NEWS: Iraq's Shiite Leadership Promises Purge of Sunni Opposition, page 1

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Topic started on 1-5-2005 @ 07:35 AM by WyrdeOne

Shiite politicians, alarmed by the frequency of attacks in their country, have instigated a purge targetting Sunni infiltrators and spies in the security forces. They plan to increase counter-insurgency operations, backed up by Iraqi Special Forces troops deployed widely throughout the country. The Sunni minority, largely unrepresented in the new government, boycotted the election in large numbers, and have no representation in the Interior Ministry, which is the body in charge of state security.

www.latimes.com
Iraq's Shiite Muslim leadership, alarmed by a surge in attacks as the new government prepares to take office, plans to crack down on Sunni-led insurgents and purge suspected infiltrators and corrupt officers from the nation's security forces, officials and lawmakers say.

A likely tactic, authorities say, is unleashing well-trained Iraqi commandos in Baghdad and other trouble spots. The special forces units have a reputation for effectiveness and brutality.

The plan for Iraqi commandos' wider deployment is indicative of how the raging guerrilla conflict here is increasingly a war pitching Iraqis against Iraqis, leading to a decline in U.S. casualty rates as the number of Iraqi dead soars.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

While the election of the new Iraqi government was hailed as a huge success in the west, it remains to be seen if age old ethnic and religious rivalries will take a backseat to democracy. If this rhetoric on the part of the Shiite majority is any indication, little progress has been made in changing views. Of course, the Shiites have legitimate concerns, there are obviously traitors in the ranks, as evidenced by the execution of Iraqi police officers on several occasions.

The problem with majority rule is, of course, the majority isn't always right. It will be telling to see how the new government deals with this delicate situation. If they commit atrocities in the name of stability and order, they will be no different than the government they replaced. If they excercise moderation and show evidence of fair judgement and a spirit of community, then there is hope for peace.

There is most certainly a problem with the Iraqi security forces. Many are still loyal to the old regime, and still more are loyal to their own principles and religious vagaries, rather than to the stated goal of a democratic Iraq. It is never easy to broker peace between ancestral enemies, and in this case, it's even harder. The Shiites were downtrodden for some time, and they may be tempted to use their new position of power to extract vengeance on their former tormentors. If they choose that route, there is no hope for peace, because the cycle will simply repeat.

reply posted on 2-5-2005 @ 12:30 PM by WyrdeOne

www.signonsandiego.com...

www.startribune.com...

www.washingtonpost.com...

www.truthout.org...

Above are some additional sources backing up the story.

This is a serious situation brewing, and the tensions evident in Iraq are not going away. Even if US troops pulled out tommorrow, there would still be boiling ethnic rivalries, and combined with religious rivalries, that's a recipe for disaster.

One of the fundamental flaws with the reasoning for the invasion of Iraq was, we never had an exit strategy. We could occupy their country, and essentially play school yard referee between these two groups. Or, we could pull out and let them kill each other. If the latter seems like the better option, we would have been better served by staying the hell out of that country in the first place.

reply posted on 2-5-2005 @ 12:43 PM by LazarusTheLong

the best method is to round them up, put them on trains and then into work camps where they can kill them all en masse, using poison gas in the showers...
why recreate the perfect genocide wheel that the nazis have already invented?

or MAYBE... stupid suggestion I know, but why not try it...
try to negotiate a truce and living arraingement, since they do share the same country they have shared for decades... it isn't like they have the same "kill or be killed" mentality that the israeli/palestinians are locked in. They just have to live next to one another without killing each other for a SMALL difference of religious opinion...

When they start coming up with the genocidal options, it really makes me think they deserved to be ruled by a tyrant like Saddam...

reply posted on 2-5-2005 @ 12:59 PM by sanctum

I have been of this opinion since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

No-one can impose a 'way of life' on anyone else. It won't work.
Just reverse the cultures and think about it. Not to mention the animosity that has been unleashed toward to 'West' and also the animosity post invasion between tribal clans now bent on revenge for past 'wrongs'.

Sanc'.

reply posted on 2-5-2005 @ 01:07 PM by WyrdeOne

sanctum
That's basically the bottom line. We would no more accept their culture forced upon us. Good point, thanks for bringing it up.

I mean, we're essentially rampaging into an alien culture, and using some sort of implied righteousness to justify our barbarism. It's not sensible, and the results leave much to be desired.

When you add the torture angle, it makes the whole situation look tawdry. We went in to stop the torture..so..we'll use some torture of our own! Take that!