(8 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
From McClatchy (via HuffPo):
BAGHDAD _ The U.S. military has warned Iraq that it will shut down military operations and other vital services throughout the country on Jan. 1 if the Iraqi government doesn’t agree to a new agreement on the status of U.S. forces or a renewed United Nations mandate for the American mission in Iraq.
Many Iraqi politicians view the move as akin to political blackmail, a top Iraqi official told McClatchy Sunday.
In addition to halting all military actions, U.S. forces would cease activities that support Iraq’s economy, educational sector and other areas – “everything” – said Tariq al Hashimi, the country’s Sunni Muslim vice president. “I didn’t know the Americans are rendering such wide-scale services.”
“Akin” to political blackmail? I’d say it was the definition of same.
From what I’ve read we haven’t done a very good job “supporting” Iraq’s economy, educational sector or any “other areas.” We have destroyed this country and now we are threatening to destroy it further unless they agree to allow us free reign to do as we wish.
Hashimi said that Army Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, listed “tens” of areas of potential cutoffs in a three-page letter, and he said the implied threat caught Iraqi leaders by surprise.
Is this how we negotiate? The Army is negotiating, not our diplomats?
This just crazy.
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… pretending to negotiate? Why not just admit we’re a real occupying force and we’ll just shoot anyone who disagrees?
Their puppet government a long time back, and this administration and command think they can ‘Black Mail’ the whole country.
I sent this out this morning asking if this is the policy Than Why Are The Troops Still There and At Greater Numbers Still Than Prior To Escalation not to Mention The Raid Into Syria!
obscene when you think of the collapse of our finances and yet the corporate warriors and the merch’s, our troops and subsidiaries, continue to pillage and kill for what? Politically this is swept under the rug all agreeing the surge worked. This is an example of what were providing the Iraqis with.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10…
…at some point, for me. Of course the Army is negotiating! They’re the ones given the power and exercising it on a daily basis. There is probably a large contingent who want to light the equipment on fire and get on the planes tomorrow; and others who see this as indefinite and unmanagable, but who still are all about executing US goals. But occupying armies are often the ones who negotiate with puppet governments…it’s what they do :}