Time is running out for Iraq as nation spirals into chaos

[Faygo Kid]

Source: MSNBC

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Militiamen saunter unchallenged along Baghdad streets with rocket-propelled grenade launchers slung across their shoulders. Neighborhood after neighborhood is being ghettoized and sealed off by checkpoints manned by fighters in civilian clothes carrying machine guns. On Iraqiyya, the state TV channel, the war propaganda is so bizarre that it appears like satire: pictures of heavily-built men dancing in tandem while decked out in military uniforms and body armor, and twirling AK-47s like they’re batons.

“Iraq the state is almost broken.”

It’s old news that Iraq is out of control. But amid the deluge of reports of ISIS atrocities and the security forces’ faltering efforts, the daily effects of the spiraling chaos on ordinary Iraqis are mostly overlooked.

Meanwhile, the capital’s residents face the daily terrors inspired not only by rumors of an impending ISIS onslaught on Baghdad but the more immediate threat posed by government security forces and militias – often, the residents aren’t sure which – who conduct random searches of people’s homes and arrest people without warrants or any apparent legal basis. These violations are just one piece of a big, broken puzzle: a peephole into Iraqis’ tragic, chaotic upside-down world. . .

Read more: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/time-running-out-iraq

---

We marched in 2002 on the Capitol Mall, and had 100,000 protestors confined to the bottom of page 7A of The Washington Post. We read daily of Judith Martin's lies in the New York Times. The problems with Iraq could have been confined. Saddam Hussein was a cheap tinpot despot who had no real talent other than maintaining his power. We could have stopped that in many ways, but no, Dick Cheney, George Bush, Condoleeza Rice, et al used 9/11 to take us to war with Iraq, which had nothing to do with it (Richard Clarke was our clarion call. Bless him). And now look. Oh sure, Cheney would have been more than happy to have every young soldier from Sacramento, CA or Lansing, MI, or Burlington, VT or Tuscaloosa, AL give their lives or health for this fool's gold, but his many deferments over Vietnam gave him contempt for those who didn't rig the game like he did. Let alone for the Iraqis. Those lives were blips on the radar for Dick and his buddies.

I could go on, but what's the use. George and Dick et al have created the greatest terrorist state in the world, one that Iran will find, to its regret, that it can't control. And those Pakistani nukes? Look for them to fall into the "wrong hands" anytime now.

They set the stage for the madness in the world right now. At least we stand for sanity here at DU. Not sure what good it will do, but keep an occasional good thought, my friends.

[H2O Man]

1. George and Dick

(and a bunch of their friends) really should have faced criminal prosecution for the US invasion of Iraq. Former DA Vincent Bugliosi's book on the topic documented that clearly.

Recommended. And thank you.

[billhicks76]

10. Except

Vincent was too timid to confront what I see as fact and others fear so call it fantasy. And that is that Cheney knew 911 specifics for over a year and went out of his way to facilitate it and help it along to justify these invasions and setting a new paradigm in geopolitics forever.

[BillZBubb]

2. It was Judith Miller's lies--credit where credit is due!

[BillZBubb]

3. When the inevitable collapse occurs, the right wing will blame Obama.

They've already been trying to rewrite history on their total responsibility for this mess. Hopefully, the Democrats will fight back and remind the public what happened and because of whom (here's looking at you, republicans!)

[billhicks76]

12. Our Fault

For thinking the world is a fair place and not going for the jugular with Bush and Cheney when we had the chance. Why democrats don't play hardball when they know republicans will later and letting our democrat corporate stooge leaders make the call to stand down will be something I can never understand...unless it's really true that democrats are spineless wimps by nature. Sorry if that offends my teammates but I'm getting so sick of this cycle that began with Bill Clinton sucking up to Bush Sr that the taste of my own throw up in my mouth is getting too hard to bear.

[BillZBubb]

20. Agreed.

The Democrats never fail at missing a chance to smack down the republicans like they deserve to be. Meanwhile the republicans are screaming about impeaching president Obama for what? NOTHING.

Something is really wrong with the Democrats' overall strategy. They play colmes to the republican hannity.

[billhicks76]

22. Simple Actually...We're Infiltrated

We have been since Republicans discovered it as a strategy in the early 80s. An influential % of our ranks are informants and sell-outs. It's much like Vichey French elites cooperating with the Nazis to preserve their wealth, status and access. You ever see Repubs back down? Nope. They declared war on us and hire centrist Democrats to persuade us to cooperate, be patient and not make waves. Only fools have bought into this and there are plenty of them in our party these days.

[msongs]

4. the never ending joys of religion nt

[postulater]

5. Send Cheney to save it.

He can teach Liz how it's done.

[heaven05]

6. Georgie, Dickie, Condi

and Bremer's gift to Iraq. Chaos, death, basic services still disrupted, for 11 years+. This is democracy? I hope you're wrong about those nukes, but I have a feeling you're not too much off the mark. And people still revere these three war criminals in america. Truly amazing, really.

[DCBob]

7. I think Iraq is heading for the three region split.

That would be most likely most stable situation... imo.

[Rowdyboy]

16. That was the only realistic situation with a chance of success from the beginning....

Which I suppose is why Dubya never seriously considered it.

[Kaleva]

21. I agree.

[Diclotican]

8. Faygo Kid

Faygo Kid

And it all clinch to the US, and more to the Bush administration - all of them -every single one of them was guilty of this crime - to ruin a whole country...

Congrats they managed to do as they had planed - ruined a country totally - and then even get off free - as the government in US is to afraid of arresting them, and prosecute them for the crimes they was guilty off

Diclotican

[Faygo Kid]

9. Yup.

You are right, and we knew it then.

[GeorgeGist]

11. In a parallel universe all the perps ...

are in prison for life or dead.

[bluedigger]

13. I think it's a matter of days until we see helicopters flying off the roof of the US Embassy.

We just never learn.

[Brigid]

24. You mean that fancy one we spent billions on?

Such a great investment.

[Botany]

14. Mission accomplished!

“We will free people. This great, powerful nation is motivated not by power for power's
sake, but because of our values. If everybody matters, if every life counts, then we should
hope everybody has the great God's gift of freedom. ... And the biggest value we hold dear
is the value of freedom. [Applause.] As I said last night, freedom and liberty, they are not
America's gifts to the world. They are God's gift to humanity. We hold that thought dear to
our hearts.” George W "unelected asshole" Bush 1/29/2003

[Amonester]

15. If there was any true justice, that pic should look more like this:

Same for Darth, Rumsferatu, Condi, and the Rest of them, MSM included.

[awoke_in_2003]

27. i try not to be violent...

but that pic makes me want to punch him square it the face.

[obxhead]

17. It should have happened in 2005

This could not be stopped after we invaded. Every death, on both sides, was senseless because Iraq will fall into a bitter civil war. 1 year or 1000 years of US occupation.... it doesn't matter, Iraq will fight out, through bloodshed, it's own new identity.

[Kingofalldems]

18. Somebody find the neocons

They'll tell us what to do.

[Drunken Irishman]

19. Time ran out the second we invaded Iraq.

[JohnnyRingo]

23. That 1st sentence sounds like Tea Party Heaven.

The 2nd sentence describes their version of "closing the damn border".

They might have to get used to dancing with other men, but I think they'd love it in Iraq. Sounds like an open carry paradise where everyone is busy taking back their country.

[roamer65]

25. Iraq is gone and Syria will be smaller.

Kurdistan will be independent and will be larger, comprised of old northern Iraq and northeast Syria.
Southern Shi'ite former Iraq will become a West Khuzestan.
Jihadistan will be amalgam of old west and central Iraq and old Southeast Syria.
Who gets Baghdad? That's anyone's guess.

Iraq is gone and Syria is not far behind.

[DallasNE]

26. Clear, Hold, Build

After we had been mired down in Iraq the press finally pushed for a plan that would provide for an exit strategy. After much hand-wringing a 30 page document was produced and it was 30 pages that repeated "clear, hold, build". Clear had pretty much been accomplished but hold was in retreat and build was only a pipe-dream. But not a word of this document had been written prior to the launch of the invasion. Now what could possibly go wrong there?

This is the first I had heard of this going on in Baghdad so is this the al Sadr forced doing this? Who else could it be?

[whereisjustice]

28. Dick & Condi fucked up Iraq with violence. Against the US, they used more sophisticated weapons

Wall Street banks