The 'surge' will fail to stop anything - Because Maliki REFUSES to target Shia extremists

[ck4829]

Iraqi insurgents last night threatened to send President Bush’s 22,000 new troops home in body bags as details emerged of the new Baghdad crackdown at the core of his “surge” strategy.

The Shia-led Government of Nouri al-Maliki reacted positively, but there is widespread scepticism as to whether it will confront Shia militias within its own hardline parties. On the streets there are near-universal predictions — from Sunnis and Shias alike — that the plan will join previous failed initiatives.

One al-Maliki aide told The Times that the Baghdad offensive would first concentrate on outlying Sunni insurgent strongholds that “choke” the capital — such as Abu Ghraib, Latifiya and Salman Pak — rather than taking on al-Mahdi Army.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-2543371,00.html

[Robbien]

1. The Shia extremists ARE the only power Maliki has

Maliki hides away in the Green Zone behind barbed wire and concrete. He has no one to give orders to except al Sadr. Al Sadr gets a lot of US taxpayer money in return.

[Warren Stupidity]

2. Why should Iraqis be targeting each other for death?

So that Bush can have his victory?

These "Shia extremists" that you think al-Maliki should target are his cousins. The shia militias are the very same shia militias that rose up against Saddam Hussein in 91 when we urged them to do so and then abandoned them to be slaughtered by the Baath regime. You suggest that they ought to now be slaughtered by the fictional Iraqi Army (which is composed of these same shia militias of course.)

On ethical and practical grounds I find this a very dubious proposition.

I have a better idea: lets get the hell out of Iraq and let the Iraqis settle their own affairs.

[azurnoir]

3. Why should he?

We supposedly "liberated" Iraq so it could be a free country, Maliki's allies are the Shia militia's and Iran. That Iran would back a Sh ia led government should have been obvious to experts before the invasion. Apparently this is another case of democracy is good as long as you guys do what we want.