Prediction: If the escalation takes place in Iraq, MANY THOUSANDS will be killed via air assaults.

[Roland99]

Just look at the words of an al-Maliki advisor:

http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/international/index.ssf?/base/international-36/1168439341135920.xml&storylist=orinternational

"Prime Minister al-Maliki has told everyone that there will be no escape from attack," a senior Shiite legislator and close al-Maliki adviser said. "The government has told the Sadrists: 'If we want to build a state we have no other choice but to attack armed groups.'"

...

The militia has more fighters, weapons and sophistication today than it did in 2004, when it battled U.S. forces to a standstill in two strongholds, the Shiite holy city of Najaf and Sadr City, Baghdad's sprawling Shiite slum.

There will be MASSIVE air assaults/bombing campaigns that will turn large areas of Baghdad in Falluja look-alike zones of complete destruction. No way will troops be going in and engaging in firefights without massive air support (the aspect that is NOT being discussed).

[aquart]

1. We are sending our soldiers to kill Iraqi citizens.

Calling them something else won't change that.

[Avalux]

10. Yes we are. Primarily "Sunni insurgents"

They will not go near Sadr City; the Shia are too powerful. They have chosen a side and will concentrate on removing Sunnis from Baghdad neighborhoods.

[Roland99]

2. Oh, and thanks to DanielJay for his new thread. I forgot about that new quote from *.

“There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighborhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents,” the president said. “And there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have.”


:scared:

[Danieljay]

3. you're welcome, I think... This is awful.

[Roland99]

4. Little Nero is going to have his way, I'm afraid.

[GliderGuider]

6. "there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have.”

For me that was the money quote from the speech. Don't expect to see any more prosecutions of troops for atrocities (aka murder) in the coming months. Baghdad is about to get seriously screwed over.

[Roland99]

7. The Iraqis will be BEGGING for Abu Ghraib back.

[formercia]

5. Destroying Iraq, block by block

Falluja redux on a massive scale.

[Darkhawk32]

8. Bushy-boy thinks that if they kill enough people, that'll set them "free".

[Jeffersons Ghost]

9. K&R good work Roland, thanks

[Roland99]

11. Hopefully we'll be able to thank the Dems if they can stop the madness of King George

[alfredo]

12. So now we know why the carriers have been moving into the

Gulf the past months. Georgie has been planning to escalate for a long time. The election results made no difference to him.

[Roland99]

13. Gotta keep feeding dollars and bodies to the military-industrial beast.

[alfredo]

16. time to put the best on a diet.

[alfredo]

17. time to put the beast on a diet.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. Quite possible.

And like Fallujah, it will do nothing to curtail violence.

[Roland99]

15. And we'll hear little to nothing about it. After all, "we don't do body counts"