Understanding the Geography of the Iraqi War

[kentuck]

For several years before the invasion of Iraq by George W Bush, the US had partitioned the country into 3 parts with no "fly-overs" permitted over the northern third or the southern third of the country. In effect, we shut off Saddam from those parts of his own country, to a large degree. Of course, we had intelligence on the ground in the northern third of the country even when Saddam was in power. Indeed, most of that part of the nation was "anti-Saddam" which we could and did interpret as "pro-American". And it remains much the same today, although Turkish troops on the ground could change those opinions and circumstances quite quickly.

The southern third of the country was primarily of the Shiite faith and had a natural animosity toward Saddam Hussein, who was of the Sunni faith. But they also had the access to the only seaport for Iraq. Saddam needed them for that reason alone. When the war began, that was the only major area in the north or south that Saddam's troops attempted to defend. The British now control that area of Iraq.

Which left the central part of Iraq, Baghdad and surrounding cities, as the only stronghold of the dictator, Saddam Hussein. When the invasion began, the goal was to bypass all the cities in the south and march straight to Baghdad, which they did. The closer our troops got to Baghdad, the more pronounced was the opposition.

But we marched into Baghdad and tore down the statue of Saddam, with the aid of Chalabi Iraqis. It appeared that the war was over. Bush put on his flight suit and flew out to the production on the USS Abraham Lincoln to announce that the "Mission was Accomplished". But the reality is that the war continues today in Baghdad and the surrounding cities. Because that was where the war was from the beginning. The north and south of Iraq were never part of the war strategy because we had captured those before the war even began.

So now, the propagandists wish to convince the Americans of all the great things that are happening in Iraq and they fly Congresspeople and Senators into the friendly confines of the north and south to show what great progress we are making in Iraq. Then they return to espouse the propagandists wishes and grant huge sums of money to rebuild Iraq and establish a "democracy" in the Middle East.

However, the war was in central Iraq - in Baghdad and the other cities of the area - and the war still goes on. In fact, the attacks have increased by the day. We are not making progress. The situation is deteriorating. If and when the "terrorists" attack in the north and south, as they have in Baghdad, the war will have expanded to a very serious predicament. And it is just a matter of time. We must look at Iraq from a geographical perspective to understand that the war is a guerrilla war in and around Baghdad...and we are not winning.

[Zuni]

1. decent analysis

There is a very different situation on the ground in Mosul than in Tikrit.

[kentuck]

2. Yes, they fly Congressmen into Mosul or into Kuwait....

and they come back to report the great progress we are making. How many were with Wolfowitz the other day in Baghdad? And he was in the "most secure" area of Baghdad and they bombed the crap out of them. What does this tell you? The war will continue in Baghdad.

[wyethwire]

3. Where is the Sunni Triangle

It obviously has three points, where are they located?

[kentuck]

4. I think that would be around Baghdad...

From Tikrit, just to the north of Baghdad, to Fallujah, just to the west or slightly southwest.

[zbdent]

5. Well, that would explain why they didn't allow any Democrats

to go. They might actually ask, "Why are we in Kuwait? Let's see the happy Iraqis where the bombs fell!"