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U.S. Arming Sunnis in Iraq to Battle Old Qaeda Allies »

Posted by: TechnologyExpert 2 years, 6 months ago

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With the four-month-old increase in American troops showing only modest success in curbing insurgent attacks, American commanders are turning to another strategy that they acknowledge is fraught with risk: arming Sunni Arab groups that have promised to fight militants linked with Al Qaeda who have been their allies in the past.

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TechnologyExpert
June 10, 2007, 11:07 p.m.
American commanders say they have successfully tested the strategy in Anbar Province west of Baghdad and have held talks with Sunni groups in at least four areas of central and north-central Iraq where the insurgency has been strong. In some cases, the American commanders say, the Sunni groups are suspected of involvement in past attacks on American troops or of having links to such groups. Some of these groups, they say, have been provided, usually through Iraqi military units allied with the Americans, with arms, ammunition, cash, fuel and supplies.
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Amazing1
June 11, 2007, 8:38 a.m.
Thanks for posting this. According to the article, "Some of these groups, they say, have been provided, usually through Iraqi military units allied with the Americans, with arms, ammunition, cash, fuel and supplies."
Did you see that word in there? CASH!
This is nuts. If the Sunnis fight the Al Qaeda, that's just hunky dory. But once the Al Qaeda is gone, you think the Sunnis will throw the guns away and say they don't need 'em anymore? Fat chance. Next target? Will it be the Shiites or US forces?
And just how much CASH are we handing out to go along with the arms, ammunition, fuel and SUPPLIES? What kind of supplies? Surely we're not handing over any thought capacity. We don't seem to have enough of that to go around as it is.
We need to get out of there NOW.
Think I can get the goverment to give me some CASH and SUPPLIES?
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Ciera-Marie
June 11, 2007, 9:05 a.m.
Thank you DR for giving me heads up on this article. Thanks TE for submitting it.
IN the short term this sounds like a good idea. Long term it's a bad one. You have military officers that know what they're talking about saying it's a bad idea.
Amazing ! brought up a good point once the Sunnis have finished helping us fight AL-Qaeda (I'm not sure we will ever be finished. That's worrisome.) how will we get the guns and other military weapons back?
I read in a article on Netscape recently that our troops over there are now fighting at night those who are our allies during the day.
There has to be a better way.
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Obaku
June 11, 2007, 1:34 p.m.
The model here is Afghanistan. The U.S. armed and funded the mujahadeen to fight the Soviets.
That eventually gave the world Al-Qaeda.
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abntv
June 11, 2007, 2:33 p.m.
This is a dangerous idea..the term blow back comes to mind..however, it is obvious that the Iraqi government needs to bring the Sunnis into the mix..this could be one method of accomplishing that..it would be interesting to see how these people address the Iranian intrusion as well.