Truthdig - Ear to the Ground - Looking Beyond the ‘Surge’

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$16.50

Looking Beyond the ‘Surge’

Posted on Sep 8, 2007

This week’s highly anticipated Iraq progress report will no doubt be highly predictable, says The New Yorker’s George Packer, who’s more concerned about the longer view than America’s current leadership, whom he considers to be “trapped in the eternal present” in ways that can only spell trouble for Iraqis.

The New Yorker:

Ahmed, who has a Shiite father and a Sunni mother, considers himself a secular Shiite, and, in his view, the religious militias want to force people like him out of Baghdad. “Americans are the safe house for the whole situation in Iraq,” he said. “Once they say they are going to withdraw, the whole country will become a hell.” He went on, “I imagine that no Sunnis will be in Baghdad at all. Baghdad will be only for the Shiite man with the long beard and black imama—the turban. The Americans are representing the taboos, just like ‘Lord of the Flies.’ I imagine the Shiites will be just like that if the Americans have to withdraw. Who can fight will fight, who must leave will leave.” He added, “Those who are weak, who are trying to avoid the savagery, those who are at the edge of being eaten by the Shiite specifically—that will be the end point, that will be their doomsday. The plan, as we hear it, is to make Baghdad empty of Sunnis.”

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TAGS: baghdad new yorker progress report shiite sunni surge war

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By sheila, September 9, 2007 at 11:12 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Who on earth “highly anticipated” this b.s.? Only you of the mainstream media. We bumfuk americans who live outside of your circle of entitlement and income actually never thought that Petraous was anything but a shill of the neocons. Why on earth would you waste your time postulating on it? Do some real investigative reporting. Then, maybe someone outside of your connected circle might listen. You have a voice. Use it. In the end there is only honor and family.

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By purplewolf, September 8, 2007 at 6:22 pm #
(567 comments total)

Yes,just about everyone who has followed this war can write the script in advance of the Bush Bunch upcoming revelations of their continued path of destruction and devastation in bringing FREEDOM to the Iraqi people. Bush will demand more money,time, military people,equipment,and more patience, more,more, more,and it will still not be enough for him.He is like the spoiled brat child who is never satisfied with what he has,which he never appreciates to begin with, all he knows is he wants more.No need for it,logic or reason,otherwise if you tell me no,I will throw a temper tamtrum. Like always.

It is past time for congress to tell Bush enough of this folly.He is dealing with real peoples lives,something I don’t think has really sunk into his view of reality. Peoples lives are not better since he invaded,toppled Sad-man Insane, tried to bring democracy. They are much worse, but Bush won’t allow the American people to see what he has really done.It is like the “don’t ask,don’t tell,or don’t look in this case,line,keep Americans in the dark,it’s easy,repeat the same lies,eventually they will believe me,they can’t handle the truth, and I can go on my way to continue my plan to rule the world. That’s it,I’M DICTATOR OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER.

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By mullah cimoc, September 8, 2007 at 11:35 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

mullah cimoc say usa war news blockade so complete all ameriki just the total ignorance.

but the punish come even now for love the kill and the torture. wife the lesbian hate man, never cook the food. ameriki him daughter she take the LBT (low back tattoo) now slut and sex with every man even the gang member.

land go back to maya and aztec. whitie to be exterminate. muslim not to do this. ameriki whitie him exterminate hisself-abortion kill the baby, the son him just the gay homosexual, not the grand children for the happy family.

only him braveheart if coming to saving the ameriki now. first job eliminate all usa fake news people to educating him ameirki.

for true and complete the info: mindcontrolcentral01 at yahoo dot com

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By DennisD, September 8, 2007 at 11:33 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

“Once they say they are going to withdraw, the whole country will become a hell.”

Yes, it’s true whether we leave tomorrow, next week, year or decade the people of Iraq will have to clean up George’s mess and the outcome won’t be pretty or make everyone happy. I see no reason to sacrifice anymore American lives or money to provide a temporary “safe house” to postpone the inevitable to satisfy our politicians reputations and egos.
The people responsible for this disaster should be doing life at the nearest Supermax prison we have to Iraq. Or better yet, in it.

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By THOMAS BILLIS, September 8, 2007 at 11:04 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

I cannot wait to he3sar what Caeser Petreaeus has to say.Am I the only one who realizes the government has been turned on its head?Is civilian leadership of the military dead in America?I guess Truman firing McArther to restablish that principle was an exercize in futility.Our Congress is going to make decisions on the future of Iraq on the say of the military.If the President has sunk so low that he cannot be beleived on matters of national security than he must be impeached.The precedents we are setting do not bode well for the future of the Republic.I hope Caeser Petraeus is not the crossing of the Rubicon for our country.

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