[Gloriano]

NAJAF, Iraq (CNN) -- Black smoke wafted through the skies over Najaf on Thursday as the U.S. military launched a major offensive to crush the resistance led by Iraqi militants loyal to renegade Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/08/12/iraq.main/index.html


Does killing never stop

[vyper]

Tends to be a universal constant...

[MatthewPapa]

Why the crap do they have to hide in a cemetery? I would think that hiding and fighting among the graves by al sadr's malitia would destroy his support, it only seems to strengthen though. I think they should clear the cemetery with chemical weapons dropped from the air (mustard gas, tear gas etc.) enough so that that it is no longer a pleasant place to hide.

[vyper]

[q]I think they should clear the cemetery with chemical weapons dropped[/q]

!IRONY ALERT!

(whisltes to Danger danger, high voltage!)

[Ford Prefect]

They hide in a cemetary because they know an opportunity when they see one. Rules of warfare are pretend.

[ionia23]

It's about damned time.

[Janos]

Originally posted by MatthewPapa
Why the crap do they have to hide in a cemetery? I would think that hiding and fighting among the graves by al sadr's malitia would destroy his support, it only seems to strengthen though. I think they should clear the cemetery with chemical weapons dropped from the air (mustard gas, tear gas etc.) enough so that that it is no longer a pleasant place to hide.

Ho hum.

The outlines are not mine, but let's see:
- the blue line is roughly the Coalition siege line
- red lines are Mahdi's Army's positions
- that big house in the center is the Imam Ali Mosque - note, one of the holiest sites to Shiite muslims, which form majority in Iraq and Iran.
- outside this there are civilians, scores of them. Actually bout 2 million.

Now, all of the above + chemical weapons = bad things, you don't want to do it.

[ionia23]

So, basically three choices.  

1. Drop a couple of MOAB's in there (we know the consequences of that)
2. VX the whole site (again, same as above, not to mention blatantly sadistic)
3. Wait it out and get a whole bunch of huge speakers to blast Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" at full volume 24 hours a day into the complex.

I'm sticking with 3.

[Bobboau]

they only have so much food, I don't see why we couldn't just not alow anyone in, and only let people out into our custody. we have them sealed in there.

[Janos]

Originally posted by ionia23
So, basically three choices.  

1. Drop a couple of MOAB's in there (we know the consequences of that)
2. VX the whole site (again, same as above, not to mention blatantly sadistic)
3. Wait it out and get a whole bunch of huge speakers to blast Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" at full volume 24 hours a day into the complex.

I'm sticking with 3.

This should sent them out pretty fast.

[Flipside]

Hmmmmmmmmmm... Not sure 'Satan sings Pop' would be the best choice

[vyper]

Yeah, using chemical weapons against the very people you invaded against because they supposedly had some... yeah i can see that makes sense and will really turn the people of Iraq over to your side.

[ionia23]

Originally posted by vyper
Yeah, using chemical weapons against the very people you invaded against because they supposedly had some... yeah i can see that makes sense and will really turn the people of Iraq over to your side.

sar·casm    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (särkzm)
n.
A cutting, often ironic remark intended to wound.
A form of wit that is marked by the use of sarcastic language and is intended to make its victim the butt of contempt or ridicule.
The use of sarcasm. See Synonyms at wit1.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Late Latin sarcasmus, from Greek sarkasmos, from sarkazein, to bite the lips in rage, from sarx, sark-, flesh.]

[ionia23]

Originally posted by Janos


This should sent them out pretty fast.

oh holy HELL!!!!

[vyper]

I was actually trying to see if anyone else was bothered by MatthewPapa's statement earlier in the thread.

[ionia23]

Originally posted by vyper
I was actually trying to see if anyone else was bothered by MatthewPapa's statement earlier in the thread.

If the statement was serious, I ignore it.  Common sense knows it wouldn't work.  Gassing 400 insurgents would generate about a billion more.  Even a total warmonger like myself knows that.

Keeping them under seige indefinately, that just might.

[Rictor]

Well, here's an idea: leave Najaf the hell alone. We all know what happened in Fallujah, right?

Sure, its possible to retake the city, but there's gonna be

a) a hell of a lot of dead civilians
b) a hell of a lot of dead insurgents
c) a hell of a lot of property damage, religious and otherwise
d) as a consequence of a, b and c, a hell of a lot of angry Iraqis (and Muslims in general)

Isn't it obvious by now that the country can not be won by force. And that whole hearts and minds deal is about as likely as Elvis comeing back from the dead for another album. And Iraqis are very quickly wising up to the fact that Allawi might not really have their best intentions at heart (his office was recently torched).

Every dead Iraqi bring the US closer to defeat, not victory.

[Ford Prefect]

If they would just let us install one Starbucks, maybe they could see that democracy can work.

[vyper]

Situation now: http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=NRS0DQYDRPVFOCRBAE0CFEY?type=topNews&storyID=564139§ion=news

You need real firepower now Ford, Cola factories are the key.

[Rictor]

you know, if they so much as lay a hand on Sadr, much less kill him, there's gonna be a ****storm that will make Fallujah look like cakewalk.  The same goes for the Imam Ali mosque. There's no way to get them out, other than to force them out by cutting off supplies, and even then, if they die of starvation, it will be no less dramatic for Iraqis.

the US has already lost.