Tipping In Iraq?

Mike Finley

No this is not about how many Dinars to leave behind for a gyro sandwich in Bagdad.

Do you feel that a tipping point is being reached in Iraq? For the first time reports are becoming more frequent about Iraqi citizens not only giving up intelligence in growing numbers - (the recent raid that netted 84 dead insurgents at their marshy training ground yesterday that was the result of local citizens tipping off Iraqi comandos in the area), but also more importantly Iraqi citizens fighting the insurgents themselves.

I read two reports where in one case local citizens found out about a small cell of insurgents that were planing on killing the local police chief and a group of citizens went to the houses of these insurgents and hauled them out into the streets and executed them, saying enough is enough! The second report was about two car loads of insurgents riding through a town and showering the local market with automatic weapons fire (the Iraqi insurgent version of the Compton drive-by) and the local citizens running to their homes and returning with their own weapons and blasted the hell out of the insurgents killing a few of them.

Middle Easterners are famous for backing who they percieve to be the winners of a fight before it even starts. Hence the frustration that we have all felt of the Iraqis sitting on the sidelines for so long as if they have been doing a wait and see before deciding who would be the winner in this 2 year long process and who they should back. Now for the first time it seems like the signs are there that the population is starting to believe that they can take their country back and not have another dictatorship take over the country. For the first time it seems like the citizens of Iraq are taking the risk of not only not being indifferent to the insurgents but actually fighting them themselves.

To me this seems like a major tipping point in Iraq and something that will herald some reall progress within a short time if it can only be encouraged.

Teetorbilt

Mike, I saw the same things and had similar thoughts.
I worked with Middle easterners for almost 7 yrs. By and large, they are good people and just have insecurity problems. Most that are my age can remember at least 3 different governments, WAY different governments. Shahs, Khomeni's and dictators.
They are far from stupid and know what America is like from relatives and friends of relatives. Who can blame them for wanting segments of our lifestyle?

TimWieneke

For Iraq the tipping point was when the populace turned out like it did to take part in free elections.

Tim

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As Steve the Foreman would say, "Forgive him Lord, for he doesn't know what he's doing."