Could this be an indication of the 'dedication' of the insurgents?
Missteps by Iraqi Forces in Battle Raise Questions - New York TimesNah, couldn't be. After all, the insurgents are the media's heros of Iraq, brave and bold.A commander in the Scorpion Brigade said the combined American and Iraqi forces killed 470 people. He also said some of the dead Soldiers of Heaven fighters were found bound together at the ankles and suggested that the chains had probably been used to keep people from fleeing and to keep them moving as one unified group.
But maybe not...
J.
Comments (4)
And as usual, the NY Times fails to understand the military vocabulary. The article says that US ground troops were "mobilized" to assist Iraqi troops but fails to mention whether they actually did- a key point considering the article criticises the US military for not "admitting" how much help the Iraqis actually needed. But the article doesn't tell us, either. "mobilized" in this context means nothing.
Ben
Posted by Ben | February 5, 2007 12:45 PM
Posted on February 5, 2007 12:45
It's also worth noting that the Soldiers of Heaven were a strange cult of their own, not entirely related to the rest of the Sunni insurgency. In the chaos of Iraq, what would in America become another Branch Davidian sort of thing can instead become a force that almost kills Sistani. Crazy.
Posted by Jason | February 5, 2007 1:10 PM
Posted on February 5, 2007 13:10
Hi, Jason! Long time no see! How's it been going for you?
Re the Soldiers of Heaven... frankly, I'm starting to think that a lot of Islam inside Iraq's damn near made up of little cults and cults of personality like the followers of Mookie al Sadr and these dead-enders. If they can't manage to coexist with the rest of the country, I don't much care whether they're related to the rest of the insurgency or not, they've got to be dealt with. And if they're of a mind to fight to the death rather than deal with the rest of the world on terms not of their own making, I'm not inclined to regret their demise.
By the way, 'not entirely related' is pretty much equivalent in my book to 'not entirely unrelated' - so they had contact with the Sunni insurgents and possibly encouragement, and apparently had a charge account at the local Iranian "We Be Weapons'n'Shit" outlet - enough for them to have sufficient weaponry to arm 500+ fighters and practice with their weapons... apparently unnoticed, or not 'officially' noticed until they became a clear threat to the neighbors.
I'd have a pretty difficult time justifying the 'Branch Davidian' equivalency, myself - simply because the Branch Davidians didn't plan on taking over Waco. These guys planned on taking over Najaf and committing wholesale slaughter - where the Branch Davidians wanted to be left alone.
Srange neighborhood they've got there...
J.
Posted by JLawson | February 5, 2007 8:54 PM
Posted on February 5, 2007 20:54
Ben -
The NYTimes has a peculiar disdain for the US military. I'd be surprised if there were many veterans represented in their upper echelon at all...
J.
Posted by JLawson | February 5, 2007 8:55 PM
Posted on February 5, 2007 20:55