Sunday, April 11, 2004

Burning Tanks. The front page of today's Boston Globe has a picture of an American tank, burning in an Iraqi street. Tanks don't get killed by fanatic children who just grabbed a rifle or a bottle. What's going on here? The press seems adrift, unsure what script we're in. We thought we were in Fighting Crazy Terrorists, or maybe Arab Street Revolt. People talk about Vietnam, but only as a metaphor; who is there to play the part of the Russians and the Chinese? But are we really in the Mutiny? Or the Boer War? [Mark Bernstein] It's actually pretty easy to kill a tank in a city street, which is why tankers don't like going into cities--especially without adequate infantry protection. There's no need to look at events in Southeast Asia, India, or South Africa for historical lessons. We need look no further then the experience of the British during their conquest of Iraq. 1:08:47 PM    comment () The iTunes music recommendation system never did work, so I finally gave up and uninstalled it. 12:47:33 PM    comment () Josh Marshall has an insightful report from a PMC employee in Iraq: General Kimmet is wrong if he thinks that he will destroy the Badr brigade or Sadr Army as a military organization because there isn't really one ... he will disperse them into small, highly armed teams of friends and ... voila! Al Qaeda-Iraq or Hezbollah-Iraq will be borne in numbers we will not be able to control. Since the ICDC [the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps] seem to have run off and joined the opposition in Nasiriyah it may reflect the true loyalties of the new Iraqi army and Police. No one is going to cross their family, tribe or religious community for the Americans. [John Robb's Weblog] Marshall describes his friend this way: I mentioned a few days ago that a friend of mine who spent a career in US military intelligence specializing in counter-terrorism is now in Iraq working as a contractor providing security for companies and NGOs. In other words, he's a mercenary--and therefore better qualified to comment on the military situation than a civilian contractor would be. 11:14:47 AM    comment () Cheney Pledges Help for Japanese in Iraq [AP World News] Vice President Dick Cheney was pledging U.S. support to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in pressing ahead with plans to double Japan's noncombat forces in Iraq despite the furor over the abduction of three citizens, U.S. officials said Sunday. Cheney is irrelevant--the real news is that Koizumi is undeterred from his efforts to subject the Japanese people to endless terrorist attacks. 11:02:45 AM    comment () Both Raed (Salam Pax's friend) and Riverbend have written several posts recently about the situation in Iraq. 10:38:15 AM    comment () Turning point. I believe the events of the past few weeks will be seen, in time, as a major turning point for the better in Iraq. When the dust has all settled, two of the major threats to a peaceful, prosperous, and free(er) Iraq were beaten back.... [Samizdata.net] This post and the comments that follow it provide a look at the bizarre fantasy world the Crusaders are living in. 10:33:23 AM    comment ()

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