BOMBS IN BAGHDAD

[MrBox2113]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/12...est=latestnews


My father and I recently discussed what we thought was going to happen when we pulled out. Sucks to see we were right, but hey what can you do? Sit back and watch the fireworks.

[scooter]

The US crushed the violence down to very low levels in 2007-2008, and left Iraq with something resembling a stable and internally secure country. Since withdrawing a week ago Maliki has begun going after Sunni leadership for "crimes" and "terrorism". Now this. If the Shia aren't careful this is going to go back to the dark days of 2006 when the Sunni and Shia were trying to exterminate each other in mass.

If they f*ck it up now, its on them.

[dollarbill]

The reality is that this has been going on for over 1400 years. Them two will never learn. Its like the saying," You can take a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." You can take some people to the front door of a better life, but but you can't make them open it. You're 100% right, is on them.

[MTN Medic]

Originally Posted by scooter

]

If they f*ck it up now, its on them.

Unfortunately brother, in the public's eyes, its on us.

[alright4u]

Obama had the Iraqi leader here a week or so ago. He spoke of all these great things, the wonders of the Iraqi democracy, and; he looked every bit the victor taking credit for all started by Bush and ended by him on his terms of no US troops. Let Obama take credit now. The one thing Obama has never said is-"I was wrong."

Never has Obama ever admitted he screwed up at anything.

[scooter]

Originally Posted by MTN Medic

Unfortunately brother, in the public's eyes, its on us.

I don't give a rats ass what the public thinks. I did two trips there pre-surge and saw the whole thing going to hell in a hand basket. Two trips after, and the world couldn't have been different. JAM crushed and no longer a viable force in the field. AQ virtually destroyed. IZ government control over ever city in their country, hell you can even drive through Sadr City without air support. They have a 'trained' (for arab standards anyway) and equipped army, and the police at least make a show of doing their jobs. The courts even look like they are doing something.

Training wheels have been off for some time now, and the hands have been off the back of the bike since 2009. Now I'm going inside to drink a beer and watch little timmy ride the bike all on his own... after all, he's been begging to do it and says he doesn't need my help anyway, or the help of the 4500 guys who died teaching him and paving the damn road for him to ride. If he falls off or gets the bike taken away by his neighbor, too bad for timmy.

And I really don't care what anyone else thinks who just watched the whole thing on CNN. My $0.02, your mileage probably varies.

[bubba]

Scooter, A-FUCKING-MEN! I am in more or less the same boat as you, and couldn't agree more.

[MrBox2113]

Here, here, Scooter.

I see the biggest threat to the stability being the countries leadership. When maliki's party was voted out they didn't go, total BS. Last year while I was there we had if I remember correctly 3 bombs go off on the banks in Baghdad, come to find out it was maliki trying to cover up the 500 mil he had funneled to offshore accounts. On top of that Iran has the dudes right ear. My buddy Dhia, when he came back from visiting his family there in the spring said we might as well put the Iranian flag up over the capital cause that is the only thing missing. Let them shoot themselves in the foot. Frustrating as it is after everything we have given Eff-em.

And I am all about free or highly discounted oil from them as repayment.

[alright4u]

Originally Posted by MrBox2113

Here, here, Scooter.

I see the biggest threat to the stability being the countries leadership. When maliki's party was voted out they didn't go, total BS. Last year while I was there we had if I remember correctly 3 bombs go off on the banks in Baghdad, come to find out it was maliki trying to cover up the 500 mil he had funneled to offshore accounts. On top of that Iran has the dudes right ear. My buddy Dhia, when he came back from visiting his family there in the spring said we might as well put the Iranian flag up over the capital cause that is the only thing missing. Let them shoot themselves in the foot. Frustrating as it is after everything we have given Eff-em.

And I am all about free oil from them as repayment.

They owe a lot of it. No amount of gold, oil, silver, or riches of any kind can replace US lives who gave them freedom. While things may have appeared to have been putative with Maliki, they were always parlous. He is no damn different then any of these treacherous types we fail to treat according to their deeds.

[BOfH]

Originally Posted by dollarbill

The reality is that this has been going on for over 1400 years. Them two will never learn. Its like the saying," You can take a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." You can take some people to the front door of a better life, but but you can't make them open it. You're 100% right, is on them.

True that. IMHO, Iraq in many ways mirrors Egypt, and many other "Islamist" strongholds. Putting aside the "threat" of Saddam, "owning" a sphere of influence in the ME outside of the periphery of Saudi Arabia and Israel, and the oil of course; Iraq has that 2% - 8%(+ or -, just throwing very rough if not arbitrary numbers here) of people, especially the younger generation, which wants to go about their lives in peace, in their own way without some moral police beating in them in the streets or worse etc. The problem is the other %85 - %95 of the older(or brainwashed younger) generation that wants things to stay the same(the religious tribal culture), and its that percentage that holds the political sway, Egypt proved that.

If we have learned anything from Iraq(and even Afghanistan), nation building doesn't necessarily work in these parts of the world, especially when tribal and religious rifts run so deep, working around them doesn't always work. While what I have just stated may conflict with the SF mission and motto, I believe that there is a limit to the money spent and more importantly the lives sacrificed in trying to liberate that small percentage, especially when all that progress goes up in smoke when the mission is declared over and US forces take leave of the AO.

My .02, YMMV.

[stfesta]

The Middle East today is the same shit hole it was 100 years ago and the same shit hole it will be in 100 years.

[Weazle23]

Originally Posted by MrBox2113

...

And I am all about free or highly discounted oil from them as repayment.

That's what I keep waiting on too.