Sheikh assassination shakes up Iraq script

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=282554

Some may call it divine providence, some may call it Allah's bidding; in the end it was up to real Iraq to intervene and shatter the "surge is a success" story sold to US and world public opinion by President George W Bush and his top man in Iraq, General David Petraeus.

Only hours before Bush recommended to the nation and the world what he had told Petraeus to recommend to Congress - in essence his roadmap toward counterinsurgency and endless military occupation of Iraq - a key player in the "success" story was killed, significantly right at the start of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha - along with his two bodyguards - was killed by a roadside bomb planted near his home in Ramadi, the capital of an Anbar province Petraeus had sworn was "pacified".

more...

Being Bush's buddy can be dangerous to your health

[babylonsister]

1. (and allows) Iraqis (to) tell Washington to monitor its own progress

Iraqis tell Washington to monitor its own progress Updated at 7:44 AM

Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Iraqi lawmakers said on Saturday Washington was covering up for its own mistakes in Iraq by setting them artificial benchmarks to meet and then ticking them off like scorecards.

Frustrated by criticism from the United States over their slow progress towards political goals meant to foster national reconciliation, Iraqi leaders said Washington would be better served by dxamining its own progress in the unpopular war.

"The Americans always try to pretend the responsibility for cleaning up this mess isn't theirs and tend to shift blame onto Iraq, Iran and Syria for everything that goes wrong," said veteran Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman.

"But they should stop this nonsense and admit that most of the accountability rests on their shoulders," he told Reuters.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L15246353.htm

Thanks, sabra:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2991947

[amandabeech]

2. Great, our supporters the Kurds are pissed. n/t

[babylonsister]

3. Our supporters? I don't think so. They've divorced themselves from

what's going on in most parts of Iraq with the help of * and friends:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=1811839

[amandabeech]

9. The Iraqi Army has been mostly a Kurdish force during our occupation..

The Kurdish militias put on different uniforms. They are paying us back for the fact that the no-fly zone in the north, which included Kurdistan, protected them from Saddam. They were able to manage their own affairs during that time and they continue to do the same.

[hang a left]

4. How could they be pissed.

Please. They just cut a fat oil deal with Hunt.

[amandabeech]

10. The post to which I responded included some caustic comments from

a Kuridsh leader regarding our inability to take responsibility for the mess we're making. Perhaps he only speaks for himself, but he did not sound very happy.

If the Hunts are actually able to get newly discovered oil out of the ground and get it out of Kurdistan between hostile Turks and Iranians in the north and east and a collapsing Iraq on the south and west, the Kurds will be happy. That is of course if the Hunt contract survives whatever Iraqi oil law eventually gets passed. They're taking a risk by operating on a Kurdish contract under Kurdish law.

[hang a left]

5. However....

You do have to revel in the speech-writers anguish of having to coach chimpy at the last minute, and help him to disremember that part of his speech.

[Disturbed]

6. The Fiasco continues.

How is this Fiasco going to be stopped? Busholini and the Junta are confident that their PNAC Agenda
cannot be halted. The ME must be controlled by the US & it''s Multi-Corps.

[bridgit]

7. everything g.w. bush touches...dies...

[Rick Myers]

8. Saw a freeper post today that called the man "Shake Abu Risha!!!"

You just can't make this crap up!!!