The Great Moqtada Makeover

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  • Posted By: bohdansz @ 01/21/2008 4:47:11 AM

    There is no jihad, only poverty and misery. Amen! I just hope that al-Sadr grows up sooner. the sooner "sayed' grows up, the better all Iraq will be. American universities should devise scientific ways how to help al-Sadr grow up!

  • Posted By: ikez78 @ 01/20/2008 6:50:20 PM

    I figured it wouldnt take long for NEWSWEEK to praise outspoken enemies of the U.S.

    Don't you losers still think Bush is equally to blame with Iran's president for the conflict between the two countries and you conveniently are ignorant of the history between the two sides?

    • Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 01/20/2008 11:10:16 PM

      Not a loser your right though for many many reasons and years

      • Posted By: bohdansz @ 01/21/2008 4:41:55 AM

        There is no jihad, only poverty and misery! Amen! I just hope that al-Sadr grows up soon. The sooner "sayed" grows up the better Iraq will be! America should find ways to help him grow up!

  • Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 01/20/2008 10:30:41 PM

    "Soldiers don't fail leaders do, start at the top" we invaded to rid Iraq of Hussain, his black guard and his puppeters, the Baath party! You say we fail, if we pull out? Now we are, with the blessing of the United States, allowing the Baath party back [Sadr's group] into politics,military,and power! Now WE Failed our troops to allow this! Finish the job, we just dishonered our troops, not by leaving, as told to us by our Commander in chief, but to allow the people we went to remove, back into power? Then we sell 900+ "smart bombs" to the country the terrorist came from to wipe out the WTC, and BELIEVE, THEY WILL NOT END UP IN TERRORIST HANDS??? No country in the world has ever dropped a nuke on another during war! An atomic bomb you bet on civilians [ with way to many military targets to hit ], but we wanted a bigger boom for the buck, and a easy way to destroy nuclear waste, besides dumping it in the ocean. Which Russia has done, and i'll bet good money a greedy American did to!! Lets not forget the three atomic bombs aimed at Tiwain in case we try to free them from China, it disaperes, but at least it's atomic, and we are left with zero spare parts, for our great war machine made anywhere but here!! To pull out graciously is not a disgrace, but to allow the same people we went to remove, back, into power in any form is dishonerable, and that's comming from an American military man!Deal with it! Dropping a nuke should be a hard descission but I don't see it as a problem with the current admin in D.C., and besides you do not nuke what you want to pump home! You drop atomics then you can re-use the property and mineral rights! Two people can't make peace, populations do!
    David
    i agree but ? Our actions as of the 70s do not leave much room for dignity or respect of the people. When they were taught exactly what we did, step by step, in Iraq, and they were taught this in the 70s!

    • Posted By: David Red/Cal @ 01/20/2008 10:48:37 PM

      I only grew up in the 70's, but my admittedly objective observation of it tells me that a historically dramatic shift occurred that could probably ONLY have happened in a truly free country. That observation is that the people freed themselves of any delusion that the government is as honorable as we had once hoped it was. The tragic side to it all is that even today is that there seems to be this expanse that exists between Americans and our own government that reveals a persistent distrust. And time doesn't seem to be healing the wound that has prevented us from really getting the most out of our government .

      • Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 01/20/2008 10:59:00 PM

        I served in the late 70s, so distrust is an understatment, and very understandable, we did what we do,interfere politicaly in other countries. In turn they did not and still do not quit like the idea of it, which is understandable. i completly agree with the statement you wrote under mine even if it's as true today as it was when we were spit on. to true and sad as ,"The people should never fear it's government, the government should fear it's people" and ours is still in a state of flux and to be honest i believe it's due to the same people who were there in the 70s are still there!

        • Posted By: David Red/Cal @ 01/20/2008 11:18:36 PM

          To go philosophical on the whole discussion, I wonder if the true legacy of the 20th century comes right down to the after-math of 2 world wars and the long failed attempt at a 'one-world' government. I mean I've always seen a distinct connection between all the modern conflicts. Our discussion of the 70's and the 'Vietnam effect' ties directly to UN mandates. And those UN mandates only came about by the re-construction and protection of Japanese-occupied countries that fell to the USA and USSR as victors. I guess it puts a whole new twinst on "to the victor goes the spoils"

          • Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 01/20/2008 11:35:36 PM

            the victor also write the history

            • Posted By: David Red/Cal @ 01/20/2008 11:53:02 PM

              Then I'll finish with this..."We have great fighters but crap writers..."

              • Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 01/21/2008 12:16:15 AM

                should i take as copliment as i'm military also

              • Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 01/21/2008 12:05:31 AM

                exelent point

          • Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 01/20/2008 11:42:50 PM

            I wouldn't go that far. We spent 90 billion on weapons and they spent 90 billion on tec, and we lost, and Russia lost, as Gernamy and Japan flourished. There is a distinct connection in the modern conflicts it's called greed, and the same set of morons running this country from 1970 or earlier and still there,

  • Posted By: dadyo @ 01/20/2008 7:44:32 PM

    When will their next attack on the USA come

    • Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 01/20/2008 11:08:51 PM

      when the arms sale is done with the Saudis

  • Posted By: faminchin @ 01/20/2008 10:26:36 PM

    I believe what is really going on is Iraqi's are waking up to the fact that there is no Jihad. There is just a small band of murderering cowards that hide behind women and children while decieving Muslim youth into fighting for them. Muslim's should be leading the way in this fight! If Muslim's really believe the Quran, then they know there is nothing in it to support the killing of innocence. There aren't 72 virgins for sucide, the Quran plainly states sucide is wrong and leads to enternally damnation.

    What we have here is a small group of cowardly murderers, pure evil, hiding behind a woman's skirt, while waving the Quran and deceiving Muslim youth into eternal damnation. Iraqi's have woke up to that fact! There is no Jihad!

    • Posted By: David Red/Cal @ 01/20/2008 10:39:11 PM

      I agree...Iraq's biggest enemy, and it pertains to much of the Middle East, is unemployment and poverty. If this peace can hold long enough to begin a program of building, then the violence will eventually give way to 'real' freedom and 'real' prosperity. As Americans we should realize that all along our greatest power wasn't advanced weaponry, but wealth. I think we should contemplate why we've 'allowed' oil to get to $100 a barrel and why we haven't seen any oil out of Iraq yet. When we finally finish this thing, Iraq will be capable of supporting an economy that puts the masses to work in honorable professions, and not hoarding it to a select few. God-willing if Bush pulls it off, he will have achieved the goal he set out years ago, to help Iraq to become the future model of the Middle East: free and democratic nations capable of lasting peace.

  • Posted By: washington109 @ 01/20/2008 10:31:57 PM

    Faminchin - I tip my hat to you for your educated, eloquent response.

  • Posted By: washington109 @ 01/20/2008 10:30:05 PM

    S3ATH, you are indeed ignorant. General Petraeus is achieving great success by drawing a hard line where he needs to, and by working with the locals when this makes sense. Anyone with the "nuke 'em all" attitude has no value of human life and doesn't appreciate the immense reprisals any country would get for doing so. If you don't have anything worh saying, why don't you shut your ignorant yap?

  • Posted By: David Red/Cal @ 01/20/2008 9:41:49 PM

    As an American, I can say with authority: If you dont come from a country that has actually dropped a nuclear weapon in an act of war, then you really have no concept of how 'hard' it is to do it. The 'easy' way is to earn the respect of the people, day-by-day, keep your commitments, never back-down, finish the job, and leave with the dignity of the people intact.

  • Posted By: S3ATH @ 01/20/2008 9:29:37 PM

    theres a easy way and a hard way u amricans are doin it the hard way the easy way is nuke'em fixes all the problems in iraq or use c130 hercules with spray booms and load the lot up with pigs blood and spray the lot simply

  • Posted By: Dunes @ 01/20/2008 8:21:17 PM

    It takes an Iraq to catch an Irat!!

  • Posted By: Dunes @ 01/20/2008 8:18:42 PM

    It takes an Iraq to catch an Irat

  • Posted By: navydoc1963 @ 01/20/2008 8:18:24 PM

    Check this out and then tell me what you think http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/01/the-stories-the.html

  • Posted By: navydoc1963 @ 01/20/2008 8:17:39 PM

    tak a look here http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/01/the-stories-the.html

  • Posted By: lesbrown @ 01/20/2008 7:58:00 PM

    For the last 4 years it wasn't hard to recognise that the key to peace in the poorest of population in Iraq was to talk to Sadr. Instead, we opted to prop up the regions fairly rich people and those who had connections with our State Depatment in hopes of protectecting and expanding our intrests and influence. It hasn't worked and won't work unless the natural leaders are given respect in their eyes. The conditions for unrest which are seething underneeth the political fray must be solved by those closest to to it.

    Let the Mahdi Army control it's section of Iraq and do battle with their internal enemies. Le't take a careful step back and monitor the situation and keep the lines of communication open.
    It will be bloody (for sure) but hasn't it been all along?

  • Posted By: quasimodomouse @ 01/20/2008 7:42:49 PM

    Petraeus deserves no credit for reducing violence except for the fact that his "surge" facilitated the further ethnic cleansing of Bagdhad. Presto...less sectarian violence now that the Sunni have largely been driven from their homes and now the neighborhoods are purely Sunni or Shiite where they once were mixed. "Awakening Councils" are essentially being paid protection money not to attack U.S. forces or the puppet Government of Iraq.
    -ikez78 asks,"...conveniently are ignorant of the history between the two sides?" re" Iran and the U.S.. I would posit that he is conveniently ignorant of any history between the two sides prior to the Revolution and taking of American hostages, events triggered by our meddling in that country. Iran's president was elected over his moderate rival only after Bush's bellicose rhetoric and labeling of Iran as part of an Axis of Evil drove Iranian voters towards his nationalistic policies. This after Iran cooperated fully with our interests following 9-11. Now every utterance of Bush's with regard to Iran is rightfully deemed untrue. No fast boat attacks, not arming the Taliban or cooperating with Al-Qeda (though we have been arming and encouraging Salafi Jihadists to attack Iranian civilians with car bombs), no WMD....and on and on and on.

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