台灣省 (Taiwan sheng)
so it read
台灣國 (Taiwan guo)
Heh.
EDIT: Why won't the Chinese characters display? They show up in the preview.
In the news, the U.S. gets dissed twice this week. First, some Al Qaeda guy recommends that America should just bring its whole crew:
"I ask him, why send 20,000 (troops) only -- why not send 50 or 100 thousand? Aren't you aware that the dogs of Iraq are pining for your troops' dead bodies?" al-ZawahriNow that's just disrespectful. Besides, American troops aren't getting killed so much as they are going home with bits missing. Zawahri is going to get his comeuppance, any day now. Or this year, at least. Or maybe next year. But he's going to get it.
And then from across the gulf, Iran's president says that the United States cannot inflict serious damage on Iran. Now, he's making this statement while staring at two U.S. aircraft carriers in his offshore waters. I'm thinking that Ahmadinejad must be a helluva poker player. Or maybe he has a magical spirit guide too, who is telling him to say this stuff.
And speaking of Iraq and poker, is the United States pot committed in Iraq?
4 comments:
While the US might be losing interest or the will to fight in Iraq, or just confused as to what to do regarding a sectarian civil war, Al Qaeda in Iraq has suffered big losses. Zawahari we note is not making these statements from the Sheraton in Kabul. And his beheading little Jordanian friend is dead.
And Iran is also betting that we are taking a pacificist turn (probably correctly) but those carriers could knock out their gasoline refineries and block their access to exporting or importing oil. Somehow I don't think we'd feel so upset about long gas lines in Iran or our Navy guys flying at 30,000 feet as we do about Iraq and death by IED and car bombing of markets.
p.s. you never did answer my question: if the US were to plan for airstrikes on Iranian oil facilities would it be ethical for the US government to use that information for a financial operation on the futures market to pay for the operation and repercussions?
What would be the economic ramifications?
p.s.s. I do not advocate any military action in Iran at this time.
"Al Qaeda in Iraq has suffered big losses."
Have they? What % of the total number of Al Qaeda in Iraq have been killed or taken out of action?
And on the futures question- I think I said before: It's probably a bad idea to give any government such an overt financial incentive to start wars. The potential profit from such speculating would inevitably become a variable in the decision whether or not to attack.
And you didn't answer my question: Is the U.S. pot committed in Iraq?
Excellent point on financial incentive for war. We just pass a law stating that any profits after costs have to be donated to UNICEF. (j/k.)
Sorry, didn't see that last little line about Iraq.
Yes, I would agree we should be committed to the pot in Iraq and let Gen. Patreus "call the bet" so to speak. However, I think we will be folding very soon instead, and our tells are flashing all over the place to the enemy (who will naturally ramp up in the next few months.)
Enough poker analogy for you?
BTW, that is a very good analogy about Iraq in my opinion.
Al Qaeda in Iraq casualties...
We don't publish body counts anymore and that's a dangerous metric anyways, so its hard to get good information on it.
However:
The new leader of al Qaeda in Iraq said in an audio message posted on a Web site today that more than 4,000 foreign terrorists have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 -- the first apparent acknowledgment from the insurgents about their losses.
"The blood has been spilled in Iraq of more than 4,000 foreigners who came to fight," according to the Internet message by a man who identified himself as Abu Hamza Muhajir -- also known as Abu Ayyub Masri -- the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. The voice could not be identified independently.
Now, I found this on wikipedia, and the link is to the Washington Times, however, its an AP story.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Qaeda_in_Iraq#U.S._campaign_against_Zarqawi.27s_al-Qaeda_forces
http://washingtontimes.com/world/20060928-010922-7554r.htm
Now that is their own admission. I would guess it is probably over that in reality due to record keeping and independent groups, etc.
In the battle of Fallujah which was fairly set piece, we supposedly killed more than a thousand hard core jihadis (the guys who stayed around.)
Maybe thats one of the problems of the war, when the headline is only your own losses 90% of the time, its highly discouraging.
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