Iraq situation "very tenuous": US military intelligence chief

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Iraq has not been plunged into a civil war yet but the situation is "very tenuous" and further attacks would have "a very significant impact," the chief of US military intelligence said.

Lieutenant Michael Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, also predicted that Iraqi security forces will fight hard for the national government despite sectarian pressures.

"I think we should take heart in the leaders who have come forward at this point," he told the
Senate Armed Services Committee. "But we're also in a very tenuous situation right now, I believe."

"I think that more violence, were it to occur, were it to be stimulated by Al-Qaeda in Iraq, would have a very significant impact on the situation in Iraq," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/usiraqintelligence

[rodeodance]

1. Me thinks the military does not want to be blamed for Bushs problems.

[shain from kane]

2. This guy's a regular Sherlock Holmes. n/t

[Skittles]

13. yes

it's like predicting night will follow daytime

[Joe for Clark]

3. They are down to the Lieutenants now - is that right??

Uh-oh.

[pinto]

4. Good catch. It was the Lieutenants who blew the whistles in VietNam.

[MichiganVote]

5. $200Billion for these suckers to tell us Iraq is tenuous?

[cliss]

6. They just can't make up their minds.

They vacillate...Whew, we dodged a bullet there. Just barely scraped by a Civil War which was functioning fairly well, even with UN sanctions for a decade.

Next, it's civil war without a doubt. It's looking bad... but no, the officers on the ground say things are OK.....


for the moment.

[Joe for Clark]

7. They know which way the wind is blowing.

There are officers that did as they thought right - and then there were officers that were looking for career advancement. Two different breeds.

Is it a civil war now?? - Man, it has been one for months - they just can't hide it anymore.

All hell is going to break lose over there, over the next months - and OUR kids need to get the hell out of there, RIGHT NOW!!

This was NEVER our fight. Iraq can go to hell for all I care, but those kids, they are OUR kids, this countries kids.

Joe

[ast_liberal2008]

8. Good job guys

"You're giving comfort to our enemies!!!"
what fucking arrogant hypocrites!

[DemoTex]

9. Lieutenant Michael Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency ..

Eh? An El-Tee in charge of the DIA? Methinks maybe Lieutenant Michael Maples might be a Lieutenant General (three-star general). Eh?

[BrotherBuzz]

12. Indeed, LTG

West Point class of 1971

[mom cat]

10. Well, you sure made a mess of that one Georgie. K&R

[Yoda Yada]

11. but...but...but... President Bush is "very optimistic" about Iraq. n/t

[BikeWriter]

14. But, but, * said freedom was on the march in Iraq!