Strategery, Redux?

President Barack Obama, in one of his first actions since being sworn in, signed an executive order to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba within one year. This being the place where Americans tortured suspected terrorists under direct orders from the highest levels of the United States government.

It would have been easy to predict the complaints from those who support these tactics, such as "America will be less safe" or "enhanced" interrogations work. No, the plumb that the right wingers are hurling around is this one: "How dare he do that without proper planning." You heard right, the Republicans are mad that the President is entering into serious areas of national security and foreign policy without proper "planning."

Now, anyone who has even a passing knowledge of the invasion of Iraq and it's horrible aftermath, you might find this laughable, if it were not that the complete lack of planning from the moment the government in Iraq fell has directly led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqi's, and the lives of over four thousand two hundred Americans.

Let's review. The GOP, the Republicans, are upset over poor PLANNING!

Imagine this. The U.S. has successfully toppled Saddam Hussein and overthrew his government. Within weeks, weeks! the entire senior military command was being replaced, yes that great Tommy Franks cut and ran the minute the statue came down. In addition, the planning that was going on was to withdraw most of the troops within 6 months from Iraq, not planning for the possibility of an armed insurgency, which has led directly to the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqi's and the lives of four thousand two hundred Americans.

Furthermore, the lack of planning for the occupation from a quality of life standpoint for the average Iraqi was criminal, in my opinion. Baghdad still only gets half a day of electricity.

And the Republicans still want to discuss planning? In the words of EX- President Bush: "Bring it on."

The Dark Side, Again

President Bush and Vice President Cheney are conducting legacy tour of interviews and speeches with the hope, albeit slim, of resurrecting public opinion on their administration and its often dubious record on treatment of detainees in its so called "war on terror."

It pains me as an American to think that agents of my country have engaged in acts to detainees that the U.S. military considered illegal during World War II, indeed charging the Japanese soldiers who carried out these acts of barbarism, including water boarding.

Now we have Cheney, second in command of the Bush Regime, claiming water boarding is an acceptable form of interrogation for peaceful democracies to engage in. Amazing.

When thinking of these egregious breaches of all that is good and decent, it reminds me of another President straining the bounds of Presidential authority, Richard Nixon and his Watergate. And when thinking of decisions made at the top, at the ground zero of American power, these words from Judiciary Committee member Rep. Lawrence Hogan, (R) Maryland during Watergate hearings:

"The thing that's so appalling to me is that the President, when this whole idea was suggested to him, didn't, in righteous indignation, rise up and say, "Get out of here, you're in the office of the President of the United States. How can you talk about blackmail and bribery and keeping witnesses silent? This is the presidency of the United States." But my President didn't do that. He sat there and he worked and worked to try to cover this thing up so it wouldn't come to light."

These words ring true today as loud and clear as they did way back in 1974.

Don't Tread on Me?

The shoe throwing incident yesterday puts the perfect ending "still President" Bush. It pleased me to now end. Now, normally I would be upset at the President, any president, being treated in such a scurvy a fashion, but in this case, the parting kiss to the dog.

Day of Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving, and in some strange far off land there is an American hunkered down, scared and longing for home, yet willing to serve his or her country in the proud tradition of the United States Military.

You deserve our respect. Insh Allah you will come home safe.

Following is Abraham Lincoln's proclamation establishing the first official Thanksgiving.

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well as the iron and coal as of our precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A.D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
Abraham Lincoln

Cut and Run?

Following is the article from the "Status of Forces Agreement" between Iraq and the United States addressing the withdrawal of United States military forces from Iraq.

I have been quite overwhelmed since reading this document, and just as underwhelmed by the coverae given by the news media.

George Bush signed an iron-clad agreement setting a firm, set date for the withdrawal of all American forces frm Iraq, something he said as recently as this year would be the worng thing to do, sending a wrong signal to the terrorists and so forth. He also spent the entire 2004 Presidential campaign calling Kerry a "cut and runner" for wanting to set a timeline for withdrawal.

Anyway, just read this passage and tell me what your thoughts are...

Article 24
Withdrawal of American Forces from Iraq
Admitting to the performance of Iraqi forces, their increased capabilities and assuming full responsibility for security and based upon the strong relationship between the two parties the two parties agreed to the following:

All U.S. forces are to withdraw from all Iraqi territory, water and airspace no later than the 31st of December of 2011.

All U.S. combat forces are to withdraw from Iraqi cities, villages, and towns not later than the date that Iraqi forces assume complete responsibility of security in any Iraqi province. The withdrawal of U.S. forces from the above-mentioned places is on a date no later than the 30 June 2009. The withdrawing U.S. forces mentioned in item (2) above are to gather in the installations and areas agreed upon that are located outside of cities, villages and towns that will be determined by the Joint Military Operation Coordinating Committee (JMOCC) before the date determined in item (2) above.

The United States admits to the sovereign right of the Iraqi government to demand the departure of the U.S. forces from Iraq at anytime. The Iraqi government admits to the sovereign right of the United States to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq at anytime.

The two parties agree to put a mechanism and preparations for reducing the number of U.S. forces during the appointed period. And they are to agree on the locations where the forces are to settle.

Sunday Funnies?

Powell Endorses Obama

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama for President on "Meet the Press" this morning, in a sharp break from his party and his former boss, giving a huge boost to the Democratic nominee for President from one of the most respected military figures in American history.

In sober, measured words, Mr Powell said that over the past several weeks during the financial meltdown, Mr. Mcain was "unsure how to deal with the economic crisis," and criticized Mcains selection of Governor Palin by saying "I dont believe she is ready to be President," while Mr. Obama has shown a "steadiness and intellectual curiosity" that makes him ready to be President "On day one."

One of the most poignant moments of the interview came when Mr. Obama was decrying the tone the Mcain campaign has taken with regard to character assassination and the tying of Obama to former Weather Underground and domestic terrorist William Ayers. Mr. Powell relayed the now well known moment at a recent Mcain event where a woman said to Mr. Mcain that she does not trust Mr. Obama because he is an "arab," to which Mr Mcain simply said "no m'am, he is a decent family man," which Mr. Powell said "was the wrong answer."

Mr. Powell then went on to say what the correct answer should have been, which this humble blogger completely agrees with and was on his feet cheering as i heard him say "What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is no, that is not America."

He went even further, in what can only be described as a complete repudiation of the Republican party by one of the most respected Americans in history, saying "I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion that he is a Muslim and might be associated with terrorists, this is not the way we should be doing it in America."

But the most effective argument against the demonization of Muslim Americans came when he told of a photo essay he recently saw in a magazine, and one photo of a woman weeping over a headstone at Arlington Cemetery, and at the top was not a cross, nor a star of david, but a crescent and a star, the symbol of the "Islamic Faith." A Muslim American who died serving his native land in a far away country inhabited by millions of Muslims, Iraq.



Please click here to view full Meet the Press interview with Colin Powell

Joke of the Day

Debate Stuff

Just an observation or 2 from the recent Presidential debate.

Did anyone else notice, there was not one stupid social issue? No immigration, no gay marriage, no stupid gun rights, nothing about "activist" judges. Just talk, albeit lamely, on the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And did anyone notice that Mcain really, really doesnt like Obama? He looks at him with such contempt, when he looks at him at all. And this business of "that one" and his advisers saying it was his attempt at humor was so lame, it was actually funny!

If you have to explain the joke...well its not that funny.

And dont be looking for Palin on SNL anytime soon. Because she doesnt get the joke, how can you be in on it?

Anyway, I am glad to see the numbers of Obama rising and staying steady so close to the election. He has held an 11 point advantage for the past two 3 day rolling Gallup polls.

In my humble opinion, he will continue this lead, giving back a few points before election, keeping a outside margin of error lead. Cross your fingers!

Breaking News-No lapel Flag Pin, Mcain Un-American?

Ok, i admit, the subject is a bit over the top, but thanks to my friends at Crooksandliars.com and their fine post noticing that one of the candidates was without required American flag lapel pin.

Credibility?

In another attempt to shake up his dying presidential bid, Senator John Mcain has suspended his campaign, in order to put "country first" while the 700 billion dollar bailout of Wall Street is being debated. Dont be fooled by these desperate moves.

Whenever he is in trouble, Mcain plays the distraction game, just as he did with his selection of the so called "hockey mom" whatever the hell that is, Sarah Palin. In the most recent hail mary pass, Mcain said he would suspend his campaign and not attend the first presidential debate. In this he is hoping the voters see him as a bold leader, putting nation ahead if his personal goals. But this is a crassly political move, to distract you from the fact that within the space of a week he said the "fundamentals of our economy are strong," only to have his running mate say we could be on the brink of a depression. Oh wait, he also opposed the AIG bailout before he was for it. And he calls this leadership?

And now we, the US taxpayer, are supposed to foot the bill for a 700 billion dollar blank check, to be given to ONE person, the sec of the treasury, and unelected, appointed position by the President, you remember him I am sure?

I am well aware that this is a major crisis that needs to be addressed with urgency, but that does not mean it must be rammed down the throats of the American people. Think of 700 billion dollars. That is more than the Iraq War has cost, and we are supposed to just accept it because the people in Washington say it must be done? Reminds me of the run up to the war. Bush says it must be done, he will accept nothing but his own proposal, a 3 page, 3 page document giving almost unlimited spending authority in the hands of one man, and he was not elected, or even hanging chadded elected. We must not rush into this, in my opinion. But we do need to give Wall Street some comfort, so bill must be passed very soon. Just let us know the truth, none of this "fundamentals are strong" bullshit.

Furthermore, where has the President been in all of this? He waits ten days to give a speech on the crisis, and when he does, he gives us a history lesson on how we got in this mess, and little on what needs to be done. Instead, for the past week, he has let Treasury Sec Paulson and Fed Chief Bernanke do all the talking, since as the GOP propagandists have repeatedly said they have more credibility on the issue than the President. Imagine that. He has lost credibility, even among his own cabal. Indeed Rep King, republican of New York said those exact words, that they have more cred than he does on this issue, and then went on to say it reminded him of how the President used Gen Petraeus when his credibility on the War in Iraq was bankrupt. He could not have made a more damning assessment of the standing of the President in the peoples eyes. It was amazing, and i dont think he intended to convey that message. I noticed, jumped out of my seat, but i doubt many others will notice.

So here we have a war with no end in sight, and a huge financial crisis that we have no idea what the outcome will be, and a President, by his own right wingers admission, that has no credibility on either issue. And we are supposed to trust him that he has answers? Not this American.

USA-A OK!

Have you seen it?

I just finished reading an article by Dana Milbank of the Washington Post. In it he describes how the Pentagon is continuing a practice started under Sec Def Rumsfeld that media is not to have access to funerals of fallen service personnel killed in the line of duty in Iraq. This is one of the worst practices, of many, that the Bush Adm has employed to not remind the otherwise occupied with other things America that there is a full scale shooting war involving the entire U.S. military that has killed in excess of 4000 Americans, and untold tens, if not hundreds of thousands of Iraqi's.

The practice of shielding the military dead from the U.S. public starts from the moment the brave fallen arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. No photographs are allowed besides official military ones, and then they are released on with a freedom of information request. This practice has been in place for several administrations, including the Clinton Adm. I hve never understood this one.

But the most egregious abuses have taken place under the Bush Administration. The manipulation begins when the public affairs office for the Army calls a family of a fallen soldier who have already granted media access and pressures them to move the media back from the proceedings, so they cannot hear any of the eulogy of see the flag ceremony and presentation to the family.

In a war that the President says is being waged for the very survival of the United States, indeed western civilzation as a whole, he has asked the nation for absolutely no sacrifice. When about 1 percent of the population is directly involved, that says volumes. There is a saying that has been in use for some time now, and that is "the United States is not at war in Iraq, merely the United Stated Military.

Yet, the President would have us believe Americans are not dying or coming home lame, blind, insane from Iraq. When was the last time you saw a funeral of a fallen soldier, marine? Or god forbid, a picture of a dead American, or even bleeding American.

It is shameful, in my opinion.

Liebermann and Dead Americans

So Joe Liebermann thinks that if Barack Obama is elected President there is a good chance there will be a terrorist attack within his first year in office. Now the Mccain surrogate says he also meant that if Mccain was elected, the same could happen, based on the fact the 2 World Trade center attacks happened in the first year of Clinton, and Bush's presidency.

Liebermann would have you believe he was simply making the point that we need leadership and all that from the beginning. Of course we see how much leadership Ole W has offered, so being a chief executive for a large state like Texas obviously does not automatically make you a good president.

It is this obsession the right has with dead Americans. If they are not talking about 9/11, they are hoping for another to show that the "war on terror" is not just some charade. See, if we are attacked again, it shows how stupid Dems are, and that only the wacky right can protect us...

Success

John Mccain recently said we are "winning" the War in Iraq, based on the great "successes" that have been achieved as a result from the surge of troops sent in last year.

To be able to understand what winning means, we must first define success. Baghdad has become a city of ethincally cleansed neighborhoods separated by ten foot high concrete barriers. There are no more mixed areas of Sunni living next to Shiite. That simply does not exist.

Ok, so I was going to write this long piece how life sucks in Iraq and how silly it is for Mccain and Bush and the rest to use words like victory and success, but I just saw on the wire that 51 people killed in a suicide car bomb in Baghdad. Thats so successful, you know.

The kind of success and progress being made in Iraq go like this:

I heard on the news that there was a house break in somewhere in Chicago. So in a preemptive move, I decided to burn my neighbors house down, lest the thieves decide to come to our area. Now, when he is obviously pissed at me, I dig him a ditch to live in. Hey, its offers some shelter. See, makin progress.

Is al-Qaida in Iraq led by foreigners?

Recent documents obtained by CNN appear to contradict another one the Bush Administrations claims about the War in Iraq, specifically that al-Qaida in Iraq is(AQI) a foreign led organization. These documents show that Iraqi's are the ones giving orders, while foreigners are more involved as front line soldiers, such as suicide bombers.

For the past 5 years, the U.S. has made the claim, presumably based on intelligence gathered in Iraq, that AQI's ranks wee made up of Iraqi's with foreign leaders, mostly Saudi's. Now we learn from these documents the opposite.

What to make of this? Well, there are several conclusions to make. The most troubling, yet most plausibe, given recen intelligence failures, is that the U.S. simply got it wrong again. They fit the intelligence to make the narrative that suited them best for public consumption. AQI being a foreign outfit makes it seem more scary, more "bin Laden'ish" as it were. See, having a bunch of Saudis strapping belts of explosives wrapped with ball bearings on the poor helpless Iraqi's is far more insidious than if it is Iraqis giving the orders.

That way, we are fighting the "war on terror" as Bush sees it, as opposed to Iraqi's fighting a foreign occupation.

I am curious to see how Bush spins this one. Their has been little reaction, of course, from Bush and his minions, because they would have to admit a mistake, and we know all about how much the devout born again Christian Bush likes to admit his failings and try to atone for them, as any good Christian is faith bound to perform.

What is a Patriot?

Bright Boys

Watching the testimony of General Petraues and Ambassador to Iraq Crocker giving testimony before Congress, and the stupid, long winded ill informed all too political questions by Senators, and all I can think of is the quote from the movie "All the Presidents Men," when Deep Throat and Bob Woodward are talking in the garage.

"Forget the myths the media's created about the White House. The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand."

This can work for any politicians. Especially when the lights come on in those Senate committee rooms...

Joke of the Day

Monopoly Fight

photo by-Ahmad Al-Rubaye/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The ongoing offensive by Iraqi and American forces in the southern port city of Basra and its apparent stalemate appears to be a harbinger for the future in Iraq. Notwithstanding the declarative statements by Prime Minister Maliki that the operation would be decisive in eradicating militia control of the southern part of Iraq, these ragtag groups of fighters have fought to a draw the federal forces, backed by U.S. and British warplanes.

With Basra under the control of 3 different militias backed by their respective armed wings, the Badr Organization of the Supreme Islamic Council, the Mahdi Army of radical cleric al-Sadr as well as the Fadhila Party and its fighters, the federal government of Maliki has been unable to assert a monopoly of force in most of southern Iraq.

Though President Bush hailed the offensive as a "bold decision" by Maliki, and stating it that it is turning point in the war, a war that has entered it fifth year, it appears to be destined to be like all the other major "turning points" and show how deep the rifts are between warring factions and how difficult it will be to either bring them together or defeat them outright. It has been apparent that they militias will be very difficult to defeat, as evidenced by the offer of cash payments if the fighters laid down their arms. This after many statements by Maliki that the offensive would be final and defeat "criminal elements" as Maliki called them, from Iraq forever.

Well, this is not happening, and they have fought the Iraq forces backed by US and UK warplanes to a stalemate. It seems like Iraq is seetling into a Lebanon type situation. That is, where you have a federal government unable to exert a monopoly of force throughout the nation, while large cities or areas of land are controlled by political parties backed by military forces. See Hezbollah and Hamas for examples.

In addition to these being politicians and fighters, they are also community leaders, operating schools, hospitals, even gas stations run by the Mahdi Army. SO what oyu end up having are state within states, battling for control of streets and alleys.

It just seems like nothing never gets better, it only gets slightly better or much worse.

Jokes of the Day

Numbers Game

I edited the post "4000" and sent it as a letter to the editor at the Chicago Tribune. They posted it on their "online exclusive" section of the website. Click on title to see letter at the Tribune website.

Power of Art Redux

The following video clip from the "Power of Art" series by Simon Schaama is an excellent example of the repeated marriage of Art and War. As is usual, Art gets the better of War. What a perverse statement.

I first posted this video last year, and felt today was a good day to show it again.

4000

Just learned that the death toll for U.S. Service Personnel in Iraq has reached the 4000 mark. Not sure what to say on this. Need to think for a few minutes.

Though to put it in some context for how bad it is for Iraqi's, that 4000 number was about how many Iraqi's were being killed a month at the height of the violence last year.

Guess I need to think about numbers. What do they mean? Do they mean anything more than a guide post? And we have to find our own way after that? I dont know anymore. If we pull out the violence gets worse, in my opinion, and if we stay it only seems like we keep the lid on, while thousands will still die, in my opinion.

I dont know. Honestly...


cartoon by Jeff Danziger

Molly Cake Takes The Fashion World by Storm!

I know this is not my regular beat, but my good friend Molly has a new blog that is quite fashionable, if I may say so! Check it out, and as always, tip your bartenders!

Click on Molly to be taken on a wonderful journey!

March Madness

Anyone Watching?

Bob Schieffer has a fine commentary on the lack of attention paid to the War in Iraq by the U.S. public. Check it out.

Jokes of the Day

Failure of the Surge

General David Petraeus, the top U.S. general in Iraq recently stated that despite the gains made on the security front by the U.S. and Iraqi military, the government of Iraq has failed to make what he calls "sufficient progress" on the national reconciliation front, meaning the surge strategy has fundamentally failed.

After all, that was the stated goal of the surge. President Bush, when he announced the surge in January 2007, stated that the escalation of troop levels in Iraq was for the purpose of creating breathing space for the warring factions to come together. That has not happened, so says the top U.S. general in Iraq. And with the majority of the surge troops having left or preparing to leave Iraq, while the levels of violence have been steady or increasing since Nov. 2007, so says a GAO study there is little hope the sides will be coming together any time soon.

Beside the failure of the parties to come together, the government has continued to fail its people on the most basic of civic services:electricity, clean drinking water and refuse collection. Without adequately providing these services, I am not convinced this is even a functioning government. And the parliament more often than not fails to have a quorum, so none of the legislative process can move forward.

Furthermore, we have the President out on a speech junket touting the great gains, as he sees them, being made in Iraq. Its a shame this man is a simpleton. He thinks so literally. For example, he thinks all you need to have are elections and a piece of paper entitled "constitution," and voila, you have yourself a full fledged, sovereign democracy. Never mind when asked what sovereignty means to the Iraqis, he answered it means they are "sovereign." Well done.

Now, he sees statistics that show a drop in the monumentally chaotic situation in Iraq, and he see "success." He sees 60% drop in overall violence since the surge started, while I would make the case violence is up overall 40% since the invasion and occupation of the fertile crescent.

Dont believe the hype. The surge fundamentally failed. There has been no national reconciliation.

President Bush gave the first of a series of speeches on Monday with the goal of gaining support for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while trumpetting the reduction in violence in Iraq, ahead of top Iraq general Petraeus' progress report before Congress.

In his testimony, Gen. Petra is expected to address possible troop reductions, though he has hinted at a freeze once the "surge" contingent has been withdrawn.

With violence against Iraqis and deaths among U.S. service personel at levels not seen since 2005, Gen. Petraeus has stated he is reluctant to go below the 130,000 troop level, for fear of losing ground won during the surge.

Admittedly, violence is down in Iraq, it still remains one of, if not the most dangerous places on Earth, and it is of our making.

So now we have the President coming out saying the war is pretty much won, we just have to stick it out a few more months, and "victory" whatever that means now, can be achieved.

At this point I am not opposed to the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq, as I was before. What we have here is one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern times, and it is of our making, the making of the U.S.

I wish the President would just come out and say we need to stay there in order to fix something we have broken. Not for all this stuff about freedom and democracy and evil doers. At long last, havent we had enough of that nonsense?

So I say, how can we abandon a humanitarian disaster of our own making? How in good conscience can we do that? Iraq will not be able to do anything, on their own, or with us, for many years. And without the U.S. it will start to burn and I am afraid it will not be extinguished until it has consumed the cradle of civilization.

Jokes of the Day

Jokes of the Day

Dont Believe the Hype

The surge has been a total success, and we are winning the war in Iraq. Do not believe these statements from the Bush Administration.

We are constantly hearing that violence is down, which is true, yet that is pretty much where the converstation stops. Sure violence is down in Iraq. The problems are with the next sentences, the "ya buts" sentences. The one that go like this

"Violence is down in Iraq, ya, but the levels are at 2005 levels, which were so high that most thought there was a low grade civil war burning."

"Violence is down in Iraq, ya, but still 30-60 Americans are being killed each month."

"Violence is down in Iraq, ya, but Baghdadis still receive only 12 hours a day of electricity."

"Violence is down in Iraq, ya, but 2/3 of children in Iraq have access to clean drinking water."

"Violence is down in Iraq, ya, but Bagdad is a segregated city, based on the Sunni-Shia bloodletting. There are no heterogeneous neighborhoods in Baghdad, and the fault lines are still deadly to cross."

"Violence is down in Iraq, ya, but the U.S. had been paying the Sunni's to lay down there arms, what happens when the U.S. money dries up and the Shiite Iraq central government opposes these "Local Concerned Citizens."

"Violence is down in Iraq, ya, but there will be more troops in Iraq post surge than pre surge."

"Violence is down in Iraq, ya, but its not on the front pages anymore...."

Outsourced War?

Hopes for success in Iraq rely more on private security contractors, or mercenaries, than the U.S. military, based on the failed recent attempt to oust Blackwater USA by the Iraqi government following a recent incident that left 11 Iraqi civilians dead at the hands of Blackwatwer guards.

Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki has stated the killings were in fact illegal and saying this type if incident challenges the sovereignty of Iraq.

These comments not withstanding, the expulsion of Blackwater seems a bit of a stretch, especially when they are the people responsible for guarding all the top level diplomats In Iraq, including Ambassador Ryan Crocker.

“If Blackwater left at this moment, it might leave a security gap because most of the embassies and most of the foreign organizations that are working in Iraq” are guarded by Blackwater, Tahseen al-Sheikhly, a spokesman for the Iraqi security forces, said.

Sheikhly went on to say that if the security firm was expelled, American forces would have to redeploy from other hostile areas to fill the void, leaving a vaccuum sure to be filled by insurgents and terrorists.

So lets get this straight. The U.S. does not have sufficient forces to protect both its highest value people while conducting combat operations with the hope of bringing safety and security to this war ravaged country? And at a time when the President wants to draw down 30,000 troops seems ludicrous to me.

The level of incompetence shown by the Bush Administration in waging this war verges on the criminal, in my opinion.

The President has stated, ad nausea, that the safety and security of every American hinges on the outcome in Iraq. Yet his decisions have gotten the U.S. to a point where they rely more on mercenaries who live outside the law, than the brave Americans who take an oath in the defense of liberty.

Does any of this make sense? Is anyone paying attention?

Joke of the Day

Joke of the Day

Fools Paradise

The President of the United States, in what the White House has dubbed a "major speech" on Iraq, has once again put the blame on the American people if his vision of Iraq is not met.

In his speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Mr. Bush compared the War in Iraq to past wars the U.S. has been involved in while wondering if this current generation would have the “will” to see this conflict through to victory.

This is hubris beyond compare. Here we have the one person solely responsible for the invasion and all the catastrophic errors that followed blaming the one group that has been asked to contribute nothing to the war efforts in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Oh don’t get me wrong, there has been a great investment of blood and treasure, but that has been born by the U.S. military, not the greater U.S. population as a whole. There have been roughly one million U.S. personnel in and out of Iraq, out of a population of 200 million, which is less than 1 percent of the U.S. That’s astounding. Though in all fairness, the President has noticed the toll it has taken on our television viewing, noting that we make sacrifices by having to see unsettling images on our television screens. That is when the news is actually covering the war.

So the President thinks it will be our fault, not his fault, not his leadership, not the militaries fault. No, apparently it will be the American people, who have been asked to bear no burdens, make no sacrifices, and indeed contribute almost nothing to the war effort that will have lost the war in Iraq.

I am personally insulted by his comments, not only for blaming me for losing a war I have nothing to do with, but also because before whenever people criticized the way he was waging a war he never should have started, he would send out the patriotism police to shout down any dissent. And now, after all his terrible decisions that have cost the lives of 3700 Americans and untold tens of thousands of Iraqis, he blames you and me for the failures of his Iraq policy.

Does Mr. Bush take the American people to be fools?

He stumbles this great nation, a nation people actually looked to for moral guidance, into a war half a world away on dubious claims of WMD, then proceeds to inadequately provide enough troops, to deny there is an insurgency, to fail to properly armor the men and machines of war leading to added needless loss of life, while creating the political situation which is on the verge of collapse, he blames you and me for the potential failure in Iraq.

Throughout the speech this quote from the great Hunkpapa Sioux Chief Sitting Bull resounded in my head:

"They tell you I murdered Custer. It is a lie! I am not a War Chief. I was not in the battle that day. His eyes were blinded, so he could not see. He was a fool and rode to his death. He made the fight, not I."

I think the President is a fool.

The Bush Administration is again touting successes and progress in Iraq, and they are selling this over used expression by pointing to the western section of the country, Anbar Province.

There can be no doubt that there has been a turn around in places like the provincial capital of Ramadi, as well as the restive Fallujah. But these gains, if you can call them that, have been made at he expense of the central government in Baghdad. This is because the United States in paying off the tribal sheiks in Anbar with cash and weapons, and ultimately power.

The plan is the U.S. pays off these Sunni tribal leaders, who up to months ago were killing Americans, so they will turn their weapons on al-Qaida.

The problem with this plan is that the Iraqi central government of Nouri Kamal al-Maliki is opposed to the arming of Sunni militias. Now the U.S. claims these Sunni militia members will have to take an oath not to harm Americans, as well as claiming these men will eventually be mustered into the Iraqi Security Forces. Indeed, many of these militia members have already enrolled in the Iraq Police Force, though it is clear their loyalties are to the tribe or sect first, and Iraq second. After all, this is all about power.

What is so frustrating is that this plan flies in the face of attempting to help create a unified Iraq. If that is the plan, it seems the U.S. is setting up the conditions for the real war for power in Iraq. Arming a group, indeed giving legitimacy by entering them in the rolls of the security forces, that has been killing Americans for the past 4 years in hopes of defeating another group that has been killing Americans for the past 4 years, seems like a recipe for disaster.

The point is the U.S. is not winning the hearts and minds of these Sunni insurgent groups with visions of democracy and freedom, but with cold cash and even free guns. What could be more American than that?

How can the United States ever intervene in a genocide if we abandon a genocide of our own making?

No End in Sight

New movie about the occupation of Iraq. I read one review that called it an excellent campanion piece to "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" by Rajiv Chandrasekaran. Click on title to link to theaters the film is playing at

Jokes

Just watching the President give a speech on al-Qaeda in Iraq. He is trying to make his case that al-Qaeda are the only people fighting the U.S. in Iraq, and that AQI is an all foreign group. Bush is doing this by naming the 2 foreign leaders of the group, not mentioning the absolute fact that it is made up almost entirely of Iraqis and is aided and abetted by Iraqi nationals.

The problem with Bush right now is number one he has no credibility when discussing Iraq, intelligence, or just about anything. Fours years of making progress in Iraq lends to this credibility problem for the President. Most people have pretty much tune hime out on matters of Iraq.

He is starting to sound delusional, in my opinion. Does he really think AQI can take over and rule Iraq? Does he really think the Iraqis would be dominated by a foreign entity? Has Mr. Bush missed the last 5 years in Iraq? Iraqis dont like foreigners on there soil occupying them.

Mr Bush, is it AQI who cannot keep the electricity on in Baghdad? Is it AQI who cannot pump even prewar levels of Oil? Is it AQI who will not allow former low level Baathists into society, instead of fueling the insurgency with well trained, motivated soldiers? Is it AQI who cannot provide clean drining water for Baghdad? Is it AQI who is providing the Shiites insurgency with the EFP, the most deadly roadside bomb that can penetrate the main battle tank of the US, the Abrahms tank. Is AQI walling off neighborhoods to separate sects so they wont drill hole eachother to death? Who is doing these things Mr Bush? Its not AQI.

He looks so beleaguered, like a manager for a baseball team that is 20 games out of first. He makes no mention of Sunni, Shiite, civil war. This is the leadership we get? God Help us all.

Oh, FOX "News" is already back to Linsday Lohan.

Joke of the Day

Bob Schieffier on Barry Bonds

Ya, but its a dry heat

Funny clip from the Daily Show about the heat in Baghdad.

Reporter Murdered in Baghdad

We often hear how difficult it is for Western reporters to move freely about Iraq in order to provide their readers with the best picture of what is going on in the war, and as a result all Western news outlets rely upon legions of Iraqi reporters who can move more freely, while acting as interpreters, guides and drivers.

Well, one of these reporters who worked for the New York Times was murdered in Baghdad the other day, his name was Khalid Hassan, he was 23 and the sole bread winner for a large family. If anyone is interested in donating to the fund to help his family out, this is how you do it.

Email

foreign@nytimes.com

subject: fund for Khalid Hassan’s family

Please click on title to be redirected to an article about Khalid Hassan by John F Burns of the New York Times

Joke of the Day

Support for the War, Young America, Victory in Iraq

The History Boys

The great writer/journalist David Halberstam wrote an excellent article about President Bush and his delusionary historical comparisons.

This was his last piece. Please click on title to be followed to the Vanity Fair piece

The Blame Game

Just watched Senator Mccain on CSPAN speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate about the War in Iraq, and he was making a good point that if the U.S. pulls back to the big bases, Iraq will look like it did back in 2006, with 3000 Iraqi civillians dying every month.

In doing this he referred to the failed strategy of the previous 3 1/2 years as the "Rumsfeld-Casey" plan, referring to the former Secretary of Defense and the former top General for Iraq who over saw the war plans for most of the war up until early 2007.

This was a thunderbolt statement for me, I was blown away when I heard this. Here we have, for the first time, someone high in the Government blaming the military for the failures in Iraq. And McCain to boot. He of the Hanoi Hilton, the infamous POW prison during the Viet Nam War.

I dont know how else one can interpret that statement. He just blamed the top military commanders for the debacle that is Iraq, while of course shielding the politicians from any blame. Mr. McCain ofcourse being a member of the rubber stamp party for Mr. Bush. But McCain says he was opposed to this strategy the whole time. Well John, why didnt you speak up? Why not call for some committee meetings and get to the bottom of what is going on?

Now, after all the deaths, all the bombings, all the IED's, the American people demand real progress, you find your voice? And with that voice, you blame the Generals? Maybe you should have brought a mirror to the floor of the Senate instead of a map of Iraq.

Good NYT article about Iraqi Legislature

Amid the constant car bombings, suicide vest bombings, assassinations, destruction of infrastructure, there is little reporting about the legislature in Iraq. I found this to be one of the most concise portrayals of the tribulations of the Iraqi Council of Representatives.

One telling fact is I learned is that the Council rarely has a quorum, meaning even if there is legislation to be voted on, in cannot by virture of parliamentary regulations.

Check out the article

Joke of the Day

Same Old Tune

The Bush Administration has been employing new language to support its policies in Iraq by stating al-Qaeda is the main obstacle to peace and stability in Iraq, rather than the sectarian wars dividing the country. Thus, based on following the Bush Administration the past four years of the War in Iraq, I believe he has no plans of a significant draw down of U.S. combat forces during the remainder of his presidency.

It seems apparent to me in all the public statements I have heard from U.S. officials concerning the sectarian problems is that they have resigned themselves to the Iraqis figuring that problem out amongst themselves, in their own way, in their own time, on there own terms. We rarely hear from Mr. Bush or General Petraeus about the Mahdi Militia, or the Badr Brigades. This is from the fact the militias have gone to ground for the most part, as well as reports the U.S. is easing off some of the more moderate militias in order to bring them in the political fold.

This is a smart strategy. Talk constantly about terrorists and extremists while ignoring the sectarian bloodshed, the sectarian bloodshed that until several months ago was seen by most Generals in Iraq as the number one enemy. Remember when the militias were enemy number one to the U.S. military? This is not to say al-Qaeda is not, and has not, been one of the main instigators of the most horrific suicide bomb attacks. But since al-Qaeda is not part of the Iraqi Government, while Sadr and Hakim and the myriad of political parties with accompanied militias are, it appears the U.S. has changed its tone in speech and deeds, in the hopes of giving an appearance of peace between the warring factions. This is merely a stalling tactic to buy time, in my opinion.

The “surge” was advertised as necessary to secure Baghdad so the political and sectarian (who can tell the difference?) parties can get some breathing space and come to reconciliation on laws for oil sharing and de-Baathification, that is the returning of many Sunnis who worked for Saddam Hussein, which is the least likely to pass given it means the Shiite cede some control to the Sunnis.

But now, all we hear from Bush and the Generals is that the only enemy is al-Qaeda, when it has been widely reported for most of the war that it is the militias, both Sunni and Shiite, that are killing most of the U.S. soldiers. Indeed, the Generals and politicians alike have been openly revealing the training and equipping by Iran to Iraqi Shiite militias with the most lethal of weapons killing Americans, the explosively formed penetrator, or EFP, which can disable the M1-A1 Abrams tank, the main battle tank for the U.S. military.

The undeniable fact is that the majority of U.S. deaths in Iraq are from driving around and getting blown up. These people that are dying are not even getting a chance to fight, as they are dying sitting down inside an armored vehicle. Does this make any sense? That’s what pisses me off the most about this stupid war. And the vast majority of these bombs are made, planted, observed, detonated, by Iraqis. And what further pisses me off is that the President and Generals never, ever talk about that. Its al-Qaeda this, extremists that, never mentioning the militias planting these bombs just happen to represent the largest block of parliamentarians in the Council of Representatives.

Now the military has apparently focused its main thrust upon finding and destroying the bomb making factories in what the military refers to as the Baghdad “belts,” while attempting to keeping some calm in the sectarian wars long enough to make it appear as if calm and peace has descended upon Baghdad, possibly setting up for large withdrawals of U.S. combat troops.

Yet my gut instinct after observing this President on this issue, the War in Iraq, it is my opinion that the shift in rhetoric and tactics is being done to set up for a long term presence in Iraq, or as long as Mr. Bush is on power. If the main enemy is al-Qaeda, while appearing as if the sectarian bloodletting has abated, he can justify keeping combat forces in Iraq, albeit at smaller numbers.

Despite the recent defection of key Senators such as Richard Lugar, Rep Indiana, and the former Foreign Relation Committee Chair, as well as Pete Dominici of New Mexico, also a long standing Republican, on the strategy and policies of the Bush Administration when it comes to Iraq, there will not be a cut off of funding or precipitous withdrawal. It seems apparent these Republicans would prefer not to have a confrontation with either the Democrats, or the President, when it come to the funding of the troops. These Republicans would like to see the Americans stop being the police force for Iraq, constantly patrolling the streets only to be blown up, while stating they have no confidence in the current Iraqi Prime Minister, his government or the Iraqi security forces.

But recent comments by Senator John Warner, one of the most respected senators and a former Secretary of the Navy during the Viet Nam War, about his regrets on being silent when surge after surge of American forces were sent to Viet Nam without sound policy to back them up, almost as if he wants to make up for past failures when he might have spoken up, could signal the biggest tipping point for the GOP and Iraq.

Just to reiterate the point, there has been no indication from any of the Republican Senators that they would support legislation for the cutting off of funds for troops in the field.

So it is this all al-Qaeda all the time talk is what concerns me there are plans for long-term U.S. combat commitments to Iraq. No matter who is the next President, I believe the Generals will advise some significant troop levels in Iraq to combat al-Qaeda. In this day and age, what President could ignore that type of advice?

Since in the world of politics, all actions and deeds are usually preceded by very well thought out words and statements, it is apparent Mr. Bush is falling back on a tried and worn tactic of blaming everything on al-Qaeda in hopes of returning to his more comfortable black and white world, where the “evil doers” are around every corner.

Gravy Train

President Bush commuted the sentence of the former chief of staff for the Vice President, I Lewis "Scooter" Libby, on the basis that the sentence was "excessive."

This administration continues to put its foot in its mouth when it is entirely unnecessary, just like with the fired US Attorneys. In that case, all they had to do was fire them and not give any reason, instead they said it was for performance, when it was apparently political.

In the Libby case, one would think the lawyers on Mr. Bush's staff would know the sentence was within the Federal sentencing guidelines, and that the majority of perjurers and obstruction of justice criminals go to jail. So why not just pardon him outright and simply say it is the right of the President to do this?

I was also wondering, given the reason the President cited for commuting felon Libby of this prison sentence, how deeply Mr. Bush studied the Federal sentencing guidelines and how many similar cases he researched in order to get an understanding just what is a fair sentence? I noticed he cited no legal precedent for his actions. I would bet there are hundreds of people languishing in prison with similar sentences for similar crimes who would love the same preferential, extra judicial treatment Mr Bush accorded Mr Libby.

The aspect that troubles me the most, is that for the past 16 years, the America people will have had the past two Presidents setting an example that it is acceptable to lie under oath. Isnt that remarkably sad? That some lies are ok, or that lying is not ok, yet punishment for lying is also not acceptable.

Green Zone

To say I am frustrated by the policies in Iraq by the Bush Administration is an understatement. Since I have no confidence in the people that got the U.S. in this mess to get the U.S. out of this mess, I feel it important to remind us of the early days of the occupation.

The differences between then and now are, well, striking to say the least. It is surreal.

Please click on title for a clip from a good book "Imperial Life in the Emerald City"

Colbert at the White House

Stephen Colbert at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Good listen! He sticks it to everyone!

Please click on title for audio

Pablo versus Powell and the Power of Art

Truthy Goodness

Secretary of Defense Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Pace gave a press conference to talk about the War in Iraq, and unfortunately it was the same tired song and dance the Administration has been giving on Iraq these past four years

Mr. Gates demonstrated some fine footwork when answering a question concerning the all-important September date for the progress report, the one the President was ballyhooing as the time when there would be signs whether the all important “surge” would have had the effect of giving breathing space to the raging sectarian divide.

The President was the one who set the expectations for the progress report by criticizing the Democrats who question the surge tactic by saying “wait until Gen Petraeus gives his progress report to the Congress in September.” Now the President is tamping down expectations for that report, saying they never made it out to be a make or break date, rather a time to examine the “metrics” as Press Secretary Tony Snow alluded to the other day.

Mr. Gates then did a fancy side step around a question about his model for the future presence of U.S. forces in Iraq, a model that sees a long-term presence in Iraq. He stealthily did not answer the question, said something about events on the ground, etc, etc.

Gen Petraeus was asked a similar question on Sunday, but it was more in terms of how long insurgencies have historically taken to defeat, and consequently how long US troops will be in Iraq in large numbers. At this point he could have said something like, "Insurgencies typically take 8 to 10 years to defeat, and since I wrote the book on counter-insurgency, I advised the President and Congress that the U.S. should be preparing to be in Iraq with a large combat force for 10 years. I am now here telling the American people that that is the commitment it will take to truly be successful in Iraq."

General Petraeus could provide no greater service to his nation than if he said those simple words. Whether or not the country is prepared for that should not influence his decisions. I am sick and tired of hearing things like it’s going to be a tough fight, instead of honest assessments on the reality of the war.

That way the American people could have an open and honest debate about whether the U.S. should make that type of commitment to Iraq.

The problem so far has been the Administration and the Generals have been more than willing to give assessments about the grim future if the U.S. withdraws, yet has been conspicuously silent when it comes to the possibilities, indeed the planning, of a long term commitment to Iraq. If our military strategy is aimed at just getting the U.S. out of Iraq as fast as practicable, then tell the American people. If the plan is to stay for many years, tell the American people, and dispense with the vague references to fighting until the job is done and the rest. Contrary to your beliefs Mr. President, the American people are smart enough to handle the truth. Actually, they are entitled to the truth.

Then we have the Democrats on one side saying we have to get out of Iraq, yet offering little else in terms of substantive debate, while the Republicans echo the White House that we have to stay in Iraq “until the job is done,” but never detailing how long or how many losses are acceptable, saying the Generals on the ground decide that.

This is where Petraeus could step in to give the most honest assessment that would not be political, merely the honest truth going forward. He could tell the President and the Congress in September that to be successful we need to have a long term commitment with a large combat force for at least 10 years, and yet this will not guarantee victory, while also detailing the effects as he would see them if the U.S. were to withdraw its combat forces from Iraq within one year. Most experts agree there would be death on a scale greater than Iraq is living through now. What does this mean for Iraq, the region, not to mention the al-Qaeda’s left behind after the U.S. withdrawal?

So if the Democrats want to be elected on a bring the troops home platform, they are made aware of the possible consequences, and the Republicans know that if they want to be elected on a supporting the war platform, they are doing so knowing it means committing the bulk of the U.S. military to Iraq for the next 10 years.

In my opinion, that would be the most honest and fair debate the American people could have, and it would take place with the backdrop of a Presidential race, so we could all see just the choice we are making. We can this and that about how we got into this war, but that will do us no good, except to point out the things not to do in the future, which is the reality we have to deal with in order to extricate the U.S. from Iraq, be it in 1 year or 10.

Fighting Words

Whenever I hear the President and his minions say we are "fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them here," I get very confused, even angry. What does he mean by this? That the Shiite Death squads lead by Moktada al-Sadr will be marching down Pennsylvania Avenue to occupy the White House? Should we be readying the Atlantic Wall from an invasion of thousands of ships carrying an invasion force from the desert nation of Iraq?

I am getting sick and tired of this idiotic fear mongering rhetoric. The threat of terrorism inside the U.S. was a reality before the invasion and occupation of Iraq, while the chances of our “enemies” in Iraq actually taking over the U.S. are remote to say the least; so then what are we fighting for in Iraq?

And if we are truly in a fight to preserve the sovereignty of the USA, why are we doing it on the cheap? Why not go all in and tell all active and ready reserve and National Guard that you are in for the duration of the "War on Terror?" If it is that big of a deal, why is Bush constantly talking about his desire to draw down troops? Does anyone else see a serious disconnect from the reality of Iraq versus his rhetoric?

Whenever I hear that phrase about fighting them there, so we dont fight them here, I am reminded of a great man who uttered some prescient words in 1838, and they are as true today as they were way back in the olden days.



Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step over the ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! -- All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a Thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

Abraham Lincoln 1838

Joke of the Day-FUNNY!

Whats in Word?

Everyone has heard the phrase “sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me.” Well this morning, I read some words in an article by Tom Hundley in the Chicago Tribune, and they hurt, went right through me. “People feel that if they vote for the radar, they are signing up for Guantanamo," a member of parliament from the Czech Republic was quoted as saying concerning the issue of a radar station to be placed in that country by the U.S., in tandem with missiles in Poland, to thwart any attacks upon the U.S. or Europe from a “rogue” nation, or so says the U.S. government.

Consider that someone who lives in a country dominated by the Soviet Union could now, in so short a time, think that if they aligned themselves with the United States, you are allying yourself with torture.

How did we allow ourselves to get to this point? To be thought of as torturers by the people who staged the “Velvet Revolution” where not a single life was lost in releasing themselves from the grips of tyranny and oppression.

From now on that one not so simple sounding word, Guantanamo, coupled with another hard to pronounce place Abu Ghraib, will forever be synonomous with torture and the United States.

But then we here in the United States have a history of double standards when it comes to lofty words like liberty, freedom and human rights, only to genocide one race while enslaving another.

Jokes

Coups and Korea

Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki does not trust the officer corps in the Iraqi Army, and he admitted exactly that in a CBS interview with Lara Logan I just viewed thanks to CrooksandLiars.com. The Prime Minister of Iraq made a stunning admission that many in his officer corp "may start planning coups, those people do not believe in democracy."

In the exchange he admits that there are many top ranking officers that are loyal to Hussein, which he has to be on guard against a coup. He then goes on to say he does not fear for his safety, or that of the government. Its easy to say that when the U.S. military has 150,000 troops in his country propping up his regime.

Further, he said that the Americans have no influence over the government; rather it is "The Iraqis that tell the Americans what to do," not the other way around.

Now I know he is saying this about America and influence for internal consumption, but does this exchange give any hope for reconciliation? How can there be stability when the Iraqi P.M. himself admits that large parts of his Army are not loyal to the government they serve. And what about the soldiers serving under these generals? Will they follow the directives of the Prime Minister once the Americans pull back from combat, or will they follow their officers who may or may not be loyal to the government? These are serious questions that the Bush Administration would prefer to avoid, and do a good job ignoring.

This brings me to the recent developments in Washington that has the Bush Administration comparing the War in Iraq to the War in Korea. This is a poor model to fashion “plan B” after as it infers that the U.S. will have a massive combat force in Iraq for 50 years. I see no discernable border to defend with thousands of troops behind tall walls with concertina wire and landmines. Though some Baghdad neighborhoods eerily resemble the stark reality of division.

I understand that the model the Bush Administration favors is a small contingent of combat and support troops to ensure the sovereignty of the Iraqi government. If we could achieve that sort of settlement, when American troops can go mingle with the Iraqis in a social environment, pick up girls, get married, bring them back to the states, nothing would please me more. But can anyone foresee that ever happening? Honestly?

The problem with this model is whom are we defending against? In Korea there is a plainly visible enemy, wearing uniforms and fighting in the conventional manner. In Iraq, the enemy comes from within, as the Prime Minister alluded to in his interview with Lara Logan.

President Bush has taken his talking points to al-Qaeda all the time, seemingly forgetting about his surge to end the sectarian blood letting between Sunni and Shiite. Remember that thing? If my memory serves me correct it was the “surge,” the shift in tactics as Mr. Bush called it, which was to bring calm to Baghdad so the many sides could come together and solve the constitutional issues.

In my opinion, and until about 3 months ago the opinion of most senior officers in the U.S. military, the greatest threat to the stability of the Iraqi government is the sectarian wars waging throughout the country.

The fact that Mr. Bush says "Al-Qaeda is public enemy number one in Iraq's young democracy,” yet fails to mention the sectarian wars going on in Iraq, while Prime Minister Maliki states that he is concerned that the officers corps in the Iraqi Military has mixed loyalties and is on the lookout for a coup, reinforces this serious disconnect I constantly hear from people in Washington, especially the President, versus the events on the ground in Iraq.

Shelter?

Photo Credit: AP Photo

Sometimes you see a photo and just stop and think. Everything slows down for a moment. This photo just did that for me.

It is such a powerful image, and conveys so much. So many thoughts. So many meanings.

I am not quite sure how I feel. Is it the brave, resolute American facing the enemy head on while shielding the helpless Iraqi?

Or is the Iraqi simply seeking shelter from the storm?

Please click on title to enjoy a nice tune.

Eyes Wide Open-Too Many Shoes left Unfilled

In a lush green field in Grant Park along Lake Michigan, a Memorial Day event was held as part of a traveling memorial to U.S. Service personnel killed in Iraq called “Eyes Wide Open,” comprised of over 3400 combat boots with the name, age and state of the Soldier, Sailor, Airmen, Marine or Coast Guardsman killed in the line of duty in Iraq.

The boots are lined up in perfect rows, sectioned off by state, in a similar fashion as many military cemeteries. Indeed the memorial is reminiscent of Arlington National Cemetery, with its neat rows of white marble head stones.

The memorial was a somber, less enthusiastic affair than the traditional parade that was held only a few blocks away, with its marching bands, marshal music and cheering crowds.

Several groups representing families of military personnel, both killed and currently serving organized the program. These groups consisted of Gold Star Families Speak Out, whose loved ones died as a result of the war in Iraq; Military Families Speak Out, whose loved ones are currently deployed, soon to deploy, or have returned from Iraq physically and/or psychologically damaged as well as members of Iraq Veterans Against the War who have served in Iraq.

Two Gold Star Mothers, mothers whose son or daughter has died in combat, told their stories of loss and pain, and one decorated Iraq War veteran suffering from PTSD spoke about going off to war only to be disillusioned and coming back home unable to re-enter society.

The goal of the organizers of “Eyes Wide Open” is to honor the dead American and Iraqis while ending the War in Iraq and bringing home safely the U.S. Service Personnel.

The refrain heard from all of the speakers was the need for a better understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and improved care for returning veterans.

One mother described how her son returned from Iraq only to hang himself in the basement, from what she says was severe PTSD and the lack of recognition and care from the United States Military.

Darrell Anderson, who saw combat in Iraq, spoke about the conditions that contributed to his suffering from PTSD, that you lose yourself in war, that when one of your friends gets blown up in front of you “All you feel is hate.”

He spoke about the feeling of confusion when he first arrived in Iraq and the veteran soldiers told him they were not fighting for democracy and freedom “and all that stuff,” which made it difficult to reconcile within himself his actions in combat.

Furthermore, Mr. Anderson is concerned for people like himself who went AWOL and received less than an honorable discharge from the military, thus being denied medical or therapeutic care from the Veterans Administration. Or the ones who commit suicide from PTSD, whose boots Mr. Anderson says, will not be added to this memorial because they will not have died from combat related injuries.

As the service ended and a light rain fell, a poem from the great British World War One poet Siegfried Sassoon was read below a statue of the Great Emancipator, Abraham Lincoln.

Bush's Magic Elixir

You know things are not going well for the President when he has to retreat to oft used and frankly tired explanations of his current policies concerning the not going so well War in Iraq. (Dana Milbank-Washington Post Michael Abramowitz-Washington Post Mark Silva-Chicago Tribune) I am talking of course about the attempted reintroduction of fear into the national discourse by President Bush regarding the War in Iraq.

Whenever things are going poorly, whenever he feels the need to explain to the American people his motivation for the continued policies of the War in Iraq, Mr. Bush always falls back on the familiar, and previously successful tactic, of invoking the attacks of September 11th 2001 and al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. He then takes a subtle, and in my opinion sleazy, step in a grey area by tying those attacks to the War in Iraq.

He does this by saying things like this “We are fighting the same kind of people that killed 3000 of our citizens,” but doesn’t actually say we are fighting the SAME exact people who attacked in New York and Washington.

This is very comfortable ground for the President to walk over. It makes him look tough and resolute and bold, to use on of Mr. Bush’s favorite adjectives. He can pretend like it is the days after the attacks on our country and everyone likes him and takes he sounds credible. He looked like a man who had found his himself, finally found his place.

Has anyone else ever noticed that when he talks about terrorism or al-Qaeda he gets all juiced up, he doesn’t need to look at his notes but simply restates these tired, worn out phrases written for him so they sound bold and resolute. He actually told two reporters that bin Laden was personally gunning for their children.

This tactic is frankly insulting. To fall back on the rhetoric of 9-11, simply invoking the date as if it has a tangible quality, like it can talk and help the President out of a mismanaged, losing war.

He talks about 9-11 as if it were a tonic, a sweet elixir you can almost see drip down his chin when he invokes the terrorist attacks, that will change the way everyone looks at his failed policies. He also says we have to fight them over there so we don’t fight them here, then the next breath he says we were attacked before we went in Iraq so that means we didn’t create the terror problem in Iraq.

So what is it Mr. President?

Another aspect of this al-Qaeda/9-11 drumbeat is that it is so simplistic, as if the American electorate are children and can only understand complex issues with the most basic of terms. He thinks that people will grasp your point easier if you put it in the most simple, childlike manner. No need to confuse anyone with the facts.

The idea of nuance has long since passed the President. What was once looked on as a positive, that he has “plain talk” does not suit him well when he is asked to explain why the most powerful, richest country cant keep the electricity on in Baghdad. So, instead he says things like “these people are killers because they want to kill,” or some such nonsense.

This tactic allows Mr. Bush to avoid having to explain the inner workings of the Iraqi parliament, or the myriad of Shiite dominated political parties and their accompanied death squads. Just say al-Qaeda and all that goes away. No Sadr, no Hakim, no Maliki, its bin Laden all the time for Bush. I dont recall him even mentioning the sectarian wars going on except to say the increase in mutilated corpses, the hallmark of the sectarian murder, only represents a "snapshot," thus diminishing its impact. It was all al-Qaeda all the time.

This is an attempt to set up the rhetoric of "victory" or "success" in Iraq as having sectarian killings at a "manageable" level while saying we are staying in Iraq to fight the same people that attacked us on 9-11.

I just cannot believe we are back to this type of rhetoric and disconnected language in the national discourse on the War in Iraq. I thought after the election, the escalation in troops, that some sobriety had settled upon Mr. Bush, but as he is all to aware, the wagon is a hard thing to stay on, and that tonic tastes oh so sweet.

Joke of the Day

Questions

In the last 2 days I asked the same question of 2 prominent voices on the War in Iraq. The first is by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of "Imperial Life in the Emerald City," a book that tells the story of the early days of the occupation in Iraq.

The second is by L Paul Bremer , the very man leading the early days of the occupation, head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, or CPA.

These questions were asked on the discussion page at the Washington Post website.

Any thoughts?


Chicago: Who is a greater threat to the stability of the Iraqi government, al-Qaeda or the Shiite militias -- backed by the two of the most powerful parties in the Iraq Government, mainly SCIRI's and Sadr's blocs? Could al-Qaeda actually take over the country? Because most supporters of the War make it seem like the militias are a minor problem, when the generals on the ground repeatedly say the exact opposite. Isn't the stated goal of the "surge" to give the sides breathing space to make policital decisions? Where does al-Qaeda fit in the process? Is that just a tactic to confuse everyone?

Rajiv Chandrasekaran: Both entities are a threat to stability, and what makes finding compromise difficult is that both sides -- al Qaeda, in particular -- are so extremist that it's hard to envision a peaceful compromise. There is another common factor: Both sides are fractured and diverse. There's no single al Qaeda commander in Iraq to which every militant is loyal. Same goes for the militias, although there is far more command-and-control with the Badr organization. If there is to be peace in Iraq, extremists on both sides have to be offered a chance to put down their weapons and receive some sort of emolument -- a job, a payout, etc. Those who opt not to compromise will have to be targeted by the Iraqi government's security forces.

Chicago: Who is a greater threat to the stability of the Iraqi government, al-Qaeda or the Shiite militias -- backed by the two of the most powerful parties in the Iraq Government, mainly SCIRI's and Sadr's blocs? Could al-Qaeda actually take over the country? Because you and most supporters of the War make it seem like the militias are a minor problem, when the generals on the ground repeatedly say the exact opposite. Isn't the stated goal of the "surge" to give the sides breathing space to make policital decisions? Where does al-Qaeda fit in the political process?

L. Paul Bremer: It is a good question and requires a complicated answer. The threat in Iraq has three dimensions: the Al Qaeda terrorists, as you note; the killers from Saddam's former intelligence and security services; and the mllitia(essentially here the one that matters is Muqtada al Sadr's). The Shia militia became a problem after I left largely because Al Qaeda was able to carry out its threat to kill innocent Shia men women and children. When we could not protect them, the Shia turned to their militia. Now we must deal with all three threats. There are some signs that the surge is having a good effect on reducing some of the sectarian murders, by and of Shia. There will be no place for al Qaeda in the poltitical process--in Iraq or anywhere else--because they explicitly condemn democracy as "unislamic".

The World On Fire

The Simpsons Analysis of the War in Iraq. I found it to be powerful. God Bless the Simpsons.

But watch out, FOX launches counter strike of its own!

Joke of the Day

Mowaffak al-Rubaie on Baghdad Time

Mowaffak al-Rubaie, the Iraqi National Security Adviser was just interviewed on the “Newshour” and when asked about the status of the all important Oil Sharing Law, or PetroCarbon Sharing Law that will equitably divide Iraq’s oil revenues between the myriad of sects, Mr. al-Rubaie said it only requires the “dotting of the I’s and crossing of the T’s.”

If this is the case, why has it not been passed from the Iraqi Council of Representatives and signed into law by the Prime Minister? I was under the impression the draft had been approved and that is all that need be done.

The way he is talking it would seem like it is a done deal and could be completed within days, but I think we all know that is not the case. This is the one piece of power that the Shi’ites, in my opinion, will be unwilling to give an equal share of to the Sunnis.

I believe this is the one piece of the puzzle that just might guarantee a successful outcome to all the blood and suffering endured these 4 years in Iraq. This would say to the Sunnis that they have a stake in the future of Iraq, that they are considered equals among the leading Shi’ites.

Alas I am not optimistic given the past on this issue. Mr. al-Rubaie said last year they would have that piece of legislation in place January of 2007. Now we are in May 2007 and that same Council of Representatives had voted to take a two-month vacation this summer before that law is passed.

Mr. al-Rubaie said that they plan on changing the vacation to either five weeks or one week, however he wasn’t too clear on that poin. But just that fact that they had planned on vacationing while the American military bleeds so that they could have time to pass legislation of such importance does not leave me with much confidence the Shi’ites are willing to share this power.

One point Mr. al-Rubaie completely avoided when asked was concerning the RE-Ba’athification, as I call it. This is another piece of legislation that seeks to reintegrate a large part of the Sunni populace that was discarded by the CPA following the invasion.

The original decision by the CPA said that just about anyone that was a member of the Ba’ath, or ruling party, of Saddam Hussein was not welcome in the new Iraq. Unfortunately the CPA did not do their homework since almost anyone who wanted to move up the ladder in the Hussein Iraq had to belong to the party, including low-level Army officers, police and even teachers. Yes they fired thousands of teachers.

One should read "Fiasco" by Thomas E. Ricks to get a full understanding of the ramifications of this decision by Pro-Consul Bremer.

Mr. Ricks quotes the CIA station chief in Baghdad as saying to Pro Consul Bremer upon learning of this impending action that “By nightfall, you’ll have driven 30,000 to 50,000 Baathists underground. And in six months, you’ll really regret this.”

He obviously was exactly correct and we have paid the price in American and Iraqi blood and treasure ever since.

I don’t have any confidence these important pieces of legislation will be passed given the lack of a sense of urgency by the Iraqi Governing Council and the simple fact that they do not even want to be in session while the U.S. military is buying them the very time they have asked for to get their house in order.

So, the President dispatched his scheduler in Chief, Vice President Cheney to Iraq in hopes of convincing the Iraqi's that time is of the essence.

What time is it Mr. Vice President?

Its "Its game time in Iraq", saith Mr. Cheney.

Joke of the Day

Enjoying a Cold Beer Baghdad Style

This is a really good column by Great Baghdad.

For anyone who enjoys a cold one at the end of a long day check this out.

I tend to get caught up in the macro of the whole situation over there, that I can miss the micro. People just trying to live.



For those who fancy a cold can of BEER in the middle of the heat of Baghdad, the following is a guide to where you can find BEER now in the free, democratic and liberated Baghdad.

For those who live in the northern part of the city, there is always the liquor stores compound which is right behind the concrete Blast Barriers around the Italian Embassy in Wazziryia. For the thirsty people of Central Baghdad you can either get it across the street from the Famous Baghdad Hotel. Right across the street from the other concrete Barriers protecting the residents of Baghdad hotel with its high guard towers that provides protection to those liquor stores ( later you will know from what).

Please click on title for rest of story.

Face of the Fallen

I would like to take a moment to honor a young man who died in Iraq.

I did not know him, but he came from my home state of Illinois.

Please click on title.

Phase IV

I am watching Anthony Zinni on t.v. and he says that the Bush Administration scrapped his plan, several years in the making, for the invasion of Iraq.

"I think they tried to do it on the cheap," the former head of CENTCOM, or the Central Command that is responsible for the MIddle East said in response to what the major problem was in the planning for the invasion of Iraq.

Just threw it right out the window.

Remember that "genius" Paul Wolfowitz saying when asked about an estimate by then Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki that several hundred thousand troops would be needed in postwar Iraq, was "wildly off the mark."

I guess Wolfy knew more than a decorated West Point graduate and head of the U.S. Army?

Wolfowitz was also condescending to those who contradicted his rosy estimate of how much it will cost. This is an oldy, but a goody...

"We're dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon."

Zinnis plan called for 380,000 American troops to ensure the occupation provided safety and security for the Iraqis. It was based on many years of research and planning by people that had been operating in the region since the first Gulf War.

But then that would be the kind of plan Bush Sr. would advocate, so we know GW would not have any of that, seeing he gets guidance from a "higher father," someone elses father who apparently was President and invaded Iraq.


SWIFT BOATS AT THE READY!

Betrayed-The Iraqis who trusted America the most.

This is an article from The New Yorker by George Packer, author of "Assassins Gate" a really good book about the War in Iraq.

The article, from March 28 edition of the New Yorker, tells the stories of some brave Iraqis who risked their lives to help the U.S. in Iraq, and the treatment they received from the occupation forces. Its a good read, though sad at times.

PLEASE CLICK ON TITLE for article

“I have this nature—I don’t expect a lot from people,” Firas said. “Not betrayed, no, not disappointed. I can never blame the Americans alone. It’s the Iraqis who destroyed their country, with the help of the Americans, under the American eye.” I was about to say that he deserved better, but Firas was lost in thought. “To this moment,” he said, “I dream about America.”

Lil Bush

Click on the title to be redirected to youtube where you can see the other 2 installments!

I like America

I have to admit, the War in Iraq has at times made me feel uncomfortable with the actions of America, my country. I love my country, and this video reminded me that we have done some amazing things in our history.

Please click on the title.

This is Progress?

"We welcome the decision, even though we know this is against the basic rights of individuals," Health Ministry spokesman Qasim Yahya said. "But it is in the interest of the Iraqi people."

I just read an article in the Washington Post detailing reinstalling a Saddam Hussein law forbidding medical schools from issuing diplomas to its graduates.

This in order to keep them from practing medicine anywhere other than Iraq.

This is Democracy? This is why all those people are dying?

I am stunned.

Joke of the Day

Linear Time is So Pre 9-11

Thats good diktionary...

“The question is, ‘Who ought to make that decision, the Congress or the commanders?,’’ Mr. Bush said. “As you know, my position is clear – I’m the commander guy.”

Here is another good one from last year

"There are jobs Americans aren't doing. . . . If you've got a chicken factory, a chicken-plucking factory or whatever you call them, you know what I'm talking about."

I just had to post this. I have no comment, other than the President is demostrating some fine strategery.

Click on the title to read Eugene Robinsons article in the Washington Post concerning this issue

Victory and Violence

President Bush repeated his new metric for victory in Iraq today, stating success means "sectarian violence down."

So now we have gone from invading Iraq keep it from attacking the U.S., to a government that can "sustain, defend" and is an ally on the war on terror, to "Success is not 'no violence."

Our nation has given over 3000 of its brave soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen and spent well over 500 billion dollars.

He said today "But success is a level of violence where the people feel comfortable about living their daily lives."

Thats it people, the metrics for success in Iraq have boiled down to that. I have no idea where else he can go with that logic.

Will he next say success means garbage is picked up on a semi weekly basis?

Does anyone listen to this guy?

People are dying, and this is the crap he feeds the American public. Had he been honest and forthright with the American people, he would not be in this mess, in my opinion.

The U.S. is going to declare the surge has worked and victory has been attained in Iraq by September, because some members of the population of Iraq can collect their mail without their bodies being filled with ballbearings.

Buying the War-Bill Moyers

This is the entire documentary by BIll Moyers about how the U.S. press corp dealt with the run up to the War In Iraq. For anyone interested, or to those who should be, this is a good watch. Check it out, its for free! Just click on the title.

Joke of the Day

Orrin Hatch Blames America

I am listening to Orrin Hatch, Senator of Utah on the floor of the United States Senate.

He is blaming the American people if we lose in Iraq. If we lose our "resolve." So he is blaming you and me.

You and I didnt send enough troops to provide safety and security to a country we had the obligation under international treaties to protect.

You and I sent the troops to Iraq ill equipped and lacking sufficient body armor and armored Humvees.

You and I disbanded the Iraqi Army and fired thousands of teachers.

You and I protected the Oil fields, turned our backs on rampant looting.

You and I know very well Stuff Happens.

You and I invaded a foreign nation with no intelligence about that country and the state of the infrastructure. Indeed, we invaded this country with almost no human intelligence.

You and I invaded this country because Saddam Hussein, as Cheney said, simply stated is amassing weapons of mass destruction to use against America and its friends.

You and I will have lost this War, according to the Republicans in Congress.

Poor Sancho

Acceptable Violence

I was just listening to a briefing for reporters at the Pentagon by General Petraeus, the top general in Iraq, and he addressed this notion of an acceptable level of violence in Iraq.

By this they mean that life could get back to normal, shops open, kids playing, yet these specatular car bombs may continue.

I understand that every society accepts some violence. There are hundreds of murders in most big cities in the U.S. Yet I can still walk the steeets and feel safe, as President Bush noted the other night. Compare an American city violence to Baghdad. Is he serious? Did he say that?

So that is where we are at now in Iraq. One of the standards supporters of the war will cite now is, well the amusement parks are open and some guy is watering his soccer field despite the suicide car bomb that killed 180 people on the other side of town.

How many car bombs is peace? How many car bombs is acceptable?

So the plan for safety and security in Iraq makes room for a few car bombs here and there.

Could you imagine if the President told us that a couple Oklahoma City bombings once in a while isnt so bad. The Mall of America is still open, after all.

Does anyone listen to what these people actually say?

Poor Sancho

Peace Lines

I am getting sick and tired of hearing people say the surge is working in Iraq because the "enemy" is hitting hard back.

Or that the fact that U.S. casualties has risen, in many cases above that of the Iraqi Army, makes the case that the War is being won and the new strategy has been successful.

This one gets me mad: The surge is working and the War is being won because the number of mutilated corpses has dropped from a flood to a stream. And most officers one hears from in the news say it is more because the militias have stood down rather than from the modest increase of U.S. troops in Baghdad.

I thought the objective of the surge was to give the Iraqi government breathing space to start the reconcialation process. If that is the case, where has been the Iraqi goverment on this score? The parliament rarely meets with a quorum. They pass no meaningful legislation. None of the so called benchmarks have been met, not that I even know what they are, since they are never discussed publicly.

I was watching on TV the other day and Ian Paisley, the leader of the Protestants in Northern Ireland, and Gerry Adams, the leader of the Catholics, can barely even have a civil exchange after over 30 years of fighting and bloodshed. And the issue being discussed was the formation of a unity government to replace British rule. Sound familiar.

Another thing that sounds familiar are these walls being built around neighborhoods to separate Baghdadis. They call these "peace lines." These walls went up in the 1970's and yet still remain. Seperate to bring together. Makes sense.

Now think of the current situation in Iraq. The same amount of civilians killed in the Troubles equals the monthly death toll for Iraqis.

So all these experts on foreign affairs and retired military guys keep saying give this surge a couple months to work and bring the parties together. What world have they been living in? So, in the fall, the Sunnis and Shias and Kurds will all come to a safe and secure Baghdad and shake hands and end a Civil War that is killing on average 1000-2000 innocent Iraqis a month? And all these people have been killed even with the additional troops in Iraq? Is that what they are saying?


Furthermore, all these experts say that the surge is supposed to bring back some semblance of normalcy to Iraq. I was wondering what reality would they base that normalcy on? Life under Saddam? Life in Baghdad pre Baath party rule? The long ago days of the Salah al-Din?

Poor Sancho

Joke of the Day

"They've been doing it in Florida, and the old people seem to like it"

This new tactic of selectively compiling biometric data of Iraqis as part of the new operation to wall off and establish checkpoints for some of the most restive neighborhoods of Baghdad almost got by me in this article.

I understand here in America fingerprinting for things like a new job is common practice, but this exceeds that limited scope.

This operation gives the appearance, rightly or not, of forcing citizens of a democracy to submit to random tracking as if they were cattle on a farm. Thats the way it looks like to me.

I understand the logic behind the plan to track residents and seperate the criminals from the law abiding citizens, but it just seems to me to be another one of these things the U.S. does that makes more enemies than it vanquishes.

If the cops came to my neighborhood and said crime is up so Ill need your fingerprints and eyescan to cross the street, I would say go screw yourself.

This is why we invaded that country, to wall them in and tag them like steer?

Excerpt from:

'Gated Communities' For the War-Ravaged
U.S. Tries High Walls and High Tech To Bring Safety to Parts of Baghdad
By Karin Brulliard
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 23, 2007; A01

BAGHDAD


In some sealed-off areas, troops armed with biometric scanning devices will compile a neighborhood census by recording residents' fingerprints and eye patterns and will perhaps issue them special badges, military officials said. At least 10 Baghdad neighborhoods are slated to become or already are gated communities, said Brig. Gen. John F. Campbell, the deputy commander of American forces in Baghdad.

The tactic is part of the two-month-old U.S. and Iraqi counterinsurgency plan to calm sectarian strife and is loosely modeled after efforts in cities such as Tall Afar and Fallujah, where the military says it has curbed violence by strictly controlling access. The gated communities concept has produced mixed results in previous wars -- including failure in Vietnam, where peasants were forcibly moved to fortified hamlets, only to become sympathizers of the insurgency.

Iraqi Leader Orders Halt to Wall in Baghdad

Is this what leadership looks like? Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki has ordered the wall being built by the U.S. military to be removed.

In my opinion this is exaclty the kind of thing I want to be seeing from the Iraqis. How could the American military not have foreseen this outcry? Are they that out of touch with the needs and wants of the Iraqis?

This is a prime example of the folly that the U.S. military is involved with in Iraq. Building barriers to seperate neighborhoods when the goal of the new operation is to build security so the sides could come CLOSER together.

I am not very confident in the ability of the United States bridge to a religious divide withing Iraq based on this most current example of bad decisions made by senior leadership of the Bush Administration.

Poor Sancho

following is a part of an article from the NYT. The whole halting of building the wall isnt quite as clear as I thought...





By ALISSA J. RUBIN
Published: April 22, 2007
BAGHDAD, April 22 — Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said Sunday that he was ordering a halt to construction of a wall that would blockade a Sunni Arab neighborhood in Baghdad from other areas, saying it reminded people of “other walls.”

The announcement, which he made in Cairo while on a state visit, appeared intended to allay mounting criticism from both Sunni Arab and Shiite parties about the project. “I oppose the building of the wall and its construction will stop,” Mr. Maliki told reporters during a joint news conference with the secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa.

“There are other methods to protect neighborhoods,” he said.

A spokesman for the American military, Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, said the military would remain “in a dialogue” with the Iraqi government about how best to protect citizens. The military did not say whether the wall’s construction would be halted.

Mr. Maliki did not specify in his remarks what other walls he referred to, but the separation barrier in the West Bank being erected by Israel, which protects Israel but greatly inconveniences Palestinians, is a particularly sensitive issue among Arabs.

In Baghdad, the wall would surround the Adamiya neighborhood, a Sunni Arab enclave bordered by Shiite areas. The Sunni neighborhood often comes under mortar attack from those neighborhoods. But Adamiya has also been a stronghold of militant Sunni Arab groups and the wall would have helped the Iraqi security forces control their movements.

“The Native Americans were treated better than us”

The United States military has begun building walls in Baghdad to seperate Sunnis and Shiites in an attempt to stem the endless intranacine bloodshed.

The first of these walls is being built to enclose the Sunni Arab neighborhood of Adhamiya,one of the most violent of Baghdads districts.

This is another development in the War that you will probably not hear very much from the people like the President. This is not the part of the story Bush wants you to hear.

So we are now walling off neighborhoods from each other, creating check points on each block that effectively cut off one part of the capital city from another.

Is this what Bush calls breathing space for the Iraqis? This is the plan to bring the warring sects together to work on national reconcialiation? Does any of this seem counterintuiitive to you?

We are going to bring the Sunnis and the Shi'as together by seperating them?

And then to top it all off, Bush says this, just to remind himself that he is GW

"the men who attacked Iraqis … swear allegiance to the same network" that assaulted the United States on 9/11."

"This was hardly a random act of murder," Bush said of the explosions in Baghdad. "It has all the hallmarks of an Al Qaeda attack. The terrorists bombed … at rush hour with a specific intent to kill as many people as possible."

I just wish the President would actually be honest with the American people and talk about things like this wall being built.

So this is why we invaded Iraq? To seperate the capital city into neighborhood fiefdoms? Does that sound like Democracy?

And what happens to these "gated communities" when the United States leaves Iraq, which Mr. Bush has promised to the
American people?

Is this really a plan?

Quote of the Day

From Check Point Baghdad Newsweek Magazine

Some Iraqis are puzzled by these extreme reactions. "My mother was so touched [by the Virginia Tech shooting] that I could swear she shed a tear when we saw this on the news. I think it makes Iraqis sad to see such brutal acts anywhere in the world. I can't even imagine that someone would find this a payback for the American people," says Thair Sami, a 36-year-old dentist. "It's sad that people even in a place like the United States can't find a way other than violence to solve problems. Which actually makes me very pessimistic. If this is how people solve their problems in the U.S. then so much for the national reconciliation in Iraq."

Photos of the Day

Pictures not often seen by Americans, unless you look. I am sorry I have to show dead bodies, but that is what happens in War. These photos were taken in Baghdad Wednesday April 18 2007.



Ali al-Saadi/Agence France-Presse -- Getty Images

Joke of the Day

Will Anyone Notice? Dont Hold Your Breath

Rahim Rahim Karim Hmait, a 43-year-old taxi driver, said he tried to evacuate several wounded people to the hospital. But as he approached an army patrol at high speed, soldiers, perhaps thinking he was a suicide bomber, opened fire on his taxi. He was hit in the abdomen, leg and hand.

“I lost control and the car smashed into one of the shops,” he said in an interview at a hospital in Sadr City, where he was taken for care. “Some of the wounded people died inside the car.”


excerpt from By KIRK SEMPLE NYT-4-18-07

"Joke" of the Day

Cant say it is very funny, but I guess I wasnt the only one to think of the terrible events at Virginia Tech in the context of Iraq.

An Iraqi Woman and her Library-www.aliveinbaghdad.com

Treasure of Baghdad made me think today. This video did the same.

My thoughts were stirred from this exchange he and I had concerning the news we get here in the U.S. and the reality of Iraq for Iraqis. It is great that these people overcoming extraordianry circumstances are being highlighted and praised, rightfully so. But it just occurred to me we should be hearing stories by now about a 10 story tall library in Baghdad. Of the newly remodeled Baghdad University library. All with the newest volumes and rows of computers.

Is there even a Baghdad Library? I honestly dont know. If there was one my guess is it was looted, burned and never rebuilt.

We should be hearing about shy young men and women and traditional Arab or Islamic dating practices, not the harrowing experiences from the kids at Hometown Baghdad.

I know that sounds naive I guess. But it honestly just occurred to me. We have no idea what the hell is going on over there, the American people I mean.

Here is the exchange

Poor Sancho said...
The more I read and learn about average Iraqis like these guys gives me confidence in the future of Iraq.

We always hear that the news does not portray the "good" news from Iraq. I am not sure exactly what is a good news story, but I would count these guys as good news for Iraq.


Treasure of Baghdad said...
Yes, Sancho. But have you noticed how they are thinking of leaving Iraq fearing death? What is good in this mass immigration?

Iraq is left in the hands of criminals and clerics who day by day force the educated and elites to leave the country so that they can do whatever they like.

Can you believe that insurgents kidnapped the son of the chair of the department of my college, beheaded him and sent his head in a box to the professor?!! Do you hear such news on the American "independent" and "free" media?!! The aim was to hurt the professor, not the son. They made him flee Iraq with a broken heart. Can you imagine that? in a box?

Bush on gun control: 'Crack down on people who commit crimes'

So should we arrest the kid who blew his head off after killing 32 innocent students and teachers? That has to be one of the stupidest things I have ever him say.

How are we supposed to crack down on a dead guy with no head?

That just pissed me off.

New Generation Traumatized

Article from my friend Treasure of Baghdad. To me it shows what havoc fear and isolation can sow upon children.


When my sister and I were talking the other day about my niece, she broke my heart on something she told me, which chilled my entire spine and let my tears loose. My niece has started crying when she wakes up in the morning.


A few weeks ago, my sister heard my niece crying in her room a few minutes after her father went to work. She ran quickly to her room seeing her weeping in her bed. She held her and tried to comfort her but she didn’t stop. She went crying more as my sister held her. She took her to the living room and brought her all her favorite dolls and toys but she didn’t stop. She didn’t even touch them. She played a Sesame Street DVD for her but she didn’t look at it. She kept crying. Desperate, my sister took her outside to the backyard. As her feet stepped on the garden’s grass, she started jumping and running here and there with her tears drying gradually on her delicate cheeks. “She was depressed,” my sister told me. “She wanted to be outside the house. We barely go out these days.”


My heart sank thinking about how my 17-months old niece felt imprisoned in her house. She is one of the hundreds of thousands of children imprisoned in their houses, unable to enjoy their childhood. The last time my sister said they went to an amusement park and zoo was last month where she said they took the risk for the sake of this little girl. She told me how she was absolutely happy to see the animals at the zoo as she was jumping, carrying her red and purple balloons. She said they can’t go frequently there because one car bomb or a suicide bomber would be enough to turn their life into a tragedy.


Now my worries do not only include fear of death for my family, but also the trauma that this war is going to leave on this little girl. USA Today published a very good article about how 70 percent of Iraqi children are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which ironically, I don’t believe it’s a “post” disorder since they are still going through the same horror every single day.

Many Iraqi children have to pass dead bodies on the street as they walk to school in the morning, according to a separate report last week by the International Red Cross. Others have seen relatives killed or have been injured in mortar or bomb attacks. © USA Today


What will happen to her in the future? How is she going to deal with her childhood deprivation in the future? What kind of a child she is going to be being deprived of even enjoying the slide on the weekend? What kind of child she is going to be being imprisoned inside her house all day unable to be among children in her age? What will she say when she grows up and talks about her childhood? So many questions are in my mind but there is no answer to any one of them.


And as usual, the elected Iraqi government has no solutions for anything. Their recklessness to this situation has become as damaging as what the insurgents and militias are doing against the people of this country. Every time someone asks them about something, they use the phrase “security situation”.

The Iraqi government is aware of the problem but largely unequipped to address
it, said Ali al-Dabbagh, a government spokesman. "Until we have proper security
in Baghdad, there's not much we can do to help these children," Al-Dabbagh said
in Washington. © USA Today

I don’t know when this security situation is going to be improved. Maybe when there will be no more Iraqis in Iraq!

Virginia Tech

I have been following the War in Iraq very closely, and as a result I have become numb to horrific news. I will admit this one has shocked me.

If you can imagine this happening every other day, week after week, month upon month, year over year. To talk to your friends and no one can figure out why this happened. To shake your head and ask why?

Imagine waking up every other day with this story. Maybe for a half a second you can empathise with the Iraqis.

Hometown Baghdad

Adel tours a dangerous neighborhood armed with only a camera.

Hometown Baghdad was shot by an all-Iraqi crew and tells the stories of three young people trying to survive in Baghdad.

To view all videos in this series, go to www.youtube.com/chattheplanet

Please rate and comment on the videos. And please subscribe to our channel to see more videos in the Hometown Baghdad series. Our brave Iraqi cast and crew risked their lives to make this series. So please help us make sure the world listens by helping us spread the videos. Embed them to your site, email them around, favorite them.

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Photo of the Day

Joe Raedle/Getty
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - APRIL 15: School children watch as U.S. Army soldiers of the B-CO 2/325 AIR 82nd Airborne Division climb to the roof of their school to get a high vantage point April 15, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq.



Joe Raedle/Getty
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - APRIL 16: U.S. Army Sergeant Chris Reed from Sanford, Florida of the B-CO 2/325 AIR 82nd Airborne Division buys food from a merchant during a patrol April 16, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq

Literature Break

Don Quixote CHAPTER VIII

Blessed be Allah the all-powerful!" says Hamete Benengeli on beginning this eighth chapter; "blessed be Allah!" he repeats three times; and he says he utters these thanksgivings at seeing that he has now got Don Quixote and Sancho fairly afield, and that the readers of his delightful history may reckon that the achievements and humours of Don Quixote and his squire are now about to begin; and he urges them to forget the former chivalries of the ingenious gentleman and to fix their eyes on those that are to come, which now begin on the road to El Toboso, as the others began on the plains of Montiel; nor is it much that he asks in consideration of all he promises, and so he goes on to say:

Don Quixote and Sancho were left alone, and the moment Samson took his departure, Rocinante began to neigh, and Dapple to sigh, which, by both knight and squire, was accepted as a good sign and a very happy omen; though, if the truth is to be told, the sighs and brays of Dapple were louder than the neighings of the hack, from which Sancho inferred that his good fortune was to exceed and overtop that of his master, building, perhaps, upon some judicial astrology that he may have known, though the history says nothing about it; all that can be said is, that when he stumbled or fell, he was heard to say he wished he had not come out, for by stumbling or falling there was nothing to be got but a damaged shoe or a broken rib; and, fool as he was, he was not much astray in this.

Photo of the Day

Iraqis collect metal and plastic objects at a rubbish dump in Baghdad on April 12. Municipal dustmen no longer venture into some areas, such as Saidiyah, due to fear. Overflowing rubbish dumps and people setting fire to rubbish are a common sight in Baghdad.
(AHMAD AL-RUBAYE, AFP/Getty Images)

Life outside the Red Zone

Interview with Washington Post Baghdad Bureau Chief Sudarsan Raghavan who was in the Parliament buildings cafateria inside the Green Zone on Thursday when it was struck by a suicide bomber, killing Mohammed Awad, a moderate Sunni lawmaker as he ate his lunch. Mr. Raghavan was within feet of the explosion and was sitting in an adjacent table to the lawmaker

Video of the Attack

The Sarafiya Bridge over the Tigris River in Baghdad

News report from Dubai, as well as Al Jazeera concerning the cowardly destruction of the Sarafiya Bridge in Baghdad.

Those Who Forget History...Something Something

British Major-General Stanley Maude enters Baghdad in March 11, 1917, capturing the province of Mesopotamia from the Ottoman Empire. (NYT)


If History tells us anything, it tells us to, well, look at history. A recent article by Hugh Dellios in the Chicago Tribune analysing the British occupation of Iraq in the post World War I years demonstrates this motto better than anything I have seen or heard since the War in Iraq began. Indeed, it is one of the best analysis of the United States occupation of Iraq I have yet seen. I encourage anyone interested in the War in Iraq to read this article.

Donate Art Equipment

Donate your old digital cameras to young artists in Afghanistan
via
AFGHAN COMMUNICATOR
An Art & Culture Organization
Flushing, NY
http://www.AfghanCommunicator.com
email Rameen Javid
office@afghancommunicator.com

They need them by Friday, 20 April, 2007

to quote Rameen:
This summer, we are taking two Afghan artists to Afghanistan to conduct art workshops and raise the level of art. However, teaching skills alone can only go so far; thus we want to provide them with equipment and supplies so that they can practice what they have learned. Working with five art agencies in Afghanistan, our budget is very tight, thus we cannot afford to buy digital cameras and other equipment. We also hope to build the photography department at Herat University.

Therefore we are asking you to please donate your digital cameras, tripods, and other portable art-related items, including mat cutting boards for framing, portfolios to protect art, and brushes. More expensive technical items that are needed include memory cards, mini dvd video camera, mini dvd tapes, laptops, projectors and related software.

Fall of Baghdad 4 Years On

Newscast from the Middle East looking back at 4 years of War in Iraq. Check it out. Gives you a different perspective.

U.S. ARMY Liberates Chicago from a Loser

Joke of the Day

By Jeff Danziger

In reaction to former campaign strategist Matthew Dowd criticizing George Bush and his handling of the Iraq War, the official talking point from the White House has been to rebuke Mr. Dowd as emotionally unstable because his son is deploying to Iraq.The New York Times had a good editorial pointing out this distasteful and insulting political tactic.





Mike Luckovich. No explanation needed.

Photo of the Day

Photograph by Wathiq Khuzaie/Getty Image

Photo taken from this article in The New York Times concerning the protests against the United States on the Fourth Anniversary of the Fall of Baghdad

Iraqis Evil?

I was watching a speech by President Bush the other day and was dumbstruck when he was offering analysis on the War in Iraq and had this to say:

"it's not a civil war, it is pure evil. And I believe we have an obligation to protect ourselves from that evil."

I am curious what an average Iraqi thinks of that statement? Surely the President was not intending to paint all Iraqis under arms to be "pure evil?" Every General or reputable prognosticator recognizes the militias, and the Shi'ite militias at that to be the greatest threat and deterrent to peace and stability in Iraq. Has Mr. Bush noticed that the Shi'ite militias and the political parties that back them are what is holding the fragile Iraqi coalition government together?

That is not to discount the foreign elements such as Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia and the massive car bombs and suicide vests bombers they can deploy. But by all accounts, these compromise less than 10 percent of the overall insurgency.

It appeared for a short while after the elections in November that the language of President Bush and his minions had changed to a more sober, realistic tone rather than the black or white rosy scenarios they have proffered to the American people.

I am becoming more and more frustrated, again, at this disconnect between the rhetoric in Washington by President Bush versus the reality of constant car bombings, sectarian killings and deaths of U.S. service personell. I honestly do not understand this disconnect. It has that sound of politicking, sloganeering that the American people seem to have grown so tired of that they simply ignore his comments.

It would seem honest, forthright, bold assessments by the President as apposed to the old and worn out happy talk about "makin progress" would buy the Generals more time to do whatever that can do at this point to save Iraq from the abyss.

Senator McCain takes a stroll

Senator John McCain stated the “surge” or escalation of troops in Iraq is working and that it is safe for Americans to walk around Baghdad. To back up this claim Mr. McCain and several GOP lawmakers took a vacation to the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, finding enough time to commandeer 100 U.S. troops and 4 combat helicopters from the War on Terror to go bargain rug shopping in flak jackets with sniper teams keeping watch.

Mr Mcain claims the media is not presenting all the good news out of Iraq, or that they are reporting the news from 3 months ago. The Senator believes the “surge” has been successful, though he offers very little in the way of hard evidence, rather anecdotal evidence such as he could drive in a heavily armored convoy instead of taking a helicopter from the airport. Is that progress or an indication of how difficult it will be to attain any real progress?

The Senator fails to mention the 2000 Iraqi citizens killed from violence in March. Think of that. Or the daily tally of car bombs and the random killings by people dressed in police uniforms.

Mr. McCain’s comments and ensuing ditch digging are prime examples of why the American people have tuned out the War in Iraq and have no confidence in the leaders that got America in this mess.

Wait we have Rep. Pence of Indiana saying “The Shorja market, was "like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summer time.” Is he serious?

Iraq Four Years Survey

My friend Treasure of Baghdad kindly included me in a survey of Iraq and U.S. bloggers concerning the invasion of Iraq by the United States four years ago. Following are my responses. I encourage anyone to take part and answer any and all of the questions.

1) What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?

I was not in favor of the invasion to begin with, but I must admit to not being against the invasion. I was of the opinion that the decision has been made, we are going to war so you may as well pray for success and hopefully it will be over fast and to everyone’s benefit, Iraq and the United States, the latter being my country.
I also have memories of heated discussions with people concerning the invasion, but most people I know simply hate President Bush and cannot have an intelligent argument unless it has to do with America bashing or Bush bashing. There is no discussing specifics. This I have no time for and as a result act in a very defensive, negative bullying style that makes me sound conservative and a supporter of the war and the President, of which I support neither.
I HONESTLY believed that my country would not go invade another country, topple its government and install another without a well thought out plan. I mean, we have been dealing with this country since the first Gulf War. Surely we know the lay of the land, the major players. Why didn’t I notice that there was pretty much one voice for Iraq outside Iraq, and it was this guy Ahmed Chalabi. How could I have missed that he had not been in Iraq in, say, 20 years or more? And he speaks for the Iraq people and knows what it will be like when we go in? But then I also believed Mohamed El-Baradai and Hans Blix that the case for WMD was shaky. I guess I tried to believe it all and none at the same time.
I spent too much time on the fence, and my balls got busted.
Before the Gulf War of 1991, the U.S. Congress at least had an honest debate about going to war. At that point we were only 16 years removed from the ignominious retreat from Saigon. I was in college afraid of being drafted and can remember vividly thinking “I don’t want to go bleed all over the desert in some far away land so we can have cheaper oil and to put a KING, a KING mind you back on his throne. Didn’t we fight a war to put an end to that type of tyrannical rule?
The strangest part is that back then in 91 it seemed more real, as if it were affecting me personally. In 2002/03 they tried selling the Iraq 9-11 connection as a big reason and I didn’t buy it, yet still was silent. Was I asleep? Am I that stupid? My first reaction is yes, I was. But I also get annoyed at people who were so smart; they knew exactly what was going to happen.
I am ashamed of myself. I never considered just exactly what it means to unleash the Dogs War.

2) It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since then? Why?

Yes. My opinion has changed with respect to the United States and its ability to effect change in the world, to help out other countries. How can we help those poor people in the Sudan when the full weight of the U.S. military cannot even keep the power on in Baghdad?
I can remember having a conversation about the war and its aftermath. I remember saying they will bring every able bodied Military Policeman, as well as International Police, the kind that are trained go in to post conflict areas and help keep the peace. How can I support people who didn’t even have that sense of forethought, when a slacking kid like me did? How can I support and have confidence in the very same people that caused this out of control situation?

3) Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
I put the blame squarely on the United States. The day the Saddam statue fell in Firdos Square, the United States under international treaties the U.S. is signature to, became the government of Iraq and from that day was sole entity responsible for the safety and security of the people of Iraq.
Therefore, if there were peace and stability the U.S. would have been responsible for the success and all the credit due accordingly.
Unfortunately the opposite conditions exist in Iraq, where death and murder and sorrow accompany every muezzin’s call to prayer.

4) What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?


I do not personally know any people from Iraq. I am in contact with one blogger from Iraq who currently is studying in the United States and I personally know only one person that has been to Iraq and he is an American reporter and therefore I am reluctant to make recommendations on what should be done in Iraq.
Until the people have confidence in the government to provide security the violence will continue. And what level of security would be acceptable to the Iraqi’s I have no idea. I know if it were my country I would want 0 car bombs and no drill hole corpses any more. I would want to be able to send my children to school and know that the cops on the street will make sure the street is safe enough for them to walk alone without fear of a stray ball bearing severing her artery because some young man feels so strongly in his position to strap a vest of plastic explosives lined with ball bearings and set it off at the entrance to a university. Why should anyone expect any less than that?
The people must also feel that their government of Iraqi’s is in control of their country, not a foreign ignorant occupier.

5) Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?

No, I do not think the U.S. should withdraw its combat forces now. Having invaded and occupied Iraq, creating chaos and death on an unimaginable scale only to leave these conditions behind while not at least trying to help make it better, albeit late, the U.S. has an obligation to stay.
Again, this is difficult for me to make recommendations as I am so far removed from the situation, and we have the President to thank for this as he never asked anything of the American people. Wait, he asked loyal republicans who never had a passport to go to Iraq and create zip codes. ZIP CODES!
But I digress. Is the U.S. presence in Iraq only making it worse and if we simply left all the drill-holed bodies would stop showing up in the morgue? If we left would that mean the Sunni woman could go look for her dead husband at the Shiite morgue without fear of being raped? Will the Shiite pilgrims mourning Imam Hussain ibn Ali feel safe to walk with piety to Karbala without fear of being burned beyond recognition?
6) Do you think the war was worth it? Why?

No. All for one man? That guy in the rat hole who needed his teeth brushed? That guy? All those dead people for THAT GUY? An orgy of death and destruction on a scale rarely seen. As an American I am complicit and feel ashamed at what we did to the peace loving people of Iraq.

Guns or Butter

Every freshman macroeconomics student is familiar with the theory of “guns or butter,” a simple economic model that illustrates the balance a nation must make between military production and civilian needs. The model shows that as you add from one side of the ledger sheet, you must subtract from the other. With his current policies with regard to the War in Iraq, President Bush is attempting to have to have both guns and butter.

While waging a full scale war without putting any burden upon the civilian populace, Mr. Bush has cut taxes and sent roughly one million Americans, out of a total population of 300 million Americans, to Iraq. That number represents less than one percent of the total populace of the United States.

Unlike the state run planned economy of the Soviet Union, the United States is very diverse and global and hence can survive, even grow, during a sustained military campaign on foreign soil. This fact is striking given the current climate of tax cuts favored by the Bush Administration.

Thus the resilience of the U.S. economy to sustain a terrorist attack upon its very financial heart and then wage an all out war involving the full weight of the U.S. military while continue to grow makes it highly unlikely it will crack under the pressure. So the true economic model of guns or butter may not apply to these times involving this economy.

Societal, not Economic

The model guns and butter then is an allegory for what Mr. Bush was attempting to accomplish with his War in Iraq. He was trying so hard to have a full scale war while placing absolutely no burden on the nation as a whole. Thus, he was trying to have both sides of the ledger sheet rise at the same time. This is an impossible task, as his former Yale economy professors may tell him.

This lack of carrying any burdens has not been lost on the soldiers serving in Iraq. A constant refrain heard goes something like this “The nation is not at war, the U.S. military is at war.”

That statement shows perfectly the absurdity of a country attempting to fight and win a war without actually involving the whole country.

Think of that. We invaded and replaced a foreign government without ever having a debate, a declaration of war or involvement by the full weight and influence that a united nation can bring to bear, as the U.S. has done in previous successful wars such as World War I, or WWII.

Indeed, Mr. Bush speaks of this war in context of a struggle for freedom and our very way of life, much like World War II.

Imagine if Mr. Bush was President during those times. He
would cut taxes, have no draft and most likely be adamantly opposed to such socialist ideals as collecting rubber tires for the war effort. Don’t change your way of life or the Nazis win, one can almost hear the President saying.

This is why I get very confused, almost angry when I hear people like Vice President Dick Cheney and House minority leader the Honorable John Boehner say that the only way we can lose this war is if the American people lose their will for the fight.

Lose the will for the fight? How can we lose the will for something we have no stake in and have no idea what the reason for going to war was in the first place since it changes biannually?

Furthermore, an even worse point to consider is how a nation can expect to win a war when the leadership of that nation fails to include the entire populace and its vast resources in addition to its military might? Those brave men and women In Iraq deserve nothing less.

Political Settlement

British and Iraqi forces raided the headquarters for the National Iraqi Intelligence Agency in Basra, finding evidence of torture and abuse. This operation illustrates how difficult a political settlement will be to reach in this war ravaged country.

The raid was condemned by the Prime Minister of Iraq, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki as being illegal, while making no mention of the alleged torture or abuse by members of his own Shiite dominated Interior Ministry.

The P.M. seems more put off about not being informed of the operation prior to it being carried out than the conditions found by the joint Iraq U.K. raid.

This situation shows just how difficult a political settlement will be to attain in Iraq. The Prime Minister of Iraq was either complicate in the knowledge of the conditions at his government agency in Basra or he is unable to do anything to change those conditions in the south, where Shiite Militias including the powerful Mahdi Army of radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr hold most of the power.

Conditions in the south are significantly different than the one the Americans are dealing with in the capital city of Baghdad. In Basra there are few Sunni Arabs and the resulting sectarian blood letting that comes from the 1500 years old scab that was removed with the invasion by the Americans and their allies. Rather there is a myriad of Shiite groups vying for power, including the less publicized but no less lethal Badr Brigades of the leading religious Shiite party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI.

In what appears and attempt to keep the operation secret and the surprise element in place, the P.M. of Iraq was not informed. This was due to previous operations that were undermined by members the P.M.’s office tipping off the torturers, or having them released soon after capture.

This action then forced the Iraqi P.M. to condemn the raid and the raiders, the very members of his own government and the British, his ally in the fight to control his country.

Furthermore, the need for this operation and the way it was carried out brings into doubt the rosy scenario U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair recently illustrated as the factors for accelerated withdrawal from the south of Iraq of British troops.

This raid in Basra is a prime example how difficult a political settlement will be in Iraq when torture and abuse are overlooked while the people that rescued these victims from the ubiquitous drill hole in the knee cap are condemned as criminals.

The conflict between the forces of the Mehdi Army of Moktada al-Sadr and the Badr Brigades of SCIRI in the south of Iraq could well be a harbinger to the inevitable power struggle between the dominant Shiite parties for control of the entire nation of Iraq.

War Language

The public selling by the Bush Administration for the reasons to go to War in Iraq was made by professional spin doctors with very nuanced language.

The American people were told it was necessary to invade and occupy Iraq because he might sell WMD to Al Qaeda, that Al Qaeda had a working relationship with Saddam Hussein, or that Saddam may even have been involved with 9-11.

There has been a slow, steady shift away from the language of these proven false assertions. The new language was evident in the speeches made on the floor of the US House of Representatives this past week as Republican members supporting the troop increase attempted to defend there case for standing behind the President.

The Bush administration and its minions now tell the American people that the reasons we are in Iraq now, and must stay for indeterminate amount of time, is so we don’t lose.

I understand the goal of all war is to not lose, rather to win. But gone are the high goals of a thriving Jeffersonian democracy in the heart of the middle east. Gone are the days of “making progress” and “stay the course.”

In are the days of the Republicans saying we must stay now to keep it from falling into an all out civil war, possibly bringing in surrounding nations to defend there Sunni or Shiite brothers. That means Saudi Arabia to defend the Sunni, while Iran would be obliged to come to the aid of Shiites.

Governments choose their words carefully, as they are the weapons they use before the real guns come out. It is incumbent upon Americans to listen to what any administration says, as it will determine your future.