May 17 2007
More Progress In Diyala
I think people will be surprised in 2009 with how well Bush will be viewed by Americans when he leaves office and how fall his critics will have fallen. The man understands leadership has NOTHING to do with polls or partisanship. It has to due with determination and will. And one surprise I hope we see is an enormous turn around in the future of Iraq which began this summer when al Qaeda wore out its welcome with the Sunnis, who finally end up putting their support and efforts into turning Iraq around. This is not pipe dream. The beginning acts of this story are at hand, right now:
After a peace agreement was signed between the paramount sheiks of the Karki and Shimouri tribes, April 30, other tribal leaders gathered throughout the region to do the same – provide peace and protection for their people and their lands.
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At the Al Abarrah Iraq Army compound, local leaders gathered, May 10, to pave a way ahead for peace between some of the rival villages and gain a commitment toward a unified stand against al-Qaida while supporting the government. The leaders also focused on establishing a police force in Zaganiyah.
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Sheik Ahmed Azziz, Sistan’s representative in Diyala, led the meeting and clearly stated that success will not be achievable unless the tribes unite against terrorist groups throughout Diyala. He encouraged the leaders to push their past aside and talk about how they will secure the city for themselves.
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At the meeting, five Sunni and five Shia volunteered to form a committee to recruit residents for the Iraqi police force.
Ahmed also encouraged the leaders to agree on several key points: returning displaced families to the area, opening an Iraqi police station in Zaganiyah, securing the area under government supervision, turning to the International Security Force for assistance, protecting government institutions, committing to fight terrorists without sectarianism and being honest with one another.
The key message is that issues must be resolved in the political realm, not with acts of violence and intimidation,†Few added.
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Also in Diyala, tribal leaders from the Ambugiya and Ubadie tribes have begun a series of tribal meetings designed to resolve conflicts between villages from Khalis to Dali Abbas. The leaders have been meeting with provincial and security force leaders to determine how to resolve their differences, agreeing that terrorists must be eliminated from the province and pledging to eliminate terrorist activity from their lands.
Further meetings are also planned between the Amugiya and Ubadie tribes to reconcile differences and sign an official peace agreement.
This is the application of the successful Anbar model applied to the last stronghold of al Qaeda. It is this progress in uniting Iraqis that is causing al Qaeda to go on one last bloody rampage to see if they can hold onto the slipping control. With Sistanni heading the effort it means there are great chances for success. He is the most revered religious leader in the country and the one who can neutralize al Qaeda’s spiritual hold. Without that they are another bunch of thugs the Iraqis will take care of. This should be an interesting summer. Funny thing is, the Dems are being warned of their pending political suicide – they just don’t see the train coming at them. BDS is a completely blinding disorder.
This kind of flies in the face of what Radio Free Europe has to say about Iraq:
A British think tank says Iraq is on the verge of becoming a “failed state.” In a new report, Chatham House says Iraqi society faces the risk of collapse or fragmentation. It says there is not a single civil war in Iraq, but many civil wars and insurgencies involving a number of communities and organizations. It also says the Iraqi government is “largely irrelevant” in Iraqi society.
or, as Reuters reports:
Iraq’s government has lost control of vast areas to powerful local factions and the country is on the verge of collapse and fragmentation.
Chatham House also said there was not one civil war in Iraq, but “several civil wars” between rival communities, and accused Iraq’s main neighbours — Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — of having reasons “for seeing the instability there continue”.
“It can be argued that Iraq is on the verge of being a failed state which faces the distinct possibility of collapse and fragmentation,” it said in a report.
“The Iraqi government is not able to exert authority evenly or effectively over the country. Across huge swathes of territory, it is largely irrelevant in terms of ordering social, economic and political life.”
The report also said that a U.S.-backed security crackdown in Baghdad launched in February has failed to reduce overall violence across the country, as insurgent groups have just shifted their activities outside the capital.
Rather that one civil war pitting majority Shi’ites against Sunnis nationwide, the paper said Iraq’s “cross-cutting conflicts” were driven by power struggles between sectarian, ethnic and tribal groups with differing regional, political and ideological goals as they compete for the country’s resources.
Either way, the rosy scenario above seems oddly out of kilter.
Well hopefully they won’t hear the horn toot either. I’d rather the liberal side of their party gets scattered to the winds by the oncoming train. Maybe the blue dogs can pull off a coup and take control. I have no problem with centrists in charge no matter what their party affiliation. It’s also great seeing these tribal leaders communicating with each other and the new government. I’m sure they are trying to get concessions for their tribe/cities/towns/provinces etc. but I have no problem with that as long as they are working towards the same goal. They are working on a political solution to a military problem, not just trying to fix it militarily. Iraq has progressed so quickly towards democracy I really can’t understand why it’s not being recognized. Their tribes and religious differences remind me of the early US states. Every one wanted what was best for their home state, but through politics and compromise we were able to come together as a country. Hell we still have problems getting politicians to agree, and it wasn’t to long ago that there were duels in DC between politicians. It’s working, we just have to stay and finish the job.
I would NOT have expected anything differnt from Soothie!
Chatham House is funded by the same guy he is. Yup that is right, George Soros!
As they say, birds of a feather flock together. Soothie is Soros’ PARROT! Soothie is just mimicking the words and action of his/her MASTER!