Explosion of violence reveals weakness of US position

[rodeodance]

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/5761587e-a5a3-11da-bf34-0000779e2340.html

Explosion of violence reveals weakness of US position

By Guy Dinmore and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington
Published: February 25 2006 02:00 | Last updated: February 25 2006 02:00

By teetering on the brink of civil war this week, events in Iraq have exposed the inability of the US to exert decisive control, leaving President George W. Bush appealing to all sides for restraint while faced with both dwindling military options and influence over the political process.

..........

Military officers and US officials on the ground have delivered a sober assessment of conditions.

Colonel Jeffrey Snow, commander of a US brigade in north-west Baghdad, yesterday told reporters that Iraqi security forces working with his command did not believe the recent violence would escalate into full-scale civil war. But he conceded the possibility existed........

[TomInTib]

1. Li'l georgie is beginning to look like the schoolyard bully....

Careers around the playground with his dumbass buddies keeping everyone all shook up.

Then the new kid in school punches him in the face and the bully starts to cry and asks all around for help, saying the new kid isn't fighting fair.

Problem is, the bully has burned too many bridges.

[Shelor]

2. Anyone with a functioning brain could already see the weakness

[bemildred]

4. I think you have pinpointed the problem. nt

[cliss]

3. I'm willing to bet

they are absolutely frantic in Washington right now. Nobody's home for the weekend. They're all there Saturday and Sunday, working on burning fuses.

There are fires burning all over the world, right now. Crises, which have gotten out of hand because the US was distracted in Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran.

This administration has been far too interested in working out business deals with its crony friends, or handing out government contracts to buddies.