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Little Iraqi political progress

Scott Ritter, a former Marine intelligence officer, served as a chief weapons inspector for the United Nations in Iraq from 1991 to 1998, and he points out that “both Shiite and Sunni view one another as deviants from the pure form of Islam as taught by Muhammad, and as such functioning as apostates deserving death”.

That is why I wrote years ago, which is supported by the NIE report, that we must recognize each group and stop forcing a strong federal government for any hope of containment. If not we will deal with another strong man after massive blood shed or we will see a regional civil war.

Do you not think it is odd that NEOCONS think they are conservative and they always support a strong federal government like liberals?

USAToday- Adm. Michael Mullen, President Bush’s choice to replace Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday the Iraqi government has made little progress toward political reconciliation and that a “strategic reassessment” of U.S. policy in Iraq would be required if that has not changed by mid-September.

While Mullen said there had been some improvement in security following the recent buildup of U.S. troops in Iraq, “there does not appear to be much political progress.”

“Failure to achieve tangible progress toward reconciliation requires a strategic reassessment,” Mullen said in a written statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee at his confirmation hearing to become Bush’s top military adviser.

“If we aren’t making progress in that realm, the prospects for movement in a positive direction are not very good,” he said. “But waiting until then, I think, is important.”

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Posted by JohnKonop on Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 at 3:01 pm | under Uncategorized | |RSS 2.0 feed | Comments and pings closed. |

10 Responses to “Little Iraqi political progress”

  1. bb Says:
    July 31st, 2007 at 10:53 pm

    LOL — “That is why I wrote years ago” or on July 17, two weeks ago…whichever came first.

    LMAO! Scott Ritter as a source on foreign policy…John, do you think it wise to rely upon arrested pedophiles as sources for your perverted world views?

  2. captain_menace Says:
    July 31st, 2007 at 11:16 pm

    What the heck does Mullen know about Middle East operations? Another conservative turncoat looking to appease democrats in power. Sickening.

  3. hoads Says:
    July 31st, 2007 at 11:20 pm

    bb,

    Wow! I was unaware of Scott Ritter’s pedophile problem and now I realize how his “no WMD in Iraq” celebrity faded into the ozone in my research on the subject. He was heavily quoted early on in the Iraq war and then…….nothing—-never heard a word about it in the MSM OR ON THE INTERNET!!!! His “angels” were watching over him and protecting their “booty”.

  4. hoads Says:
    July 31st, 2007 at 11:23 pm

    Scott Ritter–Pedophlle
    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/826442/posts

    “More details are emerging on the arrest of former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter. The Delmar resident was arrested by Colonie police in June of 2001 on a misdemeanor charge. And Channel 6 News has learned that Ritter had been issued a warning after being caught by police once before. Colonie police will not confirm any of this, but Channel 6 News learned that Ritter was caught in a sex sting early in 2001. He was issued a warning then, but eventually arrested for the same thing three months later. Ritter, who has made national headlines for speaking out against going to war with Iraq is keeping silent on this issue. He has been unavailable for comment since details of his arrest were made public. In June of 2001, Ritter was accused of engaging in a sexual discussion, on the Internet with a person who he thought, was a 14 year old girl. It was actually an undercover investigator who agreed to meet with Ritter. When Ritter arrived at the location, expecting to meet the girl, police warned him that he had been set up. Three months later Ritter allegedly fell into the same trap, only this time he was arrested. The misdemeanor charge relating to child endangerment was eventually disposed of and sealed. Assistant District Attorney Cynthia Preiser has since lost her job over the incident. Albany County DA Paul Clyne fired Preiser on Friday because he says she never informed him that the case against Ritter even existed. Prieser would not comment and Ritter has also been unavailable for comment. The case against Ritter was eventually sealed, preventing everyone from disclosing details about the case. In fact, Ritter can deny it ever happened since sealed cases essentially mean, it never happened. CNN tells Channel 6 News, Ritter is on his way to Baghdad, but will be in New York City tomorrow to shoot an anti war message.”

    A pedophile is one monster I would never trust a word he says.

  5. caroline Says:
    August 1st, 2007 at 6:36 am

    The charges were dropped against Ritter and the DA was fired for her handling of the case. Can you guys not check out the complete story ever?

  6. JohnKonop Says:
    August 1st, 2007 at 6:38 am

    Attacking this person and not dealing with the facts will not make the problem go away! Please tell me what he said that was factually wrong?

    What he wrote is general knowledge for anyone who read anything about the conflict between Sunni and Shiite.

    Try reading about Iraq not just NEOCON talking points!

    But hey please do not let facts get in the way you feel!

    The conflict between Sunni and Shiite Muslims dates to 7th century

    The tension between the Sunni and Shiite Muslim communities in Iraq has been largely a secular fight for political dominance since the toppling of Saddam Hussein, but one with deeply religious underpinnings.
    Under Saddam, the minority Sunni Arab sect in Iraq was dominant and brutally oppressed the majority Shiite sect and rebellious Kurds in the north of the country. Now, the largely Sunni insurgency in the country is fighting to regain its political standing.
    Sunni leaders have, by and large, rejected the country’s newly drafted consitution as a document that gives them too little political power. The draft was primarily the work of Shiite Muslims and ethnic Kurds.
    Shiites make up about 60 percent of Iraq’s population, while Sunnis are a 20 percent minority. In the larger Muslim and Arab world, the vast majority of believers are Sunnis.
    The Iraqi Shiites, many of whose leaders took refuge in neighboring Iran during the Saddam era, have major backing from Tehran. There, a Shiite theocracy has run the country for a quarter century. But the possibility of Iranian influence in Iraq is an anathema to the Sunni-dominated Arab world.
    Islam has been divided into the orthodox Sunni and minority Shiite sects since shortly after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, founder of the religion, in 632.
    Sunnis accepted Abu Bakr, a respected contemporary of the prophet, to lead what was then an international political as well as spiritual empire. A small group, the “shi’at Ali,” or party of Ali, followed the much younger Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law.
    Ali would eventually head the Islamic empire. But the rivalries between his followers and supporters of others who claimed leadership in the generations after Muhammad’s death periodically exploded into violence.
    In a 7th-century battle, Sunnis killed Hussein — Ali’s son and Muhammad’s grandson — and his 72 companions on the plains of Karbala in what is now Iraq. Shiites mark Hussein’s death in emotional annual rituals. (AP)

  7. JohnKonop Says:
    August 1st, 2007 at 7:26 am

    FYI

    Sunni Bloc Quits Iraq Government; Attacks Kill 67 in Baghdad

    FOX-Iraq’s largest Sunni Arab political bloc announced its withdrawal from the government Wednesday, undermining Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s efforts to seek reconciliation among the country’s rival factions.

    Violence continued unabated, with 50 people killed and 60 wounded when a homicide attacker exploded a fuel truck near a gas station in western Baghdad. Another 17 died in a separate car bomb attack in a central region of the capital. The U.S. military announced the deaths of three American soldiers killed by a sophisticated, armor-piercing bomb.

    Rafaa al-Issawi, a leading member of the Front, said at a news conference in the capital that the bloc’s six Cabinet ministers would submit their resignations later in the day.

    Al-Issawi said the decision to pull out from the government followed what he called al-Maliki’s failure to respond to a set of demands put forward by the Accordance Front last week, when it gave the prime minister seven days to meet its demands. The ultimatum expired Wednesday.

    Among the demands: a pardon for security detainees not charged with specific crimes, the disbanding of militias and the participation of all groups represented in the government in dealing with security issues.

  8. bb Says:
    August 1st, 2007 at 8:57 am

    What next John, a dissertation on Afganistan policy by John Couey?

  9. JohnKonop Says:
    August 1st, 2007 at 9:57 am

    Bart

    Why do you disagree with Adm. Michael Mullen and most military experts that the politics between the Sunnis and Shiites sectarian violence issues is key to the success in Iraq?

    Why do you think a strong federal government will work in Iraq?

  10. Mad Dog Says:
    August 1st, 2007 at 5:06 pm

    Bart,

    What’s next from you? Your three word dissertation on immigration and racial policy?

    Lynch them all?