Is Iraq about to turn into Iran 2.0?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

judging by the results, yep. We just lost a couple hundred billion dollars and over 1500 soldiers so Iraq can become a theocratic Shiite dictatorship instead of a Baathist Sunni dictatorship. Wow, worth it!

[J. J.]

judging by the results, yep. We just lost a couple hundred billion dollars and over 1500 soldiers so Iraq can become a theocratic Shiite dictatorship instead of a Baathist Sunni dictatorship. Wow, worth it!

Considering the Sunnis want to be involved in government and the Shi'ites want them involved and the Kurds are involved, probably not.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

yeah, the Sunnies want to be involved, that's why they voted so much, and the Shi'ites want them involved, that's why they voted so heavily for the Shi'ite theocracy party.

[The Duke]

I don't meant to be rude, but you clearly know nothing about Shi'a Islam, Iraq-Iran relations, the united Shia list, or Ali Sistani.  The question itself is stupid.  It has been borught up by the same people who ebfore the war said the Shia were all radicals and would launch a radical uprising against he coalition.  Anyone who says this stuff doesn't know what they're talking about.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I don't meant to be rude, but you clearly know nothing about Shi'a Islam, Iraq-Iran relations, the united Shia list, or Ali Sistani.  The question itself is stupid.  It has been borught up by the same people who ebfore the war said the Shia were all radicals and would launch a radical uprising against he coalition.  Anyone who says this stuff doesn't know what they're talking about.

The spin was that everyone except a few Sunnis would be throwing flowers.

[The Duke]

Actually, they were pretty happy when we got there.  Once again, actual facts have no impact on the anti-war crowd.

[phk]

Kodak moment.

[2952-0-0]

Actually, they were pretty happy when we got there.  Once again, actual facts have no impact on the anti-war crowd.

That was then, this is now. It has been known for months that Allawi's approval rate had been sliding, and it looks like he'll be voted out...

[Colin]

I don't know why everbody thinks that once the Shia get into power they automatically turn every country into Iran? This is absolute idiotcy on the part of anti-war critics. The two big candidates for Prime Minister that the United Iraqi Alliance will put up are Chalabi and Shahristani. Chalabi is well liked in America and in Iraq and he most of all he is a moderate Shia, as are most of the major leaders of the United Iraqi Alliance. Shahristani is actually a very secular candidate and a former nuclear scientist. I don't think he would be a darling of Islamists. The only group that you could say was Islamist is the SCIRI and they have said that they will not interfere in the democratic principals of Iraq and that they don't want anything like what happened to the Shia during Saddam's reign to happen to the Sunni's. Also Mr. Talabani, who is a Kurdish Sunni, looks like he could have an outside shot at the Prime Minister position and he will definitely get a major cabinet post once the government is formed. BRTD why don't you just shut up about things that you don't know. Your useless posts filled with anti-war, anti-Iraqi and anti-American criticisms are just stupid and childish. Why don't you stop wasting our time?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Um, Chalabi is HEAVILY linked to Iran. He was passing info to them. Why do you think the US raided his house awhile ago?

[Colin]

Um, Chalabi is HEAVILY linked to Iran. He was passing info to them. Why do you think the US raided his house awhile ago?

Evidence, please.

[The Duke]

Um, Chalabi is HEAVILY linked to Iran. He was passing info to them. Why do you think the US raided his house awhile ago?

Evidence, please.

Like all the charges against Chalabi, this one is unsubstantiated by evidence.  I wonder what BRTD would think if the police raided his house without a warrant?  And if they found no evidence in this raid, as they found no eveidence indicting Chalabi, would he presume his own guilt simply because he had been targeted by the police?

I think the idiocy of his claim is now quite evident.

Actually, they were pretty happy when we got there.  Once again, actual facts have no impact on the anti-war crowd.

That was then, this is now. It has been known for months that Allawi's approval rate had been sliding, and it looks like he'll be voted out...

I don't think Allawi's electability has much to do with the popularity of the US or the feelings of Iraqis towards the notion of liberation.

This is also the first time an anti-war liberal has admitted to me that we were greeted as liberators, so the photo actually is quite significant and there are many more.

[Jake]

This is funny.  jFraud, BRTD, and phknrocket all commenting on something they obviously know NOTHING about. Not suprising.

[opebo]

Iraq will not be precisely like Iran.. in fact there's a very good chance it will be worse.  But in any case it is obvious that it won't be any 'better' than it was before the US invasion, and I still don't see why Americans should care what it is like there. 

No, the main point here is the utter waste of effort and resources on this absurd war.  I wish Bush could have simply cut checks direct from the treasury to his cronies rather than having to go through this security-reducing charade.

[phk]

We could use them for cheap labor.

[Erc]

Why Iraq won't turn into Iraq 2.0:

Iran won't have it.

If the Shi'ite majority imposes a Shi'ite Theocracy on Iraq, they'll lose the support of the Sunnis (not that they have that at the moment), and, more importantly, the Kurds.

The Kurdo-Shi'ite 'Unholy Alliance' is what is holding the country together at this point.  They're the army, the police force, etc.  They keep the Sunnis in line.  If the Kurds pull out, the Shi'ites won't be able to control the northern half of the country.  The insurgency would turn into a full-scale civil war, Kurdistan declaring independence (the Sunnis wouldn't like that either, but they have a major problem on their southern flank at this point).

The Shias wouldn't be able to hold the country together without overt Iranian intervention (which we would not have)...and so Kurdistan becomes independent.  And you have a nice little rebellion on your hands in Kurdistan Irredenta over in Iran...

[DanielX]

More likely that Iran will turn into Iraq 2.0.

[2952-0-0]

Um, Chalabi is HEAVILY linked to Iran. He was passing info to them. Why do you think the US raided his house awhile ago?

Evidence, please.

Like all the charges against Chalabi, this one is unsubstantiated by evidence.  I wonder what BRTD would think if the police raided his house without a warrant?  And if they found no evidence in this raid, as they found no eveidence indicting Chalabi, would he presume his own guilt simply because he had been targeted by the police?

I think the idiocy of his claim is now quite evident.

Actually, they were pretty happy when we got there.  Once again, actual facts have no impact on the anti-war crowd.

That was then, this is now. It has been known for months that Allawi's approval rate had been sliding, and it looks like he'll be voted out...

I don't think Allawi's electability has much to do with the popularity of the US or the feelings of Iraqis towards the notion of liberation.

This is also the first time an anti-war liberal has admitted to me that we were greeted as liberators, so the photo actually is quite significant and there are many more.

America squirrels away from Iraq two days ahead of schedule and leaves behind a puppet to run Iraq, and now that Iraqis have made their voice it's becoming evident their new govt won't be an American puppet. You seem to think people in thrid world countries are too stupid to think for themselves. Last year you complained that the backs in South Africa were too stupid to think straight, as if you wanted apartheid to come back there...

[Jake]

Um, Chalabi is HEAVILY linked to Iran. He was passing info to them. Why do you think the US raided his house awhile ago?

Evidence, please.

Like all the charges against Chalabi, this one is unsubstantiated by evidence.  I wonder what BRTD would think if the police raided his house without a warrant?  And if they found no evidence in this raid, as they found no eveidence indicting Chalabi, would he presume his own guilt simply because he had been targeted by the police?

I think the idiocy of his claim is now quite evident.

Actually, they were pretty happy when we got there.  Once again, actual facts have no impact on the anti-war crowd.

That was then, this is now. It has been known for months that Allawi's approval rate had been sliding, and it looks like he'll be voted out...

I don't think Allawi's electability has much to do with the popularity of the US or the feelings of Iraqis towards the notion of liberation.

This is also the first time an anti-war liberal has admitted to me that we were greeted as liberators, so the photo actually is quite significant and there are many more.

America squirrels away from Iraq two days ahead of schedule and leaves behind a puppet to run Iraq, and now that Iraqis have made their voice it's becoming evident their new govt won't be an American puppet. You seem to think people in thrid world countries are too stupid to think for themselves. Last year you complained that the backs in South Africa were too stupid to think straight, as if you wanted apartheid to come back there...

What are you talking about?  The Iraqis selected the party that they want to lead them. I doubt Allawi will be dropped right away.

[2952-0-0]

Um, Chalabi is HEAVILY linked to Iran. He was passing info to them. Why do you think the US raided his house awhile ago?

Evidence, please.

Like all the charges against Chalabi, this one is unsubstantiated by evidence.  I wonder what BRTD would think if the police raided his house without a warrant?  And if they found no evidence in this raid, as they found no eveidence indicting Chalabi, would he presume his own guilt simply because he had been targeted by the police?

I think the idiocy of his claim is now quite evident.

Actually, they were pretty happy when we got there.  Once again, actual facts have no impact on the anti-war crowd.

That was then, this is now. It has been known for months that Allawi's approval rate had been sliding, and it looks like he'll be voted out...

I don't think Allawi's electability has much to do with the popularity of the US or the feelings of Iraqis towards the notion of liberation.

This is also the first time an anti-war liberal has admitted to me that we were greeted as liberators, so the photo actually is quite significant and there are many more.

America squirrels away from Iraq two days ahead of schedule and leaves behind a puppet to run Iraq, and now that Iraqis have made their voice it's becoming evident their new govt won't be an American puppet. You seem to think people in thrid world countries are too stupid to think for themselves. Last year you complained that the backs in South Africa were too stupid to think straight, as if you wanted apartheid to come back there...

What are you talking about?  The Iraqis selected the party that they want to lead them. I doubt Allawi will be dropped right away.

Soon, when the results come out...

[The Duke]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

We elft Iraq two days ahead of schedule?  Someone better tell the 130,000 Marines and Army that.

Allawi a puppet?  Can anyone say "Najaf standoff"?  You don't seem to follow Iraqi news very closely.

I'd like you to dig up the thread where I endorsed apartheid.  I'd be happy to bring up the thread where I called DeKlerk one of the greatest African leaders ever, though.  I have said, and do believe that black voters in South Africa keep voting ANC out of bitterness towards the whites, and it has been to their own detriment.  It is a bad decision and their country is worse off than it should and could be, but I've never endorsed apartheid and I challenge you to find where I did.

[2952-0-0]

We elft Iraq two days ahead of schedule?  Someone better tell the 130,000 Marines and Army that.

I'd like you to dig up the thread where I endorsed apartheid.  I'd be happy to bring up the thread where I called DeKlerk one of the greatest African leaders ever, though.  I have said, and do believe that black voters in South Africa keep voting ANC out of bitterness towards the whites, and it has been to their own detriment.  It is a bad decision and their country is worse off than it should and could be, but I've never endorsed apartheid and I challenge you to find where I did.

Yes, remember? On June 28 when everyone said it was going to be on June 30.

The ANC has turned South Africa into a rathole.

They are the single most destructive force in any Demcoratic country in the world right now.

The only reason they win is because the blacks in South Africa are too pissed off to think straight.

Still pining for Apartheid? eh? eh?

Hardly.  But remember that it was DeKlerk, not the ANC, that dismantled apartheid.

What bothers me is that because of Nelson Mandela's incompetence, a generation of children in South Africa will grow up too illiterate to read this message.

I guess that spells it out. Yes, you never really said apartheid was good but still...you imply that blacks are too dumb to rule themselves.



And one last thing, that picture of Iraqis waving the US flag on the thread? Yes, it's always true that when there's a regime change people welcome it. Same happened in Germany with Hitler, Russia with Lenin, China with Mao, Cuba with Castro, and...

[2952-0-0]

I kinda get Bush's plan for Iraq. For whatever reason, he goes there and prepares to install someone who had been dinged by Jordan for bank fraud. Then when he is caught selling secrets to Iran, go for plan B. Put in a guy who worked in Saddam's secret police and make sure $8.8 billion in Iraqi oil profits go "missing" and...

[The Duke]

We elft Iraq two days ahead of schedule?  Someone better tell the 130,000 Marines and Army that.

I'd like you to dig up the thread where I endorsed apartheid.  I'd be happy to bring up the thread where I called DeKlerk one of the greatest African leaders ever, though.  I have said, and do believe that black voters in South Africa keep voting ANC out of bitterness towards the whites, and it has been to their own detriment.  It is a bad decision and their country is worse off than it should and could be, but I've never endorsed apartheid and I challenge you to find where I did.

Yes, remember? On June 28 when everyone said it was going to be on June 30.

The ANC has turned South Africa into a rathole.

They are the single most destructive force in any Demcoratic country in the world right now.

The only reason they win is because the blacks in South Africa are too pissed off to think straight.

Still pining for Apartheid? eh? eh?

Hardly.  But remember that it was DeKlerk, not the ANC, that dismantled apartheid.

What bothers me is that because of Nelson Mandela's incompetence, a generation of children in South Africa will grow up too illiterate to read this message.

I guess that spells it out. Yes, you never really said apartheid was good but still...you imply that blacks are too dumb to rule themselves.



And one last thing, that picture of Iraqis waving the US flag on the thread? Yes, it's always true that when there's a regime change people welcome it. Same happened in Germany with Hitler, Russia with Lenin, China with Mao, Cuba with Castro, and...

We didn't leave Iraq two days ahead of schedule, we transferred sovereignty two days ahead of schedule.  Idiot.

And I didn't endorse Apartheid, in fact I specifically said I din't endorse apartheid.  Al sarcastically implied that any opposition to the ANC was equivalent to apartheid, and I pointeed out that this was incorrect.  Idiot.

I guess you once again are La Canadienne.

[phk]

We should give the Kurds, affirmitive action.