Insurgent attacks in Iraq kill 2 in Mosul, Baqouba

Sick, if American Empire had not invaded Iraq, illegally, such issues would not even be real.

I've said before the invasion, They have been fighting for thousands of years before we invaded. They will be fighting when we leave.

Although considerable progress has been made at reconciling Sunnis and Shiites, there is still a divide between the two Islamic sects that nearly brought the country to the brink of civil war in 2006-2007.

June 30 is a good day and we need to Get out of There. We never should have been there to begin with. Our country cannot police the world with so many problems facing us already.

I use to work for Morgan Stanley in the Anchorage area at the time of the 9-11 attack, we had lost many lives, our hard copy paper data, a payroll department, and an American Trust for travelors visiting to New York. Our security measures were enforce everywhere to prevent further attacks. Today, my 20 year son is serving in Iraq as an Army Medic to help those soldiers who honor America with respect and trust.

These Iraqi people were mentally condition to live in their violent conflicts before Americans arrived. We have show them our American way of respectable peace but, they may resume to what they are comfortable in. So Americans should not be surprise if these Iraqi people choose such chaos of violence. If this is the Iraqi's way of liven, thats fine...just keep their violence off our American land. Because, I prefer those calm sounds when Peace is heard.

Here is a little perspective for those who generalize so much about the Iraqi people.

Iraq Population (July 2007 est.): 27,499,638

Number of provinces in Iraq: 18

Nearly 655,000 Iraqi security forces

For those who think the Iraqi Security Forces have not stepped up in defense of their country's hopes for a better future.

From June, 2003, through April 23, 2009, there have been 9,010 Iraqi military and police killed according to the "Iraq Index" of the Brookings Institution.^[22] However, according to the List of Iraqi security forces fatality reports in Iraq 11,520 Iraqi military and police have been killed. It should be noted that this list includes would-be police and army recruits, which the "Iraq Index" does not, however, no more than several hundred recruits have died.

The ISF already have the security lead for most of the 18 Iraqi provinces. Using sporadic spectacular attacks happening in Baghdad (just one province) and a few attacks in 2-3 other provinces (total of 4 provinces out of 18, and violence is not prevalent in most of those 4 provinces, just key cities) to make generalizations about all Iraqis, the capability of the ISF, or predictions about what will happen after US military withdrawal shows a lack of critical thinking and total absence of factual information and personal perspective of the situation in Iraq.

Though many will rant against the linked site due purely to the fact that it is a US military website, it does provide information that is not provided by the MSM. It has info on the ISF (progress, training, equipment, successess, etc), about our great men and women in uniform, about reconstruction efforts and progress, Dept. of State reports, and more.

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/

Latest info concerning the training, equipping and operations of the Iraqi Security Forces.

https://www.mnf-iraq.com/images/Unit_Newsletters/090601_advisor.pdf

US Army, '97-present

Two deployments to Iraq: JAN 04 - JAN 05; AUG 06 - OCT 07

Though this recent attack was horrible, to use it in order to question the capabability of the ISF (Iraqi Security Forces) to take the lead in security is absurd. In the majority of Iraqi provinces the ISF have taken the lead in security. Bombings of this sort happened frequently when US/Coalition forces had the lead in security. We couldn't stop them from happening yet when they happen now the media is questioning the ability of the ISF. These types of attacks are almost impossible to prevent. To keep them from happening you have to cut into the enemy's decision cycle before the actual attack (plan, recon, train, execute) and affect his ability to get the material to make the bombs and capability to transport them from source to bomb maker to bomb emplacer.

Need to put these attacks in perspective.

March 07 there were about 120 spectacular attacks that month (car bombs, suicide car bombs, suicide vests). That works out to about 4 spectacular attacks every day.

March 08 there were about 60 spectacular attack. That works out to about 2 spectacular attacks every day.

March 09 there were 20 spectacular attacks. That works out to about 1 spectacular attack every 2 days about.

The longer amount of time between attacks and the total number a month means that Al Qaeda in Iraq is hurting on resources (manpower, expertise, explosives, funds). Security efforts are having an effect.

These types of attacks are very, very hard to prevent. The Pakistani military and security services are mature and capable forces and these types of attacks happen there. Same with India, Spain, the UK. The Iraqi security forces were basically started from scratch starting in 2004 and are still developing capacity and capability. Same with the Iraqi national intel agency.

Key thing here is that the attacks in previous years continued the spread and severity of sectarian violence. The recent attacks have failed to reignite sectarian violence and actually make Iraqis (Sunnis and Shias) come together in mutual intolerance and counter efforts against Al Qaeda in Iraq and loosely aligned Sunni Islamist violent extremist groups.

Finally, Iraqi security forces are sacrificing more for the security of their country than US/Coalition forces.

March 2006 about 185 Iraqi Soldiers, National Police, or Police members were killed compared to about 30 US/Coalition Soldiers, Marines, etc.

March 2007 (during height of sectarian violence) about 220 Iraqis security forces were killed compared to about 75 US/Coalition.

March 2008 about 135 Iraqi security forces were killed compared to about 30 US/Coalition.

March 2009 about 30-35 Iraqi security forces were killed compared to about 13 US/Coalition.

Every month since Jan 2006 to now more Iraqi security forces by wide margin were killed for their country's freedom and progress than US/Coalition froces.

Oct 06- a little over 300 Iraqi security forces killed compared to 100 US/Coalition. June 07 a little over 300 Iraqi security forces killed compared to about 80 US/Coalition.

Bottom line: Attacks are going down due to security efforts performed chiefly by Iraqi security forces (with US enablers such as intel, fire support, logistics) and Al Qaeda's degraded capability to conduct spectacular attacks of larger magnitude and total number per month. Iraqi security forces are taking on their responsibility to secure their country and are paying a heavy price. US forces still need to help the Iraqis with key enablers such as intel, ISR, logistics until the Iraqi capacity and capability come to fruition (hopefully before we have to leave).

Hope this perspective from a Soldier has informed and enlightened you. None of the info provided is classified and my opinions are mine alone and are not necessarily the opinions or views of the US Army or the US Dept of Defense.

US Army, '97-present

Recommend reading the following article and then ask yourself if all Iraqis are so focused on religion and hatred. I don't think so.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/183438?from=rss

Excerpt:

Iraqis apparently looked past sectarianism and tribal concerns for candidates who could deliver. Voters in Karbala, a central-Iraq province that contains the holy city of the same name, bucked the pro-Maliki trend, relegating the Maliki list to third place. They instead elected the slate led by Yusuf Magid al-Haboobi, reputedly a former Baathist. Haboobi has little renown nationally, but is known as an effective mayor of small towns in the area. The current provincial government, meanwhile, is in Dawa hands and is accused of incompetence and corruption. The conclusion: a record of ability to provide basic services trumped party labels.

US Army, '97-present