Some rumors already surfacing regarding the new/updated Iraq strategy President Bush is mulling over. One has the majority of Iraqi troops to be used are Kurdish milita units - called “Pesh Merga”. I have no doubt these troops are much better than most of the regular Iraqi units available to counter Al Sadr’s militia - but why would the Kurds want to get in the middle of a Shiite/Sunni bar fight? Kurdish leader Barzani must be getting a lot of incentives - maybe U.S. recognition of a future Kurdistan?
In any event, turning the Pesh loose on Arabs (either Sunni or Shiite) could be compared to the Union army getting all the Sioux/Cheyenne/Comanche/Apache tribes to ride as Shermans cavalry on his “March to the Sea”. It shows some desperation on our part to quell the growing violence between Sunni and Shiite Iraqis - but also hints at a concession (finally, if true) that a unified Iraq is dead.
Re: Kurdish Pashmerga Militia to be deployed in Baghdad
Dumb move…I don’t think the pesh are any more capable than the iraqis. If memory serves me correct, Saddam was kicking their arse all over the place…not to mention the Turks…
Further, they are loyal to a faction that wants an independent Kurdish homeland. If anything, that party is just as dangerous (in terms of national unity) as any of the other sectarian outfits if deployed in a hot zone.
In any case, it seems obvious that the exit “strategy” invovles breaking up Iraq…
And what’s with this “our part”? Canada is not involved in Iraq…
Re: Kurdish Pashmerga Militia to be deployed in Baghdad
In any event, turning the Pesh loose on Arabs (either Sunni or Shiite) could be compared to the Union army getting all the Sioux/Cheyenne/Comanche/Apache tribes to ride as Shermans cavalry on his "March to the Sea". It shows some desperation on our part to quell the growing violence between Sunni and Shiite Iraqis - but also hints at a concession (finally, if true) that a unified Iraq is dead.
Extremely dumb move. The two way fight between Shia/Sunni is going to end up in a three all out civil war. Each one demanding separate states (at least thats what they may be thinking). If Kurds get a separate state that automatically draws Turkey into a war because it violates an agreement with Turkey, which says giving the Iraqi Kurds a separate state means an act of war against Turkey.
Re: Kurdish Pashmerga Militia to be deployed in Baghdad
do we want a civil war in there? cuz i mean shia sunni crap is going on rigt now. this move is only going to ensure that an ethnic civil war starts as well.
I bet Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia are watching with much interest the diff possibilities that may arise.
Re: Kurdish Pashmerga Militia to be deployed in Baghdad
they have been 'watching' for a long time. saudis summoned cheney to riyadh and told him that they'll intervene militarily if us departed "early" from bag-dad leaving abondoning sunnis' fate to shias.
Re: Kurdish Pashmerga Militia to be deployed in Baghdad
I think there was only one criterion that W and company used in coming up with this namely "we should do something that a) we didn't do before and b) it should not be something that someone else suggested before".
They have no idea (and I don't think anyone else does either) what this means, what it is going to do etc. All this talk about civil war and stuff is guesswork. The only possible end to this is which ever group has the best commander and arms will win and suppress the others.
G1 - funded by US
G2 - funded by Iran
G3 - funded by Saudi
The only predictable outcome is that barring a major hit in the US (or Europe) American troops will be out of Iraq in under 12 months
