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November 24, 2007

2007 is Australian for 2008?
Posted by Heather Hurlburt

Hmmm.  Long-serving leader, considered by some a bit of a buffoon, ousted in landslide after election where main issues include withdrawing troops from Iraq and signing the Kyoto Protocol???

Just sayin'...

On the downside, remind me who has any troops left in Iraq now that the Aussies and the Poles have elected new leaders to head for the exits?

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According to the State Dept. Iraq Weekly Status Report, November 21, 2007, there are 27 countries other than the USA with forces in Iraq, with a total of about 11,589 troops including: Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tonga etc.

The same report says:
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Shiite-Led Government Larger Threat than al-Qaida:

Senior military commanders now portray the intransigence of Iraq's Shiite dominated government as the key threat facing the U.S. effort in Iraq, rather than al-Qaida terrorists, Sunni insurgents or Iranian-backed militias. Several U.S. military officials have expressed growing concern over the Iraqi government's failure to capitalize on sharp declines in attacks against U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians. A window of opportunity has opened for the government to reach out to its former foes, said Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the commander of day-to-day U.S. military operations in Iraq, but "it's unclear how long that window is going to be open."
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/95643.pdf
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The democratic Iraqi government, the US 'noble cause', a result of the much-ballyhooed 'purple-finger' elections, requiring so much personal sacrifice, death and destruction, THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT IS A LARGER THREAT THAN AL-QAEDA!!

Shout it to the mountains--let's end this fiasco NOW!!

. . . or from the mountaintops, rather. I get so excited from all those bold caps.

Senior military commanders now portray the intransigence of Iraq's Shiite dominated government as the key threat facing the U.S. effort in Iraq, rather than al-Qaida terrorists, Sunni insurgents or Iranian-backed militias.

Well, the US stab in the back is now in full swing. Our top brass and government officials aren't even being subtle about it anymore.

Of course, the main forms of Shia "intransigence" in Iraq are the intransigent reluctance of the democratically elected Shia majority to turn power back over to the violence-wielding Sunni Arab minority who dominated them for decades with the aid of foreign backers, and want their vanished power restored; and also the intransigent failure of Iraq's Shia to help the US foment hostilities with their fellow Shia in Iran. It seems the Iraqi government has its sights set on a most intransigent neighborliness with their Iranian neighbors.