The Common Ills: Gen Dunford arrives in Iraq

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Gen Dunford arrives in Iraq

US Gen Joe Dunford, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is in Iraq today. Jim Michaels (USA Today) reports, "America's top military officer arrived in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on Tuesday, saying that Iraq's government has not sought Russian airstrikes to help in its fight against Islamic State militants." Phil Stewart (Reuters) reminds that Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was publicly open to Russia taking part in air strikes on October 1st but that Dunford declared today, "Subsequent to that, U.S. officials engaged Abadi and he did not request Russian air strikes."

AP states, "Dunford said he wants to talk with his commanders to get updates on battles in Beiji and Ramadi." He need not travel to Iraq for updates.

It's rather simple.

Ramadi was seized last April, the battle to retake it began in May and now, in October, it's still ongoing with no visible progress since Iraqi forces have failed to even enter the city in the last five months.

In fact, Mosul is the best example of the 'success.'

The Islamic State took control in June of 2014.

A year and a half later, they remain in control of Mosul.

There is no success.

And there is no progress.

Al Jazeera reports, "A recent survey published by the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) found that eight in 10 women in Iraq have suffered some form of sexual harassment. The poll conducted by students of the Department of Sociology at the University of Baghdad over the past 10 years suggests that "the most damaging social phenomena" was on the rise due to a number of issues."

And that's on Nouri al-Maliki (former prime minister and forever thug) and on Haider.

It's also on the press.

The western press which has refused to hold either man accountable.

How many women were in Nouri's second term cabinet?

One.

And only under pressure -- the biggest pressure coming from the Talabani family (Jalal Talabani -- not him, his female relatives).

Haider has how many women in his cabinet?

Zero.

He did have one but he eliminated her post to end 'corruption.'

And the press, the western press, ran with that nonsense. (It had nothing to do with corruption -- as Kurdish lawmakers publicly pointed out.)

The press babies and pampered Nouri and they do the same with Haider.

And while they stroke and spit shine these idiots hoping they will grow into their roles, they completely neglect and ignore the Iraqi people.

The following community sites -- plus Black Agenda Report and Jane Fonda -- updated: