Iraq’s most influential Shiite cleric has been quietly issuing religious edicts [fatwas] declaring that armed resistance against U.S.-led foreign troops is permissible — a potentially significant shift by a key supporter of the Washington-backed government in Baghdad.
The edicts, or fatwas, by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani suggest he seeks to sharpen his long-held opposition to American troops…
Popular wisdom in Iraq rules that Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, with a simple fatwa, or even a single word, could bring the US occupation to an abrupt end.
…it’s probably not too much to say that if Sistani turns openly against us, our continued presence in Iraq will truly become impossible. He may have decided that if we’re not going to set a timetable ourselves for leaving, he’s going to set one for us.
general betraeis brought the BushCo™ rose coloured version of the situation in iraq to the senate, testifying prior to the nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services committee nomination hearing for his reappointment to the grade of general and to be commander of the U.S. Central Command:
Petraeus says by fall he may seek Iraq troop cuts
Gen. David Petraeus said Thursday he is likely to recommend further troop reductions in Iraq but won’t promise more details until fall — timing that plunges the four-star Army general into the heart of this year’s presidential elections.
The fall assessment would come at a critical time in both American and Iraqi politics. U.S. voters likely will be deciding between a GOP candidate committed to keeping troops in Iraq as long as Petraeus and other ground commanders say is necessary, and a Democratic challenger who supports the immediate withdrawal of forces.
At the same time, Iraq will be headed into its much-anticipated provincial elections, which U.S. officials have described as a crucial step in building national reconciliation by increasing participation by the Sunni minority.
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[ed note: see fatwa above]
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Petraeus cautioned that he was not implying that that means a particular brigade or major combat formation. “But I do believe there will be certain assets that, as we are already looking at the picture right now, we’ll be able to recommend can be either redeployed or not deployed to the theater in the fall,” he said.
In a speech at Fort Bragg, N.C., President Bush said progress in Iraq was undeniable and that “we are on our way to victory.” He also said he looked forward to hearing what his generals would recommend, and he didn’t tip his hand as to what he wants to hear.
“My message to our commanders is you will have all the troops, you will have all the resources you need to win in Iraq,” Bush said at the Army base, where he was speaking to 17,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division.
l’m sure the 42,000 troops scheduled for deployment…re-deployment…to the ME thru 2010 will be thrilled to learn that their tours will be reduced to 12 months, from the current 15:
Pentagon announces future deployment of 42,000 Army troops to Iraq, Afghanistan
The Pentagon on Monday announced upcoming deployments of more than 42,000 troops, including 25,000 active duty Army soldiers who would be sent to Iraq beginning in the fall to replace troops scheduled to come home by year’s end.
The deployments would maintain a level of 15 brigades in Iraq, or roughly 140,000 troops…
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Under the new Pentagon policy effective in August, those active duty Army units will serve for 12 months, rather than the 15-month tours that units in Iraq now are serving. The bulk of the soldiers deploying later this year returned from Iraq late last year, and will have gotten about a year at home to rest and retrain.
in a surprising vote yesterday, the senate passed the $165b war funding bill with the webb/hagel New G.I. Bill.
The $165 billion measure passed by a 70-to-26 vote, after the majority Democrats stripped the legislation of language from the House version of the bill that would have mandated troop withdrawals from Iraq, as the Washington Post reports. What gained even more support was the addition of a separate domestic-spending measure that included funding for heating subsidies for the poor, extended unemployment benefits, bridge repair and rural schools. The 75-to-22 vote for that “served notice to the White House that in an election year, lawmakers from both parties will demand coupling Iraq war funds with priorities at home,” the Post says. But the most attention will be on the $51 billion veterans’ education benefits that supporters were hailing as a new G.I. Bill. “I have spent many days in the United States Senate, and I don’t know of any days I will cherish more than this one,” Republican Sen. John Warner declared.
our good friend and long time pond denizen, ManEegee, and his blog latinopolitico, was a participant in the latest BBC MUNDO article concerning the u.s. presidential race and the latin@ vote.
check it out.
you can also find him, along with a talented group of other bloggers, at the sanctuary.
Piolín and 18000 others became citizens yesterday:
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Record crowds of immigrants — more than 18,000 in all — took citizenship oaths here Thursday, a showing credited to rising fees, a heated debate over illegal immigration and one of the brand-new Americans raising their hands.
In becoming a citizen, radio host Eduardo “Piolin” Sotelo was taking the advice he has frequently dispensed on the nation’s most popular Spanish-language radio show.
“This is a new page in my life,” the native of Mexico said as he was swarmed by well wishers and fans clamoring for a photo. “We have to make a difference.” – linkage
“We’re still in growth mode right now,” said Bill Tuerk, under secretary for memorial affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “We’re in a very high demand time period and we’re trying to respond to it.”
An average of 1,800 veterans die each day, and 10 percent of them are buried in the country’s 125 national cemeteries, which are expected to set a record with 107,000 interments, including dependents, this year. And more national cemeteries are being built.
The peak year for veterans’ deaths will be either 2007 or 2008, Tuerk said. An estimated 686,000 veterans died in 2007. While many World War II veterans are dying, so are an increased number of Korean War and Vietnam veterans.
ed. note: not to be confused w/ fafblog
it seems malarki’s bestest friend the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is getting a bit militant:
mind you, this is the man who, the asia times says:
ruh roh
as kevin drum says: “…this ranks fairly high on the worry meter…”
master of the understatement, kevin is.
general betraeis brought the BushCo™ rose coloured version of the situation in iraq to the senate, testifying prior to the nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services committee nomination hearing for his reappointment to the grade of general and to be commander of the U.S. Central Command:
so…looking for the silver lining here…it appears all we really know is that the new improved FU is now 4 months…isn’t that special.
l’m sure the 42,000 troops scheduled for deployment…re-deployment…to the ME thru 2010 will be thrilled to learn that their tours will be reduced to 12 months, from the current 15:
cold comfort.
in a surprising vote yesterday, the senate passed the $165b war funding bill with the webb/hagel New G.I. Bill.
veto-proof numbers, if the RATpublicants don’t lose their nerve…maybe this is some of that “change you deserve” stuff, eh.
<insert political spot here>
smokey says: “yes, we can!”
h/t knucklehead
“We All Have A Piece Of Each Other”- Barack Obama
manny does MUNDO
our good friend and long time pond denizen, ManEegee, and his blog latinopolitico, was a participant in the latest BBC MUNDO article concerning the u.s. presidential race and the latin@ vote.
check it out.
you can also find him, along with a talented group of other bloggers, at the sanctuary.
(babel fish translation here.)
¡muy bueno! ¡enhorabuena! pozo – hecho
we knew him when…:{)
thanks for the pimping, dada.
Piolín and 18000 others became citizens yesterday:
glad to see the news there Dada, and was wondering where some of the old tribbers had gone, thanks for the posts, now I know ; )
peace bro
yo! iPig.
good to see ya.
we’re still fightin’ em…who knew we’d have to fight our own though?
peace bro
Infidelpig! Brother! Good to see you! GhostdancersWay was here a couple of days ago — it’s almost like getting the band back together. 🙂
How’ve you been?
memorial day…a growth industry
and chimpy soldiers on.
PEACE