zeyad, a pro-occupation blogger purportedly living in Basra has posted once again a bizarre thesis, which raises many questions – such as, to what news does this guy have access? Is he oblivious or deliberately posting misleading and outright wrong information? and, Why, out of 172 comments currently posted to the thread on this entry, does not one person point out that his entire premise is wrong? Who are these people?
I have to shed light on something that has been bothering me for quite some time. Events over the last six months or so seem to indicate a developing pattern of the violence in Iraq. Simply put, when there is a surge of violence in the south, it completely ceases in other areas of Iraq, and vice versa. In other words, whenever Sadr takes a rest, Zarqawi comes into action again.
There were zero suicide attacks during Sadr’s revolt last April and May. They resumed when the situation was clear, as did activities of militants in certain Baghdad areas such as the old Karkh (Haifa street, Talayi’ square and Khudhr Al-Yass) and Adhamiya. They ceased again all together during the second Sadr uprisal last month, and now they look as if they are just starting again.
It also looks as if it applies to US military actions as well, taking turns at Najaf, Sadr city and Fallujah, but that can probably be attributed to military tactics such as the reluctance to fight on several fronts at the same time. Furthermore, insurgent activities have worryingly spread to areas that are usually peaceful, such as Talafar and Haifa street in Baghdad. Even more confusing is the fact that some areas usually not peaceful (Adhamiya in Baghdad, Hawija), are unusually peaceful now, that is if you disregard the occasional mortar attack.
I posted a refutation to his last assertion that during al-Sadr’s second Najaf uprising, attacks elsewhere ceased.
One more comment on Zeyad’s post. At the end he sends another unwarranted accusation Al Sadr’s way:
Something else has been bothering me for a while. How come there are NEVER any suicide bombings whenever there is trouble in the south with Sadr? And why do the Sunni areas seem so peaceful?
I didn’t think Iraqis got Fox News. How else to explain how clueless zeyad is about events in Iraq? There was a suicide bombing yesterday that killed two Iraqis and wounded eight and it was in Baquba, a city in the Sunni area.
Al-Sadr’s second Najaf uprising began approximately August 5 and ended with a peace deal approximately August 25. Let’s see what happened in Iraq during that time frame. From handy link collections in Today in Iraq:
- Bring ‘em on: One US soldier killed in Baghdad ambush.
- Bring ‘em on: Sixteen US soldiers wounded in four Baghdad attacks.
- Bring ‘em on: Italian and Romanian troops in firefights near Nasiriyah.
- Bring ‘em on: British troops fighting Madhi Army insurgents in central Basra.
- Bring ‘em on: US helicopter shot down in Najaf. Two US soldiers wounded.
- Bring ‘em on: US convoy ambushed near Samarra.
- Bring ‘em on: British troops fighting insurgents in Amarah.
- Bring ‘em on: Twelve killed in fighting between Iraqi police and insurgents in Mosul.
- Bring ‘em on: Oil, culture and youth and sports ministries mortared in Baghdad.
- Bring ‘em on: US hostage reportedly executed in Iraq.
- Bring ‘em on: Heavy fighting continues in Sadr City.
- Bring ‘em on: Insurgents attack governor’s residents in Basra with mortar and small arms fire.
- Bring ‘em on: Two Turkish hostages executed.
- Bring ‘em on: Five Iraqis wounded by mortar fire in Baghdad.
- Bring ‘em on: US troops launch anti-insurgency operation in Samarra. Heavy fighting reported.
- Bring ‘em on: Danish patrol ambushed near Qurnah. Two Iraqis killed, seven wounded.
- Bring ‘em on: Iraqi soldier killed by roadside bomb near Baquba.
- Bring ‘em on: Twenty-two Iraqis killed in continued fighting in Sadr City.
- Bring ‘em on: Iraqi child killed by roadside bomb near Kirkuk.
- Bring ‘em on: Insurgents and Iraqi police fighting in Amarah.
- Bring ‘em on: US convoy ambushed near Samarra, one driver missing.
- Bring ‘em on: Iranian diplomat kidnapped in Iraq.
- US soldier dies in “non-combat related incident” near Baghdad.
- Bring ‘em on: One US Marine killed in fighting in al-Anbar province.
- Bring ‘em on: Eleven Iraqis wounded in six mortar and rocket attacks in Baghdad.
- Bring ‘em on: British base mortared near Basra.
- Bring ‘em on: One Iraqi child killed, seven Iraqis wounded in Baghdad mortar attack.
- Bring ‘em on: Six Iraqis killed, 16 wounded by car bomb in Baquba.
- Bring ‘em on: US helicopter shot down in Baghdad.
- Bring ‘em on: Three US soldiers wounded in attack on district council building in Baghdad.
- Bring ‘em on: One US soldier wounded in patrol ambush near Muqdadiyah.
- Bring ‘em on: US patrol ambushed by roadside bomb, small arms fire near Samarra.
- Bring ‘em on: Four Iraqis killed by bus bomb in Baghdad.
- Bring ‘em on: British patrol ambushed near Amarah; one Iraqi killed, two wounded.
- Bring ‘em on: Explosions reported in Baghdad.
- Bring ‘em on: Four Iraqis killed by roadside bomb near Khaldiyah.
- Bring ‘em on: Incoming mortar fire reported at three Polish bases near Karbala.
- Bring ‘em on: Insurgents capture Iraqi police chief in Baghdad.
- Interim government declares emergency 4:00 pm to 8:00 am curfew in Sadr City.
Is this enough? August 10. 11. 13 & 14. 15. 16.
Some suicide bombs: August 5, Baghdad * August 9, Khalis * August 9, Baquba * August 22, Baquba * August 24, Baghdad, 2 incidents
As for Sunni areas being peaceful, Fallujah was bombed almost daily during the Najaf crisis. Samarra was bombed, August 14.
My last posting on zeyad’s apparent cluelessness generated speculation in the comments about the possibility zeyad was a fake and not an Iraqi at all. Maybe they were right.