the surge extortion works!

Here we go, I knew this would come. Expect the Sunnis back in the game within a couple of weeks.

It was clear from their meeting Friday that the sheik has high regard for the general. After their session, they walked to the gravely apron of a helicopter landing zone and presided over the slaughter of two goats and two sheep. The animals shrieked as a young Iraqi lifted one from the back of a pickup, threw it to the ground, pressed his foot into its neck and cut off the head with a knife.

The other three met the same fate.

It was a traditional gesture of acceptance of Hammond as a brother of the tribe.

Badass!

The surge is working!

Also, article does not match headline, yet again. I am shocked and awed. It's nice to be critical and all since there's been many bad decisions made but it's slightly more helpful if the criticism reflects reality.

Everybody sing along:

The surge is working!
The surge is working!
The surge is working!
The surge is working!
The surge is working!
The surge is working!
The surge is working!

Were the Sunnis included in any of the recent oil deals? If not, then nothing is settled.

hockeyfarker: Also, article does not match headline, yet again

So, the Sunni's were not killing Americans? Link (new window)
And the USA is not paying them to stand down? Link (new window)
And they don't want a bigger allowance? = TFA

Sorry, that 2nd link was:
And the USA is not paying them to stand down? Link (new window)

Because if you're going to start a grammar war in a politics thread, at least start it with a correct premise.

communication with hostile states/actors = appeasement

paying them protection money != appeasement


Just want to make sure I'm clear on the facts in this alternate universe.

Hmm, I predict another surge in the future. We're at 4118 now, wonder how long it would take to get to 4500 once they start shooting at us.

just fuhking walk away.

Obama, stick to your guns, pull out the troops and say
OOPS
SORRY

otherwise you're in this mess forever
when you never should have been there
in the first place.

it's draining your country and livelihood
the only benefits are to rich oil concerns and Haliburton

GTFO

Reagan, Ollie, look what you started!

This is really going to get embarassing when the Sunnis start asking us to pay them in Euros.

varmitydog:hockeyfarker: Also, article does not match headline, yet again

So, the Sunni's were not killing Americans? Link (new window)
And the USA is not paying them to stand down? Link (new window)
And they don't want a bigger allowance? = TFA

They're complaining about how the Iraqi government is trying to ignore them and their localities (i.e. not investing in infrastructure there, not hiring them, et al), not that the US isn't paying them enough. So, the headline is quite wrong.

With a larger allowance, the surge can work until Bush is out of office. Or at least until McCain loses the election.

Any bets on how long it takes the right to accuse Democrats of funding terrorists in Iraq by continuing the payments?

Mission accomplished!

Shrugging Atlas:This is really going to get embarassing when the Sunnis start asking us to pay them in Euros.

hehehehehehehe

Time to pull out and leave them to their inevitable genocide.

The Sunni's what? Don't leave me hanging like that.

Uhhh...submitter, they're complaining that Iraqi government is providing them any money for things like water projects.

How you completely failed on that is beyond me.

er...not providing them...

Skleenar:Because if you're going to start a grammar war in a politics thread, at least start it with a correct premise.

Thanks for saving me the trouble.

Making yourself look stupid doesn't get your argument off to a good start.

FTA
It was clear from their meeting Friday that the sheik has high regard for the general. After their session, they walked to the gravely apron of a helicopter landing zone and presided over the slaughter of two goats and two sheep. The animals shrieked as a young Iraqi lifted one from the back of a pickup, threw it to the ground, pressed his foot into its neck and cut off the head with a knife.

The other three met the same fate.




That's BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!

Had we known we could have saved ourselves some change and maybe
a few thousand lives by shipping over goats...



/and what does the Christian Right think of our new agreement method....Hhmmmm...maybe it's the new "open and affirming" belief system I've heard about

RandyRick:Reagan, Ollie, look what you started!

Actually, Alexander Hamilton started it.

/and what does the Christian Right think of our new agreement method....Hhmmmm...maybe it's the new "open and affirming" belief system I've heard about

It's a tribal custom, they were sealing deals like that before Islam or Christianity.

Even if it weren't, why would the religious of any stripe care?

Dont worry... just need to stay there a little longer... can't withdraw now. We've almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Time to pack everything up and leave the region. These guys have their own mindset; maybe in a couple hundred years they can join the civilized world. Until then, lets just leave them all alone. Israel included.

Israel's a big boy/girl now. It can take care of itself.

Skleenar:Because if you're going to start a grammar war in a politics thread, at least start it with a correct premise.

Beat me to it, too. I have that poster, plus all his books signed, from last year's Comic-con. Yeah, I'm a dork.

Show of hands, who knew this was going to happen the first time you heard about this "Pay them to not attack us" plan?

You guys are blowing it? You're supposed to ignore the blatantly obvious clusterfark of bootstrapped appeasement meant to give validity in the short term to people who pitch the idea that the surge is working. IGNORE IT!

No one seems to love America anymore.

Shockingly, there is no loyalty among thieves.

/fark this war/taxpayer money grab