Monthly Archives: July 2005

"Kurds and some Shiite Arabs have called for a federal system that would formally create separate regions in the predominantly Kurdish north and possibly in the Shiite south. The minority Sunnis, who ruled Iraq for more than eight decades, until … Continue reading →

"Imams and teachers who have used Islam to bolster and preach their political beliefs have done so by perverting traditional Islamic texts. Declaring fatwas permitting suicide bombings goes against everything at the heart of Islam. These so-called Muslim scholars must … Continue reading →

The question often arises of the strange doings of Saudi Arabia and their apparent fecklessness in not taking up positions which would be satisfactory to us in the West.  Truth to tell, Saudi Arabia is not a "nation state,"  is … Continue reading →

CS, We no longer seem so useful to the Shia. I recommend to all Peter Galbraith’s superb piece on Iraq in the "New York Review of Books." He makes the observation that the demography of the country pretty much insures … Continue reading →

"After meeting with Mr. Rumsfeld, Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said there was no firm timetable for any American withdrawal, but he noted that Iraqis "desire speed in that regard." "  NY Times There is a famous "bon mot" usually attributed … Continue reading →

It’s pretty clear that the operational tempo for US forces in Iraq has been reduced.  The continual, slow loss of soldiers and equipment is potentially a threat to US public support for the effort in that country.  The insurgents know … Continue reading →

Larry De Rita, the ASD for Public Affairs at the Pentagon says that although the US Government has a good knowledge of the identities of the leadership of the Iraq insurgencies that DoD does not attempt to estimate the size … Continue reading →

This weblog will tell the truth as it is given to me to know the truth. Pat Lang