War?

Oh yeah, that war.

The Bush administration hailed an Iraqi offensive against Shiite militiamen in the southern city of Basra as a ``bold decision'' that shows the country's security forces are capable of combating terrorists.

At least 40 people were killed and 200 wounded in two days of fighting between fighters loyal to Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi troops, the Associated Press reported, as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki pledged to restore security in the southern oil hub. The clashes continued today in five Basra neighborhoods, Agence France-Presse said. Separately, 14 people were killed and 140 were wounded in fighting in Baghdad's Sadr City, Sky News said, citing Reuters.

``This is what we have been wanting to see the Iraqis do,'' White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters in Washington yesterday. ``This is one of the first times that they've had such an entrenched battle and we'll be there to support them if they need it.''

Fighting bad guys, yeah!!!

Do these even understand the most basic underpinnings of strategy? Like how the truce al-Sadr signed is one of the major reasons that has stopped things from going from horribly bad to horribly worse, and gunning for a fight with him is one of the dumbest things we can do?

Al-Sadr threatened to instigate protests nationwide if the raids by Iraqi forces weren't stopped. ``If the government does not respect these demands, the next step will be civil protests in Baghdad and the provinces,'' his spokesman Hazam al-Aaraji said yesterday, reading a statement from the cleric at a news conference in Najaf aired on state television.

Fighting spread late yesterday to Sadr City in eastern Baghdad and Kut and Hilla, south of the capital, AFP said, citing unidentified security officials.

I'm sure when the country is embroiled in death and destruction we'll be greeted with another "nobody could have predicted..."

By the way, why Basra?

Basra has been plagued by the smuggling of ``oil and its derivatives, weapons, drugs and other prohibited materials,'' al- Maliki said yesterday in a statement carried by state television. The government ``is firmly resolved to restore security and stability and to impose law.''

I'm sure Cheney's recent visit and focus on the oil law had absolutely nothing to do with this.

Update: The cease fire is over. Very bad things are going to happen.