Iraq claims they arrested chem war terrorists
Iraq claims that they captured a team of terrorists who were trying to build chemical weapons there to use against US, European and regional targets. From Reuters;
During the height of the Iraq war, al Qaeda in Iraq used chlorine gas in its explosives to poison areas where their bombs detonated and Saddam Hussein used chemical gas to attack Iraqi Kurdish villages in the north.
Five men were caught before they could manufacture any gas or chemical weapons in makeshift factories in Baghdad and another province, Mohammed Al-Askari, a defense ministry spokesman told reporters.
“They got some programs from al-Qaeda outside Iraq, they were working … to produce mustard gas … and other gas,” he said. “There are some confessions about organized cells to smuggle them outside Iraq through a neighboring country in order to target Europe, America and different capitals.”
See, I was told that violence would stop in Iraq once the US withdrew. Did someone lie to us about that? Andy, who sent us the link says that you need to dust off your old Common Task Training manuals and go over the NBC training portion.
Category: Terror War
883 Iraqis killed in islamist violence in May 2013, more than 700 killed in April 2013.
Each of these two months is worse than any since May of 2008, when then Senator’s Obama, Clinton, and Biden were telling us the war was lost and that we would have to tuck our tails and come home in defeat.
Iraqi civilians killed
2009: 3000
2010: 2500
2011: 1578
April and May 2013 (combined): >1600
(Average year under Saddam: 12,000, by the Saddam regime)
Wasn’t it semi-peaceful when we left Iraq? Or was that just something that the media said?
Yes PH, it was, but the Victory was not permanent. Just as in Kosovo, Bosnia, Germany, Japan, the stability of Iraq, hard won in blood, sweat, and tears, needed time to take hold. Unlike those others, the politicians retreated before the stability could take hold.
While the enemy had been decimated in Iraq by 2008, it had not been eradicated, and the organs of govt had not been solidified.
A benefit of a long term commitment in Iraq would not only have been a stable democratic ally, but also tours of duty in a country rich in historical landmarks, and a VERY strategic location.
Detrimental results to the naïve ideological politics is that Iraq has fallen into the sphere of Islamism, and is now a battleground of Shi’a vs. Sunni Islamism, similar to, but on a smaller scale than Syria. Of particular persecution are Iraqi Christians, similar to the Copts of Egypt. Iraq is now becoming a perfect training ground for terrorists.
This Administration could not have made a bigger mess of the Middle East, had they picked up the proverbial s*** pot and thrown its contents into the commercial grade fan.
Ex, the Euphoria of us leaving stopped quickly. There might’ve been a lull, but it got worse.
Problem is, instead of moving on, people still remember the old scars there and are killing for revenge. Shia and Sunni are still fighting each other over disagreement, etc etc.
Lastly, far too many people refuse to change and want “their” way to be the only way. They will continue to die from killing each other for their beliefs, rather than accept, live together and move on.
We haven’t left Iraq, and are in fact increasing our presence there.
I’m up for a mob soon and I’d rather go there then Africa or Afghanistan.
shh, You’re not supposed to mention that Squirrel. All those Troops in Baghdad, left in 2010, even those that were killed by the enemy since then. Remember, the Administration just reminded us of that on Memorial Day.
The press has carried the story about the 20,000 troop buildup in response to Syria, it’s not a secret. I just don’t think many people care anymore. Americans are “warred out” and have become completely disconnected with the war and the military.
We’ve had two BCTs sitting in Kuwait since we left Iraq just in case. The Iraqis signed a treaty with us back in 2007 that defined when we would leave. While sticking around would have been useful to us, it’s their country and their problem. Public and political opinions were split in Iraq on how long to keep us around, but in the end they made their decision. Obama left open the chance of renegotiating and leaving troops there, but the Iraqis would have required us to be subject to their court system and that was a deal break for us.
I know it’s no secret, Squirrel, and that few realize it’s happening. I’m just sayin’ the Admin wants to keep it that way.
TMB: Exactly. And the only reason that 2007 agreement passed the popular referendum Maliki promised it would be subject to is because he NEVER SUBMITTED IT to a popular referendum. There was no way were getting an extension to stay, as much as I wished we would have.