ich bin ein Iraqi

Submitted by Timmy the Wonder Dog on Tue, 08/05/2008 - 8:05pm. Tags:

Culture

it wasn't all that long ago that Joe Biden was selling the partition of Iraq as the only solution. others offered alternatives, all of which would have diminished the opportunity of the people of Iraq to govern themselves.

apparently, the Iraqis had a different idea, er the Iraqi awakening or as the subject notes, "i (not TtWD) am an Iraqi" as the following details.

Iraqis no longer ask, 'Are you Sunni or Shiite?'

For years, when she approached Iraqi Army checkpoints and produced an identification card for soldiers to study for clues about her sect, Nadia Hashim used a simple formula to signal the mostly Shiite Muslim force that she, too, is a Shiite.

"I am one of you," she'd say.

The soldiers would harass Sunnis, but they'd simply wave Hashim through.

Now her pat line gets her an official reproach.

When a relative used it recently, a soldier admonished the driver and the passengers. "'We are Iraqis, and you shouldn't say such a thing,' " recalled Hashim.

The 35-year-old mother of three said that for her and countless other Iraqis, the fact that soldiers are now using nationalist rather than sectarian language is a significant change. Being a Shiite is no longer key to her survival.

Apparently, Moogie Sadr has a clear understanding of what is going on (front page WSJ).

The transformation would represent a significant turnabout for a group that, as recently as earlier this year, was seen as one of the most destabilizing anti-American forces in Iraq. For much of the past several years, the Mahdi Army, headed by Mr. Sadr, a Shiite cleric, controlled sizable chunks of Baghdad and other cities. Its brand of pro-Shiite activism had the side effect of pitting Iraqis against each other, helping to stir worries of civil war.

Recently, however, the group has been hit by a largely successful Iraqi military crackdown against militia members operating as criminal gangs. At the same time, Mr. Sadr's popular support is dwindling: Residents who once viewed the Mahdi Army as champions of the poor became alienated by what they saw as its thuggish behavior.

In summary:

...the Mahdi Army will now be guided by Shiite spirituality instead of anti-American militancy. The group will focus on education, religion and social justice...

Moogie continues to reside in Iran along with about 5,000 of his fellow travelers, gone but not forgotten.

"Making sure your tires are properly inflated, simple thing, but we could save all the oil that they're talking about getting off drilling, if everybody was just inflating their tires and getting regular tune-ups. You could actually save just as much." Ob

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Wrong. Biden never advocated (#108324)

by Brooks and B Ra... on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 10:14pm

Wrong. Biden never advocated partition. He advocated a great degree of regional autonomy, which many (and perhaps Biden himself -- I don't recall) referred to as "soft partition".

I considered it a good idea based on information available at the time of the diaries of mine at links below, and ya' know what -- I STILL think it's a good idea, although it's actually a matter of degree, and perhaps -- perhaps -- the ideal point on the continuum between regional autonomy and centralized power could be a little closer to the latter than seemed ideal then.

9/2/07 diary -- "Iraq: Probably Time for Soft Partition":
http://archive.redstate.com/blogs/brooksrob/2007/sep/02/iraq_probably_ti...

8/8/07 comments beginning with this one:
http://archive.redstate.com/blogs/mediahawk/2007/aug/08/the_nightmare_th...

8/2/07 diary:
http://www.redstate.com/blogs/brooksrob/2007/aug/02/a_common_sense_iraq_...

4/29/07 diary:
http://www.redstate.com/blogs/brooksrob/2007/apr/29/iraq_strategy_a_sens...

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Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani (#108065)

by Jordan on Tue, 08/05/2008 - 10:37pm

probably regrets the decline in Sadr's power.

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes. -JH

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thought suleimani was a sunni name? (#108245)

by dionysus on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 6:10pm

Or am I just totally missing something here

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Farsi, at least in his case. (#108319)

by Jordan on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 9:56pm

Quite an interesting figure, as well. Hopefully Timmy will do some googling before his next victory parade over Iran.

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes. -JH

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No, it's actually Hebrew, Suleiman, King Solomon. (#108259)

by BlaiseP on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 7:13pm

But he is also reverenced in Islam. Qassem is usually a last name in Arabic, but more common as a first name in Farsi, so you can tell he's not Arabic. There's a famous Farsi poet named Abulkassim Ferdowsi

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I was always taught (#108262)

by Kierkegaard on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 7:25pm

that the Hebrew for Solomon was 'Shlomo'.

'Suleiman' I took to be the Turkish spelling of the name; a great number of their Sultans were so-named, thus I assumed that anyone in Iraq named 'Suleimani' was either a Turkmen or else bore a name designed to curry favor with the Turkish rulers of Iraq.

But, as I've recently learned, you're the linguist ;)

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Heh, here's how it works. Arabic and Hebrew use consonants. (#108269)

by BlaiseP on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 7:57pm

Vowels aren't usually written. Their dictionaries are thus ordered into triliterals. SLM. Forms the root for shalom and salaam, peace. So you can sorta do what you want with the vowel and things that end in M go berserk in Semitic languages, you need special characters, in Hebrew it's called Mem pesucha, so somehow an extra syllable gets glommed on there for the name, the Greeks make it σαλωμων , Salomon. Arabic goes Soo-lay-man, سليمان,

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From your link (#108018)

by Bill White on Tue, 08/05/2008 - 8:43pm

The Mahdi Army has long stated that its principal goal is withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Since talks of setting a goal for a timetable for withdrawal have emerged -- as part of the long-term security deal between the U.S. and Iraq currently nearing completion -- the movement now intends to try to help Iraqi society via peaceful means, according to Mr. Obeidi.

Our agreement to leave appears to be WHY Sadr has decided to follow a more peaceful route forward.

Obama has been saying for years that we need to make it clear we are leaving; and now that it is becoming clear we are leaving (negotiating a timetable) we see positive developments such as these.

Yep, our leaving is good for everyone.

Fence post turtles -- They don't get up there by themselves, some moron had to put 'em there.

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Gotta side with Timmy here (#108029)

by dionysus on Tue, 08/05/2008 - 9:09pm

Sadr probably genuinely wants us out of Iraq, but the major reason for him talking about it so much is good politics. His goals, IMO based on what I've seen, are the acquisition of power over as big a chunk of Iraq as he could grab. It's not like he was just fighting until we left and then was gonna disband his militia and focus on economic policy briefs.

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JFTR (#108042)

by Bill White on Tue, 08/05/2008 - 9:47pm

Maliki is preferred by Tehran to Sadr

Also of note: Maliki was associated with the terror groups that blew of the Marine barracks in Beirut, back in the day.

Fence post turtles -- They don't get up there by themselves, some moron had to put 'em there.

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IMO, on the record (#108247)

by dionysus on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 6:12pm

Tehran prefers nobody too strong. But not too much chaos. Just the right amount of nonthreat without chaos spilling over into their borders.

My guess as to their desires, anyways, given what little we know about their decision making process, different figures prob have different desires.

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After Basra (#108045)

by Timmy the Wonder Dog on Tue, 08/05/2008 - 9:53pm

i doubt it. simply reflecting, the Iranians were surprised when Maliki came by with his own army and asked, well told, the Iranians to exit.

a link would be nice on the balance and directly associated would be the appropriate metric.

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Kabuki, to fool the rubes (#108089)

by Bill White on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 12:48am

With respect to Iran that is.

But yes, Maliki is consolidating power and getting us to leave is a central part of his agenda.

Fence post turtles -- They don't get up there by themselves, some moron had to put 'em there.

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kabuki, naw (#108135)

by Timmy the Wonder Dog on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 10:13am

maliki is consolidating power and he is certainly saying things to do so. As to our exit, it all depends on a whole host of factors but I have no problem giving Iraq back to its people, my game plan along.

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Giving Iraq back to its people (#108195)

by stillnotking on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 1:16pm

Well, one of its people, anyway.

The other day I heard that ignorance and apathy are sweeping the country. I didn't know that, but I don't really care.

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Don't sell the Bush Administration short (#108202)

by Spartacvs on Wed, 08/06/2008 - 1:35pm

Iraq now has its own kleptocracy, led largely by expats imported and promoted by the Bush Administration.

GW Bush, leading contender for worst President ever.