On Iran, EFPs, Diplomacy, and Saber-Rattling

Irritated Vet brings up an excellent point in commenting on this post about Iran providing weapons, money, and training to extremist militias inside Iraq, but we should not advocate a full scale military conflict. I absolutely agree as we should exercise proper diplomacy at all costs to avoid unnecessary loss of life. However, to approach the dialogue surrounding future foreign policy decisions, we need to set the facts straight with some of our fellow bloggers.

Anyone who has spent time in Iraq, particularly the Shiite-dominated areas in the south or in Baghdad, probably knows the fear of traveling on the road waiting for the hot molten slug of an EFP to come tearing through the armor of your vehicle. Many also know the horrifying "low-flying jet" sound of an incoming rocket. Tragically all EFPs and many of the deadliest rockets have been publicly disclosed by the military to be exported straight from Iran. We have lost a lot of brothers and sisters to these attacks. Unfortunately, some folks still seem to think it's some kind of Bush/Cheney conspiracy to drum up support for a full-scale conflict! Ms. Majorie Cohn at Huffingon Post demonstrates in her piece "Preventing War with Iran":

As Bush and Cheney try to whip us into a frenzy about the dangers Iran poses, their argument comes up short... They say Iran is sending deadly weapons into Iraq to kill U.S. troops, but those devices can be manufactured in any Iraqi machine shop.

Ms. Cohn, I'm not sure where you are getting your information, but seized 240mm rockets and EFPs have been displayed to the press in Iraq with distinct Iranian markings. There are a lot of good arguments concerning our strained relations with Iran, but let's keep it honest. I am not "saber rattling", since as a junior officer, I have no place making foreign policy decisions; however, I find it my duty to discuss the reality of the situation at hand. We all know where misused intelligence got us in 2003, let's set the record straight this time around.

Levity: Iraqi Army Rolls Up a Trannie-Terrorist

Caught a quick blurb of terrorists looking ridiculous on CNN-international and the AP wire. The Iraqi Army rolled these yahoos up near a Taji checkpoint so kudos to them.


Separately, Iraqi soldiers thwarted terrorism suspects disguised as a bride and groom trying to pass through a checkpoint along with their "wedding procession" north of the Iraqi capital, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said.

The unfortunate fellow dressed in the wedding gown may know how to plant a deep-buried IED without being spotted by a patrol, but he doesn't know how to deceive any-damn-one into thinking he's a woman. Look at that stubble, and that adam's apple, he doesn't even come close! Perhaps Al-Qaeda and friends need to spend some time with the lady-boys of Pattaya Beach, Thailand to learn how to dress up girlie and confuse us naïve military types. Have fun getting heckled in Iraqi prison.

Code Pink Goes Terrorism Chic?!?!

I always try to stay in the know of what the yahoos back stateside are getting worked up about. I just got done perusing the Zombie Time photos from the 27 October "anti-war" rally in SF and I see the Code Pinko types have gone from downright annoying to terrorist chic! The city of SF lets these clowns prance around but won't let the USMC film a commercial? Also, what better way to compliment the wardrobe of an aging hippie douche than a keffiyeh. Presumably, it's to show "solidarity" with the Palestinians, um, I guess, kind of, hard to determine. I perceive it more as a misguided message to sympathize with terrorists in an effort to undermine the war effort. Now I admit the keffiyeh has some legitimacy in Middle Eastern culture (see here), but you gotta wonder, if Martians invaded earth, would these turkeys be marching through the streets of SF with green antlers, styrofoam death rays, and cute signs that welcomed our invaders? These people first royally pissed me off when they made a ruckus during the GEN Petraeus and AMB Crocker testimony in September. They have no rational concept of what is ethically right or wrong, and seem to take part in any form of a public nuisance to criticize the Bush administration. Now I've got some respect for the Palestinians, since I hope it all works out for peace between them and the Israelis in the near future. I also have some respect for the Germans with their good beer, efficient engineering, and strong work ethic, but you don't see me walking around with shiny black Gestapo boots.



Code Pink vs. one of the Muj responsible for the London 7/7 attacks:

Do you see the resemblance?

Petraeus was right

Yeah, you heard me! All you clowns who wanted to see the mission fail over here and Iraq erupt into civil war. General Petraeus' strategy of allying with former Sunni insurgents is making vast improvements in both security and governance. Here's a quick blurb off the wire about locals purging the once Al Qaeda stronghold neighborhood of Adhamiyah.




"A moderate armed Sunni group has ended Al-Qaeda's tight two-year grip on north Baghdad's volatile Adhamiyah neighbourhood and is now in control, an AFP correspondent witnessed on Friday. A local militia calling itself the "revolutionaries of Adhamiyah" took over the Sunni district on the east bank of the Tigris on November 10 in a swift and audacious raid that sent Al-Qaeda fleeing from its last stronghold in Baghdad. On Friday, members of the "revolutionaries of Adhamiyah" controlled main roads into the neighbourhood as well the square housing the famous Abu Hanifa mosque where Saddam Hussein made his last public appearance before fleeing Baghdad in 2003 as US-led forces invaded the country. A Sunni bastion encircled by Shiite districts, Adhamiyah had been one of the most dangerous areas of Baghdad, under the tight control of Al-Qaeda "emirs"."


Even the Shiite-dominated government of Iraq is getting cozy with the idea of armed Sunnis working with coalition and Iraqi security forces. There was reporting of 7 VBIEDS (car bombs) cleared in the neighborhood earlier this week in the Iraqi news. Sadly, that's all your gonna hear of this story stateside. The media is focusing more effort on the Dems holding military spending money hostage. This is presumably so they have more money for the disastrous entitlement programs of Social Security and Medicare which are already sending federal spending skyrocketing as the baby boomers approach geezerdom. I'm glad fighting terrorism is less important than some broad named Flo pissing away her government paycheck at Harrah's casino in Laughlin, NV as she sucks down her Newport 100s. Oh yeah, then we get to foot the bill for her healthcare! Might have to do with the AARP being the most powerful lobby in Washington, but what do I know, I'm just some yahoo. But to all the troopers outside the wire kickin' ass, both coalition and Iraqi, keep up the great work!