Members of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) were said to have forced residents out of their homes. Soon, Adwaniyah residents realized that life under AQI would be a step backward and they began to work with Coalition forces to rid their community of AQI.

Adwaniyah citizens Hazim Shaker Ahmen and Riyah Yas Khudayr, both former Iraqi Army officers, began working with Coalition forces and started ‘Sons of Iraq’ (SoI) programs last October.

In mid-November AQI mounted an offensive against U.S. Soldiers, Iraqi Army and Sons of Iraq. At the time, Troop B, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division was the Army unit patrolling Adwaniyah. Troop B and the SoI repelled the offensive and since then AQI members have either been detained or fled the community.

Now, Troop B, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. controls the battle space and the future of Adwaniyah is bright.

“The local leadership, the Sons of Iraq and Iraqi Army all played an important part in making this a success and they continue to do so,” said Capt. Douglas Hoyt, Troop B, 6-8th Cav. Regt. commander, from Columbus, Ohio. “The willingness to make a stand, to sacrifice and work hard has paid off.”

In December, a SoI headquarters was set up and a town council was established.
By January, word began to spread that the community was safer. Residents began moving back into the city and businesses started re-opening.

“The situation has gone from bad to better,” said local SoI co-founder Ahmen. “The task has begun to improve the security, economic and employment situation and the relationship with the central Government of Iraq.”

Assisting with the improvement in security, Troop B, 6-8th Cav. Regt. established Patrol Base Dolby in the community to help keep residents safe, rebuild the infrastructure and try to boost the economy.

(Story by 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs)

My comments:

Progress in the last two areas with Alqida strong holds (Mosul and Diwaniyah) has been quite measurable. The replication of the awakening committees of Anbar province in these areas has been effective. The replication has not been exact, since the ethnic mix and geography are substantially different from Anbar. Iraqis are taking ownership of their own security and decided that Alqida and its supporters do not belong in their midst. Al this thanks to the hard work and tireless efforts of our men and women serving in Iraq. 


Regards
Haider Ajina
Mckinleyville CA

Contributed by Bill Faith on February 15, 2008 at 01:23 AM in Haider Ajina, Iraq | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Friday, 02 November 2007
 

Haider Ajina: Good news from Iraq

Email from Haider 3 days ago -- my apologies for not posting it sooner:

Greetings,

The following is my translation of a headline and article from Iraq’s Nahrain of October 29 2007.

Karbala receiving security responsibility for its province.

Iraqi Prime Minster (PM) Noori Almaliki said in a speech delivered at the hand-over ceremonies of Karbala’s security to the provincial government, ‘Receiving security responsibility of Karbala is a big development and a large step towards Iraq’s full security responsibility’.

Ceremonies of the hand-over of security responsibilities of Karbala to its provincial government were held today Monday October 29 at the Karbala Soccer stadium.

The PM then pointed out that security for Basra province will be handed over to the Basra provincial government in mid December.  Almaliki then called on the Iraqi national security forces to double their security efforts so the rest of the provinces can be handed over to their provincial governments. He then criticized those who think of a one party system or of loyalty solely to the tribe. Countries are not built on ignorance, bigotry and killings, quite the opposite countries are built on dialogue, respect of others, understanding and abilities. The political system has an immediate effect on security, and political problems translate to security problems, waste of effort and preoccupation with differences and deviation from rebuilding efforts’.

Almaliki then addressed the economy by saying. ‘On the economic front we have much to be proud of, unemployment has declined from 50% to 20% and inflation has gone down from 60% to 16%, these are tremendous achievements. Almaliki then went on to speak about developments in national reconciliation. He said that reconciliation does not mean dividing the country like a piece of pie or giving position to the nonqualified. Reconciliation is built on national sublime foundations. He warned that not all who fly the reconciliation banner want reconciliation. Some still have the mentality of tribalism and totalitarianism and want to turn the clocks back, while they appear in the media calling for reconciliation.  Of those we need to be careful.  Reconciliation is in the hands of those who want to see prosperity for Iraq.

On Monday October 29th security for Karbala province was transferred from the MNF to Iraqi security in the province. Celebrations for this event were held at the Karbala soccer stadium and were attended by Iraq’s PM Noori Alamliki and several Iraqi and American civilian and military dignitaries and a number of Iraqi MPs and Karbala province officials.

Karbala is the eighth Iraqi province to receive responsibility for its security. Samawah was the first, then followed by Maisan, Muthenah (Neseriah) and Nejaf all of which are south of Baghdad , and the three Kurdish provinces in the North.

My comments:

Karbala province is home to many of Shiite shrines and of historical significance to Muslims in general and Iraqis in particular. Hussein a grand Son of the prophet Mohamed PBH is berried their. Shiia Muslims consider Karbala to be one of their holiest cities after Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem and Najaf. In the early 1800 Wahabis attacked Karbala, looted the shrines and killed over 4000 inhabitants. This event has strong meaning to what we are suffering from today due to the Wahabi Takfiri intolerance and violence.

Karbala (about 60 miles south of Baghdad) has almost 600,000 inhabitants this is 2.5% of the Population of Iraq and 1944 sq.mi or 1.2% of Iraq’s territory. The provinces of Maysan, Nejaf, Muthena & Dhi Qar are already under Iraqi provincial control, in the south. In the north Kurdistan in its three provinces of Arbil, Sulaimaniya and Dehuck are also under Iraqi control. Now eight out of eighteen Iraqi provinces will be under provincial control. The provinces under full Iraqi control will be a total of 36.6% of Iraq’s territory and 31.5% of the population.  All this has been achieved, in a country with little experience in democracy and the rule of law in its recent history and after 30 years of tyrannical rule, and only 4 short years since the liberation, and combating terrorist trying to destabilize an elected government.

Regards
Haider Ajina
McKinleyville CA

And another from 2 days ago:

Greetings,

The following is my translation of a headline and news article from Iraq’s Buratha News on 10-31-07:

'Sunni Tribal leaders from Dhi-Qar province distance them selves from Takfiries and pledge their support to the political process and elected government'.

The governor of Iraq’s Dhi-Qar province Aziz Khadum Alwan received a delegation of Sunni tribal leaders of the Dhi-Qar who are member of the Dhi-Qar tribal chamber. The delegation handed the governor a copy of a speech given by the Chair of the delegation Sheik Ahmed AbdulRazaq after Friday prayer. The speech he delivered made very clear the mission of the Tribal Chamber which guides its actions. Sheik AbdulRazaq acknowledged the danger of the Takfiri fatwas and its deviation from Islam and the importance of combating and fighting the Takfiries and their deviant ideas. He also called for the support of the government and its local administrative and security representatives.

My comments,:

Dhi-Qar province is a mostly Muslim Shiite province with some Mandaeans (followers of John the Baptist). Sunni Tribal leaders in Dhi-Qar province are speaking out loudly against Takfiries and against those trying to disrupt the political process in Iraq. Since the Alqida Takfiries are Sunnis, the Sunnis in Dhi-Qar are speaking out to disassociate them selves from these Takfiries as well as call for fighting these Takfiries. They also denounce the Takfiri deviant ideology and calling it non Muslim. These are all positive steps towards a united Iraq against terrorist and for a representative government. While Iraq, as any free society, will never be fully united behind any political cause (nor should they) they are however uniting against the Takfiries and intolerance and they are uniting to protect their minorities.

Regards
Haider Ajina
McKinleyville CA

Contributed by Bill Faith on November 2, 2007 at 09:42 PM in Iraq | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Monday, 22 October 2007
 

Haider Ajina: Good news from Iraq

Email from Haider:

Greetings,

The following is my translation of an article from Iraq’s ‘Nahrain’ of Oct 18 2007:

Iraqi VP Adil Abdul-Mehdi affirms the importance of free thought and freedom of belief to all Iraqis as guaranteed by the constitution.

While hosting a Mandaen-Sabian (which considers St. John the Baptist to be its greatest teacher) delegation from south central Iraq, Iraq’s VP Abdul-Mehdi said, Alqaida’s plans to create divisiveness and rancor amongst Iraq’s sects has failed. Thanks to the alert citizens and condemnations from religious leaders. The meeting addressed the condition of the Sabian community and the difficulties faced by them. The VP expressed his full support and backing for members of Sabian community. The delegation delivered well wishes for the end of Ramadan celebrations.

My comment:

A community of Mandea –Sabians have existed in Iraq since well before Jesus and certainly before Mohamed. The Koran declares them as fellow believers as are Christians and Jews and all those who believe in God. Now that Iraq has a constitution which protects its people and a representative government, these minorities are protected, accepted and supported by the government. In this new democracy and rule of law of mostly Muslim country, non-Muslim minorities are accepted, protected and Takfiries and Hirabah’s are condemned for their evil acts of violence and disruption. This condemnation is beginning to resonate throughout many Arab Gulf states and western North Africa, were Governments are offering more freedom and Rule of law to their citizens. Not only does this  freedom and protection by rule of law bread hope it defeats disenfranchisement and oppression thus drying up the recruiting grounds for al-Qaida Takfiri and Hirabah groups. What better example of this than current day Iraq.

From Iraq’s Azzaman (Strong Sunni paper and often Anti Multi national forces), October 17, 2007

Tribes playing vital role in fight against terror, says officials

A year ago, the Iraqi branch of al-Qaeda was the kind of scourge which not only U.S. occupation troops feared but a source of terror for the population at large. Today al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia the appellation the terror groups has given itself in Iraq is in retreat. Thanks for the dramatic slump in devastating Qaeda car-bombings and suicide operations go to Iraqi tribes. The man who is rallying the tribes, both Sunni and Shiites to help bring some semblance of normalcy to violent and restive areas is none but Shaikh Maad Muzher al-Samrawi, the Emir or prince of the Zubaid tribe in Iraq.

Samrawi is Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s adviser for tribal affairs and has been spearheading efforts to mobilize Sunni tribes particularly in the restive provinces of Anbar and Diyala against Qaeda. His efforts have borne much fruit so far to the extent that the government has now come to believe that one important way for it to exercise its authority in the country is in the hands of Arab tribes. Maliki now has a special committee headed by Samrawi comprising representatives from major Iraqi tribes whose main role is to liaise between the government and tribal chiefs.

“Iraqi tribes have nothing to do with sectarian strife and feuds from which the society suffers. The composition of Iraqi tribes demonstrates the unity of Iraq as tribal memberships crosses sectarian divides with Sunnis and Shiites belonging to one tribe and vowing allegiance to it,” Samrawi said in an interview. He said tribes in Iraq were one of the main “symbols of national unity and if they are given the full opportunity they will certainly eliminate all these alien phenomena (sectarian killings and al-Qaeda) that have entered the society.”  Samrawi was hopeful that the tribes, if given the chance, will play a pioneering role in reconciling disparate and warring Iraqi sects and factions.

Many tribes in southern Iraq have complained to Samrawi about the practices of some of these factions and attempts to impose their own strict religious interpretations of Islam on the population.

Samrawi’s first major achievement was the formation of the ‘Anbar Awakening,’ a movement in which tribes in the region have come together to purge their areas of Qaeda elements. Once one of the most violent provinces in Iraq, Ramadi, Anbar’s provincial center now enjoys relative quiet. So is Diyala where a similar tribe-related ‘Awakening’ movement has been established.  Samrawi said similar movements should be set up in various areas of the country so that Iraqi tribes, reputed for their loyalty, honesty and generosity, will have the opportunity to rid the country from “the claws of terror.”

Samrawi said the tribal ‘Awakening’ movement was not confined to central Iraq where Sunnis are the majority. Tribal movements, he added, were being formed in southern Iraq which is predominantly Shiite “to buttress efforts by the state to reinstate stability.”

My comment,

Iraqis are taking ownership of their villages, towns, cities provinces and country. As a result and thanks to our training and empowerment Iraqis are stepping up and taking responsibility to fight, contain and defeat the Alqaida Takfiries and Hirabah. Not only are Iraqis taking back their country from dictatorship and oppression they are also taking back their religion from those who twist and manipulate Islam for evil deviant goals.

When I phoned my father in Baghdad last week he told me that many neighborhoods he would not dare enter are now safe enough to walk through. Shops open and people walking the streets. ‘Haider you will not believe it’ he said ‘the situation and especially security has vastly improved in Baghdad’.

Regards,

Haider Ajina
Mckinleyville CA

Contributed by Bill Faith on October 22, 2007 at 12:08 AM in Iraq | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Sunday, 07 October 2007
 

Haider Ajina: Good news from Iraq

Email from Haider:

The following is my translation of an article in Iraq’s Buratha News of 10-6-07.

A school in Shiite Nejaf is named after
Sunni Tribal leader Abdulstar Abu-Risha

Mr. Majed Alsudani director of department of education in Nejaf (Shiite center of Iraq) province announced that a school has been named to honor recently killed Sunni tribal leader Abdulstar Abu-Risha (Sunni tribal leader, founder of the Anbar awakening movement and recently killed by Alqiada in Iraq after meeting with president Bush) in the Selam district in Nejaf city. He added this action is to recognize Abdulstar Abu-Risha’s stance against terrorist takfiries in Anbar province. These takfiries tried to defile the province’s name by promoting sectarian killings and terrorist activity. Abdulstar Abu-Risha led a successful courageous stance of local tribes and families against these Alqaida takfiri terrorists.

Alsudani added; ‘This is not the first time the department honors and recognizes a Sunni leader who sacrificed for the good of Iraq. In 2005 we recognized and honored the martyr Uthman Alubaid who as one of our Sunni brethren scarifies himself to save many Shiites in Adhamiah during a terrorist ignited stampede on Aimah Bridge in which more than a thousand were killed. We are strong followers of teachings of the grand Ayatollah Ali Alsistani which calls for denouncing sectarianism and intolerance and calls for embracing unity, and nondiscrimination for all Iraqis of all sects and religions.

My comments,

The Muslim Shiite center of Iraq is naming their schools in honor of Sunni leaders who sacrificed for the good of Iraq and its citizens. A shining example of how I remember Iraq I remember growing up. Prior to Saddam taking a strong role in dividing Iraqis along sectarian lines and oppressing those not of his ilk, the sectarian divide was minimally noticeable and made no difference to most Iraqis. This is returning now that all Iraqis are protected by law and represented by their government. They also share a common enemy in the Takfiries of Alqaida. Both Sunni & Shiite mosques are condemning these Takfiries and their intolerance and calling for the rejection of the Takfiri movement. Much of this is aimed at the Saudi Wahabi School.

Regards

Haider Ajina
McKinleyville CA

Contributed by Bill Faith on October 7, 2007 at 01:25 PM in Iraq | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Wednesday, 18 July 2007
 

2007.07.18 Long War // Dhimm Perfidy Roundup

After All-Night Debate, Senate Rejects
Measure to Bring Troops Home From Iraq

WASHINGTON  —  The Senate rejected a plan Wednesday to bring home U.S. troops from Iraq by early next year after spending an all-night session debating whether to demand President Bush change the mission.

The 52-47 vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to cut off debate and move toward passage. Four Republicans voted with the Democrats, ...

Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman voted against the troop withdrawal plan. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who strongly supports the withdrawal approach, voted no as a technical move that allows him, under Senate rules, to bring the troop withdrawal plan back to a vote at a later date. ...

Below the fold:

  • Senate Democrats Lack Support From G.O.P. on Pullout

See also:

Senate Democrats Lack Support From G.O.P. on Pullout
Carl Hulse

WASHINGTON, July 17 — A handful of Republicans who have distanced themselves from President Bush on the war in Iraq refused Tuesday to back a plan to withdraw American troops from the conflict, leaving Senate Democrats short of the support needed to force a vote on their proposal.

As the Senate headed into an all-night session complete with cots in Capitol meeting rooms and an antiwar vigil across the street, some Republicans who have gone public with their complaints about the war strategy also weighed in against the Democratic withdrawal plan as ill advised and driven mainly by partisan considerations. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on July 18, 2007 at 12:33 AM in Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Tuesday, 17 July 2007
 

2007.07.17 Long War // Dhimm Perfidy Roundup

Below the fold:

  • Mitch McConnell: Dark Night of the Senate
  • Pace: US Weighs Larger 'Surge' in Iraq

See also:

Dark Night of the Senate; Stunting debate growth.
Mitch McConnell

While Republicans focus on the dangers posed by al Qaeda in Iraq, our long-term national-security interests in the Persian Gulf, and the warnings that the United Nations and the Baker-Hamilton Commission are issuing on the potential consequences of withdrawal, Democrats will spend the next 24 hours acting out what their staffers have referred to as a “publicity stunt.” They are staging a modern-day version of Jimmy Stewart’s round-the-clock filibuster from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to wear down opponents of a firm deadline for withdrawal. The only problem: They are, in effect, filibustering their own bill. ...

Pace: US Weighs Larger 'Surge' in Iraq
Robert Burns

BAGHDAD (AP) - The U.S. military is weighing new directions in Iraq, including an even bigger troop buildup if President Bush thinks his "surge" strategy needs a further boost, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace revealed that he and the chiefs of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force are developing their own assessment of the situation in Iraq, to be presented to Bush in September. That will be separate from the highly anticipated report to Congress that month by Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander for Iraq.

The Joint Chiefs are considering a range of actions, including another troop buildup, Pace said without making any predictions. He called it prudent planning to enable the services to be ready for Bush's decision.

The military must "be prepared for whatever it's going to look like two months from now," Pace said in an interview with two reporters traveling with him to Iraq from Washington.

"That way, if we need to plus up or come down" in numbers of troops in Iraq, the details will have been studied, he said.   ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on July 17, 2007 at 12:35 AM in Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Sunday, 01 July 2007
 

Bless the Beasts and Children

Another Michael Yon masterpiece you need to just go read for yourself.

Contributed by Bill Faith on July 1, 2007 at 04:50 PM in Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Wednesday, 20 June 2007
 

2007.06.20 Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan Roundup

30 Al Qaeda Fighters Killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD —  Thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops pressed forward for the second day Wednesday with an operation aimed at clearing out a Sunni insurgent stronghold northeast of Baghdad. The U.S. military said at least 30 Al Qaeda fighters were killed and several bombs and weapons caches destroyed as the soldiers fought their way through the streets of Baqouba.

The U.S. military operation that involves some 10,000 American soldiers in Diyala province, an Al Qaeda bastion to the north and east of Baghdad, matched in size the force that American generals sent against the insurgent-held city of Fallujah 2 1/2 years ago. By late Tuesday, the military had reported only one American death, a Task Force Lightning soldier killed by an explosion near his vehicle. ...

Below the fold:

  • U.S.-Iraqi offensive yields results

See also:

U.S.-Iraqi offensive yields results 
A major thrust in Diyala province, which began Tuesday, has left at least 30 suspected insurgents dead and uncovered 1,000 roadside bombs.

BAGHDAD -- At least 30 suspected insurgents have been killed in two days of operations being conducted in Diyala province as part of a major thrust by U.S. and Iraqi forces to clear Al Qaeda operatives from the region, the military said today.

Soldiers conducting Operation Arrowhead Thunder also have uncovered more than 1,000 roadside bombs around the provincial capital, Baqubah, where the offensive is being conducted, Iraqi security officials said.

Local residents reported heavy fighting in some neighborhoods and aerial bombardments on the western side of the city, where the U.S. military says many insurgents have been based since the last major offensive in March cleared them from eastern Baqubah.

Until early Tuesday, when some 10,000 troops launched the new mission, U.S. forces rarely had crossed the Tigris river into the western side of town. The latest operation is targeting insurgents who have tried to establish Baqubah as their own capital with strictly Islamic rules imposed on residents. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 20, 2007 at 08:29 PM in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Monday, 18 June 2007
 

2007.06.18 Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan/Pakistan Roundup

Who Killed the Americans in Karbala?

January's attack on U.S. forces at the Iraqi government complex in Karbala has become a kind of epic unsolved mystery among troops at Forward Operating Base Iskan, where soldiers from the unit involved are based. There is no shortage of theories among the roughly 30 troops who were there as to whom was responsible for the attack. Many soldiers believe the attackers, who appeared wearing U.S. military uniforms and speaking English, were Iranian operatives from the notorious Quds Force. Some think the assault party that entered the complex in a convoy of SUVs was a rogue cell of the Mahdi Army. Still others suspect the hit team was a kind of all-star insurgent squad, with skilled fighters from the Mahdi Army, Iran and the Badr Brigade, another Shi'ite militia.

While much has been said about the attackers who stormed the compound from the outside, little has been revealed about the possible involvement of Iraqi Police who were inside at the time. But the final report of the official military investigation into the incident says there is some evidence to suggest that Iraqi Police who'd been working with U.S. forces in Karbala for over a year helped orchestrate the attack.

Below the fold:

  • Latest Haditha Prosecution Implosion

See also:

Latest Haditha Prosecution Implosion
Bruce Kesler

OK, it may be the prosecution’s job to put the best light on their charges, or worst on the defendant, but the prosecution of the Haditha Marines is again being exposed as lacking merit.

Yesterday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports:

The Marine officer who will help decide whether Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt should face trial expressed doubt yesterday about the prosecution's assertions that Sharratt killed defenseless Iraqis execution-style. ...

Another local reporter at the hearing wrote:

Lt. Col. Paul Ware, who will recommend whether to send Sharratt to trial, challenged the prosecution, saying the government's theory of the case do not warrant the three counts of unpremeditated murder filed against Sharratt in December. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 18, 2007 at 12:06 AM in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Saturday, 16 June 2007
 

2007.06.16 Iraq/Iran Roundup

Slow-motion Tet
Al Qaeda is counting on sapping our will, and persuading America to choose to lose a war it could win.
by Frederick W. Kagan & William Kristol 

Last week, a group of tribal leaders in Salah-ad-Din, the mostly Sunni province due north of Baghdad, agreed to work with the Iraqi government and U.S. forces against al Qaeda. Then al Qaeda destroyed the two remaining minarets of the al-Askariya mosque in Samarra, a city in the province. Coincidence? Perhaps. But al Qaeda is clearly taking a page from the Viet Cong's book. The terrorists have been mounting a slow-motion Tet offensive of spectacular attacks on markets, bridges, and mosques, knowing that the media report each such attack as an American defeat. The fact is that al Qaeda is steadily losing its grip in Iraq, and these attacks are alienating its erstwhile Iraqi supporters. But the terrorists are counting on sapping our will as the VC did, and persuading America to choose to lose a war it could win. ...

Below the fold:

  • Missing Soldiers ID Cards Found in Al Qaeda Safe House

See also:

Missing Soldiers ID Cards Found in Al Qaeda Safe House

BAGHDAD —  The identification cards of two soldiers missing since an attack on their unit May 12 were found in what the American military called an Al Qaeda in Iraq safe house north of Baghdad, U.S. authorities reported Saturday.

The military statement said the ID cards of Spec. Alex R. Jimenez, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, and Pvt. Byron Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Michigan, were discovered along with computers, video production equipment, rifles and ammunition at the otherwise empty house near Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 16, 2007 at 01:11 PM in Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Thursday, 14 June 2007
 

2007.06.14 Iraq/Iran Roundup
-- Special "Incompetence they name is Harry" editon

Harry Reid Calls Military Commanders Incompetent
Ed Morrissey

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid showed his support for the American military by calling two of its top leaders "incompetent". Pandering to liberal bloggers, Reid made the comments in explaining his strategy to make Republican Senators sick of voting on the Iraq war and bludgeoning them into declaring defeat:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "incompetent" during an interview Tuesday with a group of liberal bloggers, a comment that was never reported.

Reid made similar disparaging remarks about Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said several sources familiar with the interview. ...

So Harry Reid, the man who couldn't get a supplemental spending bill completed in less than 108 days, is calling Pace and Petraeus incompetent.

That's the same Harry Reid who couldn't get the Democrats' "100 Hours" pledges to fruition in over 120 days and counting. In fact, this is the same Majority Leader that has led the least-accomplished session of Congress in a generation. ...

Scott Johnson: What label for Harry Reid?

Bill Frist: More Solutions, Less Name Calling

Don Surber: Perspective

Uncle Jimbo: Harry Reid, real men, and last nerves

Sabotage in Samarra 
Michelle Malkin

Bill Roggio rounds up news and analysis of the twin bombings of the al-Askaria mosque's remaining minarets this morning in Samarra. John Burns at the NYTimes reports on efforts to avert sectarian reprisals:

[A]fter Wednesday’s renewed attack on the shrine at Samarra, 75 miles north of Baghdad, appeals for calm by Shiite political and religious leaders, as well as by moderate Sunni politicians and the top two American officials in Iraq, appeared to have headed off the risk of a new sectarian convulsion, at least for now.

By nightfall, with emergency curfews in Baghdad and several other cities, and Iraqi forces moving in to protect mosques across the country, there were only scattered reports of reprisal attacks.

Roggio warns aptly: ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 14, 2007 at 03:42 PM in Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iran, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Thursday, 07 June 2007
 

2007.06.07 Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan Roundup

Turkish Force of 250,000 Set for Kurds
Eli Lake

WASHINGTON — American diplomats are quietly urging the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq to take steps that would help ease the alarm over the Turkish troops amassed on Iraq's border.

Ankara, Washington, and Baghdad all rushed yesterday to deny an Associated Press dispatch that the Turks had begun an invasion of northern Iraq in pursuit of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a group listed as a terrorist organization by the State Department and blamed by the Turks for suicide blasts in their capital this year. ...

See also:

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 7, 2007 at 07:50 AM in Iran, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Monday, 04 June 2007
 

2007.06.04-05 Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan Roundup

Terror Group Claims U.S. Soldiers Captured in Iraq Were Killed

CAIRO, Egypt —  An Al Qaeda-umbrella group claimed its militants killed three American soldiers after capturing them last month in Iraq, according to a new video released Monday.

"The Americans sent 4,000 soldiers looking for them and ... fearing that this will have bad repercussions, the state of Islam decided to and announced their killing making it a bitter result for the enemies of God because they were alive and then dead," said an unidentified voice on the video, which was made available to The Associated Press by the Washington-based SITE Institute.

The video does not offer any proof that the soldiers were killed and does not show the soldiers. The militants said in the video that the soldiers were buried, but again, did not offer proof.

Related:

Below the fold:

  • Charges against Guantanamo detainee dismissed

See also:

Charges against Guantanamo detainee dismissed

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) -- A military judge on Monday dismissed terrorism-related charges against a prisoner charged with killing an American soldier in Afghanistan.

The move dealt a blow to the Bush administration's attempts to try Guantanamo detainees in military court.

The chief of military defense attorneys at Guantanamo Bay, Marine Col. Dwight Sullivan, said the ruling in the case of Canadian detainee Omar Khadr could spell the end of the war-crimes trial system set up last year by Congress and President Bush after the Supreme Court threw out the previous system.

But Omar Khadr, who was 15 when he was captured after a deadly firefight in Afghanistan and who is now 20, will remain at the remote U.S. military base along with some 380 other men suspected of links to al Qaeda and the Taliban.

The judge, Army Col. Peter Brownback, said he had no choice but to throw the Khadr case out because he had been classified as an "enemy combatant" by a military panel years earlier -- and not as an "alien unlawful enemy combatant."

Michelle Malkin's following the story here.

***

It seems the MSM, amazingly enough, has botched another one. Click here. (H/T: Paul Mirengoff)

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 4, 2007 at 02:37 PM in Iran, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Friday, 01 June 2007
 

2007.06.01 Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan Roundup

See previous: 2007.05.31 Iraq/Iran Roundup

Below the fold:

  • UK may seek Iranian help in finding Iraq hostages

See also:

UK may seek Iranian help in finding Iraq hostages
Julian Borger, Richard Norton-Taylor and Michael Howard in Irbil

Britain is considering a direct approach to Iran for help in discovering the whereabouts of four British security guards and a financial consultant abducted in Iraq and who was responsible for seizing them. The issue was raised yesterday at a meeting of Cobra, Whitehall's emergency committee, the Guardian has learned.

Senior Iraqi officials said they were working on the theory that the gang behind the kidnapping was a rogue faction of the Mahdi army of the radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, possibly operating under the influence of Iranian intelligence. "We do not think that Sadr ordered this operation, but we are almost certain that some militia members who profess loyalty to him were involved," said a senior foreign ministry official.

He said that "the lack of organisation and discipline" within the Mahdi army's ranks had allowed the Iranians to move in and bring some of Sadr's fighters under their control. "They [the Iranians] want to show the US that they have influence over the Mahdi army, and that the US must come to them for help," he said.

Well-placed British officials pointed out yesterday that the Mahdi army was now made of different groups, not all of which are under Mr Sadr's control. Secret rogue cells in the militia are known to have links with Iran's revolutionary guards, though well-placed British officials also said these could operate without Iranian help.

The SAS, which is represented on the Cobra committee, is ready to intervene immediately if intelligence emerges on the whereabouts of the five Britons. An SAS team is on standby in Baghdad, prepared for such a crisis, and an MI5 intelligence officer has flown to the capital. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 1, 2007 at 12:17 AM in Iran, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Thursday, 31 May 2007
 

2007.05.31 Iraq/Iran Roundup

See previous: 2007.05.30 Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan/"The media sucks." Roundup

Below the fold (newest items at the top):

  • Odierno: We’re negotiating with insurgents for a ceasefire
  • Top general: Turkey ready for PKK strike in Iraq 
  • All Roads Lead From Tehran
  • Bush envisions U.S. presence in Iraq like S.Korea

See also:

Odierno: We’re negotiating with insurgents for a ceasefire
Allahpundit

This goes hand in hand with Bush’s new approach to Iran, of course. He needs to show progress by September, and if that means making nice with America’s enemies to calm the violence and give Petraeus something to show Congress, so be it. KIAs are up this month too, partly due to the new strategy of embedding in Iraqi neighborhoods and partly due to the jihadis trying to drive up casualties to raise the pressure back home for a pullout.

Whatever friction there may be between Sunni insurgents and Al Qaeda, you would think they’d smooth it over and refuse to negotiate given how close they are to their goal of driving us from the country. But you’d be wrong, it seems:

US military officers in Iraq are attempting to negotiate ceasefires with some insurgent groups that have been responsible for the violence in the country.

Lt General Raymond Odierno, commander of ground forces in Iraq, said on Thursday the US was responding to insurgent groups that have signalled an interest in reconciliation.

“We’re talking about ceasefires and maybe signing some things that say they won’t conduct operations against the government of Iraq or against coalition forces,” he said…

Top general: Turkey ready for PKK strike in Iraq

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkey's top general said Thursday the military was ready to stage a cross-border offensive to fight Kurdish guerrillas in Iraq and that he already had sought government approval to mount military action.

Earlier, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has pledged his support for any military decision to stage an incursion into Iraq, said the army had not yet asked parliament for permission.

But Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said he had asked for approval during a news conference on April 12, when he said "an operation into Iraq is necessary."

"We have told both Turkey and the world on April 12 that as soldiers, we are ready," Buyukanit said Thursday.

Buyukanit's remarks appeared to put Erdogan's government under pressure to seek approval from parliament to send soldiers into Iraq to fight separatist Kurdish guerrillas. The rebels have long used northern Iraq as a base in their campaign for self-rule in southeast Turkey.

The United States opposes any unilateral Turkish military action, fearing it could destabilize northern Iraq -- the calmest part of the country.

Massoud Barzani, the leader of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, also strongly opposes a Turkish incursion and has threatened to confront Turkish soldiers if they enter northern Iraq. ...

All Roads Lead From Tehran
Jules Crittenden

Stratfor on Iraq = Korea:

… This is not so much an announcement of a plan to create a specific force structure or basing arrangement as it is a statement about the length and character of Washington’s commitment to Baghdad. The real underlying significance of the announcement is simple: the United States is not leaving Iraq any time soon.

Stratfor suggests this is, like everything else, tied to the talks with Iran.   

… This was not the standard “we stand by Iraq” press conference; the White House appears to have made an assertion that reflects a much deeper agreement with Tehran. Washington could well be positioning itself to garner domestic and Iraqi support for a U.S. military presence in Iraq that will continue for the foreseeable future (significantly, while reassuring Sunni allies in Iraq they will not be abandoned).

That presence, of course, will shift dramatically from the current arrangement. This is consistent with some changes already in the cards: a reduced U.S. troop presence and operational tempo, a shift from combat to advising and support, and a withdrawal from day-to-day security operations.

… That presence ultimately will mean the same thing for Iraq that it has meant for South Korea: an attack on Iraq is the same as an attack on the United States. ...

Bush envisions U.S. presence in Iraq like S.Korea

WASHINGTON, May 30 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush would like to see a lengthy U.S. troop presence in Iraq like the one in South Korea to provide stability but not in a frontline combat role, the White House said on Wednesday.

The United States has had thousands of U.S. troops in South Korea to guard against a North Korean invasion for 50 years.

Democrats in control of the U.S. Congress have been pressing Bush to agree to a timetable for pulling troops from Iraq, an idea firmly opposed by the president.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush would like to see a U.S. role in Iraq ultimately similar to that in South Korea.

"The Korean model is one in which the United States provides a security presence, but you've had the development of a successful democracy in South Korea over a period of years, and, therefore, the United States is there as a force of stability," Snow told reporters.

He said U.S. bases in Iraq would not necessarily be permanent because they would be there at the invitation of the host government and "the person who has done the invitation has the right to withdraw the invitation."

"I think the point he's trying to make is that the situation in Iraq, and indeed, the larger war on terror, are things that are going to take a long time. But it is not always going to require an up-front combat presence," Snow said.

Related comments:

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 31, 2007 at 03:37 AM in Iran, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Wednesday, 30 May 2007
 

2007.05.30 Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan/"The media sucks." Roundup

See previous: 2007.05.29 Iraq/Iran Roundup

Below the fold (newest items at the top):

  • Five U.S. Soldiers Killed When Taliban Apparently Downs NATO Helicopter in Afghanistan 
  • Iraqi, U.S. Forces Raid Sadr City in Search for 5 Kidnapped British Citizens
  • Al-Sadr militia suspected of kidnapping Britons
  • 'We Are the Only People Preventing Them From Telling the Story'
  • 5 Brits kidnapped in Baghdad
    • Five Britons seized by Iraqi insurgents 
    • Westerners kidnapped in Baghdad — with 40 Iraqi police cars on the scene
    • Private guards seized in swift operation by unknown gang
    • Stop here and load weapon: another day’s work for the bodyguards

Just read 'em:

*** *** *** Fold (but please don't spindle or mutilate) *** *** ***

Five U.S. Soldiers Killed When Taliban Apparently
Downs NATO Helicopter in Afghanistan 

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan —  Five U.S. soldiers were among seven people killed when a Chinook helicopter was apparently shot down Wednesday evening in Afghanistan's most volatile province, a U.S. military official said. The Taliban claimed responsibility.

Initial reports suggested the helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade, the U.S. military official said on condition of anonymity because the crash was being investigated.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force said seven ISAF soldiers were killed after the CH-47 Chinook went down in Helmand province near Kajaki, the site of a major hydroelectric damn and scene of fierce battles in recent months.

The crew of five and two military passengers died, NATO said. It did not release nationalities, but a U.S. official said the two passengers were not American. There were no survivors. ...

Iraqi, U.S. Forces Raid Sadr City in
Search for 5 Kidnapped British Citizens

BAGHDAD  —  Hundreds of Iraqi and U.S. troops cordoned off sections of Baghdad's Sadr City slum early Wednesday and conducted a series of raids in an apparent effort to find five British citizens whom Iraqi officials believed were abducted by the Shiite Mahdi Army militia.

British Embassy officials held ongoing talks Wednesday with Iraqi officials to discuss the situation, Britain's Foreign Office said. Britain's COBRA crisis committee was also to meet for the second day.

The five men were pulled out of a Finance Ministry office by about 40 heavily armed men in police uniforms in broad daylight Tuesday and driven in a convoy of 19 four-wheel-drive vehicles toward Sadr City, according to Iraqi officials in the Interior and Finance ministries.

A top Interior Ministry official, who refused to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the authorities were working on the assumption the five men were abducted by radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, because the area they were taken from is controlled by the militia. ...

Al-Sadr militia suspected of kidnapping Britons

Iraq's most prominent Shia militia has emerged as the chief suspect in the kidnappings of five British nationals in Iraq.

Negotiations with the Mahdi Army are already under way after one of several spokesmen for the armed force under the command of the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr claimed responsibility for the kidnappings at the finance ministry in Baghdad.

Hundreds of Iraqi and American troops raided Sadr City, Baghdad’s largest Shia neighbourhood, in an operation that ended early today. Residents said areas of Sadr City were sealed off and several arrests were made.

Iraqi forces have established a special battalion of soldiers and police officers to search for the kidnapped men. “We are conducting search operations near the site where the abduction took place,” said Brig Gen Qassim al Musawi, an Iraqi army spokesman. ...

'We Are the Only People Preventing Them From Telling the Story'
James Taranto

In a Memorial Day column, David Carr of the New York Times complains about a U.S. military rule requiring that embedded reporters "obtain a signed consent from a wounded soldier before the image can be published. Images that put a face on the dead, that make them identifiable, are simply prohibited."

Why is it so important to show images of hurt and dead Americans? A fellow Timesman gives away the game:

James Glanz, a Baghdad correspondent who will become bureau chief for The New York Times next month, said that although he and others had many great experiences working with the rank-and-file soldiers, some military leaders seem determined to protect something besides the privacy of their troops.

"As the number of reporters there dwindles further and further because of the difficult conditions we work under, the kind of work they are able to publish becomes very important," Mr. Glanz said. "This tiny remaining corps of reporters becomes a greater and greater problem for the military brass because we are the only people preventing them from telling the story the way they want it told."

Hmm, we thought the job of a reporter was to tell stories, not to prevent others from doing so. Furthermore, is it even possible to imagine a Times correspondent saying his job is to prevent the enemy from telling its story?

And here's an example of the kind of journalism the Times's Baghdad bureau produces. This is from a news account, also in yesterday's Times: ...

Five Britons seized by Iraqi insurgents 
Deborah Haynes and Stephen Farrell in Baghdad 

Whitehall was facing the prospect of a lengthy hostage stand-off last night after five Britons were kidnapped in central Baghdad in one of the most brazen abductions of Westerners since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Those seized, a computer consultant and his four security guards, were taken in daylight by dozens of armed insurgents dressed in the fatigues of Iraqi police commandos.

The Cobra emergency committee, with representatives from MI6, the SAS and the Metropolitan Police, met at the Cabinet Office yesterday to consider options for gaining the release of the five men.

Tony Blair, on a trip to Libya, said: “We will do everything we possibly can to help.” ...

See related:

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 30, 2007 at 12:20 AM in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Tuesday, 29 May 2007
 

2007.05.29 Iraq/Iran Roundup

See previous: 2007.05.28 Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan/"The media sucks." Roundup

Below the fold (newest items at the top):

  • Negotiating with snakes
    • Talks revive U.S.-Iran ties
    • U.S., Iran Open Dialogue On Iraq

*** *** *** Fold (but please don't spindle or mutilate) *** *** ***

Negotiating with snakesQ

Let's all just sit down and talk it over and things will all be better. I'm too disgusted with the whole idea to even excerpt the news coverage. Read some of it if you're curious:

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 29, 2007 at 01:25 AM in Iran, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Monday, 28 May 2007
 

2007.05.28 Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan/"The media sucks." Roundup

See previous: 2007.05.27 Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan/"The media sucks." Roundup

Below the fold (newest items at the top):

  • What happens when you read past a NYTimes headline
  • Todays "Day by Day"

Just go read it:

*** *** *** Fold (but please don't spindle or mutilate) *** *** ***

What happens when you read past a NYTimes headline
Michelle Malkin

Here's the Drudge-hyped headline of a morale-undermining NYTimes article just in time for the Memorial Day holiday:

Doubts Grow as G.I.’s in Iraq Find Allies in Enemy Ranks

NYTimes reporter Michael Kamber reports from Baghdad on a story that's not news--militia infiltration of some of the Iraq security forces being trained by American troops (we noted the same problem during our embed in January reporting from the same area Kamber apparently visited). Give Kamber credit for not relying on some anonymous local stringer. As for the anonymous NYTimes headline writer: Big "F." While the NYT headline emphasizes a bleak outlook, there's more to Kamber's story than "doubts growing" among G.I.'s. For example, there's this:

Nineteen days later, just after Christmas, Capt. Douglas Rogers and the men of Delta Company were on their way to Kadhimiya, a Shiite enclave of about 300,000. As part of the so-called surge of American troops, their primary mission was to maintain stability in the area and prepare the Iraqi Army and police to take control of the neighborhood.

“I thought it would not be long before we could just stay on our base and act as a quick-reaction force,” said the barrel-chested Captain Rogers of San Antonio. “The Iraqi security forces would step up.”

It has not worked out that way. Still, Captain Rogers says their mission in Kadhimiya has been “an amazing success.”

“We’ve captured 4 of the top 10 most-wanted guys in this area,” he said. And the streets of Kadhimiya are filled with shoppers and the stores are open, he said, a rarity in Baghdad due partly to Delta Company’s patrols.

The article quotes a total of three troops who seem to favor giving up. In addition to Capt. Rogers, the article quotes Delta Company section leader, Staff Sgt. James Griffin, at the end of the article:

Sergeant Griffin understands the criticism of the Iraqi forces, but he believes they, and the war effort, must be given more time.

“If we throw this problem to the side, it’s not going to fix itself,” he said. “We’ve created the Iraqi forces. We gave them Humvees and equipment. For however long they say they need us here, maybe we need to stay.”

Now, let's write a proper headline that actually reflects the rest of the story: ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 28, 2007 at 12:52 AM in Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est, Media Malpractice | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Saturday, 26 May 2007
 

2007.05.26 Iraq/Iran Roundup

See previous: 2007.05.25 Iraq/Iran Roundup

Below the fold (newest items at the top):

  • White House Is Said to Debate ’08 Cut in Iraq Troops by 50%
  • A tortured silence
  • The Free and the Brave
  • 16 'directly related' to troop abduction held
  • U.S. Raids Radical Anti-American Cleric's Baghdad Stronghold
  • U.S. says suspected cell leader linked to Iran arrested

*** *** *** Fold (but please don't spindle or mutilate) *** *** ***

White House Is Said to Debate ’08 Cut in Iraq Troops by 50% 
By David E Sanger and David S Cloud

WASHINGTON, May 25 — The Bush administration is developing what are described as concepts for reducing American combat forces in Iraq by as much as half next year, according to senior administration officials in the midst of the internal debate. ...

The concepts call for a reduction in forces that could lower troop levels by the midst of the 2008 presidential election to roughly 100,000, from about 146,000, the latest available figure, which the military reported on May 1. They would also greatly scale back the mission that President Bush set for the American military when he ordered it in January to win back control of Baghdad and Anbar Province.

The mission would instead focus on the training of Iraqi troops and fighting Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, while removing Americans from many of the counterinsurgency efforts inside Baghdad.

Still, there is no indication that Mr. Bush is preparing to call an early end to the current troop increase, and one reason officials are talking about their long-range strategy may be to blunt pressure from members of Congress, including some Republicans, who are pushing for a more rapid troop reduction.

The officials declined to be quoted for attribution because they were discussing internal deliberations that they expected to evolve over several months.

Officials say proponents of reducing the troops and scaling back their mission next year appear to include Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. They have been joined by generals at the Pentagon and elsewhere who have long been skeptical that the Iraqi government would use the opportunity created by the troop increase to reach genuine political accommodations. ...

Allahpundit and Ed Morrissey have thoughts