Female suicide bombers strike in Baghdad, Kirkuk, killing 57

Tuesday 29th July, 06:40 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

Latest 15 of 58 Total Comments Show All

Betzee at 08:27 PM JST - 29th July

Kinniku,

Neither side has ever been able to accord the Iraqi people "agency." War detractors have seen them as victims of GWB's bungling. War supporters, by contrast, have viewed them as people hiding under the bed from Saddam's tyranny in need of liberation (which was followed by an open-ended occupation). Yet as Tom Friedman observed, "No one likes to be liberated or occupied by someone else. It is humiliating. France still hasn’t gotten over the fact that it had to be liberated by the Allies."

The bottom line is that “Americans are looking forward to the post-Iraq phase of U.S. politics, and Iraqis are now looking forward to the post-American phase of Iraqi politics,” said Michael Mandelbaum, a foreign policy expert at Johns Hopkins University. That is the reality of post-surge Iraq and post-subprime America, Friedman points out, and any leader in either country who ignores that reality does so at his or her peril.
ca1ic0cat at 08:56 PM JST - 29th July

"Heh, Saddam Hussein championed womens rights though."

Yeah, that's why Saddam executed accused prostitutes....

If the US pulls out now Iraq will turn into a failed country, like Somalia after we (and the UN) pulled out of there or Afganistan after the Russians pulled out. Both are / were training camps for terrorists and piracy off the Somali coast is rampant.

With the power struggle between the Kurds, Shia and Sunni continuing there is no way we can pull out. All out civil war would be the result and al Quaida would be free to set up shop with their Sunni friends. The Iranians would arm the Shia. The Kurds would get stomped by everybody, IMHO.

So yeah, we pushed humpty dumpty off the wall. Are we mature enough to put it back together again? Or are we going to let history repeat itself?
Madverts at 09:31 PM JST - 29th July

ca1ic0cat,

"Saddam saw himself as a social revolutionary and a modernizer, following the Nasser model. To the consternation of Islamic conservatives, his government gave women added freedoms and offered them high-level government and industry jobs. Saddam also created a Western-style legal system, making Iraq the only country in the Persian Gulf region not ruled according to traditional Islamic law (Sharia). Saddam abolished the Sharia law courts, except for personal injury claims."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_Hussein

Now I know Fox "news" and Bush Co don't want you to know it, Saddam was no more evil than your average tin-pot dictator acting today with impunity. The secular bit was especially in his favour, since the so-called war on terror is supposed to be combatting Islamic terrorism, rather than garnering support for it as it actually has.

Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic. Saddam is not relevant to this discussion.
sailwind at 09:58 PM JST - 29th July

Darn that Surge....

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,567268,00.html

Relative Stability Brings Opportunities for Foreign Investors By Wolfgang Reuter and Bernhard Zand

Now that the security situation in Iraq has improved somewhat, the government there is pushing ahead with plans to rebuild the war-torn country. Plenty of money -- but a lack of expertise -- is paving the way for lucrative contracts, particularly for German firms.

Good thing they waited whils't American troops died to pave the ground for their contracts.
Betzee at 10:21 PM JST - 29th July

Now that the security situation in Iraq has improved somewhat, the government there is pushing ahead with plans to rebuild the war-torn country. Plenty of money -- but a lack of expertise -- is paving the way for lucrative contracts, particularly for German firms.

What makes terrorism attractive to its practitioners is that it only takes one bomb (or one suicide bomber) to cause everyone to question whether relative improvements are reversible. Presumably Western investment will not require expatriate staff to oversee it, limiting the type and amount of investment.

I remember seeing evidence Marriot Hotels was interested in entering the Iraq market after Saddam was overthrown. Tourism is up, Iranian visitors are coming in droves, but presumably they will not be staying at American chains any time soon.
sailwind at 10:38 PM JST - 29th July

What makes terrorism attractive to its practitioners is that it only takes one bomb (or one suicide bomber) to cause everyone to question whether relative improvements are reversible.

What a load of crap.........Practitioners of terrorism do it for one reason and reason only, to force the rest of us to cede to their demands. They use civilians as bloody pawns to further their cause. They don't win elections they don't have popular support they blow innocent people up and use the most coarse form of itimidation...Fear.

57 people dead in the market...The message from the practitioners of terrorism....We Kill and the Government of Iraq can't protect you, we won't kill if you give want we want.

After all the discussions I've had with you Betzee of late it seems you want the gains reversible......... I am really starting to believe that by this and your past posts slamming the gains that the surge has accomplished to move Iraq forward lately.
Betzee at 10:53 PM JST - 29th July

Practitioners of terrorism do it for one reason and reason only, to force the rest of us to cede to their demands.

One bomb is effective in disrupting normal life, my point. It instills fear in everyone given the randomness of its victims.

I am really starting to believe that by this and your past posts slamming the gains that the surge has accomplished to move Iraq forward lately.

After all the discussions I've had with you Betzee of late it seems you want the gains reversible.

I like SezWho's response when you accused him of the same thing: It seems to me that you read into statements ideas that are not there just so that you can be a drama queen about them. Do you have any support for your opinion that I and others who judge the surge to have had limited effectiveness would like to see the gains reversed?
sailwind at 10:58 PM JST - 29th July

I like SezWho's response when you accused him of the same thing: It seems to me that you read into statements ideas that are not there just so that you can be a drama queen about them. Do you have any support for your opinion that I and others who judge the surge to have had limited effectiveness would like to see the gains reversed

The floor is yours to state that if the 'limited gains' were reversed wouldn't help your position as to our current policy in Iraq.
Betzee at 11:02 PM JST - 29th July

It was Petreaus who so described it that way and for whom the solution lies in "more of the same." McCain has adopted that approach while Obama wants a 16-month withdrawal, something Maliki signed off on. Those who disagree should take it up with the Iraqi PM who, in contrast to anybody else, has the authority to speak for his people.
Madverts at 11:04 PM JST - 29th July

sailwind,

"the surge has accomplished to move Iraq forward lately."

The surge has soothe horrific levels of violence. The fact that the commanders in Iraq have finally found a method (albiet un-sustainable) to stop the slayings after causing them isn't something to cause heightened swagger.

I've asked yo ubefore and you never replied; as a military bloke, show me a gureilla war that was won through superior firepower...
Madverts at 11:04 PM JST - 29th July

been won.

I must buy a new laptop.
SezWho2 at 11:07 PM JST - 29th July

sailwind,

Speaking for myself, that's a no pass. It is true that if the 'limited gains' were reversed it would help my position as to our current policy in Iraq. This does not mean that I want them to be reversed.

My position is that the gains we have achieved are unreliable and that the surge is unsustainable. Petraeus confirms the unreliability and al-Maliki confirms, in a different way, the unsustainability. I do not require a reversal to support my position.
Madverts at 11:22 PM JST - 29th July

Well, sez, if the extreme right have their way we'd have a president McCain spending all the American taxpayrers dough keeping alive the dream of neo-con madmen for another "100 years" if need be...

..there's ample Iraqi's left alive to continue the experiment.
TonyUS at 01:14 AM JST - 30th July

Women in that part of the world seem to have nothing to live for anyway... just keep the crazies away from the normal people.
Surge at 01:34 AM JST - 30th July

TonyUS; The Iraqi government can make it better for women. Heck; where were the female suicide bombers while we were in control?

You gotta make women equal, i know i come from the land of equality and freedom.