And the question is; so how many troops are we going to commit to achieving peace in Iraq and how long is it going to take? In testimony before Committee on Armed Services ; Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on 23 January 2008: Dr. David Biddle revealed that the latest Iraq study group, under the auspecies of Gen Petraus, has come to the conclusion that "Whoever does this is going to have to do so for a long time: perhaps 20 years –. until a new generation, which has not been scarred by the experience of sectarian." This being acting as peacekeepers provided a truce can be found in the ongoing Civil War in Iraq. The first step in the process is to sign on the approximately 250 Clans on to individual truces. This is being done by offering incentives including " a pledge that they will not be fired upon by US or.
Iraqi government forces as long as they observe their end of the agreement, and a US provided salary of $300 per member per month."
Secondly, once the truces were in-place then Peacekeepers would be needed " The number of troops required could be large. The social science of peacekeeping. troop requirements is under-developed, but the common rules of thumb for troop. adequacy in this role are similar to those used for counterinsurgency: around one capable. combatant per 50 civilians. For a country the size of Iraq, that would mean an ideal force.
of around 500,000 peacekeepers – which is obviously impossible." This being impossible has not altered that the plan was set forth and is being followed. The testimony does not say where these 500,000 troops would come from but did indicate that for the first 2 or so years that the US would be on its own. The report does not tell us whom is going to be paying the bill for the 500,000 troops for 20 years, but the answer is obvious, the people in whose name the plan is being implemented; US.
So the plan is working? According to Dr. Biddle's testimony As of January 23rd " Iraq today is. increasingly a patchwork of self-defending sectarian enclaves, warily observing the. others but for now declining to use violence as long as they are left alone."
That is until this week. The recent attacks by the Maliki government on the forces of Muqtada. al Sadr and his Jaish al Mahdi (JAM), or "Mahdi Army" militia who were in stand down mode, has violated the truce and revealed the true depth the heap of sh*t we are in. A Civil War rages to determine who shall have the power and control the economy of the Shia areas and ultimately all of Iraq. This is not an insurgency fighting the outside control of occupying forces as is being protrayed in the national press!! We have broken our word of honor in a tribal society where honor is prized. This is US trying to help the current government, who wishes to privatize the OIL, get rid of the main opposition!
I'm sure that the questions not being asked are : What will the Sunni do when they figure out that Maliki intends to eliminate all the opposition by the old conquer the divided rule. What will the Kurds do when they figure out that they who control the distribution system control the OIL and it doesn't matter under whose feet it is sitting?
Finally and most importantly, What are you going to do?
