does this mean anything?

[kimmyshea]

Iraqi violence down; war's root causes unresolved

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer 10 minutes ago


BAGHDAD - Signs are emerging that Iraq has reached a turning point. Violence is down, armed extremists are in disarray, government confidence is rising and sectarian communities are gearing up for a battle at the polls rather than slaughter in the streets.

Those positive signs are attracting little attention in the United States, where the war-weary public is focused on the American presidential contest and skeptical of talk of success after so many years of unfounded optimism by the war's supporters.
Unquestionably, the security and political situation in Iraq is fragile. U.S. commanders warn repeatedly that security gains are reversible.
Still, Iraq is by almost any measure safer today than at any time in the past three years. Fears that the country will disintegrate have receded — though they have not disappeared.
The wave of sectarian massacres that pushed the country to the brink of all-out civil war in 2006 has calmed.
Shiite-Sunni reprisal killings still occur. But gangs of Sunni and Shiite death squads no longer roam the streets at night with impunity, seeking out victims from the rival religious community.
Last month, at least 532 Iraqi civilians and security troopers were killed, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press from Iraqi police and military reports.
Although the number remains high, May's total was down sharply from April's figure of 1,080 and was the lowest monthly figure this year, according to the AP count. By comparison, the AP count showed at least 1,920 Iraqis died in January 2007.
American deaths last month — 19 including four non-combat fatalities — were the lowest monthly tally of the war. In May 2007, 126 American service members died.
Many Sunni insurgents have stopped fighting and turned against al-Qaida in Iraq, which U.S. commanders say still remains a threat.
But those Sunni groups — loosely organized and still armed — could resume the fight if the Shiite-dominated national leadership fails to deliver on promises of economic help and a share of power. Critics believe U.S. support for such groups, known collectively as "awakening councils," could set the stage for future conflict.
In the meantime, Sunnis who once shunned politics are gearing up to contest provincial elections this fall.
Shiite militiamen are reeling after military setbacks in Basra and Baghdad's Sadr City districts this spring. But it's unclear whether militia chief Muqtada al-Sadr has given up violence entirely as his Shiite rivals seek to undermine his support among the majority Shiite community.
Despite the signs of progress, recent opinion surveys show that more than 60 percent of the American public opposes the war and believes it will end badly. Democrats lashed out at presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain for saying it was "not too important" when American troops leave Iraq.
Some analysts also question whether the limited political accommodation among Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds can be sustained if America withdraws its forces quickly. Iran's interest in using Shiite extremists to stir up trouble is another question mark.
With so many uncertainties, many Iraqis themselves fear the relative calm won't last — even though monthly death tolls have been declining since the middle of last year.
"This relative calm is the calm before the storm," said Mohammed al-Sheikhli, director of the Transitional Justice Research Center in Baghdad. "The worst violence is not over because the calm may collapse any moment."

That may prove true. Most of the root causes of the war — notably the power struggle between Sunnis and Shiites_ remain unresolved.
U.S. troops have managed to suppress the conflict in Baghdad, maintaining an uncertain calm behind massive networks of blast walls that separate rival communities.
Political progress has lagged far behind security gains, some of them made at the risk of sowing the seeds of future conflict.
Fear and mistrust lie just beneath the surface.
"My Shiite neighbors were very good. They told me to leave because the militias would kill me," said Firas Ahmed, 27, who fled Baghdad for the mostly Sunni city of Tikrit. "Despite the improvement in security in Baghdad, I cannot go back because I'm afraid the situation might deteriorate suddenly."
Reasons behind the decline in violence include the U.S. "surge" troop buildup of 2007, the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq and a cease-fire called by al-Sadr last August.
When President Bush ordered the "surge," U.S. officials said the goal was to bring down the violence so that Iraqi Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish politicians could forge power-sharing agreements necessary for long-term stability.
The lack of substantial power-sharing agreements has often been cited as a failure of the surge strategy.
In recent weeks, however, the factious, Shiite-led Iraqi government has won a measure of public support by standing up to Shiite and Sunni gunmen — even if a list of other goals such as constitutional amendments and a new oil law remain unfulfilled.
A new sense of confidence has emerged after recent Iraqi-run military operations against Sunni extremists, including al-Qaida, in the northern city of Mosul and against Shiite militiamen in Basra and Baghdad.
At first, the Basra operation stumbled badly, with al-Sadr's militiamen fighting government troops to a standstill as their Shiite allies in Baghdad launched attacks against the U.S.-protected Green Zone. American and Iraqi troops rushed to Basra from as far as western Iraq after local army and police units failed to perform.
But a combination of military force and political pressure on al-Sadr produced a cease-fire, enabling Iraqi security forces to expand control of part of Baghdad and Basra that had been under militia domination for years.
Brimming with confidence, Iraqi forces are turning their attention to southern Maysan province, long believed a hub of a smuggling network bringing weapons from Iran to Shiite extremists in Iraq.
The newfound prestige could be short-lived, however, if the government does not move quickly to undermine support for the militants by improving public services and creating jobs — especially in areas recently freed from extremist control.
Many Iraqis are grumbling that they have yet to see the effects of the windfall in profits — estimated as high as $70 billion this year — that the country is expected to reap due to high world oil prices. Corruption and bureaucratic chaos are widely blamed for the problem. "Services are very bad and they do not match the government's huge oil revenues," said Kadhim Shnati, 54, a retired accountant in the southern city of Nasiriyah. "Services are not only bad but getting worse. Increases in salaries are overtaken by rising prices."

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Intresting?

Iraqi violence down; war's root causes unresolved

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer 10 minutes ago


BAGHDAD - Signs are emerging that Iraq has reached a turning point. Violence is down, armed extremists are in disarray, government confidence is rising and sectarian communities are gearing up for a battle at the polls rather than slaughter in the streets.

Those positive signs are attracting little attention in the United States, where the war-weary public is focused on the American presidential contest and skeptical of talk of success after so many years of unfounded optimism by the war's supporters.
Unquestionably, the security and political situation in Iraq is fragile. U.S. commanders warn repeatedly that security gains are reversible.
Still, Iraq is by almost any measure safer today than at any time in the past three years. Fears that the country will disintegrate have receded — though they have not disappeared.
The wave of sectarian massacres that pushed the country to the brink of all-out civil war in 2006 has calmed.
Shiite-Sunni reprisal killings still occur. But gangs of Sunni and Shiite death squads no longer roam the streets at night with impunity, seeking out victims from the rival religious community.
Last month, at least 532 Iraqi civilians and security troopers were killed, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press from Iraqi police and military reports.
Although the number remains high, May's total was down sharply from April's figure of 1,080 and was the lowest monthly figure this year, according to the AP count. By comparison, the AP count showed at least 1,920 Iraqis died in January 2007.
American deaths last month — 19 including four non-combat fatalities — were the lowest monthly tally of the war. In May 2007, 126 American service members died.
Many Sunni insurgents have stopped fighting and turned against al-Qaida in Iraq, which U.S. commanders say still remains a threat.
But those Sunni groups — loosely organized and still armed — could resume the fight if the Shiite-dominated national leadership fails to deliver on promises of economic help and a share of power. Critics believe U.S. support for such groups, known collectively as "awakening councils," could set the stage for future conflict.
In the meantime, Sunnis who once shunned politics are gearing up to contest provincial elections this fall.
Shiite militiamen are reeling after military setbacks in Basra and Baghdad's Sadr City districts this spring. But it's unclear whether militia chief Muqtada al-Sadr has given up violence entirely as his Shiite rivals seek to undermine his support among the majority Shiite community.
Despite the signs of progress, recent opinion surveys show that more than 60 percent of the American public opposes the war and believes it will end badly. Democrats lashed out at presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain for saying it was "not too important" when American troops leave Iraq.
Some analysts also question whether the limited political accommodation among Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds can be sustained if America withdraws its forces quickly. Iran's interest in using Shiite extremists to stir up trouble is another question mark.
With so many uncertainties, many Iraqis themselves fear the relative calm won't last — even though monthly death tolls have been declining since the middle of last year.
"This relative calm is the calm before the storm," said Mohammed al-Sheikhli, director of the Transitional Justice Research Center in Baghdad. "The worst violence is not over because the calm may collapse any moment."

That may prove true. Most of the root causes of the war — notably the power struggle between Sunnis and Shiites_ remain unresolved.
U.S. troops have managed to suppress the conflict in Baghdad, maintaining an uncertain calm behind massive networks of blast walls that separate rival communities.
Political progress has lagged far behind security gains, some of them made at the risk of sowing the seeds of future conflict.
Fear and mistrust lie just beneath the surface.
"My Shiite neighbors were very good. They told me to leave because the militias would kill me," said Firas Ahmed, 27, who fled Baghdad for the mostly Sunni city of Tikrit. "Despite the improvement in security in Baghdad, I cannot go back because I'm afraid the situation might deteriorate suddenly."
Reasons behind the decline in violence include the U.S. "surge" troop buildup of 2007, the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq and a cease-fire called by al-Sadr last August.
When President Bush ordered the "surge," U.S. officials said the goal was to bring down the violence so that Iraqi Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish politicians could forge power-sharing agreements necessary for long-term stability.
The lack of substantial power-sharing agreements has often been cited as a failure of the surge strategy.
In recent weeks, however, the factious, Shiite-led Iraqi government has won a measure of public support by standing up to Shiite and Sunni gunmen — even if a list of other goals such as constitutional amendments and a new oil law remain unfulfilled.
A new sense of confidence has emerged after recent Iraqi-run military operations against Sunni extremists, including al-Qaida, in the northern city of Mosul and against Shiite militiamen in Basra and Baghdad.
At first, the Basra operation stumbled badly, with al-Sadr's militiamen fighting government troops to a standstill as their Shiite allies in Baghdad launched attacks against the U.S.-protected Green Zone. American and Iraqi troops rushed to Basra from as far as western Iraq after local army and police units failed to perform.
But a combination of military force and political pressure on al-Sadr produced a cease-fire, enabling Iraqi security forces to expand control of part of Baghdad and Basra that had been under militia domination for years.
Brimming with confidence, Iraqi forces are turning their attention to southern Maysan province, long believed a hub of a smuggling network bringing weapons from Iran to Shiite extremists in Iraq.
The newfound prestige could be short-lived, however, if the government does not move quickly to undermine support for the militants by improving public services and creating jobs — especially in areas recently freed from extremist control.
Many Iraqis are grumbling that they have yet to see the effects of the windfall in profits — estimated as high as $70 billion this year — that the country is expected to reap due to high world oil prices. Corruption and bureaucratic chaos are widely blamed for the problem. "Services are very bad and they do not match the government's huge oil revenues," said Kadhim Shnati, 54, a retired accountant in the southern city of Nasiriyah. "Services are not only bad but getting worse. Increases in salaries are overtaken by rising prices."

[Seaview]

Violence has been dropping for sometime now. As for the Iraqi's all these things take time to filter through and for obvious signs to emerge. Drop in violence can only be a good thing.

I've notice a lot of articles lately that talk about, (in passing), employing Iraqs and training them for specific jobs etc while posting on another subject. This is very, very good/big news but gets little notice.

[gmm1653]

good afternoon to everybody. can someone can tell me somethink about iraq dinars

[arpking]

yes, they are evil.....evil i say....stay away from them.

[wherbie]

iraq needs to be divided into 3 reigons...

shite , sunni , and kurd...

and dont nobody cross the lines...

that would work

.

[remarc]

A friend found this on an election website... I thought it might be appropriate here...



In two months the Iraqi Dinar will go international???
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't make it a habit to post in the speculation section, but I found a curious comment on another forum (not a dinar forum) that I found interesting. The poster was listing all the good things that have taken place since the surge. He listed fact after fact then made the dinar comment like it was fact also. I thought I would post it to get thoughts on it. Again bear in mind this did not come from a dinar site, his post was more for congratulating Bush for the surge success, on an election forum. He is so informed about Iraqi news it does make me wonder if he is a dinar holder though.

By: Darkrepublican

Since the surge has taken place all sorts of good things have happened in Iraq .. The United Arab Emirates have forgiven 7 ½ billion dollars of Iraqi debt. This is a huge development. Not only do the seven sovereign countries of the UAE acknowledge Iraq as a country on the way of healing but forgiving this debt is like giving the country a loan. The Iraqi government is up and running more efficient than the Democrats running our Congress. On top of moving to transfer the oil wealth to its citizens in a program that rivals how the State of Alaska distributes its wealth, it has proposed to use its oil wealth to send 10,000 high school students to study abroad. This is how the tiny country of Great Britain controlled the whole world at one time. Candidates will be selected by their grades not by sect. This is huge as it points to a situation that will be ruled by progress instead of family position.
Last week the Iraqi Prime Minister proclaimed that terrorism has been defeated. The number of foreign fighters killed of captured have dwindled down from 120 per month to just 20. The Iraqi citizenry, feeling comfortable with their army, is leading their soldiers to the bad guys. The Bagdad Airport has purchased four new Boeing 747 jets to revive a cornerstone of their economy that was the jewel of the Arab world. The last of the 550 metric tons of yellowcake uranium purchased from Africa to form the crust of the nuclear program under Saddam has been transferred to the Savannah River plant for safekeeping. From there the uranium will be sold to Canada to make electricity…Three U.S. brigades have been released because of the reduced violence. 15 of the 18 Benchmarks have been met. The Iraqi government has put in an order of 1.8 billion dollars of weapons from factories in the United States . The Iraqi government has issued no bid contracts to Exxon, Chevron, BP and Shell to upgrade their oil fields with a target to raise their production from 2.5 mil bbl to 4.5 mil bbl. Because of the high price of oil the Iraqi government has put in huge orders of durable goods from American companies and has promised to help us by not only increasing the oil on the international markets, but to dispatch direct shipments to us, bringing down the price. In two months the Iraqi Dinar will go international competing with the Euro, Yen, and other currency, credit cards and personal checks are to be issued as electronic money transfers take hold. The Iraqi stock market up since last year is offering it stock to its citizens and personal investments have increased…..

remarc