Sadr Flees Iraq...

[OklahomaTuba]

Damn, looks like that Surge of troops into Iraq, that the donks are trashing right now, just might be working.

Feb. 13, 2007 — While members of the U.S. House of Representatives take turns weighing in on President Bush's planned troop surge in Iraq, the focus in Iraq is not on the arrival of more U.S. troops, but the departure of one of the country's most powerful men, Moqtada al Sadr and members of his army.

According to senior military officials, al Sadr left Baghdad two to three weeks ago and fled to Tehran, Iran, where he has family.

Al Sadr commands the Mahdi army, one of the most formidable insurgent militias in Iraq, and his move coincides with the announced U.S. troop surge in Baghdad.

Sources believe al Sadr is worried about an increase of 20,000 U.S. troops in the Iraqi capital. One official told ABC News' Martha Raddatz, "He is scared he will get a JDAM [bomb] dropped on his house."

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/IraqCoverage/story?id=2872953

[royalfan5]

I've been wondering about something touched on in this story, and another one today about plans to seal the Iran/Iraq/Syrian borders for 3 days. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6358517.stm
Why are we only doing this for three days? and why the hell weren't the borders sealed immediately and for the whole time we've been there. I recongize it might of taken more troops but wouldn't letting less Iranians and Syrians and weapons into the country made the troops job a lot easier over the long run?

[OklahomaTuba]

I've been wondering about something touched on in this story, and another one today about plans to seal the Iran/Iraq/Syrian borders for 3 days. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6358517.stm
Why are we only doing this for three days? and why the hell weren't the borders sealed immediately and for the whole time we've been there. I recongize it might of taken more troops but wouldn't letting less Iranians and Syrians and weapons into the country made the troops job a lot easier over the long run?

I wondered the same damn thing myself.

This country has issues when it comes to borders for some reason.

[jeremy885]

I've been wondering about something touched on in this story, and another one today about plans to seal the Iran/Iraq/Syrian borders for 3 days. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6358517.stm
Why are we only doing this for three days? and why the hell weren't the borders sealed immediately and for the whole time we've been there. I recongize it might of taken more troops but wouldn't letting less Iranians and Syrians and weapons into the country made the troops job a lot easier over the long run?

Have you seen how big Iraq is? It would take every troop we have over there to completely seal those two borders.

And before you say "we have Iraqi allies to help", do remember the last time we had allies secure something for us? Tora Bora comes to mind.

As for Sadr, that was probably one of his smartest moves in this war. Take a couple months of vacation in Iran and then come back, after the surge is over, and claim some sort of victory over the infidels.

[royalfan5]

Have you seen how big Iraq is? It would take every troop we have over there to completely seal those two borders.

And before you say "we have Iraqi allies to help", do remember the last time we had allies secure something for us? Tora Bora comes to mind.

As for Sadr, that was probably one of his smartest moves in this war. Take a couple months of vacation in Iran and then come back, after the surge is over, and claim some sort of victory over the infidels.

Then send more troops. Use minefields build a fence, dig a trench and fill it with poisonous snakes., I don't care. Not sealing the borders is holding back our efforts in the long run. Some solution has to be found.

[Scott D]

we can't even patrol our borders properly and you want us to patrol someone else's borders effectively?

[royalfan5]

we can't even patrol our borders properly and you want us to patrol someone else's borders effectively?

I want us to at least f'ing try. Honestly, how long would it take our engineers to build a double razor wire fence with a minefield in between up and down the border? I bet they could do it pretty f'ing quick if they were given the proper resources.

[MojoRisen]

Lets just use a Lazer from space- see people not authorized crossing the border on Satelite - blast em...

[SleestakSooner]

once again... what is a donk? Do you mind if I call you a pube?

[SleestakSooner]

Then send more troops. Use minefields build a fence, dig a trench and fill it with poisonous snakes., I don't care. Not sealing the borders is holding back our efforts in the long run. Some solution has to be found.

Or we could maintain the current 'bite off more than we can chew' agenda.

[OCUDad]

Much as I would like to see Mookie al Sadr twist in the wind, I don't buy the post hoc ergo propter hoc logic that assumes his departure is a direct result of a troop surge that hasn't happened yet.

[jk the sooner fan]

Much as I would like to see Mookie al Sadr twist in the wind, I don't buy the post hoc ergo propter hoc logic that assumes his departure is a direct result of a troop surge that hasn't happened yet.

the troop surge is happening as we speak

my own son is a part of it

[OCUDad]

All respect and admiration for you and your son. "Is happening" is not the same as "has happened," and I'm questioning the conclusion that al Sadr's departure is directly linked to it. Please don't read more into the statement than that.

[jk the sooner fan]

well they've just stuck a brigade size element in sadr city....with a entirely new set of ROE......you do the math

[Widescreen]

If he didn't high-tail it out of Baghdad because of the troops surge, then why now? There's no way that's a coincidence.

[OCUDad]

Thanks. Sorry I brought it up.

[jk the sooner fan]

the libs never cease to amaze me.....oh wait, i know.....sadr fled the city because he decided he had allergies and figured the air in Iran would be better for his deviated septum

[SleestakSooner]

from the report I heard he actually left as long as two to three weeks ago.

[OCUDad]

the libs never cease to amaze me.....oh wait, i know.....sadr fled the city because he decided he had allergies and figured the air in Iran would be better for his deviated septum

Your insistence on calling someone who disagrees with you a "lib" pretty much weakens any other argument you make. I made the mistake of disagreeing with Tuba. I suppose that makes me a donk, a lefty, a lib, a commie, or any of the other knee-jerk "insults" preferred by those who favor dogma over discussion.

[jk the sooner fan]

he left after the Presidents "surge speech"....the departure has only recently been confirmed

but dont think that troops are just now going into those areas.....troop strength was immediately shifted from other places...they've had boots on the ground for over a week.....we've been kicking in doors in a big way the last week +

heaven forbid the bush haters might actually give credit to a plan because it might actually work