Horrible news. Soemthing needs to be done about these suicide bombers. Cowards....

Seriously, with an event like this, how could anyone say things are going particularly well at the moment? The largest population center in Iraq is more chaotic now than ever. And the news in terms of insurgency control out of northern areas of Iraq isn't particularly great either. Greater evidence of ethnic/sectarian divides getting violent(there's even Shi'ite on Shi'ite violence).

It's really unclear whether the new constitution will get passed(the UN hasn't been able to print the constitution for distribution because no one can agree on the final words--in fact, the UN got something like 3 different versions).

It's just a whole lot of no good.

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f/k/a mclamb6

More bad news:

Breaking news: Al-Qaida in Iraq leader purportedly declares war on Shiites, Iraqi troops.

Whatever that means. Isn't that already the case?

Ummmm yeah, you win the "Statement of the Obvious" award for the day.

Got any suggestions???



And as for the coward comment, thats a very easy thing to say in our sanitized western view of warfare. We call anyone a coward who doesn't fight on our terms. Anyone who doesn't line up in a desert under a standard and charge at us is automatically a coward...because thats how heroes fight isn't it??? charging bravely at us across open countryside as we fire Cruise Missiles at them from 500 miles away and carpet bomb them from 40,000 feet.

Don't forget the British called George Washington an uncivilized coward for not lining his army up in front of their cannons and sniping at their officers from the woods.

I have little comprehension as to what motivates a person to strap himself into a car packed with explosives and drive it at an American tank, but I'd wager cowardice has very little to do with it.

(and for the record, to preempt your very predictable response, I do think its cowardly to attack unarmed innocent civilians in any context whether that be dropping bombs on them or driving bombs into them)

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"A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy."
John Sawhill

So you agree with Brian then - the suicide bomber in question is a coward. There's something you don't see everyday.

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"I learned from the example of my father that the manner in which one endures what must be endured is more important than the thing that must be endured"

http://myfirstironman.blogspot.com

I agree that anyone who attacks unarmed civilians, whether they be suicide bombers or not is a coward.

Brian's comments, as I interpret them, included all suicide bombers, and as we all know they have attacked military targets as well as civilian.

It is incredibly naieve and foolhardy to dismiss these people with a blanket condemnation of cowardice. Underestimating one's enemy is never a good thing to do.

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"A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy."
John Sawhill

Take away the 'seven virgins' promised each 'suicide bomber' for achieving its goal... .

Now that - might work.

- kd

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kestrel driver


DonorsChoose.org (!!!)
bogolight.com (!!!)

This looks like a major campaign by the insurgents. Wednesday, at least 160 were killed and 570 wounded. Today, at least 31 in Baghdad. What's the solution?

The solution is on display now in Western Iraq, where Iraqi troops kicked some serious terrorist butt while taking very few casualties.

More bad news:

Breaking news: Al-Qaida in Iraq leader purportedly declares war on Shiites, Iraqi troops.

Whatever that means. Isn't that already the case?

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Not really. It means that the Sunnis and the Shiites are going to civil war regardless of the ongoing allied presence, and despite all the chest-beating rhetoric there is no way that it will be stopped.