Iraq War: is Bush team competent?

[The Duke]

Sammarra, Fallujah, and Baquba are the center of the insurgency.  Here is a map of provinces and major cities.



This puts only Anbar, Salahuddin, and Diyala in any kind of contest.  This is how I came to the 15 of 18 figure.  There is not one insurgent controlled city outside those 3 provinces.

Edit: I just realized my map didn't translate properly.  Sorry.

[CollectiveInterest]

Sammarra, Fallujah, and Baquba are the center of the insurgency.  Here is a map of provinces and major cities.

There is not one insurgent controlled city outside those 3 provinces.

You're comparing apples and oranges.

In your earlier statement you wrote,

However, organized politically motivated violence is in fact largely confined to 3 provinces.

Do insurgents need to control cities to engage in political violence?

The fact that the insurgents control any territory indicates the situation is very bad for the occupation forces. The insurgents could control no real estate and still be a problem.

[??????????]

Sammarra, Fallujah, and Baquba are the center of the insurgency.  Here is a map of provinces and major cities.

There is not one insurgent controlled city outside those 3 provinces.

You're comparing apples and oranges.

In your earlier statement you wrote,

However, organized politically motivated violence is in fact largely confined to 3 provinces.

Do insurgents need to control cities to engage in political violence?

The fact that the insurgents control any territory indicates the situation is very bad for the occupation forces. The insurgents could control no real estate and still be a problem.

We have large gangs that control major cities in the US do you consider the US to be largely out of control? Think Bloods/Crips or whatever their name is.

[The Duke]

Sammarra, Fallujah, and Baquba are the center of the insurgency.  Here is a map of provinces and major cities.

There is not one insurgent controlled city outside those 3 provinces.

You're comparing apples and oranges.

In your earlier statement you wrote,

However, organized politically motivated violence is in fact largely confined to 3 provinces.

Do insurgents need to control cities to engage in political violence?

The fact that the insurgents control any territory indicates the situation is very bad for the occupation forces. The insurgents could control no real estate and still be a problem.

Key word is organized.  An IED in southern iraq is not a sign of an organized militia controlling the area, so yes the organized violence is contained to three provinces.

When did I say the situation was good?  I didn't say that in this thread.  All I said was that the insurgency is contained to 3 provinces.  That is true.  I said the violence outside those 3 provinces was either apolitical or disorganized.

[A18]

If it were being run incompetently, 13 of 15 precincts would not be peaceful.

This is a fat load of crap.  There is no peace in any of the provinces, especially outside of Baghdad.  The US exerts little if any control outside of it's fortified bases and "green zones".  There is no peace or safety for any Iraqis or Americans in ANY of the provinces.  If you truly believe the hype the Neo-cons sell that 13 out of 15 provinces are peaceful and could hold elections, I have a bridge I want to sell you.  It's in Brooklyn.

freedomburns

Nice rant. Too bad you didn't most anything meaningful or proof.

[CollectiveInterest]

More people think Bush is incompetent than competent.

Also within the groups, the people that say he's competent feel less strongly he's less competent than the incompetent people feel he is incompetent.