Iraq: al Qaeda’s continuing horrors

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Monday, April 5, 2010 - 11:58 AM Share

Someone apparently pretending to be Americans killed 24 people a couple of days ago, many of them former insurgents. Iraqi officials are blaming al Qaeda. It all happened in the area south of Baghdad that American soldiers used to call "the 'Iyas'" -- my least favorite part of Iraq.

This was followed by a series of embassy bombings in Baghdad yesterday.

I am not making this part of my "Iraq Unraveling" series because I am not persuaded that this outbreak has legs. We'll see.

ALI AL-SAADI/AFP/Getty Images

EXPLORE:MIDDLE EAST, AL QAEDA, IRAQ

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KENNETH SORENSEN

1:49 PM ET

April 6, 2010

American soldiers' amateurism exposed in wiki-leak video

Americans can do terror as well, and this video from July 2007 shows just what high-tech terror looks like in the 21. century. More than 20 people , among them two Reuters journalists murdered with cold blood. And when one of the wounded journalists tries to crawl away, you hear the stupid Americans in the helicopter say: "Yes, just go ahead an show your weapon". Eventually he is being picked up by a car, in which two kids on the front seat iare clearly visible. But not so under American rules of engagement: You are not allowed to pick up wounded -- journalists as iut were - so the Americans request permission to "take out" the car, which happens. Later, they laugh when a Bradley arrives at the scene and rund over a corpse.

One is beginning to understand why the US military has held this video back. It is a discrace to the whole US military and a shame to the entire American people, which can only further damage America's standing in the Muslim world.

As the old American saying goes: "What goes 'round comes 'round." If this happened in my country I would of course be furious and wanting to "take out" as many Americans as possible. And this is presumably also the effect it will have for the ones directly concerned.

http://wikileaks.org/

STEVE358

1:58 AM ET

April 7, 2010

Tom: Thanks for not jumping

Tom: Thanks for not jumping down the "Unravelling" hole yet.

Plenty of sorting out to be done, and it certainly hasn't stopped spinning.

Isn't it interesting, though, that Shia factions like Hakim's (after visiting Iran) came back to announce that they will only support a government in which Allawi is a part.

I have no delusions that any American-style democracy is catching on, but every faith that Iraqis as a people have endured enough to, if at all possible, (1.) strive to avoid obvious deep conflict; and (2.) avoid giving too much control to Iran (influence yes, control no).

Unless I am mistaken, this is like the September 2008 standoff at Khanaqin. Lots of bluster, and serious potential for conflicts between the Central Government and the Peshmerga. But, in the end, they blinked (for now). Nobody is ready, at the moment, to go to the mat.

Having said that, I have no idea what the Iraqcratic answer will be, and reasonable expectation of limited but very nasty violence. But I have not seen an Unravelling---just serious disputes being confronted without formal, structured violence.

So far, so good. Thanks.

PS. Ken's rep doesn't seem so good (I take it), but there is much disquieting about that Apache operation video to remind us that once that door to War opens, bad things happen. Iraqis know it all too well.

SEANROSSI

3:53 AM ET

April 7, 2010

what is the opposite of unravel?

perhaps I'm missing something in your post here. this series was a daily commentary on Iraq events leading down a path, but NOT a prediction...your words not mine (there is a difference in your beltway world apparently).

why is this not unravelling?... but the post about the security incident at the ECP made the list or the one where the school kids got bombed? Legs? Legs????? Don't go all weak knee on us now!!!!!

Jabs aside -- I don't see unraveling so much as I see an unleashing that began in 2003. Shia-Sunni violence happens in Pakistan, India and Egypt around ashoura and takfiri sunnis of Al qaeda ilk have killed more muslims of all stripes than any western led force since King Richard. Iraq has simply expanded the millenia old- bloodsport into a daily event for leadership of the State - Sopranos style with a couple factions/militias and capos "competing" for survival. Iraq's democratic birth pangs are loud, messy and may hold some lessons for the dc war wagon crowd the next time they want to try regime change and democracy in the middle east.

BTW: Here is what I think has legs in Iraq -- corruption, iraqi on iraqi violence, sectarian political fisticuffs and when the US leaves a true competition that makes 2006 look rather tame.