by Aamer Madhani
Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, today applauded Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s decision to send a division of Iraqi troops to the southern city of Basra last week in an attempt to weed out Mahdi Army fighters, but said it is too soon to tell whether it was a win or a loss for the Iraqi forces.
After six days of fierce fighting in Basra as well as some of the Shiite enclaves of Baghdad, Iraqi government officials and cleric Moqtada al-Sadr brokered a cease-fire. The deal came without the militiamen having to put down their weapons. Sadr also issued a nine-point list of demands.
“With respect to the outcome and the views of the outcome, my view of that, I think, it's really too soon to tell,” Mullen said today at a Pentagon news conference. “Clearly when Sadr put his nine points out, and there was compliance with that in a very short period of time, that had a significant effect obviously on the operation.”
As al-Maliki launched the operation, President Bush hailed the effort as a “defining moment” in Iraqi history. The Iraqis, after all, were showing some initiative on the security front.
But the uncertain outcome of the operation—in which U.S. and British forces assisted— has raised questions about the effectiveness of the fledgling Iraqi security forces.
Al-Maliki earlier this week called the operation a “success,” but the Joint Chiefs chairman didn’t declare victory today speaking with reporters.
“I really come at this from the point of view that I think it was very positive that the leader of a sovereign nation decided to make a move which was focused on providing for his own security, the security of his people,” Mullen said. “And in these kinds of situations, some things are going to go well and some things aren't. So as far as the overall outcome, I think, it's going to be a little while before we really understand the impact of it.”
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Comments
In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday, Army Vice Chief of Staff General Richard Cody said...
"Today’s Army is out of balance. The current demand for our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds the sustainable supply and limits our ability to provide ready forces for other contingencies . . . Current operational requirements for forces and insufficient time between deployments require a focus on counterinsurgency training and equipping to the detriment of preparedness for the full range of military missions.
Given the current theater demand for Army forces, we are unable to provide a sustainable tempo of deployments for our Soldiers and Families. Soldiers, Families, support systems, and equipment are stretched and stressed by the demands of lengthy and repeated deployments, with insufficient recovery time. Equipment used repeatedly in harsh environments is wearing out more rapidly than programmed. Army support systems, designed for the pre-9/11 peacetime Army, are straining under the accumulation of stress from six years at war. Overall, our readiness is being consumed as fast as we build it.
If unaddressed, this lack of balance poses a significant risk to the All-Volunteer Force and degrades the Army’s ability to make a timely response to other contingencies."
The shrub mis-administration. Making America safe for terrorists.
Posted by: rncbs | April 2, 2008 6:21 PM
It was nice of the IRANIANS to negotiate a cease fire in Basra, it may have helped save John W McCain/Bush's Presidential campaign....for now.
Posted by: John E | April 2, 2008 6:22 PM
"PATREAUS REPORT BEFORE THE PATREAUS REPORT"
NOTHING NEW TO REPORT.
STILL "VICTORY IN PROGRESS"
IRAN BROKERED THIS DEAL!
SO NOTHING NEW TO REPORT. WE STOOD DOWN THE COULDN'T STAND UP.
WE STOOD UP THEY COULDN'T STAND UP BY THEMSELVES BECAUSE AFTER 3.1 TRILLION DOLLARS AND ALL OF THE AMERICAN "GUARD" WE JUST DIDN'T TRAIN THEM WELL.
128 MILLION DOLLAR PAYOFFS ISN'T "FIGHTING A WAR ON TERROR" THAT'S BAILING OUT BERNS & STERNS INVESTORS OR HALLIBURTON OR BLACKWATER.
BUT ANYWAYS, WE STOOD DOWN, TO LET THEM STAND UP, AND THE GOV'T WE ARE BACKING COULDN'T GET THE JOB DONE.
SO NO RETURN ON "SUCCESS" CONGRESS, IT WILL ALL BE IN THE NIE REPORT UNDER "EXECUTIVE SECRECY" ORDERS FROM THE "EXECUTIVE BRANCH" OF THE VICE PRESIDENT.
NEXT QUESTION!
Posted by: Roger Morris | April 2, 2008 7:02 PM
You say you want success in Basra! Then eliminate Al Sadr! He's the problem. can't Washington see that? He's in bed with the Iranians! He's hiding out in Iran. He's getting support from them, including bomb making instruction, ammunition, and recruits. When part of that doesn't the administration understand. Get with the program, kll Al Sadr, what ever it takes, make it look like and accident or someone inside his group.. This man is supposed to be a religious cleric? no God that I know of agrees with killing innocent women and children.
Posted by: Paul Jaeger | April 2, 2008 7:12 PM
This is bordering on the theater of the absurd.
We, the US and UK, didn't even have notice this would happen, yet we all ended up making air strikes, arty strikes.
It's a screw up, hidden in a peanut butter jar, concealed in empty condom wrapper, hidden in stale public mens john, covered up with a stained brothel mattress, misdirected by a poorly trained mime, disguised as a wonderful success.
Posted by: C.Morris | April 2, 2008 7:16 PM
Paul, Paul, Paul,,,,
Maliki is in bed with the Iranians, too. They are natural allies. Bush has helped create greater Iran.
BTW, just a couple weeks ago BushMob were complementing and praising Sadr for observing a self imposed cease fire, saying it was contributing to the general drop in Bag. violence. (??)
This is about an internal Iraqi power grab.
Posted by: C.Morris | April 2, 2008 7:58 PM
"no God that I know of agrees with killing innocent women and children.
Posted by: Paul Jaeger | April 2, 2008 7:12 PM"
We have done this throughout our history. Do the ends justify the means?
Sounds like 'moral relativism' to me.
We call it, 'collateral damage'.
Posted by: C.Morris | April 2, 2008 8:01 PM
“Clearly when Sadr put his nine points out, and there was compliance with that in a very short period of time, that had a significant effect obviously on the operation.”
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Let me get this straight. Maliki launches an attack, Sadr makes nine demands, including a cease-fire. Maliki surrenders in a short period of time.
Oh yeah, that's a victory.
Posted by: Bruce Y | April 2, 2008 10:30 PM