A Terrorist Responsible For The Murder Of Americans Walks Out Of An Iraqi Jail And Into The Hands Of hezbollah

A U.S. solider shows a picture of Ali Mussa Daqduq (L) during a news conference at the heavily fortified Green Zone area in Baghdad July 2, 2007. REUTERS/Wathiq Khuzaie/Pool

Iraq Releases Suspected Hezbollah Operative Ali Mussa Daqduq -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Iraqi authorities on Friday released suspected Hezbollah operative Ali Mussa Daqduq who was accused of killing American troops, his lawyer said, adding he had made his way to Lebanon.

"There was no reason for his detention. last night the decision was made to release him. He is out now and arrived in Beirut two hours ago," Abdulalmehdi al-Mutairi told Reuters by phone.

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My Comment: This mass murderer should have been jailed in Guantanamo. As for U.S. - Iraq relations .... more proof on how these ties are slowly unraveling.

Is Iraq A Strategic Debacle For The U.S.?

Kuwaiti soldiers look on as the last U.S. convoy crosses the border into Kuwait from Iraq, Dec. 18, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Jordan Johnson

Losing Iraq -- Frederick W. Kagan & Kimberly Kagan, NRO

We face a strategic debacle.

President Obama announced the “end of America’s war in Iraq” on December 14, 2011, with the words, “We’re leaving behind a sovereign, stable, and self-reliant Iraq, with a representative government that was elected by its people. We’re building a new partnership between our nations.” These were the conditions that he felt allowed him to describe the completion of America’s military withdrawal as a “moment of success.” Nine months later, Iraq does not seem like a success, even in these extremely limited terms. It is neither sovereign nor stable nor self-reliant. Its government does not reflect the will of its people; Sunni officials have been marginalized and, in some cases, driven out of office. And it is not a partner of the United States on any of the key issues in the region: From its evasion of economic sanctions on Iran to its support for the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad, Iraq stands in Tehran’s camp, not Washington’s. The reality is that the United States has not achieved its national-security objectives in Iraq and is not likely to do so.

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My Comment: What's my take .... there has never been any good options when it came to leaving Iraq. Sectarian tensions and conflict, a culture of corruption, pervasive poverty and a dysfunctional government .... leaving the country was the best of all available options .... and it was also the determined goal of President Obama from day one. I know that many are arguing that a certain level of US forces should have remained .... 5,000 to 10,000 soldiers .... but I fail to see what difference it would have made. Iraq is a huge and diverse country .... any U.S. presence .... even a token one .... would only have served to be a rallying cry for extremists and a target for the more militant ones .... and in the end, would not have made any difference on the direction that Iraq is going now .... whatever that is.

Is Iraq A Strategic Failure For The U.S.?

U.S. and Kuwaiti troops unite to close the gate between Kuwait and Iraq after the last military convoys passed through, Dec. 18, 2011, signaling the end of Operation New Dawn. U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Jordan Johnson

In U.S. Exit From Iraq, Failed Efforts And Challenges -- New York Times

The request was an unusual one, and President Obama himself made the confidential phone call to Jalal Talabani, the Iraqi president.

Marshaling his best skills at persuasion, Mr. Obama asked Mr. Talabani, a consummate political survivor, to give up his post. It was Nov. 4, 2010, and the plan was for Ayad Allawi to take Mr. Talabani’s place.

With Mr. Allawi, a secular Shiite and the leader of a bloc with broad Sunni support, the Obama administration calculated, Iraq would have a more inclusive government and would check the worrisome drift toward authoritarianism under Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki.

But Mr. Obama did not make the sale.

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My Comment: Iraq is evolving into a strategic failure for the U.S. .... especially with Iran now positioning themselves to step into the vacuum. Am I surprised by this development .... no. The American public (myself included) are tired of this never-ending conflict .... and if Iran wants to get into the Iraqi quagmire .... I will now make the prediction that they will be disappointed.