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Iraq - Disarm - Show Your Arms - War? - Page 37

LDS, I guess we will know more tomorrow, but one thing is for sure, all of this is far from over!

From Deseret News:

NEWS ANALYSIS: COMPLEX DIPLOMATIC ISSUES LOOM
The dramatic fall of central Baghdad Wednesday may seal the fate of President
Saddam Hussein's regime, but it leaves open the question of whether this fight
will ultimately bring more benefit than harm to the United States.
https://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C1249%2C...34818%2C00.html
[hr]
From ABC News:

Despite all the warnings, human nature wants to believe the celebration
and rejoicing in downtown Baghdad yesterday were a sign of things to come.
Trouble is, it was only one moment of euphoria in a very troubled
country.  While U.S. and British forces have made great strides, forcing
the Iraqi regime from the capital, there is plenty of volatility.  Perhaps
no more than in the north, where the oil city of Kirkuk has been seized by
Kurdish peshmerga fighters.  The Bush Administration and the Kurds
maintain the city would be transfered to U.S. hands, but Turkey is more
than a little concerned.  There's a risk of a confrontation between
Turkish troops and the Kurds, which would undermine U.S. Operations.

War Arms Show Disarm Iraq

They tore down Saddam's statue in Baghdad, and now his regime is supposedly finally over. What do you think? Is the war really over?

In my opinion it's obvious this isn't the end of it. Saddam's still lurking around somewhere, and don't forget his sons and his many supporters.

Iraq - Disarm - Show Your Arms - War? History & Civil Business Politics

[quote]They tore down Saddam's statue in Baghdad, and now his regime is supposedly finally over. What do you think? Is the war really over? [/quote]
I believe that the uniformed war is coming to an end, but urban combat and terrorist attacks will become more prevalent not only in Iraq, but around the world.
[hr]
My other concern which can be debateable is this... should the military have had foresight to put inplace some sort of police system to stop looters? Isn't allowing this chaos onlu making the country worst? Places like hospitals should have been protected. That is ridiculous!

From CNN:

'SENSE OF LAWLESSNESS' IN BAGHDAD

A "sense of lawlessness" pervades the Iraqi capital Friday, with U.S. Marines
dodging "potshots" from forces loyal to the crumbling Iraqi regime and working
to disarm a city bristling with weapons, CNN correspondent Martin Savidge
reported.
https://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/04/11/...ines/index.html

Page 37 War Arms Show Disarm Iraq

By the way, if you look at the calendar you will see that today is a time in history when Iraq had a cease fire during the Gulf War.

[newcal]

War Arms Show Disarm Iraq

I'm sure they anticipated some of the looting, and have plans to control it.

Frankly, I too, would have let those people go on a little binge. They are releasing a lifetime of anger, rage and exacting some small measure of revenge. Letting them steal things from government buildings is not something I would have stopped.

It has already turned nasty, however, and they military is going to have to impose order. The big task is to get an interim government set up, composed of Iraqi people, and get a handle on all this.

It looks like that was the weak point of their plan.

I don't see the "urban warfare" as much of a problem. Tkhey are going to waste these guys in much the same way. They won't last long.

Around the world, I'm not sure about that either. The reaction of the Iraqi people has taken the steam out of a lot of the radicals' ranting and ravings. Even al-Jazeera was subdued in their comments.

If they want to increase the level of violence around the world, that's not a problem. We're not out of bombs.

Just kidding, JB, just kidding.

Iraq - Disarm - Show Your Arms - War?

Here's an interesting e-mail I received from a friend of mine in Saudi Arabia:
Hi, Bruce
You may already have read or heard of Dr. Batarfi's article in Al-Madina, but in case you've not, I thought you might find the summary he sent me interesting. (If I remember correctly he's the editor-in-chief of Al-Madina). If his assertions are true, they could explain the following:

 
1. Contrary to what everyone expected, Baghdad offered minimal resistance.



2. On the late April 9, 2003, edition of ABC's War with Iraq and officer expressed his surprise that contrary to their expectations, there was actually less resistance the closer to Baghdad the troops got.



3. On the same program, they showed a palace that had been cleaned out before, not after, US troops arrived.



4. Finally, it could explain the mystery behind where all the Iraqi troops went.



Related to Dr. Batarfi's assertions was all the talk prior to the war of allowing Saddam to find a safe haven in some other country. Perhaps he’s now found it.

Dr. Batarfi's summary:


All,

I published today, in my paper Al-Madina, the story behind the story, explaining how, suddenly, the American forces entered in peace, and the Iraqi forces, regime and leadership, disappeared in peace. Here is a summary of my story:

Saddam and company are in Moscow. Condi Rice Closed a deal in Moscow for him, his family and the top regime bosses to leave with the Russian Ambassador to Moscow. That is why the injured Ambassador returned to Baghdad soon after he left to Damascus. The Iraqi Defense Minister, General Sultan Hashem, who together with four other generals including Mustafa Kamal, the dictator's cousin and son-in-law discussed the deal with the former Iraqi Chief of Staff, Nizar Al-Khazraji, in Qatar and the CIA.

They agreed that as soon as Saddam and company leave, General Sultan will disband troops, empty military, security and governmental offices of personnel and important documents, and give the American troops the green line to enter. The agreement included details as when and how to enter, as well as the safest routs and districts to take. CIA officers and informers on the ground, as well as satellite, predators and similar spy planes, monitored the plan implementation. General Al-Khazraji, who was on top of these contacts, will take over the command and control of the remaining Iraqi military and security forces. Most of the troops, especially the Republican Guards, melted among the civilians, but the agreement included immunity for them.

The top Iraqi officials have already sent their families to Damascus, most followed suit with Russia as the guarantor of their safety. Many will continue to other destinations, including Russia, Switzerland and France, with an American promise no to pursue them. Billions of dollars were transferred abroad in recent months, on top of what is already deposited in secret and personal accounts in foreign banks, especially Swiss and offshore banks. However, most of the recent transfer went to Russian banks.

The bombing of the building allegedly visited by Saddam was a cover to say later that all are "probably" dead. The American condition was for them to be "officially dead". Saddam and his group liked the idea because it saves faces, and it ends their lives as martyrs. This way, the Americans do not have to hunt them and demand trial, and they don't have to worry about being hunted the rest of their lives.

The irony here is: America brought Saddam and his Baath regime to power against Abdul Kareem Qasim regime that was in its way to take the Moscow highway as an ally. When Saddam took the same way later, as American-supported Nasser did in Egypt, America gave him a one-way ticket this time ... to Moscow! What an irony.



Salam,

Khaled

Iraq Disarm Show Arms War - Page 37

[quote]Here's an interesting e-mail I received from a friend of mine in Saudi Arabia:
[/quote]
Interesting indeed, in fact I have heard this (that he, Saddam, has gone to Russia) via another Arab network. I would like to see how the US/UK plays out the next few days and if they will be able to 'hold' everything together.

Do I need to start a thread called, 'USA vs. Iran' or 'USA vs. Syria'?

Iraq Disarm Show Arms War Politics Business Civil & History - Page 37

To say that all the looting in Iraq is 'untidness' and pent up anger is the reason to 'justify' it or is it an excuse for the lack of security that should have been put in place?

From ABCNews:

Subject:  Now that allied forces have succeeded in largely ousting Saddam
from power, Iraq has taken a turn toward anarchy.  There's widespread
looting and lawlessness that the military doesn't seem equipped to handle.
Into that power vaccuum you'll find "pent-up passions and naked greed,
"as one wire report describes the breakdown of law and order in Mosul, the
northern Iraqi city liberated today and in Baghdad and Basra, the largest
city in the south.  At his briefing today, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld had
another word for the chaos: "untidiness."  He suggested this was only a
transitional phase for Iraq.  "While no one condones looting, on the other
hand, one can understand the pent-up feelings that may result from decades
of repression," Rumsfeld declared.