Iraq falling apart?

[Razgovory]

I'm not sure they properly appreciate the whole "Kill a bunch of you, so the survivors can have a better life", thing.

It worked in Germany and Japan.

That's not why we killed Germans and Japanese.

[Iormlund]

Is there a military base near Baltimore btw?

IIRC Andrews is fairly close.

[CountDeMoney]

My brother was backpacking in Turkish Kurdistan last summer and things didn't look stable at all from what he says. Shots heard at night, dangerous roads, major military movement, brigade-sized incursions into Iraq, etc.

For fuck's sake, it's been like that since the 17th century.

[CountDeMoney]

Is there a military base near Baltimore btw?

IIRC Andrews is fairly close.

Andrews AFB is down by DC.  Baltimore's got Aberdeen PG on one side, and Ft. Meade on the other.  Full nuclear preliminary attack conference.

[Ideologue]

Here's hoping an independent Kurdistan makes it out of the ruins.

Why would you hope for such a disastrous developement?

Wouldnt the turks shit a cow if that happened?

My brother was backpacking in Turkish Kurdistan last summer and things didn't look stable at all from what he says. Shots heard at night, dangerous roads, major military movement, brigade-sized incursions into Iraq, etc.

Your brother is aware there are mountains in Spain, like probably right outside his house, right?

[Iormlund]

After a trip to China he decided to leave his job and go see the world. He took a bus to Slovenia with another two guys, bought a bike and pedaled all the way to Thessaloníki. Then hitch-hiked alone down to Athens, crossed to Rhodes via Santorini and went into Turkey. The idea was to reach Armenia, Georgia and Iran, but a few days after leaving Istambul a Turkish girl joined him on his quest. He now lives with her in Ankara.

[Phillip V]

After a trip to China he decided to leave his job and go see the world. He took a bus to Slovenia with another two guys, bought a bike and pedaled all the way to Thessaloníki. Then hitch-hiked alone down to Athens, crossed to Rhodes via Santorini and went into Turkey. The idea was to reach Armenia, Georgia and Iran, but a few days after leaving Istambul a Turkish girl joined him on his quest. He now lives with her in Ankara.

Is she hot?

[Iormlund]

Yes.

[Phillip V]

Yes.

Picture?

[Iormlund]

Yeah, like I'm going to put a picture of my brother's girlfriend on Languish.

[Eddie Teach]

Detailed description?

[Tamas]

Maybe. I think it's just as likely that Obama will be blamed for things going pear shaped. Juxtaposing those quotes from Obama in the article ([Obama]hailed [al-Maliki] as the leader of "Iraq's most inclusive government yet.") with some of the stuff that's going on ("within a month, al-Maliki would arrest multiple major opposition figures, and Iraqi democracy was on the verge of complete collapse") could be very effective.

Bush said the same things.  I'm not sure Obama will be blamed for an Iraqi administration that was in place when he took office.

Yeah, I don't think the blame for Iraq, to the extent that it lies with the US at all, can be laid at the feet of Obama in any way. Hell, he has basically just extended the very policies that Bush and McCain invented for him.

If Iraq fails, it won't be because of Obama - it would have failed regardless of who ran the US, I think. And likely regardless of anything the US could reasonable have done.

well of course, but that fact will not prevent th
a) prompt the GOP to paint a failed Iraq a historic Obama failure
b) have the Democrats celebrate a working Iraq (if that's even possible at this point) as a historic Obama success

[mongers]

After a trip to China he decided to leave his job and go see the world. He took a bus to Slovenia with another two guys, bought a bike and pedaled all the way to Thessaloníki. Then hitch-hiked alone down to Athens, crossed to Rhodes via Santorini and went into Turkey. The idea was to reach Armenia, Georgia and Iran, but a few days after leaving Istambul a Turkish girl joined him on his quest. He now lives with her in Ankara.

That women possibly saved his life. 

[HVC]

Women, always messing up plans

[The Minsky Moment]

I think the sky is falling assumption here is a bit premature.  Al-Maliki is making a power play but so far it is basically a parliamentary power play, relying on his control of the majority of seats.  From the OP article, it looks like he is on the verge of extending himself beyond were his majority will carry him.  If he responds to a no confidence vote or the like with a military crackdown or blatantly unconstitutional measures, then we can worry.  But right now - it is possible to see this getting resolved, however messily, within the parlimentary structure.

The alternative is a three-way breakup of the state, which may not be the worst outcome in the world either.