modified from my diary at dkos.
I scribbled cut and pasted noticed this satirical snarky sarcastic not so fantastic oddly symmetrical familiar and timely item, and thought it worthy of attention. Any of you who have a close personal relationship with President Bush, please send it along….
Ripped distorted cadged lifted modified from the New York Times:
Sadr City – Militia planners and insurgent budget analysts have been asked to provide options for increasing insurgent and militia forces in Baghdad by 20,000 or more. The request indicates that the option of a major “surge” in insurgent and militia strength is gaining ground as part of a strategy review, senior clerics said Friday.
Discussion of increasing the number of insurgent and militia troops, at least temporarily, has coursed through Sadr City and al Anbar province for two months, as a possible way to continue the deteriorating security situation in Baghdad. But the decision to ask the insurgents and militias to specify where the additional forces could be found among the millons of poor and angry indigenous Iraqis signifies a turn in the debate.
Officials said that the options being considered included the deployment of upwards of 50,000 additional insurgents and militiamen, and that the political, training and recruiting obstacles to an increase to these larger numbers would be “no problem.” According to one insurgent leader: “…-surge-” is our middle name….”At present, only about 17,000 insurgents and miliitiamen are actively involved in Baghdad, so even the low end of the proposals being considered by clerics could more than double the size of that force. If adopted, such an increase would be a major departure from the current strategy advocated by al-Sadr and ex-Baathists, who have stressed infiltrating government security forces, then stealing their weapons and intelligence.
My conclusion: (see the headline, dufus); the surge plan is Over the Line. It is as stupid and hopeless and idea as any we have had in the last 3 years, and that, my friends and fellow countrymen, is sayin SOMETHIN !
Whoever first suggested that Iraq is starting to resemble the Little Bighorn, my hat’s off to ya.
From Juan Cole, 1/8
…. the Mahdi Army in Sadr City has begun a conscription drive to expand its ranks. Every family with a male between the ages of 15 and 45 is being forced to relinquish him to the militia.
Over the line, Smokey! 