Iraq Democracy Watch: "Turning in the widening gyre
The Financial Times has the scoop of the day, with a report that, "The Pentagon has sent a team of outside policy experts to conduct an independent review of postwar operations in Iraq amid growing criticism that the US failed to prepare adequately for occupation."
But even more important, the FT summarizes an intelligence report from Kroll, a corporate security group, geared toward would-be investors. Out of four possible scenarios, a "stable, soft landing," "complete fragmentation," a "wobbly landing," or an "Iraqi revolt," the last two are considered by far the most likely. With an Iraqi revolt getting an "even" chance.
I would put my money, currently, on the Iraqi revolt. Cross your fingers I am dead wrong.
Nonetheless, the Guardian quotes "US officers" as saying that attacks are increasing. And the Washington Post has a couple of scary quotes:
"I thought we were holding our own until this week, and now I'm not sure," said retired Air Force Col. Richard M. Atchison... "If we don't get this operation moving soon, the opposition will continue to grow, and we will have a much larger problem."
Jeffrey White, a former Defense Intelligence Agency expert on Arab military issues, said, "There are a lot of worrisome aspects about the current situation. Resistance is spreading geographically, resistance groups seem to be proliferating in Sunni areas, resistance elements appear to be tactically adaptive, resistance elements appear to be drawn from multiple elements of Sunni society, our operations inevitably create animosity by inflicting civilian casualties, disrupting lives, humiliating people and damaging property."
And, the Guardian says, yesterday Al Jazeera had word from TWO new resistance groups (not one, as I said yesterday). The Popular Resistance for the Liberation of Iraq brings my running list to nine. (I'll start posting the list regularly if it continues to grow.)
Meanwhile, the NYT reports that yesterday was "...a fourth straight day with little or no electricity. Continued acts of sabotage have reduced living conditions to 19th-century levels...[and] Gasoline lines have reappeared as filling stations have had to cut their work hours." Furthermore, according to the Post , "Iraqis are using buckets to draw water from the Tigris River..."
And Middle East On-line reports that the topic of conversation of the day in the cafes of Baghdad is, "Who was worse, Saddam or the Americans?" That apparently keeps people going for quite some time.
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U.S. Soldier Shot Shopping in Baghdad-Witnesses: "A U.S. soldier was shot in the headwhile buying digital video discs at a shop in Baghdad onFriday, the shop owner and other witnesses said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US soldier killed as search continues for two more believed abducted: "Another US soldier was killed in an ambush south of here overnight, as fears grew that two soldiers had been abducted by Fedayeen guerrillas who intended to use their armoured vehicle for an attack. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Leader of Iraqi Shiite group opposes violence against coalition: "The leader of a key Iraqi Shiite movement said he opposed violence against the governing US-led coalition following a spate of attacks against US and British troops in largely Shiite areas, saying he preferred peaceful means to bring about an end to the occupation. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
How the money is dispersed in Baghdad in IraqWar.info
