Comments on Informed Comment: Maliki Warns US on Iran; Will not allow Iraqi air...

Al-Maliki is sending a signal to Tehran:If the isr...

2008-07-06T17:30:00.000-04:00

Al-Maliki is sending a signal to Tehran:

If the israelis and or Americans ignore his prohibition of using Iraqi airspace to attack Iran but they fly through anyway that will illustrate al-Maliki is only a figurehead. He's not really in political control of Iraq. The Americans are.

That lets al-Maliki off the hook with Tehran (and the United States) since israeli/U.S. flights through Iraqi airspace will be viewed as israeli/U.S. disrespect and dismissal of Al-Maliki's authority. If he immediately ceases cooperation with the Americans after such an attack the Americans won't be able to complain much and it will be difficult for them to continue portraying al-Maliki as the man in charge of Iraq.

In the unlikely case of an israeli or American attack on Iran Al-Maliki is hoping that the Iranians understand he went out on a limb but the Americans and israelis ignored him. He's trying to limit the hypothetical Iranian response to strictly israeli and American assets in the event of an attack on Iran. He's telling Tehran ahead of time "I'll do what I can publicly but privately it's out of my hands. I'm virtually powerless against either of them militarily."

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"(The figure of Iraqi dead issued by the US per mo...

2008-07-06T13:27:00.000-04:00

"(The figure of Iraqi dead issued by the US per month excludes killed insurgents and also excludes civilians whose cause of death cannot surely be laid at the feet of political violence). "

This is incorrect. All IA, IP, and civilian deaths from all causes are listed (including decayed bodies that might have died years ago but where discovered during the month.)

In fact, the deaths are broken down by category (IP, IA, government employees, terrorist related etc.)

The only deaths not included in the headline number is the number of enemy combatants killed (although this data is also tabulated.) But not many of them have died in over a month.

On a different note, the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi national police are loyal to Maliki. The Iraqi army is rapidly becoming the most powerful army in Arab history, although it is not there yet. There is no way that the US government is willing to fight the Iraqi army.

Please ask any questions you have regarding the ISF here:
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/07/iraqi_security_force_17.php
I would notice that Mosul suffered 13 violent incidents in the last week, the lowest since 2004. The IA has won an important victory there. Overall, there are now 150 to 200 violent incidents a week inside Iraq down from 1200 to 1800 in late 2006.

Much of Maliki’s renewed confidence comes from the IA, in addition to $70 billion in annual tax revenue.

Well it's good to hear Maliki speaking for Iraqi c...

2008-07-06T10:21:00.000-04:00

Well it's good to hear Maliki speaking for Iraqi consumption I guess. But in point of fact George XLIII will do whatever he wants to in Iraq.

This is like Abbas telling the Israelis that they cannot attack Jordan from the occupied West Bank.

Abbas knows and Maliki knows that not only can Israel and the US do whatever they want to in "their" countries but that their individual lives and the lives of their families are forfeit whenever they are deemed to be of no further use to the occupiers.

So, perhaps Maliki knows that the attack on Iran will come from offshore.

He might as well "order" something his puppeteers are not going to do in any case not to take place, and then take credit for stopping the rain.

Al-Maliki-GW Bush tough talk: silly puppets show.

2008-07-06T06:54:00.000-04:00

Al-Maliki-GW Bush tough talk: silly puppets show.

So how would Maliki prevent the US from using Iraq...

2008-07-06T04:02:00.000-04:00

So how would Maliki prevent the US from using Iraqi airspace for any thing they like? I know, he does a Superman and physically stops the US jets in air.

A prominent Green Zone "leader" once said in London that one American soldier and his dog are all what it takes to 'disappear' him or any of others. But they sure talk big despite that.

Maliki is Michelin balloon: big and widely visible from the outside, but only hot-air inside. He reputedly made a living for years selling worry-beads in the suks of Damascus, being a minor figure in the Da'wa party in exile. Listen to him now!