SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : Impeach George W. Bush
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: longnshort who wrote (83651)8/23/2007 7:30:44 PM
From: sea_biscuit  Read Replies (1) of 93284
 
The Iraq progress report (from the NIE) :

• Fighting between Shiite groups "probably will intensify" as Iraqis increasingly take control of security. Violence has increased in southern Iraq as British forces there have started to withdraw.

• Iraqi security forces "have performed adequately" when working with coalition forces but have not improved enough to operate on their own "on a sustained basis."

• Sunni Arabs' opposition to al-Qaeda in Iraq has not translated into support for al-Maliki's government, which is dominated by Shiites.

• Iran has increased its military support of Shiite extremist groups, sending explosively formed projectiles and other war materiel to Iraq.

• Syria, another neighboring country, is working with sympathetic groups within Iraq to ensure its influence if Americans leave. Al-Maliki visited Syria earlier this week.

• Sectarian violence resembling ethnic cleansing continues to displace populations and increases the likelihood that Iraq's neighbors will be destabilized.

• Shifting coalition forces from fighting insurgents to supporting the Iraqi forces would "erode security gains achieved thus far."

The only silver linings are :

• There has been "measurable but uneven" progress in security, with overall attack levels across Iraq declining in seven of the past nine weeks.

• Al-Qaeda in Iraq's ability to attack has been degraded by the U.S. troop increase, by opposition from Sunni tribal sheiks and by a backlash from average Sunnis.

And even these are so tenuous that they can be gone anytime. Without the courageous College Republicans joining the fight, US troops are going to simply exhaust themselves the longer we stay there.
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  

HomeMailHotSubjectMarksPeopleMarksKeepersSettings
Terms Of UseContact UsCopyright/IP PolicyPrivacy PolicyAbout UsFAQAdvertise on SI
© 2025 Knight Sac Media.  Data provided by Twelve Data, Alpha Vantage, and CityFALCON News