College of Political Knowledge

International Studies Group

Middle East Desk

The surge worked….Patreus is a genius…..Too much violence, blood and death……Happy days are finally here!  This is the year that the draw down of American troops will begin in Iraq.  The president will keep his promise and begin bringing the boys and girls home…..well to be accurate….they will be most likely sent to Afghanistan….for we have yet another surge to to fund and the days of too much violence, blood and death are far from over.

Let us be realistic shall we?  Here is the “real” story of the Surge……

The Sons of Iraq grew out of a series of mini-rebellions against militants associated with Al-Qaeda that started in late 2006. They soon grew into a success story in Iraq, which was capitalized on by the then-commanding US General David Petraeus, who agreed to pay each member a $300 monthly salary and used the rebels as a tool to quell the violence.

But there is a problem with the strategy…that is that some of the tribes have NOT picked up their pay from the US and Iraq government in several months…..NOT a good sign in a country that is knee deep in poverty.

It seems the AQ has taken a page from the surge…..this from Newser…

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is trying to make a comeback, by luring Awakening Council fighters to defect. Awakening leaders tell the Guardian that the terrorist group is offering to pay its fighters more than the $300 a month militia members get from the government. One says he believes 100 of his 1,800 fighters have defected, because they haven’t claimed their salaries in two months.For al-Qaeda, the time is ripe. The US is leaving, and the country’s politicians still haven’t formed a government, even though the election was five months ago. The mostly Sunni Awakening fighters, meanwhile, have frequently felt neglected by the Shiite-dominated government. “It is an easy market for al-Qaeda now,” says another Awakening leader. “The Iraqi government has disappointed them, and it is an easy choice to rejoin the terrorists.”

Read more: http://www.newser.com/story/97835/al-qaeda-in-iraq-plots-comeback-as-us-departs.html#ixzz0wOwLwJGl

That is NOT the only problem that is facing Iraq and its future…..it seems that the Iraqi political scene is more confusing than Ikea construction manual and is in almost constant chaos….that makes it damn near impossible for them to take the lead on any violence.  But wait!  There is more…..

An Iraqi Army official admitted Wednesday that his military needs 10 more years before it is ready to defend the country by itself.

U.S. politicians must “fill the void,” once American armed forces fully withdraw at the end of next year, Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Babaker Zebari told Agence France-Presse.

“The army will be fully ready in 2020,” he said.

His comments contradict the U.S.’s top commander in Iraq.