Even though officials declared the war virtually over quite some time ago, violence has been stubbornly rising in Iraq. April was the deadliest month for US troops in the nation since 2009.
Some believed this to be an abberation, but Iraqi police reports suggest it is a trend. In Diyala Province, police are warning that al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), a faction which has been declared dead time and again, is making a “comeback” in a big way.
“Our information network has been getting weaker and weaker, while al-Qaeda is successfully recruiting informants, tribe members and even children,” warned one police official. Officials say the insurgency is getting better and better at tracking the movement of security forces in carrying out their attacks.
The police say that a big portion of this shift in recruitment is fueled by the national government’s reduction in payments to Sunni militias in the region. Those militias were supposed to eventually be folded into the security forces, but with Iraq’s sectarian problems, officials have delayed the moves and AQI is offering hard cash to turn the groups to their side.
Though AQI has never been considered a particularly large organization, it has lingered in Iraq as an opponent of the US occupation and the Shi’ite-led government. The group would likely never be able to secure control over any portion of Iraq, but retains the ability to cause major security problems.
Doesn't matter if we stay or go in Iraq. One year from now, five years or longer, when we withdraw Iraq deteriorates into chaos. Sunni vs. Shia vs. Kurds, terrorists , Christians, Muslims, have never gotten along and never will. While the military – industrial complex profits and shares their profits with members of Congress and their friends, and our young men & women lose their lives and limbs and our country absobs more debt. This country is as corrupt as any but hides it under a blanket of patriotism and security.
Heavens to Betsy! We're gonna have to invade them…again.
Or more likely, resistance to occupation is called Al-Qaeda, and reason enough for eager beavers to stay forever! Never mind the disappearning home ownership, sinking home values, floods and old infrastructure, never mind the tens of thousands of debt young have accumulated to pay for education that will do them little good in getting well paying jobs, etc. etc. Never mind the disappearning retirements, never mind the disappearning health care. Never mind also the game played with education system to insure its destruction so they can be privatized. Never mind any stupidity we have to live with at home, for as long as we are happily telling the world what to do, and if need be with the boots on the ground. Never mind anything. More beer and rock, more sex and violence. More feel good stuff — more Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya please!