Documenting the Iraq war FIASCO

I'm back to documenting the ongoing train wreck of a war in Iraq. Tom Ricks coined the term FIASCO to describe the first few years of the U.S. war in Iraq. IMO the term still applies. There is no political progress being made in Iraq. Whenever I hear the term "national reconciliation" I shudder at the naivete/arrogance of that preposterous proposition. Juan Cole cites Tom Ricks' piece which was in The Washington Post on November 15, 2007.

Iraqi Gov't Inaction Poses Grave Risks: US Officers by Juan Cole [Informed Comment] Monday, November 19, 2007

Killing of Iraqi civilians by U.S. military & "private contractors" continues. In this case the U.S. military is accused: Shooting reignites Iraqi furor; U.S. issues apology

By Bobby Caina Calvan and Laith Hammoudi, McClatchy NewspapersSun Nov 18, 7:01 PM ET

BAGHDAD -- A U.S. military convoy opened fire on a column of cars Sunday morning, killing at least two Iraqi civilians in southern Iraq and igniting a new round of anger over the apparent loss of innocent life.

Key details were murky -- including whether the military convoy fired as it approached the cars from behind, as local police contended. The number of fatalities was also unclear.

Police charged that the shootings were unprovoked and said six people, including two Iraqi policemen, died in a barrage of bullets.

The incident occurred on a day when U.S. officials announced that attacks in Iraq were at their lowest levels in nearly two years.

The first word of the incident came from an apology jointly issued late Sunday by the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. military, but the statement referred to only two deaths and four injuries.

A U.S. military spokesman said the incident was under investigation, and declined to release details. The military would confirm only that the deaths were the result of "a shooting incident" near Samawa, the capital of Muthanna province, located 160 miles south of Baghdad .

"The shooting was heavy," said 1st Lt. Hussam Mohammed of the Samawa police department.

"They shot from behind," he said. "We do not have anything in our report for any reason that would justify the shooting."

Five cars were damaged during the shooting, which occurred around 10 a.m. Sunday , Mohammed said.

~~~cont'd~~~

I'm Tired of Being a Veteran by Nameless Soldier [Daily Kos recommended diary] Sun Nov 18, 2007 at 10:10:40 PM PST