Iraq Is Falling Apart–And We Caused It
Iraq is being overrun with jihadists. What did we expect, that we’d go in there get rid of Saddam and fix the country and the entire Middle East? Well, yes, we did. It occurred to no one that the minute we left there would the Shiites and Sunnis, who’ve been fighting for centuries, would continue killing each other? It was a safer country under Saddam Hussein.
ISIS militants already control Fallujah, a city that American Marines took in 2004 in what was the bloodiest battle of the Iraq War. Now, with both Mosul and Fallujah under their control, nearly half of Iraq is in the grips of a group that is a formal affiliate of a terrorist group.
Equally troubling are the circumstances under which the city fell. Iraqi security personnel simply abandoned their posts, according to reports.
This is problematic for a host of reasons. First, it shows that the American-trained Iraqi military is not adequate. Second, Iraqi soldiers left their weapons behind – giving ISIS a huge cache of equipment.
But the most disturbing aspect of the desertion is what Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki proposed to replace the missing troops. In an address to the nation Tuesday, he called on Iraqi citizens to take up arms against ISIS in an attempt to retake the city.
Tom Ward June 11th, 2014 at 4:32 pm
This is going to be another bloody civil war. Bad news indeed.
granpa.usthai June 11th, 2014 at 9:10 pm
Civil wars do tend to be a lot worse that most, Tom. In the central highlands it even got to the ‘close’ family level. Comes a time when you just got to decide not to throw your own in the mist as ‘bait’. Kinda like when you go shopping and the final step is a non -refundable item (auto electronics for one) – you either buy or fly.
arc99 June 11th, 2014 at 4:46 pm
In the aftermath of all the uproar about 5 Guantanamo detainees possibly being involved in violence against America in the future, have any of the #Bergdahlgate critics considered that the war which most of them supported has contributed to Iraq’s deterioration into a failed state where there will not be just 5 possible threats against America, but thousands?
I realize I am repeating myself, but it is all part of the same pattern we see with right wing critics of the President, e.g. their emotional hostility outweighs any practical concerns.
3,000 dead on 9/11/2001, time to come together
4 dead on 9/11/2012, time for resignations, investigations and impeachment
5 possible enemies under supervision in Qatar, and the response is to demand resignations, investigations and impeachment
thousands of possible enemies running free in Iraq, thanks to an unnecessary war, and the response is to point out, but, but, but HIlary voted for it too..
Pat B June 11th, 2014 at 4:47 pm
There are places where democracy just doesn’t work. Iraq is one of them.
fahvel June 12th, 2014 at 2:59 am
and you know this because??????
Pat B June 12th, 2014 at 2:07 pm
History my friend history.
Obewon June 11th, 2014 at 5:13 pm
GWB / Halliburton Cheney’s $6 T Faux Iraq oil war was so worth the record low everything delivered globally. Tea Klanistanis for Cheney in 2016~
Rixar13 McGinnis June 11th, 2014 at 6:25 pm
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
Hosea Mcadoo June 11th, 2014 at 7:44 pm
This was predicable ten years ago. It was so clearly a mistake ( and I am no genius) then that I was then and remain amazed that leaders either couldn’t or wouldn’t see it Destruction of a historically great civilization for some American politician’s personal gain.
How is this really better that what Hitler did.
John Tarter June 11th, 2014 at 8:08 pm
No, “we” didn’t cause it, President Obama caused it. Remember, he is the one who refused to sign a SOF (Status of Forces) agreement with the Iraqi government.
Obewon June 11th, 2014 at 8:32 pm
Wayout, your voting twice for the worst foreign policy disasters in US history dovetails perfectly with your always errant & gullible parroting from the fool factory of RWNJ’s. GWB set the timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. http://mediamatters.org/research/2010/06/27/memo-to-media-bush-set-a-timetable-for-withdraw/166835
granpa.usthai June 12th, 2014 at 4:51 am
as stated: Republicans need to come up with something better than, this time the failed policies of the GOP will work, it just has too!
Romney’s HUMILIATING DEFEAT of 2012 was based solely on his inability to sell it to the people, I just don’t get the overwhelming feeling that folks (especially the 98% of the younger generation) are ready to try it again anytime soon.
granpa.usthai June 11th, 2014 at 8:49 pm
POTUS OBAMA is on record as voting nay to the illegal invasion of the sovereign nation of Iraq.
The Islamic Republic of Iraq is fully responsible for it’s own internal security.
Let the GWits selected Dictator of The Islamic Republic lose his appointed powers his own damn way.
arc99 June 11th, 2014 at 9:03 pm
in other words, President Obama “failed” to get this country bogged down spending trillions of dollars, and sacrificing who knows how many American lives trying to fix the mistake of his predecessor; a mistake, which will likely be remembered as one of if not the biggest foreign policy catastrophe in the history of our republic.
granpa.usthai June 12th, 2014 at 5:23 am
Did you read the SOF Agreement? – Know what was in it?
You really agree to allowing US Military Personnel being arrested, tried and in many cases taken out and publicly executed by the Iraqi Government just sos their leader could keep racking up brownie points with the people?
jasperjava June 13th, 2014 at 7:32 am
Yeah, President Obama “caused” the debacle in Iraq, just as he caused the weak federal government response to Hurricane Katrina, and the financial crisis of 2007-2008.
He also caused the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam war. He caused the sinking of the Titanic and the Hindenburg disaster. He caused the Great Chicago fire of 1871, and had the gall to blame a nice Republican cow.
John Tarter June 11th, 2014 at 8:09 pm
And don’t forget Hillary, she cast a yes vote for war.
Sko Hayes June 11th, 2014 at 8:46 pm
Yes, because she and a lot of others were lied to by the Bush administration about WMD in Iraq.
arc99 June 11th, 2014 at 8:58 pm
the President is responsible for the decisions made on his watch.
at least that is what you right wingers have been ranting about for the past 5 years, or was that a load of hypocritical horse manure too?
fancypants June 11th, 2014 at 11:00 pm
Iraq Is Falling Apart–And We Caused It
——————————————————-
much to your surprise alan the Iraq’s new military ( if that’s what you want to call them ) were once again seen taking their uniforms off in plain sight as these terrorists entered each town. Its the same routine saddam’s republican guards did as our soldiers fought their way in to each of Iraq’s towns.
Maybe it would have been easier to say Iraqi soldiers are best known as cowards
fahvel June 12th, 2014 at 2:54 am
huh??????? I read noise but no thought here.
granpa.usthai June 12th, 2014 at 5:15 am
no disputing their unwillingness to die for a losing cause, fancypants, but cowards? That’s a bit hard, don’t you think? – I mean, considering the 10 years of US Military Occupational Liberation , losses incurred and all – just seems not to be all that cowardly to me.
fancypants June 12th, 2014 at 10:46 pm
How do you explain the terrorists taking over these cities without any fight to speak of ? I think the Syrian rebels did ALOT more with less against the Syrian government. Imagine that….
egbegb June 11th, 2014 at 11:55 pm
Too bad Iraq doesn’t have a 2nd Amendment. Without it, the citizens of Iraq are helpless.
Tom Key June 12th, 2014 at 12:01 am
The GOP: A Taking that just keeps Taking.
Tom Key June 12th, 2014 at 12:07 am
Until the Bush wars, Iraqis were among the most educated Arabs in the world. Most of the men were not “warriors” for Islam, but engineers. They already hated Saddam, who oppressed them — he was in constant fear of assassination. Bush #1 left Saddam in power and he killed 100,000’s of his own. Now our nation is a third world country, Halliburton is richer than we are, and we have more Americans killing American school-children than by all of the Arabs combined. The GOP is not on our side.
FriendofThom June 12th, 2014 at 12:38 am
It’s still hard to believe that the neocons were such fools.. utopian dreamers.. thinking we could end the sectarian strife/ war between Sunnis and Shiite that has been going on in Iraq and the middle-east for 1200+ years. Now much of Iraq is controlled by radicals who make Saddam look like a moderate.
Tom Ward June 12th, 2014 at 12:41 am
Agreed, my friend. It is a cultural thing that I know will fix itself eventually but who knows how long it will take.
granpa.usthai June 12th, 2014 at 4:58 am
foolish neocon Utopian dreamers with very large offshore bank accounts, friend, if you’ll recall in 2008, some were all for a hundred year occupational liberation.
‘Amount available’ trumps all!
jasperjava June 13th, 2014 at 9:34 am
“thinking we could end the sectarian strife/ war between Sunnis and Shiite”
The neo-cons didn’t even KNOW that there were “different kinds of Iraqis”. Iraqi exiles who met with B*sh in January of 2003 were shocked at the abysmal level of ignorance he had about a country he was about to invade.
fahvel June 12th, 2014 at 2:52 am
and this is news because????? this end result was predictable even before l’il george, with his cajones packed in a flight suit, lied and lied and killed and then ran away to paint by the numbers.
granpa.usthai June 12th, 2014 at 5:31 am
I think you may be just a might partisan in your judgement of GW, fahvel.
With the problems GOPs have with numbers, I kinda suspect they may not be able to count much past 1,2, and all them other numbers.
Dave Lanson June 12th, 2014 at 6:28 am
We broke Iraq and were pathetically unable to fix it.
Debra Watkins June 12th, 2014 at 12:45 pm
Foolish indeed. Saddam did rule with an iron fist and many died by that fist….but to think we can/could fix this is insanity. Iraq now has a weak government and the chips are falling.
Judgeforyourself37 June 12th, 2014 at 4:46 pm
G. W. Bush should have listened to Gen. Colin Powell, when he said, that waging war with Iraq would lead to the old Pottery Barn Rule: You break it, you own it. And thus it has come to pass.
sandersdogman June 13th, 2014 at 6:55 am
The decision to invade Iraq was not the worst political decision in the history of the United States. It was the worst political decision in the history of the world.
Newfirelock June 13th, 2014 at 6:01 pm
Does Anyone Know?
By James Rogers Bush
Does anybody know
Where the war has gone?
Has it disappeared Into a fog
Of wishful thinking?
Has it become victim
To the mind-sucking
We’ve all become numb to?
From buying the idea
Of “weapons of mass destruction”
To buying the idea
That things are getting better…
We’ve all become fools of the machine
Even if “things are getting better”
What the hell does “better” really mean?
Will it bring back the dead?
Will it heal all the wounds?
Will it help the helpless in Afghanistan?
Will it end our dependence on oil
Or turn our global terror back?
We stand at a crossroads
Coddled, confused, and totally
Full of crap
We stand on the edge
Lost, lonely, and befuddled
By a very inaccurate map
Like our forbears Of Greece and Rome
We consume, conquer
And play…
Thinking the fires we’ve started
And the rocks we’ve set rolling
Won’t cover and consume us one day
By the way…
Does anyone know
Where the war is going?