AP U.S. General Vows to "destroy" Shiite Militia Behind Fighting in Iraqi

[aquart]

<http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAN8L98RSD.html>

Kimmit gives me agita. His cluelessness stuns me daily.

The Associated Press
Published: Apr 7, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A top U.S. general in Iraq vowed on Wednesday to "destroy" a Shiite militia led by wanted radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr that has launched a wave of attacks against coalition forces in southern cities.
"We will attack to destroy the al-Mahdi Army," Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt told reporters. "Those attacks will be deliberate, precise and they will be successful."

He said U.S. forces were trying to hunt down members of the al-Mahdi Army in the mainly Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City in Baghdad, and he called on al-Sadr to surrender.

-snip-

"All the Iraqi people that are watching this understand this. It all comes down to extremism versus moderation," Kimmitt said. "The extremists want to .. take this country back to an authoritarian regime or even worse .. some sort of Talibanization of this country."

[leftchick]

1. Is he going to "destroy" this little guy too?

A young member of Shiite radical leader Moqtada al-Sadr's Army of Mehdi militia holds his Kalashnikov 07 April 2004 in Baghdad's Shiite neighborhood of Sadr city. The US-led coalition vowed to 'destroy' the banned Mehdi Army of Moqtada Sadr, which has been combating coalition troops.(AFP/Ahmad Al-Rubaye)

[Mika]

21. The horror. HORROR

That picture will has me squirming. In horror.

Bush-Cheney et al should burn in an eternal lake of fire for this.

[saigon68]

27. Amerika must back a "CRUSADE"

"Kill the Ragheads", shouted the Clueless Sock Puppet.

[StopThief]

25. I'd say it depends on whether. . .

that "little guy" decides to point that rifle at any of our boys. If he does. . . . .adios.

[daleo]

30. If that happens, the soldier that has to shoot him

May not feel quite as blase about it. Nor will the boy's relatives, or for that matter, the soldier's. So, the invasion has gone from Weapons of Mass Destruction, to shooting little boys, in the name of bringing democracy to people in a far-off land, who never asked for the favor in the first place.

[atreides1]

26. I Watched It

As he was talking I imagined him in the uniform of an SS officer, and
it seemed to fit.

[saigon68]

31. These guys?

SS Officers
WWII

[atreides1]

35. Isn't...

That Kimmet on the right and Senor on the left, or is it the other way around. ;)

[maddezmom]

2. watched it live

He is one cold man.

[sweettater]

5. I saw him on CNN just a

few minutes ago. His words were filled with so much hatred it was frightening. He looked pure evil. I hang my head in shame.

[lebkuchen]

8. Kimmitt: The people of Fallujah just don't get it

A little self-reflective commentary on the General's part...

[Spentastic]

3. Genius

Why didn't I think of that before?

Oh yes, because I'm reasonably intelligent and this guy is obviously a fucking idiot.

[Just Me]

23. Iraqi and American people understand "extremism",...

,...and this guy IS an extremist spewing "KILL,...DESTROY,...KILL!!!"

He possesses no peace for distribution.

[demconfive]

4. Somewhere in Iraq......

...There's a militia leader giving his men a very similiar speech.

God help all those poor bastards caught in between.

[izzie]

13. Maybe I am thick but this town would be doing the same if......

Iraq had taken over USA because people are just like that. People do not like to be taken over by other country. Why does not the USA people see that?

[PurityOfEssence]

29. And they're both calling on god for help too

yet somehow nobody seems to get that that's the problem

[T Bone]

6. will this article end up on the locker room wall of the al-Mahdi Army ?

Magic 8 ball says: "all indications point to yes".

[lebkuchen]

7. "Seek and Destroy" Kimmitt & "Alls Normal Here" Demsey should get together

and cross reference their much confused media talking points.

[OKNancy]

9. He's right, you know

about this:

"The extremists want to .. take this country back to an authoritarian regime or even worse .. some sort of Talibanization of this country."

It's true, they do. And we anti-war people said this over and over before the invasion. We knew this would happen, but the Bushistas didn't care. It's always been my fear that "democracy" may mean they vote for a fundamentalist government...it's so obvious.

So the USAers say, " You can have Democracy, but it has to be one that we approve" Crazy.

[maddezmom]

14. Democracy according to bush*

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think there's -- my judgment is, is that the closer we come to the deadline, the more likely it is people will challenge our will. In other words, it provides a convenient excuse to attack. In this particular incident, with Sadr, this is one person who is deciding that rather than allow democracy to flourish, he's going to exercise force. And we just can't let it stand. As I understand, the CPA today announced a warrant for his arrest. This is one person -- this is a person, and followers, who are trying to say, we don't want democracy -- as a matter of fact, we'll decide the course of democracy by the use of force. And that is the opposite of democracy. And it's -- that's why the CPA issued the statement they

[Dhalgren]

32. Bush has no sense of irony - none.

"This is one person -- this is a person, and followers, who are trying to say,... -- as a matter of fact, we'll decide the course of democracy by the use of force. And that is the opposite of democracy." Can you believe this shit? You couldn't make this stuff up...

[leftchick]

34. Do you mean to tell me you made some sense out of that?

You are good at chimpy* translation because It doesn't make a lick of sense to me. :crazy:

[bowens43]

10. Sounds like genocide.

Do they plan to murder all of the Shiites? That's what they will have to do. Each Shiite they kill brings several more into the fight.

[Flagg]

11. according to French television, The Shiite Militia has between 20000 and

50000 soldiers

[leftchick]

12. oue media says...

a few hundred... :eyes:

[amber dog democrat]

15. Iraq = Vietnam ?

Who knows where this is headed? I keep thinking this administration has learned nothing from past experience.

Of course this military solution is going to fail. The escalation will aggravate moderates to join the insurgency. We are the invaders.

We have no viable exit strategy since we are doing this unilaterally.

Its time to admit we are failing to achieve stability and we need to end the occupation and make what concessions necessary to get the UN involved.

It needs to be turned over to the UN.

The general is making a brave stance, but he's out of his depth.

[Karenina]

16. Brave stance?

No. Terminally STUPID.

[amber dog democrat]

18. Agreed

I was being sarcastic. This guy is like Dostoyevski's Man Of Action from Notes From the Underground. Basically stupid!

[aneerkoinos]

17. Much Worse

Defeat in Vietnam didn't destroy US, on the contrary, but the certain defeat against Islam in Iraq after few years of slaughter will be total defeat. US will have no friends left, no oil, no money that others accept, no army left but home militias engaged in civil war and anarchy on US soil.

It won't be nice for the rest of world either. Thanks.

[Ganja Ninja]

19. Are you ready for what's coming next?

Don't be surprised to see Iranians coming across the border to help fight the infidels. We need to start right now planing a bugout. It's time to bring the troops home.

[THUNDER HANDS]

20. i think that's the point of all this

To inflame the Shiites so much that their brethren in Iran come to their aid and then we have an excuse to invade Iran.

[catmandu57]

22. I think kimmet is scared shitless

I saw him on cnn, and, looking at his face he looked like realizaation is setting in. The sheer weight of numbers, the logistics of resupply is a nightmare. I really believe that most of what he's saying is nothing but bravdo, he knows the ultimate outcome, if not he really is stupid.

[bemildred]

28. Very good.

Logistics is the key, and he knows it.
He has very little time to get this genie back in the bottle.
All the silly Eyerakis have to do is drag this out long enough.

[saigon68]

33. The public won't put up with another $187 biilion for that Rat Hole

He is a general, a lot of us here are politicians. General Kismet's War is soon to be over. The public is not about to put up with more $200,000.00 per year mercenaries, and death and dismemberment on the tube nightly. Sooner or later the war is going to start costing them, personally and financially.

The Grandmothers, who saw their sons and brothers go die in Viet-Nam are not going to allow a Clueless CHIMPANZEE, to send their gandsons and now granddaughters to GET DRAFTED and die for President Dick Cheney's Halliburton Company.

Not going to happen General Kismet. If you thought blood flowed in the streets, in the 60's, just wait.

[bemildred]

37. I was thinking more of the logistical issues that come up as this drags on

past the first week or two, but politics comes into play too, and certainly
this is going to cost plenty politically and moneywise.

[bemildred]

39. Here, this is what I mean:

Shiites taxing thin US forces

But reports are coming in
from around the country that
Iraqi security forces are
refusing to confront the new
challenges head on. Analysts
now say the best military
solution to the rising tide of
Sunni and Shiite attacks - and
unexpected alliances - is a
major increase in US forces

...

Neither Iraqis nor the US appear prepared to take on
Sadr's militia.

...

Fighting Shiites "was probably the last thing the
coalition wanted to deal with,'' says M.J. Gohel,
president of the Asia Pacific Foundation in London, a
security think tank. "The forces are only a
fraction of the figure needed if one wants to turn the
situation there around."

...

The deadliest fighting of the occupation continued for
a fourth day Wednesday, with US marines fighting
pitched battles against Sunni insurgents in Fallujah.
The mosques of Ramadi, west of Baghdad, rang out
with calls for "jihad" against US forces a day after
about 12 US marines died in fierce battle for control
of the governor's palace in that town. And Sadr
loyalists seized control of the southern city of Kut
after pushing out Ukrainian forces. At least 22
coalition soldiers and over 150 Iraqis have died since
Sunday.

More

War proceeds by attrition, the object is to be still able to
fight when the enemy is not. We are vastly outnumbered, twenty
to one or more, and we're only getting attrition ratios around
five to one from what I can tell (not counting dead non-combatants,
which just add to the fighting force on the other side anyway).
And once you get on the wrong side of the attrition curve things
do not get better.

Add to those facts the brittle, expensive nature of the "hi-tech" arms
we use, and the opposite nature of the AKs and RPGs in use by the
Shiia, the long supply line, the absence of fresh reinforcements,
and you have a situation in which we have very little time
before we will be overwhelmed, hi-tech weapons or not.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ulTRAX]

36. Like they're going not going to adjust their tactics?

Nothing like announcing to the "enemy" what your strategy will be.

[FearandLoathing41]

38. At the Trial of Saddam

(Saddam) I used to fill mass graves in Iraq. Now the U.S. fills mass graves in Iraq. Whats the differnce? (Saddam)

[saigon68]

40. The Difference Saddam

Is our Graves were dug by Halliburton, a US corporation, with US taxpayer dollars, and blessed by a clueless sock puppet we call our leader.

"there for its OK----- besides the people occupying are "terrists" who know about wepens of mass distraction"</sacrasm>