NEWS: 40,000 Iraqis To Form Shield In Baghdad, page 1

posted on May, 26 2005 @ 10:28 PM

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Iraq announced plans Thursday to deploy 40,000 police and soldiers in the capital and ring the city with hundreds of checkpoints "like a bracelet" in the largest show of Iraqi force since the fall of Saddam Hussein. The government said Baghdad would be divided into two sectors, Karkh on the west bank of the Tigris river that separates the city, and Risafa on the east. Karkh would be divided into 15 sub-districts and Risafa into seven sub-districts. Police and emergency personnel would operate in Baghdad 24 hours a day.

news.yahoo.com
In a reminder of the difficulty Iraqi security forces face in stopping insurgent attacks, violence claimed at least 15 lives Thursday in Baghdad including a car bomb that exploded near a police patrol, killing five people and wounding 17.

Two American soldiers were killed Thursday night when their helicopter was shot down near Baghdad, while another was hit but landed safely, said Capt. Patricia Brewer, a military spokeswoman in Baghdad. The two pilots, who were supporting ground troops, were the only ones aboard when it was hit by small arms fire and crashed, she said.

Two military pilots were the only ones aboard the other helicopter, an OH-58 Kiowa. There was no word of any injuries on that aircraft.

In Baghdad, Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari told a small group of Western reporters that next week's planned crackdown, dubbed Operation Lightning, was designed "to restore the initiative to the government." Insurgents have killed more than 620 people since his government was announced on April 28.

"We will establish, with God's help, an impenetrable blockade surrounding Baghdad like a bracelet surrounds a wrist," Defense Minister Saadoun al-Duleimi said.

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40,000 police and soldiers? I honestly think they found Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. What do you guys think could this be him? I sure hope so. What do you guys think?

[edit on 26-5-2005 by digitalassassin]

XphilesPhan

posted on May, 26 2005 @ 10:31 PM

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Hope so too, they are likly going to find hime because i think he's mortally wounded.

Muaddib

posted on May, 26 2005 @ 10:31 PM

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If you make the introduction a bit longer i would vote yes for this.
It needs to be a bit longer.

[edit on 26-5-2005 by Muaddib]

digitalassassin

posted on May, 26 2005 @ 11:42 PM

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OK I made it longer. But back to the topic. 40,000 is a lot of soliders what could they need that many for? I think they are closing in on something big.

namehere

posted on May, 27 2005 @ 12:28 AM

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40,000 isnt much considering their capabilities and effectiveness...i dont see it as much except trying to show they arent weak.

drogo

posted on May, 27 2005 @ 12:31 AM

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so are they handing out 40,000 white jackets with nice big targets painted on them as well? seriously i can see them being attacked prety easily and there could not be any calling of killing "innocent civilians" as they would ACTIVELY BE HELPING THE OCUPIYING FORCES. this will be a nice oppertunity for a wee bit of target shooting by the freedom fighters. nice job in setting up those 40,000

Nygdan

posted on May, 27 2005 @ 12:45 AM

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Why assume that they have al-zarqawi in baghdad? I think that they'd annouce it if they did, not hold him and beef up security in that way.

Baghdad is the capitol. It needs law and order to operate. These guys who are going to risk their likes, and certainly many will be killed, are patriots for iraq. How can anyone say that they are simply targets and be happy about them being killed? They aren't even going after the criminal insurgents, they are simply trying to prevent more attacks in the city.

40,000 would be great, assuming that there aren't many false flag insurgents in there, which there shoudl be some. This might form the core of the real army, the defenders of baghdad, who extend beyond baghdad to kill the rest of the insurgents.

drogo

posted on May, 27 2005 @ 12:52 AM

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you obviously missed the sarcasim (sigh). you do have a point however those 40,000 woulld be patriots for iraq just like the freedom fighters would be patriots for iraq. but how can both be patriots? easy they are both suposidly fighting for their beliefs. i do have a question though. these people fighting for the new regime and the occupiers, are they patriots or are they merily oppertunists? if there were so many against the old us backed regime then how come they didn't oust sadam themselves? or are they simply jusst trying to gain possitions and safety by sideing with the powerfull ocupiying force? i have to wonder about how many of these same people worked for sadam previousely?

Majic

posted on May, 27 2005 @ 01:17 AM

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Opportunity Knocked

Originally posted by XXX
i do have a question though. these people fighting for the new regime and the occupiers, are they patriots or are they merily oppertunists?

A matter of perspective, I suppose.

As for who represents the people of Iraq, they voted. In large numbers, in fact, risking their lives to do so. If they didn't care, they would not have gone to such extraordinary lengths to vote.

Some people respect that, and some people don't.

Those who do not respect the will of the Iraqi people are not patriots or their friends, they are just violent criminals who need to be dealt with, which is what this is all about.

Toelint

posted on May, 27 2005 @ 01:53 PM

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The interesting thing about Al-Zarqawi is the refusal of some to see him for what he really is. I used to joke in the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, that Iraq should become Unincorporated Jordan.

Well, isn't Al-Zarqawi Jordanian? Also, I believe the Jordanian and Iraqi Royal families (Huessan-Feisal) are related by blood.

Now that I think about it, the notion of the Iraqi Royal Family moving back to Bagdad is a pretty good one. (Although not in any kind of policy-making role.) Afterall, the Arabs are very much like the Brits, in that they have this love-hate relationship with Royalty.

[edit on 27-5-2005 by Toelint]

periwinkle blue

posted on May, 27 2005 @ 02:03 PM

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IT'S ABOUT TIME

There is no better group to deal with the forces that want to rend Iraq apart , than those indegenous to the area who want to seize the opportunity presented to them by the ouster of Saddam to establish Iraq as a member of just civilized nation-states.

It has long been the goal of the US to have such a group acting on behalf of a renewed Iraq.

Bravo to them.

Nygdan

posted on May, 27 2005 @ 04:05 PM

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Originally posted by drogo
these people fighting for the new regime and the occupiers, are they patriots or are they merily oppertunists?

Obviously they can be both. Why ask if they are oppurtunists but not if the insurgents are??? Clearly, a terror thug has much to gain if his side wins, whereas a soldier for the state has much less, in terms of personal power.

Besides, what are the insurgents fighting for? Parlimentary governance?? Democratic assembly and an open society? Certainly not. Clearly not. They are trying to grab power, quite obviously. Meanwhile, the real iraqis, the muslims, pagans, jews, and christians, are trying to work together to make an actual viable state, and a democratic one at that. Its patently obvious that the iraqi history books, and iraqi public, of hte future, will look upon the insurgents as the terrorists, criminals, and thugs that they are.