[Grimmlok]

Originally Posted by tkdgirl

Iran? Since when do they get a say as to what happens in Iraq? LOL.

.. are you serious? Iran is a Shi'ite nation. The Iraqi Shi'ite majority has no problem with Iran.. the only reason Iran and Iraq fought in the 80's was because the minority Sunnis, Saddam Hussein being one, controlled the country through his dictatorship.

Regardless of the chumy chum visit by Ahimanutjob, Iraqis HATE Iran. That feud runs very deep and very dirty. In fact, I would venture Iran would LOVE AQ to take over Iraq because it gives them more influence and power in the region. Iran would love nothing more than for the US to leave Iraq.

No, it really doesn't. The onyl feud existed because some 5% of the population controlled the entire nation through brute force. Al Qaeda is a Sunni run and staffed organization, topped with Wahabist Sunni Saudis. There's no way in hell Iran would let them get anywhere near any kind of power in Iraq because the second Iran tried to exert its influence they would be facing resistance. It's in Iran's best interests for Al Qaeda to never gain a foothold for the Sunnis to rally to, thus it's actually in Iran's best interests for the US to remain in Iraq, controlling the Sunnis and their crazy leaders like Moqtada Al Sadre so they don't forge an alliance with the tiny Al Qaeda membership in the country. That's why the US is so keen on keeping the damn Sunnis happy, almost at th expense of the Shi'ite majority. They're up shti creek on that issue.

As for the surge, hell, even nutjob Murtha agreed its working. Regardless of the reasons 'why' you think the surge happened, it has greatly reduced the number of bombings, etc. and is allowing people's lives return to normal (whatever that is for them).

Go read the mission statement for the surge. It's prime directive has failed. only 3 of the 'benchmarks' set up a year and a half ago have been realized in the timeframe given. That's failure. Violence has gone down, which is good but the intended result is still a complete failure. It is not my 'opinion', it is fact written into the mission description itself.

Whether or not anything gets done in that country remains to be seen. But tell me, would it be easier to work toward building a coalition government within Iraq while fighting insurgents or not?

There is no choice but to fight them, but the choice is one of default. The character of the nation and the indigenous population means the only way it is held together is by force. That's just reality. It's been reality for over 100 years. It's a no win scenario.