Another Maliki-led operation rolls out.
AMARA, Iraq (AFP) – Iraqi forces backed by US troops launched a new offensive against Shiite fighters in the south of the country early on Thursday after the expiry of a four-day deadline to surrender weapons.
And it was a success before it even began.
Dozens of fighters surrendered to Iraqi forces hours before the deadline and police also recovered hundreds of landmines and at least four truckloads of other weapons.
The article reports no resistance. It’s becoming clear the Shia militias are simply unable to fight the Iraqi Army, which has both popular support and vastly superior armament and training. Fighting them is lose-lose for the criminal gangs: they can’t win and attacking the most trusted institution in Iraq makes them look bad to boot.
 So beset, the Shia militias are now desperately seeking relevance, and overplaying their hand badly:
 BAGHDAD – The U.S. military blamed a renegade Shiite militiaman on Wednesday for a truck bombing that killed 63 people in a Shiite area of Baghdad, saying he was trying to re-ignite sectarian violence for personal gain.
…
“We believe he ordered the attack to incite (Shiite) violence against Sunnis; that his intent was to disrupt Sunni resettlement in Hurriyah in order to maintain extortion of real estate rental income to support his nefarious activities,” Stover said in an e-mail.
That’s not going to win them any friends.Â
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Chess master Sadr’s next move will be to get a job at a Baghdad McDonald’s so he can spit in the ketchup jars in case Maliki should happen to order lunch there.
We’ve been such fools, we’ve fallen right into his trap!
"attacking the most trusted institution in Iraq makes them look bad to boot."
Yes.
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