New Bush Strategy in Iraq: Spin-Off of Police Academy 4

  Over the last few days, the political situation in Iraq has decayed so rapidly that, with the largest Sunni bloc announcing a boycott of the government, the Pentagon is now turning to their last available option -- putting Iraqi citizens on patrol.

As the Iraqi parliament readies for their August recess, very little on the political side will get accomplished between now and when General Petraeus gives his long-awaited report to Congress in September.   Shiites are divided.  Sunnis are boycotting.  The Prime Minister hates our top general.  The Iraqi government is refusing to take control of more than 1,000 US taxpayer-funded construction projects that American contractors are still managing for them.  Depressingly so, the only hope left for the Pentagon, before Congress pulls the plug, is for friendly neighborhood militias to establish security.  Therefore, the US will arm those militias:

The U.S. military in Iraq is expanding its efforts to recruit and fund armed Sunni residents aslocal protection forces in order to improve security and promotereconciliation at the neighborhood level, according to senior U.S.commanders.

As you might imagine, there are several risks of arming neighborhood Sunni groups:

• It could cause a rift between the Shiite-led government and the Bush Administration.  Iraqi Shiites fear that those US weapons could be used by Sunnis against the government before and after the US pulls out.
• What would stop the Sunni neighborhood groups from using those weapons against US soldiers if it is in their interest to do so?
• This is the de-Baathification nightmare all over again.  When you give out guns to ordinary people and let them roam as they please in an anarchic environment, it becomes much tougher for any ruling body to keep order.

This decision to arm militias is another way of saying that the Bush Administration has very little confidence in the Iraqi military and police forces to keep security.

Comments

[Robert]

Do they play that wonderful song "Citizen on Patrol," from the movie, as they train these poor guys. Could it be these people need to be inspired and I do not think that these people feel any pride in their towns let alone their country and it seems all they have is their religion. Until they find something else to cling to it will continue like this. If we are going to be there we need to find a common ground to unite these poor used people. Also it angers me what Tony Snow said for the reason the Iraqi Congress is going on break is it is too hot. Our poor troops are left in blazing summer heat.

[granny]

This is like watching a kindergartener playing a grown up war game!

OH. It IS watching a kindergartener play at a grown up war ... only it's not a game, is it?

This giant out of control slef righteous ego maniac, who has had everything he wants given to him, or stolen for him, is moving real people around like puppets.

How disgraceful.

The "shock and awe" must be in the eyes of the world as it looks on.

[Chief Editor: Todd]

Granny, you hit the nail on the head. It's as if Bush thinks he's playing the board game "Risk."

lol Robert, I had to pull out the Police Academy 4 theme with this. It was too difficult to lay off! Except everyone in this Administration is as clutsy as the character Proctor:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Lance_Kinsey.jpg/300px-Lance_Kinsey.jpg