Back Towards The Locus

In a very petulant interview with Time Magazine, McCain has declared that Iraq is “a peaceful, stable country now”. This raises two interesting questions: a) why do you want troops to stay there, then? and b) which walls have you been banging your head against?

As I’ve said, only a matter of months ago I held an opinion that was only slightly nuanced, but I was a silly and uninformed sod whereas McCain a) has access to all military figures and most military information and b) is running for President with his support for the surge as a major talking point.

As a very rudimentary way of gauging violence in Iraq, I’ve posted regular updates on the situation in Fallujah. In under a month, the city – which has roughly as large a population as Liverpool – was subjected to at least four major bombing attacks. Meanwhile, the US forces are still dithering over the hostilities between the Iraqi government and the Awakenings movements that they’ve given their support to.

That doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been apparent improvement, but declaring that the situation is ‘peaceful’ is reckless, presumptuous and really uninformed.

So, if McCain’s so demonstrably dreadful on matters international then who’s been giving him advice? Why, three PNAC members and Henry Kissinger. Donvoteferim.

A tip of the hat to Dan, commenting at Liberal Conspiracy

The Washington Post reports on a possible framework for troop withdrawl in Iraq:

“Most combat troops in Anbar have been withdrawn to the U.S. base outside Fallujah, where they are available to assist Iraqi forces if needed.”

Meanwhile, Brian Morton writes in the Guardian:

“Odds are that at some point he’s been to Falluja, four years ago the scene of the some of the bloodiest fighting in the theatre, these days a relatively stable zone”

Fallujah has a population of around 435,700, which makes it roughly the size of Liverpool. Now, I hate to be the gnarled, grisly old cynic but is there any circumstances in which a city of that size can undergo four major bombings in under a month and still be fairly described as ‘relatively stable’?

Previous posts on developments in Fallujah can be found here, here, here and here.

Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail are reporting that, on the 21st of July, bombs exploded on the roofs of Policemen:

“On Monday morning, Jul. 21, we were startled by an explosion in the house of Colonel Issa al-Issawi, who is known as the leader of the campaign against militants in Fallujah and surroundings house,” Mahmood Hakky, an English language teacher who lives near the colonel told IPS. “To our surprise, the explosion took place on the roof where at least four guards were posted.”

Hakky said many Fallujah police force leaders arrived to check whether Col. Issawi was safe. In the ensuing chaos he saw two policemen grappling with one another.

“One of them was warning his colleagues that the other was a suicide attacker, and asking them to take cover. Then another policeman fired towards both of them,” Hakky told IPS. “All of us ran away, and then the second bomb went off. Many policemen were killed and injured in the two blasts. These have again ended our dreams of security.”

Fallujah residents say they are shocked that one of the bombs was planted on the rooftop of the best-guarded house in the city, and the other was on the body of a policeman who was supposed to guard against bombings.”

Col. Issawi, who apparently remains alive, is alleged to be an unscrupulous character, and residents apparently fear reprisals.

“Col. Issawi has been a police officer for over 20 years, meaning he is one of Saddam Hussein’s officers who agreed to continue although the country was occupied by the Americans,” retired police captain Salim Aziz told IPS. “People of Fallujah know that he helped al-Qaeda, worked with the Islamic Party, and now is the right arm of the American occupation.”"

Another bomb is reported to have exploded outside the gate of Captain Assif Ghazi Youssif, a police intelligence officer.

Previous posts on developments in Fallujah can be found here, here and here.

Zeki al-Mohammedi, a member of the Anbar provincial council and head of the Fallujah branch of the Iraqi Islamic Party, has been wounded by a car bomb. Two of his bodyguards were killed, while his son was also wounded.

Some are claiming that the bomb was strapped onto a car, while others are alleging that the actual blast ocurred in his garage. It has also been reported that, following the bombing, gunmen fired upon house.

Previous posts on developments in Fallujah can be found here and here.

Iraqi and US forces have denied claims that they’re planning another offensive against Fallujah. General Usef Tariq has stated, in an interview with Azzaman, that:

“What is happening right now is an operation to pursue armed groups. Operations like these may take place any time.”

The Middle Eastern Times claims that US forces credit the Awakenings Council for their apparent initiative against al-Qaida, insinuating their culpability in last weeks attacks against the Council. Meanwhile, CNN reports that three policemen have been killed in the city, after a series of roadside bombs.

Update: While perusing Azzaman, I found that U.S. troops have killed the seventeen year-old son of the Governor of the Salahuddin Province. US Military claim that an al-Qaida financier was found in the same house as the boy, but Deputy Governor Abdullah Jabara has nonetheless demanded an investigation.

IPS is alleging that US and Iraqi forces are preparing another assault against Fallujah. According to the reporters – Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail:

“Iraqi security forces have established new checkpoints around the city and are forbidding movement of people and traffic. Pick-up trucks are roaming the city warning residents that al-Qaeda has once again infiltrated Fallujah”.

IPS also quote Sufian Ahmed, a lawyer and human rights activist in Fallujah:

“Ruling powers in the city fighting to gain full control seem willing to use the security collapse to accuse each other of either conspiracy (in lawlessness) or incapability of control.”

“They suddenly changed their tone from saying that the city was the safest in Iraq to claiming that al-Qaeda is a serious threat. Fallujah residents know their so-called leaders are using security threats to terrify them for their own political interests.”

Last week, a brief curfew was imposed on the city after a bomb killed up to 25 people at a tribal gathering. This prompted the Police Chief, Abdul Kureem, to state that that he and his forces “aimed at limiting the movements of the armed groups on the outskirts of Fallujah who plan to give support to other armed groups inside“. Those killed, it is alleged, were members of the Awakenings Council, suggesting sectarian fighting or even a struggle for power.

All of these claims are entirely at odds with the reportage of Military Corps News, which, only four days ago, celebrated the establishment of a new KFC in the city, and quoted a soldier as saying:

“I remember when I was here last in July 2004 and things were much different than they are now,” said Sgt. Steve J. Arnoux, a 25-year-old vehicle commander from Browning, Mont. “When we would go out on convoys in the city, the attitude was a lot different. It seemed like we were just waiting to get ambushed. Now we stop at KFC.”