Mosul slips out of control as the bombers move in (Independent)

[laststeamtrain]

Mosul slips out of control as the bombers move in
By Patrick Cockburn in Mosul
Published: 31 March 2006

When the 3,000 men of the mainly Kurdish 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Division of the Iraqi Army go on patrol it is at night, after the rigorously enforced curfew starts at 8pm. Their vehicles, bristling with heavy machine guns, race through the empty streets of the city, splashing through pools of sewage, always trying to take different routes to avoid roadside bombs. "The government cannot control the city," said Hamid Effendi, an experienced ex-soldier who is Minister for Peshmerga Affairs in the Kurdistan Regional Government.

He is influential in the military affairs of Mosul province with its large Kurdish minority, although it is outside the Kurdish region. He believes: "The Iraqi Army is only a small force in Mosul, the Americans do not leave their bases much and some of the police are connected to the terrorists." In the days since a suicide bomber killed 43 young men waiting to join the Iraqi army at a recruitment centre near Mosul last week soldiers in the city have been expecting a second attack.

"We are not leaving the base in daytime because we know other bombers are waiting for us," said a soldier at a base near Mosul's city centre.

<snip>
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article354786.ece

[Dunvegan]

1. That report doesn't sync up with...

...this picture Kaloogian took recently of downtown Mosul...

[bemildred]

3. Nice Shi'ite mosque there in the middle. nt

[kevinmc]

7. HAHAHAHA .....Best Laugh all Day n/t

[IndianaGreen]

9. Nice happy Iraqis in the picture. Look, they love America too!

Look at the beautiful mosque with the blue minarets.

[LiberalVoice]

12. They must to have our flag flying! nt

[Ilsa]

10. That is hysterical. Best one all day! eom

[laststeamtrain]

11. That IS lol funny.

If I don't laugh I'll just cry all the time...
I'm gonna cop that pic for my blog. Or one like it.

[leftyladyfrommo]

18. Too Funny n/t

[bemildred]

2. Mosul was in control? When was that? nt

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. They can't even control the sewer system

how the hell are they supposed to control anything else?

[leftchick]

17. when you think about it

Not one city has been in control. Not one! Just the Green Zone is secure. For now.

[Roland99]

5. Time for another major "air assault"?

[Dancing_Dave]

6. Patrick Cockburn is really quite good.

The only thing wrong with this piece is the headline, which he probably didn't choose.

[bpilgrim]

8. the whole country is out of controll... rummy got a PLAN, though!

:nuke:

peace

[cantstandbush]

13. What the hell is the US military doing if they seldom leave their bases?

If they seldom leave their bases, bring them the hell home!! Who needs them there?

[alcibiades_mystery]

15. Oh, it's just until the casualty numbers stay under 40 for a month

And the political damage at home colls down a bit. Then they'll be back out there for the roadside bombs. It was the same story last March, when US KIAs was only (!) 35. This month we're at only (!) 30. Hooray!

Of course, these hiatuses give the insurgents plenty of time to resupply, regroup, and plant new bombs for the April drive arounds. March breaks bring April quakes, goes the old saying. Get ready for a cruel summer.

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. Tell us again..tell us again...tell us again about Tell Afar

Magical Tell Afar
Magical Tell Afar
Tell us again about
Magical tell Afar...

:eyes:

[rocktivity]

16. GOOD NEWS!

Mosul curfew gives the city's families more quality time!

:party: (This post is part of George Bush's GULF WAR GOOD NEWS initiative.)
rocknation