As the British Leave, Whither Basra? (or Why the British are REALLY Pulling Troops Out!)

[Up2Late]

(I just have to say Thank You (again) to NPR for posting the transcript of this radio report, something they started doing a few months ago with their most important stories.)

As the British Leave, Whither Basra?

Listen to this story...(or read the transcript at link above)
by Jackie Northam

Morning Edition, February 23, 2007 · The Bush administration and senior
British government officials are trying to put a good face on London's decision
to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq....

(clip)

...Cheney said. "What I see is an affirmation of the fact that there are parts of Iraq where things are going pretty well."

But that may not be the case in many parts of southern Iraq. The British were handed responsibility of the four southern provinces, where the Shia are a vast majority of the population. Unlike elsewhere in Iraq, where U.S. troops have been fighting a Sunni insurgency, the British have been caught in a power struggle among rival Shia militias in the south.

"The problem is, in most of these four provinces, the British essentially gave up," says Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Cordesman says U.K. forces lost control of two key provinces — Basra and Maisan — after elections in early 2005 and 2006 that brought a Shiite majority to power.

"Once they came under control, the Shiites firmly were in charge of virtually the entire area and there was little the British could do about it," Cordesman says.

(more AND Audio at link) <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7565602>

[Bonhomme Richard]

1. Guess who is going to fill that void after.............

the Brits leave? Our guys, plain and simple. I'm suprised that none of the MSM have asked the question. NOT.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Our job is just to prop up the republicon-corporate borg." - CorproMedia Hacks

"So don't go expectin no real truth. We'll keep you fully informed
on what the repubicon-corporate borg wants you to focus on." CorporoMedia BlowDry Hacks


BULLETIN...BULLETIN...BULLETIN: Britteny says her hair will grow back someday.

[Tempest]

3. Not necessarily

The U.S. may leave the area to the Shiites and turn their backs as ethnic cleansing against the Sunnis occurs.

The U.S. has a history of this. The Kurds in the 1980s, Rwanda in the 1990s and Darfur in the 2000s.

[daleo]

4. And right after the 1991 Gulf War

If I recall correctly, Bush I encouraged the Shiites of the south and the Kurds of the north to rebel, then sat back when Saddam used brutal force to suppress the uprisings.

[ohio2007]

12. Bay of Pigs part 2

al Sadr's father and older brothers were cut down by Saddam's Republican guard. Since he gave them that pay raise and all,they were having their own payback time all in the name of keeping the minority in power.

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. The reason they won't leave it to the locals is..............

the logistical problem. Most of our troops supplies are convoyed through that region and those convoys will need to be protected. If those convoy routes were closed our troops would be F***ed. No way they would leave it to the locals. IMHO

[ohio2007]

6. Same thing happened in Cambodia as I recall

We left Viet Nam, the North took over the South and a campaign of genocide invasion went on in Cambodia.
Chinese may have reined them in when they crossed the border into Viet Nam but there were more than a few bad apples ( Pol Pot ) that needed 'cleansing' after we left that the world took little notice as the middle east started that oil embargo against us

[Up2Late]

9. Yup, that whole mess was well portrayed in the 1984 Film "The Killing Fields"

I remember being completely confused by that movie, the first time I saw it, because I don't remember ever hearing anything on the news about what was happening in Vietnam and Cambodia during the second half of the 1970's.

I do remember hearing the cries of "Disco Suck" and lots of 1776-1976 Bi-Centennial stuff going on, but nothing about the Killing Fields in Vietnam and Cambodia until that movie came out in 1984.

Here's a link to more info on the film:
<http://imdb.com/title/tt0087553/>

[ohio2007]

11. It's one of those inconvenient truths people rather ignore

Basically, we closed our eyes and pretended all was well now that we got out.

Funny thing though, after all these years, 'godless' charlie wants us back ! LOL
China still has a beef with charlie. Both sides have sweet shops competing for our shrinking dollar.

[TexasLawyer]

7. "A great success!"

NOT!

[Auntie Bush]

8. God Bless America! Not!

Never thought I'd ever say that or even think such a thing. But, bush* has changed America to something of which I'm not proud! :cry:

[MrPrax]

10. We Never Won...

so goes Basra, so goes everything else

Taliban 'in control' in Helmand

Al Jazeera has uncovered evidence that Taliban fighters are now in effective control of large parts of a key province in southwest Afghanistan, despite recent claims by Nato that their bases had been destroyed.

James Bays spent two days with the Taliban in Helmand and found that the group is running schools and medical facilities, and is travelling armed and unchallenged by Nato-led forces. Here is his report:

Behind Taliban lines, we travelled with a group of fighters across the deserts of Helmand province.These hardened men are well-armed, ready for battle - and they told me they are ready for martyrdom too.

The journeys are often at break-neck speed – because of the risk of Nato air strikes.

Nato may be the master of the skies - but the Taliban claim that they control large swathes of territory on the ground.

They took us on a trip - to show us how they operate almost unhindered in many areas.

Al Jazeera

more
Al Jazeera