Mahmudiya, South of Iraq, May 12:
An American patrol gets ambushed. 5 soldiers die, 3 get captured. About 4000 U.S. ground troops swarm the area, supported by satellites, surveillance aircraft, helicopters.
The surge turns into a search.
In Chapter I we have learned, that the Kurdish intelligence - who had prior knowledge of the terror attack in Ervil (Irbil) on May 09 - told newspapers about an ongoing power struggle in the Kurdish Party PUK of Iraqi Prime Minister Jalal Talabani between 2 factions. We know that the group "Islamic State of Iraq" - which claimed responsibility for the capturing of U.S. soldiers and also for the two explosions in or near Kurdistan on May 09 and May 12 - has a supposed salafis leader called Khalid al-Mashhadani and that HQs of that terror group had apparently leaked to the Iraqi Government of Jalal Talabani.
So, the Commander of the Iraq War Zone, Gen. Petraeus, will have to find a reason for staying in Iraq.
And a reason for staying in command there, too.
What could that be? Does anybody down there still believe in some sort of "military victory"? So where is the chance, where is the opportunity to turn the tides?
The only option is to weaken the enemy forces by splittering them and to get more friendly forces into play.
Like the Germans. Like the French. Like the Israelis. Like the Turkish. And like the Kurds.
Where are these forces?
There are already in position. There are all around of Syria.
The main bill H.R.1591 (2), which will be debated in the Senate today (3), has 2 related bills, RES.261 and S.965.
In S.965 there is this special chapter about Lebanon, SEC. 1706.