These ain’t good. First indicates insurgents–can’t we find better description than insurgents,say anti-American forces--in Mosul have started platoon size ambushes of our troops. In a city, they could upgrade to company size: small enough to evade US air strikes but large enough force to inflict casualties.
Second indicates looming failure of strategy unless our Sunni “allies--in quotes because tribal militias will fight in their own perceived interests—can assume some role in police or army.
A revote for parliament give more political influence to Sunni areas.
Roadside bomb kills five U.S. soldiers in Iraq
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Five U.S. soldiers were killed when their patrol was hit by a roadside bomb and then came under small arms fire in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Monday, the U.S. military said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080128/ts_nm/iraq_soldiers_dc_1
By Patrick Cockburn in Fallujah
Monday, 28 January 2008
A crucial Iraqi ally of the United States in its recent successes in the country is threatening to withdraw his support and allow al-Qa'ida to return if his fighters are not incorporated into the Iraqi army and police.
"If there is no change in three months there will be war again," said Abu Marouf, the commander of 13,000 fighters who formerly fought the Americans. He and his men switched sides last year to battle al-Qa'ida and defeated it in its main stronghold in and around Fallujah.
"If the Americans think they can use us to crush al-Qa'ida and then push us to one side, they are mistaken," Abu Marouf told The Independent in an interview in a scantily furnished villa beside an abandoned cemetery near the village of Khandari outside Fallujah. He said that all he and his tribal following had to do was stand aside and al-Qa'ida's fighters would automatically come back. If they did so he might have to ally himself to a resurgent al-Qa'ida in order to "protect myself and my men".
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/if-there-is-no-change-in-three-months-there-will-be-war-again-774847.html
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