Bag's Rants

Iraqi's are in charge. Except, when we don't want them to be.

Well another exciting day in Iraq with our troops being arrested. Now clearly we don't have all the story but it appears two of our SAS guys tried to run a roadblock and exchanged fire with Iraqi police. They were then arrested and thrown in jail. After several hours of negotiations we decided to go get them and broke them out of jail in an armed assault. They were apparently being held by Shia militia and that's what raised the concerns that led to the raid. This led to a riot where two armoured vehicles were attacked and two protestors killed.

Now it raises some interesting points.

1) Clearly one law for us and one for them as defined by the US military is also covering us.
2) Running the roadblocks and shooting at police is OK if you are on the side of the coalition.
3) Iraqi police and officials are not on the side of the coalition.
4) The situation in South Iraq is escalating.

The news was reporting that the increase in violence meant that we now have to stay longer and increase our presence. Nobody seems to think it is anything to do with our actions. My view, while I can still say it, is that when we invaded, sorry, freed Iraq from Saddam we said that we would only be in until we had set up a new Government and police infrastructure. Here we are several years on, Basra has been relatively peaceful, a Government has been chose, police have been trained and set up. Then we ignore their police and Government, don't keep our promises and do what we want and wonder why they rise up against us.

What a mess and getting messier.

posted by Bag @ 8:36 am