When Bush began arming Sunni tribal figures, there were warnings it could backfire

[ProSense]

From the Department of Not-So-Bright Ideas: arming both sides in Iraq's civil war

American commanders are turning to a strategy “that they acknowledge is fraught with risk: arming Sunni Arab groups that have promised to fight militants linked with Al Qaeda who have been their allies in the past.” Critics say the plan “could amount to the Americans’ arming both sides in a future civil war.”

Remember the Anbar Awakening and the killing of Abu Reesha:

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi Sunni sheikh Sattar Abu Reesha, who has been fighting Al-Qaeda since last year, was killed on Thursday in a bomb attack on his convoy in the western city of Ramadi, police said.

One of his bodyguards was also killed in the attack that marked a bloody start to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"He was returning home when his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb planted by insurgents," said Anbar security chief Colonel Tareq al-Dulaimi. "His car was hit directly."

Sheikh Reesha was a prominent figure in the so-called Anbar Awakening Conference of Sunni tribes which formed an alliance with American troops in western Anbar province to claw back their neighbourhoods from Al-Qaeda.

That was only the beginning of Bush's actions backfiring.

The other day I posted about the killing of three journalists, including a WaPo reporter. I missed this (h/t beachmom):

The area where the reporter visited had been dominated by the Mehdi Army, the militia of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and police believe he was killed by Sunnis aligned with the "Awakening Council" -- the anti-insurgent tribal forces working with the United States, the paper reported.

link

Iraqi police officers said they believed Saif Aldin was killed by Sunni men belonging to the nascent organization known as the Awakening Council, a tribal organization aligned with the U.S. military that started in the western province of Anbar and has spread to parts of Baghdad. Iraqi government officials have accused these Sunni tribesmen of abusing their partnership with the Americans to kill and kidnap residents.

link

"There is no Anbar model."

"Every contractor in Anbar who works for the U.S. military...is paying the insurgency"

[kirby]

1. When Bush invaded Iraq there were warnings too..

All ignored...

[NewJeffCT]

3. Not to mention...

a certain presidential daily brief dated 8/6/01 was ignored as well, as well as dozens of other warnings on the same subject.

[beachmom]

2. Yep, it was always about the civil war, and the "good news" from al Anbar

changed the dynamics of the civil war not one iota. What a disaster.

[Disturbed]

4. Busholini was given the statements to spout about al Q.

For a number of weeks he blathered about al Q in Iraq being the problem, while ignoring the major problem of Sunnis vs Shiites & even Shiites factions fighting each other. It is about simplicity. The effort was to make it simple for the American public to support the so called War On Terror. Al Q in Iraq is around 2% of a problem yet it gets the attention of the public because that name strikes fear into minds.

The goal of the Busholini Regime is to control the oil flow in Iraq & the entire ME & to control all other resources, as well. This could take another 10 years if it can even be achieved. Rumsfailed said this several years ago but since he became so unpopular most people ignored his rare statement of truth.

Al Q in Iraq can be defeated & will be defeated because Iraqis don't want those foreign elements in their territory. Al Q. in Iraq is not the major obstacle to stabilizing Iraq so that the oil can be placed into the West's Oil Multi-Corps control. The Sunni Insurgency is the obstacle.