April 19, 2008
WHO WILL TELL THE NEOCONS?:
Battle to retake Basra was 'complete disaster' (Sean Rayment, 20/04/2008, Daily Telegraph)
The British-trained Iraqi Army's attempt to retake Basra from militiamen was an "unmitigated disaster at every level", British commanders have disclosed.Senior sources have said that the mission was undermined by incompetent officers and untrained troops who were sent into battle with inadequate supplies of food, water and ammunition.
They said the failure had delayed the British withdrawal by "many months".
Disclosed? Ideologues are the only ones who haven't accepted it. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 19, 2008 7:14 PM
Earth to Orrin:
As of today, the Iraqi army controls ALL of Basra. It has controlled the oil production facilities, the port, and the business district for weeks.
The only "complete disaster" has been media coverage.
Posted by: ghostcat at April 19, 2008 8:44 PMYes, the US military has reluctantly taken Basra momentarily. We won't be staying.
Posted by: oj at April 19, 2008 11:33 PMOur biggest contribution, by far, has been air support. And that will stay.
Yes, we've also been doing some hand-holding on the ground. The need for that will taper off rather quickly though, and most of the Iraqi army is already performing quite well.
Posted by: ghostcat at April 19, 2008 11:50 PMAh, yes. Those "neocons" at the NYT and even Kevin Drum (!) are starting to see that Muquata has screwed the pooch...
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_04/013561.php
Posted by: Fugate at April 20, 2008 8:19 AMNeocon = anyone who disagree with oj and his allies at Mother Jones.
Posted by: Jim in Chicago at April 20, 2008 9:49 AMSeems to me it's only the ideologues who've accepted it.
Posted by: John Laver at April 20, 2008 10:52 AMI see that Orrin is still at the rather remarkable game of trolling on his own blog.
Posted by: Peter at April 20, 2008 11:09 AMMookie is still in his bunker. Maliki is not. Neither is Petraeus, for that matter.
When Mookie walks through the market in Najaf, then he will have won. The same is true for Nasrallah in Beirut. They are like mini-Osamas, living underground. And they will be just as successful. Not.
Posted by: ratbert at April 20, 2008 11:11 AMYou don't become a leader of the Shi'a by hanging around Basra, just the head thug.
Posted by: oj at April 20, 2008 12:37 PMThe neocons, like Mother Jones, think Iraq should be secular.
Posted by: oj at April 20, 2008 12:39 PMI suspect, by the way, that any number of Shia troublemakers are falsely claiming to speak for Tater. If so, he may yet have a bright future in Iraqi politics. There is a job opening for representative of the Shia underclass.
Posted by: ghostcat at April 20, 2008 4:53 PM"Leader of the Shi'a"?
I suspect Madmood and the Supremo to the East might have something to say about that.
Posted by: ratbert at April 20, 2008 6:41 PMThat's Persia, not Arabia.
Posted by: oj at April 20, 2008 10:25 PM