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Sunday, August 21, 2005

Revenge of the Kurds

Read Billmon's post about the New Iraq--gang warfare on a nationwide scale. Excerpt:
According to the New York Times, more than 500 armored vehicles are supposed to be delivered to the Iraqi Army this month, while the first shipment of tanks -- refurbished Soviet T-72s donated by Hungary -- should arrive any time now.

Try to imagine, just for a minute, the Crips and the Bloods armed with tanks.

And retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, recently returned from a fact-finding mission to Iraq, wants to give them even more lethal hardware:

He estimated in a postvisit report to Congress that the Iraqi Army needed 120 Black Hawk helicopters, 2,000 armored humvees and 2,000 M113 armored personnel carriers to be effective without U.S. support.

If, as seems increasingly likely, Iraq's troubles eventually spill over into full-scale civil war, the Iraqis at least will have the consolation of knowing their warring militias are the best-equipped and best-armed the Middle East has ever seen.

We should remember that the US encouraged Iraq to attack Iran in 1980, and then proceeded to arm both sides of that bloody eight-year war. The US then encouraged Saddam to invade Kuwait, and then blasted the crap out of Iraq for doing so (see yesterday's post). General McCaffrey was a big part of that, attacking largely defenseless Iraqi troops as they retreated towards Baghdad.

Bush and Cheney suggest that US troops might be able to leave Iraq when Iraqi troops are able to defend themselves. The thing is, there are really only two likely enemies that Iraqi troops will have to face--the US military, and themselves. Giving them tanks and helicopters only guarantees that the carnage will just grow and grow. I get the sickening feeling that that's exactly what our insane criminal leaders want.