U.S. Airstrikes Called In For Basra

Some of you long time Holger Awakens readers will remember how vehemently I was opposed to the British withdrawl from Basra many months ago...well, I hate to tell you so, Gordon Brown, but I told you so, idiot! The battles in Basra this week have become so pitched that the U.S. was called in for airstrikes against the Sadrists and the Hizbullah Brigades. The Iraqi Army has been holding its own but I don't think either the U.S. or Iraqi leadership expected this type of resistance. And the whole reason for all of this was the hasty and unplanned retreat from Basra by the British that allowed all kinds of militia jihadists to infiltrate the Basra police ranks.
Here's an excerpt from the story of the air strikes:

A British military spokesman in Basra says U.S. warplanes have carried out at least two airstrikes overnight in Iraq's southern oil port.
Maj. Tom Holloway says jets have been providing air support since clashes between Shiite militias and Iraqi forces erupted in the southern oil port on Monday, but it's the first time bombs have been dropped.

The other issue with the Basra conflict is Iraq's Prime Minister Maliki...this guy needs to learn how to keep his mouth shut. Unlike a military commander who will make no promises of victory or set deadlines, this is the second time that Maliki has made braggadosio threats and predictions in a conflict - first, he promised a huge defeat of al Qaeda in Mosul and that campaign is still going on, painstakingly slowly and now he has been talking of a crushing defeat of the militias in Basra (and now, he has had to call out for help from American air power).

Basra was a marvel of military success by the British and if not for their new dhimmi Prime Minister in Britain, Basra would still be in control and peaceful.

Here's the full story from Breitbart.

US Jets Drop Bombs in Basra

Iraqis have been of control of security in Basra since the British withdrew last December, but Britain maintains troops there to provide assistance when needed.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
BAGHDAD (AP)—Coalition jets dropped bombs overnight in Basra for the first time since clashes between Shiite militias and Iraqi security forces erupted in the southern oil port this week, British officials said Friday.
Shiite militants also clashed with government forces for a fourth day in Iraq's oil-rich south and sporadic fighting broke out in Baghdad, despite a weekend curfew in the capital.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has promised "no retreat" in the fight against militias in Basra despite growing anger among followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army.
The crackdown has intensified Sadrist anger over recent raids and detentions. They say U.S. and Iraqi forces have taken advantage of their seven-month-old cease-fire to target the movement.
Al-Sadr on Thursday called for a political solution to the burgeoning crisis and an end to the "shedding of Iraqi blood." But the statement, released by a close aide, stopped short of ordering his Mahdi Army militia to halt attacks.
The situation in Basra remained tense after the Iraqis asked for airstrikes on at least two locations, a local British official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.
A British defense official in London who also declined to be identified in line with department policy, however, said U.S. fighter jets dropped the bombs while British planes provided air support.
Iraqis have been of control of security since the British withdrew last December but Britain maintain troops there to provide assistance when needed.
In Baghdad, a U.S. helicopter also fired a Hellfire missile during fighting in the Baghdad's militia stronghold of Sadr City early Friday, killing four gunmen, military spokesman Lt. Col. Steve Stover said.
Ground forces called for the airstrike after coming under small-arms fire while clearing a main supply route at 4:10 a.m., he added.
Iraqi police and hospital officials in Sadr City said five civilians were killed and four others wounded in the attack.
The strikes underscore the risks that the U.S. and its allies in Iraq could be drawn into an internal Shiite conflict that has threatened to unravel al-Sadr's cease-fire and spark a new cycle of violence after months of relative calm.