Dani Reshef
Amid an effort of IRAQI PM Nuri al Maliki to resume talks with the Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, after he ordered a national crackdown on militias just over a month ago, yet another barrage of 10 rockets hit the Green Zone in Baghdad.
The last barrage brought the number of missiles and rockets fired on the Green Zone since the beginning of the Basra Clashes, on 03/23/2008, to over 700 shells. Most of the rockets were fired from within the heavily populated Sadr City in North-East Baghdad. (See- New-Stage)
The most secure Green Zone in Baghdad is the home to the IRAQI government headquarters, the US and British embassies, and thousands of American troops.
Moqtada Sadr who declared Open-War just few days ago, on 04/19/2008, rejected the offer as the clashes in Sadr City claimed, just last week, the life of over 400.
It is the second time within a month that PM Nuri al Maliki is talking tough with the Mahdi Army. He threatened them with an ultimatum or promised a crackdown on the militias and then, after a short while, retreated from his words and looked upon a sort of political compromise, which is the best indication that, eventually, the Iraqi army failed in confronting the Mahdi Army Militia. (See - Basra test case).
Indeed General David Petraeuss successful security plan from 02/2007, which succeeded in reducing the violence in Iraq for about 70% and removed Iraq issue from the TV screens in USA in a year of election, shows clear signs of draining. It is the third month that the number of casulties and the level of violence in Iraq are on the rise again.
Just as in Vietnam, 40 years ago, a new security plan was issued every few months to cope with the situation aimed at bringing Iraq (Vietnam) under control. No matter how successful the military campaign was, and they generally were successful, the enemy evaded confrontation, shifted his activity to other areas or suspended it temporarily. A few weeks later the enemy adapted himself to the new situation, used new tactics and the situation returned to square one again. It is reasonable to assume that this will be the course of events also this time. (See Iraq - Vietnam )
Just like in Vietnam, the core of the problem is and was the neighbor country: today it is Iran - then it was North Vietnam, and, in both cases, the neighbor country has and had large support among the local population.
Iraq is a hostage of Iran in a wider conflict between USA and Iran on nuclear military power and dominating the Middle East, just as Vietnam was a hostage in the much wider conflict between West and East.
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SOURCE: Globl Jihad
