THE US, THE UN AND IRAQ, TENTH THREAD.

Oh, so you're going to completely ignore the fact that both you and Rush had it backwards about 'not taking the medicine to emphasize shaking?'

It may be odd to you, but one can hold an opinion without it being a political stance. I think that harming the environment through pollution is wrong. That's not a political stance. McCain thinks torture is wrong. That's not a political stance. It's a moral one.

Your ad hominem attacks are useless in light of your incredible ignorance. And I can find my nise just fine by myself, thanks.

Cycloptichorn

BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraqi special forces backed by U.S. advisers launched a raid into the capital's Sadr Shiite slum Wednesday trying to capture a top militia commander wanted for running a Shiite death squad. The prime minister disavowed the raid, saying he was not consulted before the attack in which at least four people were killed and 18 wounded.

The Americans said in an announcement that they were looking for a "top illegal armed group commander directing widespread death-squad activity throughout eastern Baghdad."

The military said that Mahdi Army militiamen fought back and the Americans called in an air strike and cordoned the sprawling east Baghdad region.

An angry Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki disavowed the raid, which the U.S. military said had been cleared with his government, and demanded an explanation.

"We will ask for clarification to what has happened. . . . We will review this issue with the Multinational Forces so that it will not be repeated," a frustrated al-Maliki said at a news conference.

Several hours later U.S. President George W. Bush acknowledged that al-Maliki may not have been consulted before the attack on Sadr City.

"We need co-ordinate with him. That makes sense to me. And there's a lot of operations taking place which means sometimes communications are not as good as they should be. And we'll continue to work very closely with the government to make sure communications are solid," Bush said at his own news conference.

Military action against militant militiamen in Sadr City is especially sensitive for al-Maliki, who draws considerable political support from Muqtada al-Sadr whose political organization runs the militia.

The U.S. military has not responded to e-mail requests for further information about the operation and whether the sought after militia figure had been captured or killed.

Well after nightfall, residents said all roads into the region remained blocked by U.S. and Iraqi forces. All cars were being searched by the U.S. soldiers.

A frustrated motorist waiting at one checkpoint jumped out of his car and called for al-Maliki to resign.

"Where is al-Maliki? It would be more honourable for him to resign. Why is he letting the Americans do this to us," the driver could be heard to scream.

Throughout the day and into the night, U.S. F-16 jet fighters growled across the Baghdad sky and at one point the report of tank cannon fire echoed across the city five times in quick succession.

The U.S. military said violence broke out when "Iraqi Army forces came under fire and had to defend themselves. They requested support from coalition aircraft which used precision gunfire only to eliminate the enemy threat," the military statement said.

Since then there has been no update from the U.S. forces, and cellphone service across Baghdad was inexplicably out of service most of Wednesday making contact with Sadr City, in the extreme northeast of Baghdad, impossible.

I cannot see victory occurring for humanity until and unless we abandon the notion that we are morally obligated to minimize casualties among those non-combatants in the vicinity of deliberate killers of non-combatants

Quote:

I cannot see victory occurring for humanity until and unless we abandon the notion that we are morally obligated to minimize casualties among those non-combatants in the vicinity of deliberate killers of non-combatants

Abandoning our morality is a loss for humanity, no matter what else happens.
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Cycloptichorn