To: i-node who wrote (424059 ) 10/9/2008 2:07:39 AM From: tejek Respond to Please explain why Iraqis are turning down such a good deal if things are so great back in Iraq? "Across Baghdad, Iraqis are trickling back to onetime sectarian killing zones, to reclaim their houses and former lives. While Sunnis are emboldened by a sharp decrease in violence and protection from the Iraqi government, many wonder whether they can trust the predominantly Shiite security forces and whether they can resume living among neighbors who once sought to kill them. Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, more than 5 million Iraqis -- one of five citizens -- have fled their homes, according to the International Organization for Migration. Only a small fraction have returned. In Hurriyah, of the more than 7,000 Sunni families who fled in late 2006, roughly 325 have reclaimed their houses, mostly in the past month. A middle-class enclave in western Baghdad, Hurriyah is a sprawling jigsaw of tan mosques, shop fronts and modest houses.Already, Shiites who occupied Sunni houses are being pushed out, often by force, and returning Sunnis have come under attack. U.S. military officials, wary that a sudden influx of returnees could undermine security gains, say they are proceeding carefully." "Inside, I know they feel different about me," Mashadani said later. "They are the same people who drove me out." heraldtribune.com I am also pleased to say that my son's unit, effective today, has turned over a substantial portion of their operations to Iraqi soldiers so that American soldiers will no longer have to be performing what is an extremely dangerous function. I don't have any idea what the facts are relating to your post, other than I can be pretty sure that you haven't a clue WTF you're talking about because you never do. It kills you to see Iraq become such a success after you have bashed the entire effort all these years. And it kills you even more to see American soldiers go into a country under the leadership of a Republican and actually accomplish something that your pussy president of the 90s didn't have the gumption or political will to do. I don't know what the immediate future holds for Iraq. I fear that if Obama wins, he could destroy the successes we've seen. HOWEVER, one of the most important things Bush has done is to elevate Petraeus to CENTCOM because Obama, if he wins, will have little choice but to do what he is told by Petraeus. It would be political suicide for Obama to come in and go up against Petraeus, Bush realized that, and by movng Petraeus to CENTCOM Bush has SMARTLY insured that Obama will face self-destruction if he tries to muck up the works. Not saying Obama won't do it -- but it is going to be very tough for him to go against Bush policy.
