<SNIP> ...a New York Times article about U.S. troops destroying Muqtada al Sadr's Baghdad headquarters-accompanied by a photo of workers putting the finishes touches on the rebuilt building. Why destroy a building that will be rebuilt the very next day? The attack obviously had no practical effect. It was a symbolic gesture. <SNIP>
Last summer and fall a spate of mainstream news reports explained that U.S. tacticians were studying the way Israeli troops fight in Palestinian cities. As I wrote back then: "The U.S. is imitating Israel not only in the way it makes war, but in the way it fails to make peace. The Israeli model is simple. When the other sides signals that they are ready for a compromise peace, ignore them and ratchet up the military force. The result is predictable. The other side ratchets up their force too. "
But there is more to the Israeli model. They use their force in ways that are sure to inflame the Palestinian public and drive it to support more extreme movements. The assassinations of the two Hamas leaders are just the most recent and obvious examples of a long-standing policy. The Israeli government funded and largely created Hamas to begin with. The point was to create opposition to Yassir Arafat, to make sure he could not control Palestinian political life. It's the old strategy of divide and conquer.
The U.S. attacks on Shi'ite leaders and holy cities are as sure to stir anger as the Israeli assassinations of the Hamas leaders. They are as sure to build up Sadr's faction as the Israeli acts are to strengthen Hamas. Just like his headquarters building in the photo, they tear him down only to build him up again. Shi'ite leaders who dismissed Sadr last year must now take him very seriously.
That may well be the ultimate goal of U.S. strategy. Let no indigenous Iraqi leader rise to undisputed power. Let no coalitions form that might unite around a single leader. Keep many strong leaders fighting against each other. <SNIP>
1. I hope Iraqis have the strength to fight this. I heart on NPR yesterday
that kidnappings are so common now that many of the intellectuals and other professionals are leaving the country. Too bad for Iraq. May be the total insecurity is also part of the plan????
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