The Americans continue to lose in Iraq.

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Saturday April 10, 2004 23:24 by David C.

There is increasing evidence that the Americans face a decisive defeat in Iraq.

THE MAJORITY OF IRAQIS OPPOSE THE OCCUPATION. About 70% of Iraqis are opposed to the U.S. occupation. A substantial minority - about 25% - support attacks on U.S. forces. These figures are based on the most recent major poll of Iraqis, by Cambridge Research, taken many weeks ago and have presumably been significantly increased by the U.S. actions over the past week. Considerable anecdotal evidence suggest that the brutality of the American attacks on Fallujah and Sadr City have marked a turning point in Iraqi attitudes towards the Americans.

U.S. PUBLIC OPINION IS FINALLY WAKING UP. The latest Newsweek poll has John Kerry leading George Bush by 50% to 43% of likely voters, with 5% supporting Ralph Nader. This is a dramatic reversal due almost entirely to the Iraqi resistance, as more TV pictures of wounded and dying U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians are making it through the American media filters. Also, the illusionary linkage between Iraq and the 'War on Terror' is being exposed (with the help of Richard Clarke). Polls taken earlier this week show rapidly rising support in the U.S. for immediate withdrawal - currently at 44% of the US people. The Bush administration is being politically throttled by the Iraq resistance.

THE U.S. HAS LOST THE MORAL HIGH GROUND. The vicious American attacks on Falluja, which have killed at least 450 people - mostly civilians, combined with the brutal attacks on Sadr City in Baghdad have decisively turned people in Iraq and throughout the world even more against the Americans. Almost ALL major media outlets, including even right-wing outlets such as the Economist and Bill O'Reilly on Fox, have turned against the U.S. occupation.

AMERICAN FATALITIES APPROACH VIETNAM LEVELS. In the past week at least 46 American military personal have been killed by the Iraqi resistance, suggestion that the fatalities for April 2004 will be easily the highest of any month since the invasion (50-per-week fatalities were typical of the Vietnam war). Despite a boycott on pictures of dead soldiers or of funerals by American media, awareness of these fatalities is increasing among the US public. People ARE asking "why are we there?".

MORE EVIDENCE THAT THE SHIITE REVOLT IS FAR BEYOND Al SADR'S MILITIA. Ayatollah Al Sistani has refused to condemn the uprising, but has condemned the American response. Throughout Iraq, Sunni clerics have been delivering sermons at Shia mosques and Shia clerics at Sunni mosques, in an unprecedented show of solidarity against the Americans.

AGAIN - US MEDICAL EVACUATIONS APPROACH 20% OF ALL TROOPS IN IRAQ. As of March 13th, the US military had made 18,004 medical evacuations during Operation Iraqi Freedom, representing 17.1% of the 105,000 'permanent' US force in Iraq (although the real number probably approaches 150,000). The figures were announced by the Pentagon's top health official, William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. The greatly increased fighting over the past month have clearly raised this percentage to at or above 20% of the official US force numbers in Iraq. That's TWENTY PERCENT.

THE IRAQI PUPPET GOVERNMENT IS COLLAPSING QUICKLY. There have been more resignations and more council members are speaking out against the Americans. The Justice Minister and Interior Minister have resigned. Shiite Marsh Arab leader Abdul Karim al-Muhammadawi suspended his membership in the council on Friday. A Sunni member, Ghazi al-Yawir, has threatened to resign if a negotiated settlement of the Fallujah conflict cannot be found. Sunni nationalist leader Adnan Pachachi said on al-Arabiya televsion, "We consider these operations by the Americans unacceptable and illegal.". (Remember, these are Iraqis who have been HAND-PICKED by the Americans to 'represent' Iraqis). There are rumors that some of the 25 Governing Council members have fled abroad, fearful of assassination because of their association with the Americans. Beyond the IGC, the bureaucracy is protesting. Many government workers in the ministries are on strike and refusing to show up for work, according to ash-Sharq al-Awsat.

EVEN THE AMERICANS ARE NOW ADMITTING THAT THE IRAQI POLICE & ARMY ARE NOT SERIOUS. Statements are now being issued that say only about 8,000 new Iraqi forces are 'fully trained', and the Americans have stopped talking about merely 'supporting' indigenous Iraq security. This means that their only viable 'exit strategy' (i.e. handing over military power to friendly Iraqis) has been shut off.

DESPITE VERY STRONG AMERICAN PRESSURE THE AMERICAN "COALITION OF THE WILLING" *IS* DISBANDING. Under US pressure South Korea has, for the moment, reneged on its intention to withdraw its promised 3600 troops and the Poles have made a statement promising to remain in Iraq. These promises are made, however, under extreme duress, and the 'coalition of the willing' is increasingly deciding that this is not their fight. Most are either confined to their bases or actively retreating. As discussed by articles in the NYT and WP this week the 'coalition' IS disbanding, although it may take many months to actually bring their troops home.

NORTH KOREA IS THREATENING NUCLEAR WAR. North Korea said Friday the standoff over its atomic ambitions was on the brink of nuclear war as US Vice President Dick Cheney headed to the region for talks with key Asian allies. The Stalinist state's official news agency accused Washington of "driving the military situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war" with plans for a pre-emptive strike on North Korea.

OH. AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION HAVE *STILL* NOT FOUND (IN IRAQ, THAT IS)....

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