Something is happening in Iraq

[tocqueville]

1) "evidence" of Iranian armed involvment in Iraq "leaks" out
2) Iraq closes its borders
3) Sadr is said fleeing to Iran
4) "In northern Iraq, another war looms"
5) Turkey threatens to cut supplies to the US
6) Israel warns against visiting Iraq

more or less in that order...

is the big showdown on its way or is it just tinfoil ?

[tocqueville]

1. thank you for the heart, from the bottom of my heart n/t

[Malikshah]

2. Yup-- it is *not* looking good.

It appears we're in springtime form.

Too bad there are no more flowers...:( :( :( :( :( :( :(

[smoogatz]

3. Tet redux?

That what you're thinking?

[BayCityProgressive]

4. spillover to the Kurds

Syrians and Iran...buckle up for the ride! After that, on to Korea! They are just trying make them give up the weapons so its easier!

[tocqueville]

13. I don't know, but....

attacking BOTH the Sunnis and the Shias <B>at the same time</b> would be a mistake of hitlerian proportions...

[kineneb]

26. More like the adventures of Col. Custer

and we all know what happend that time.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. I don't think it's just tinfoil. All the hype about Iran sounds very much

like the beat of the war drums in the months leading up to the Iraq invasion. The administration is doing their best to indoctrinate the populace about the danger presented by Iran in the hopes that they can get support for an attack. I think Bush is using this as an opportunity to shore up his falling approval rating.

[lligrd]

33. I Call It Paying Attention - Not Tinfoil

This administration has been heading to war with Iran since the day they stole the election.

[magellan]

6. Why does this give me the same chills

...as knowing what happens behind closed doors at our secret prisons?

:scared: for the Iraqi people.

[tabasco]

7. So Israel advises not to visit Iraq?

Wow they must have some great secret agents there.

[tocqueville]

8. link here

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070213/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_iraq;_ylt=AhlHmxrWzMy4PgEdpV28EbeShMgF

[peacetalksforall]

19. Israel doesn't have to figure out what is going on - they seem to direct

what is going on. At the highest levels of the Pentagon, Inelligence, media, and their hit men and women are are in PNAC, AEI, AIPAC etc. Co- planners and doers.

[robinlynne]

35. well, gee I was thinking of spending my next vacation in Iraq...

[ORDagnabbit]

9. can you throw up some links? thanks.

[tocqueville]

11. here are some

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070214/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=Ak608kKIQ6gXflSsTeBZEgWShMgF
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070214/ts_nm/iraq_sadr_usa_dc;_ylt=AoaejQvR6AGN2r1cQxJV.vqShMgF
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070213/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_another_war;_ylt=AlglLjLKAwuGdq30Ympm2MWShMgF

covers up pretty much of all above

[Tin Man]

10. British destroy own C-130 following landing near Iranian border

props to NNNOHLI http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x205020

[tocqueville]

12. link here

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070214/ap_on_re_mi_ea/britain_iraq;_ylt=AtBQjaG8aulhD.RhhZbXhyiShMgF

[Joe for Clark]

14. No tinfoil hat.

I thought the deal would come down to "Baghdad III" - I really did.

I was wrong - it will just be a side show, apparently.

But no mistake - what is and is about to come down did start 11/6/06 - that day. It is just not going to be playing out the exact way that I thought.

Pay a lot of attention to #4 - and the surrounding detail about this. It will all go back to that "reality". Damn - Our army should have been prepared for that one - and they BETTER be on the hunt for groups concentrating near and around those oil fields.

I think too little too late at this point.

Joe

[rodeodance]

15. AP British destroy own aircraft in Iraq (damaged by explosion)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070214/ap_on_re_mi_ea/britain_iraq

British destroy own aircraft in Iraq

By ROBERT BARR, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 26 minutes ago

LONDON - A British Hercules airplane was damaged while landing in southeastern
Iraq and later destroyed by coalition forces because of the risk of mounting a recovery operation, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.


Two people suffered minor injuries in the incident Monday night, the ministry said.

There was no immediate indication of hostile action, the ministry said, but it had not been ruled out.

The C-130 had just touched down at an airstrip in Maysan province when it was damaged by an explosion of unknown origin, said a ministry spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

Another C-130 in the area quickly landed at the same strip and rescued the crew, the spokesman said.

"The site was secured and, after a thorough assessment of the damage, it was concluded that the aircraft could not be recovered without exposing our personnel to undue risk," the spokesman said.

[Tin Man]

17. Aircraft was landing in Maysan province - on border with *Iran*

from Wiki Maysan province...the region of farmland and marshes has been a chokepoint for munitions and people entering Iraq from Iran. Political control has been fiercely contested by followers of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and Muqtada al-Sadr. Mr. Sadr’s allies dominate the 42-member provincial council, and the governor is a former Mahdi Army commander. But the police chief is a former Badr Organization member, and many of his policemen pledge loyalty to that militia

My note: C-130 aircraft are capable of landings on unimproved runways (prepared dirt strips, highways). Considered in concert with the information that the damaged aircraft was intentionally destroyed after sustaining damage upon landing - leads me to believe that the aircraft may have been delivering troops and/or materials mission into an unsecured landing zone in hostile territory; in support of a mission to either securing the border with Iran, prevent the escape of Al Sadr, or both.

In a militarily unsecured environment, if the equipment is damaged beyond ability to repair, and without capability for egress - the situation mandates its destruction to prevent capture by enemy forces. Set it afire and walk away.

[alfredo]

16. Shit meet fan.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

18. neocon nazis

but the neocons have bigger bombs than the nazis.

this is some scary shit . . . and their lapdog media is twirling and twisting . . . anything but report the truth head-on.

[BeHereNow]

20. And there sit our troops, fish in a barrel.

God damn the people who put them there.
BHN

[HuffleClaw]

21. call it 'baby steps to war'

next they'll find a reason to pull the IAEA folks out

[BeHereNow]

22. So, are they going to use a massive US troop loss to justify their Iran-a-thon?

Are we about to see another LIHOP involving our troops,
intended to rally the 'murikkkan sheeple for an attack on Iran?

Seriously, I would like to hear DU thoughts on this possibility.
They know another attack on US soil will foster greater
doubt about thier ability to "keep us safe, " however they
really do need an "incident" to "get their war on" with Iran.

BHN

[Tin Man]

24. IMO, I don't see MIHOP scenario. But there's definitely sumthin going on w/ Iran

...rash of US helicopters shot down by shoulder launched missiles
...drumbeat of Iranian weapon stories
...Bush authorizes termination of Iranian agents in Iraq
...Troop surge
...British C-130 destroyed in landing near Iranian border

Too much for simple coincidence.

[Joe for Clark]

28. I really don't think Iran is a player right now to us.

I would go as far as to say - they are probably just about as unhappy about this right now as we are - I think that is fair.

It may be fair to say this is more about tribal feuds that go back about 1300 years that we fell into.

Joe

[Egalitarian]

34. That would do the trick.

(offstage)
"John, I gotta tell you. I'm a little uncomfortable with this gig. Do you know what the target is? That's a heck of a lot of sophisticated firepower in the back(of this truck). No? Damnit! I hate this feeling...And why the fuck are we dressed up as Iranian soldiers???"

(onstage)
My fellow Americans. Last night, Iranian forces attacked an American military base in Iraq. They attacked under cover of night, launching precision guided missles onto our sleeping troops. I am saddened to say that our losses were great. But as I sit here now, I am honored to tell you that retalitory strikes are underway...



The above is fiction, I made it up, it is not a true strory.

[BeHereNow]

23. K&R

bhn

[frogcycle]

25. well, you make a compelling case

I don't believe for a second that our friends *cheney&co are sitting still whie getting all the bad press of late - as cheney has said repeatedly - "they can't stop us"

some of these developments may be just the natural flow of events, but all together they certainly seem a portent of some major shift...

no way that C-130 was delivering tootsie rolls

I think when the Kurds decide the time is right they will open up a "real" war - not just ieds and stuff, but front lines, advancing army, etc. They have been patiently waiting for all this shit to unfold, and when they decide to move they will - and aggressively. I wouldn't be surprised to see them declare independence. It may not have anything to do with cheney's woes and the iran stuff - just may be they see the time is right

* I decided to go with john dean's comment last night on Olbermann and quit bothering to mention howdy doody. cheney is, always was, the evil behind the figurehead.

[bridgit]

27. i believe Iran is becoming involved, why wouldn't they; i believe the Saudi's...

are involved too, and why shouldn't they; those are centuries old religious blood feuds and bush doesn't care two figs about the people, he and his enablers are only there for the oil, wherever oil is that is where america is

Israel somehow concerned now?

hm, well ancillary to our being there for the oil we are there for their safe-keeping as well, Dr. Rice said as much just last month; they're just tripping cause it is taking so long to spill so much blood, knowing just how crazy the people are in their neck of the woods, and the very real possibility that ANYTHING can blow back in your face

i also do not think the worst has happened yet, i think the worst is yet to come

[Joe for Clark]

29. Why - cause if this goes bad they are looking at 2 or 3 million

people spilling over the borders to them.

Cause if it goes bad - they are looking right down the barrel of a regional war that pits them against 85% of the rest of the muslim world.

No - I don't think Iran is nearly the problem that has been sold so far.

[bridgit]

30. i think the muslim world is prepared to push g.w. bush's button...

whether that be crashing the oil market, or dragging he & his oddly shaped plan down and into a hell we will have to reckon for generations to come

Sadr is already in Iran

[Emit]

31. You can add this: 2/14/07 Bus bombed in southeast Iran, 18 dead - IRNA

Bus bombed in southeast Iran, 18 dead - IRNA
14 Feb 2007 05:32:52 GMT
Source: Reuters

TEHRAN, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Eighteen people were killed on Wednesday when a bomb exploded next to a bus in the southeastern city of Zahedan, the official IRNA news agency reported.

IRNA said the bomb was hidden in a car by "armed rebels and attackers" and exploded as the bus, belonging to the ground forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, passed by. The agency initially said the bomb was in the bus.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BLA419280.htm

At the same link:

Israel's Arrow II anti-missile system is test-fired near the Tel Aviv beach in this picture released by Israel's Aircraft Industries February 11, 2007. Israel on Sunday successfully conducted a new test of its Arrow anti-missile system, the country's main bulwark against a possible attack by Iran's long-range weapons, Israel's Defence Minister Amir Peretz said. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY

[Tin Man]

32. Of note: bus filled with Revolutionary Guard - US has been blaming RG for interfering in Iraq

...US making an example for Iranian consumption.

[halobeam]

36. k & r