The Iraqi Death Squads

This is the kind of stuff I was referring to when writing about questions of loyalty and the exaggerated faith in training.

But reports of the "Salvador Options" notwithstanding, I  also suspect that  Pratkike is on to something when he suggests that the U.S. far from condoning any of this, is at least now trying rein it in--without success:

If you read this WaPo summary of an interview with SCIRI leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, it will be clear to you that the U.S. is actually trying to restrain SCIRI/Badr, who are chafing at the bit to assassinate Sunni Arab leaders who support the insurgency. Note also that U.S. military officials are speaking candidly to the press about the problem. But the matter is probably out of our hands, and, assuming the U.S. is going to drawdown in large numbers over the next year or so, our leverage with the Badr Brigades will decrease accordingly.

I also suspect that some  U.S. officials  long prefered to  turn a blind eye.  If I were reporting from Iraq right now, I'd be busting my butt to profile one James Steele. Just saying...

Comments

[praktike]

It looks from that recent press conference with Pace and Rumsfeld that the latter is in the "look the other way camp" while Pace is one of the good guys.