The Bush administration, and their heir-abhorrent John McSame, are now saying that we are overcoming al Qaeda in Iraq.... of course they fail to mention that al Qaeda wasn't in Iraq until we invaded and set the stage for them.
McCain is loudly trumpeting that our troops are at pre-surge levels. Well, actually we have 155,000 troops on the ground in Iraq... the pre-surge level was 135,000.
What to believe.
As Scott McClellan, former Bush White House press secretary, makes clear in his just-published memoir, the Bush White House operates in constant campaign mode, spewing propaganda steadily in order to manipulate public opinion.
So..... let's step back. Instead of listening to the tornadic spin from those who have everything to lose if Iraq and the fight against terrorism isn't a rosy picture, and be informed by the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Donald M. Kerr, and his national intelligence analysis delivered in a speech Thursday evening.
As reported in "Intelligence Official Sees Little Progress Before Bush Exits" (WaPo), Kerr "predicted that the Bush administration would make little progress before leaving office on top national security priorities including an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, political reconciliation in Iraq and keeping Iran from being able to produce a nuclear weapon.
"A regenerated al Qaeda will remain the leading terrorism threat... "
As the White House issues it lies and distortions, and McCain promises more of the same, Kerr soberly warns against making intelligence a partisan issue, "The Middle East threats and challenges I've laid out.... are nonpartisan in nature and will confront our nation regardless of who is in the Oval Office..." to receive intelligence briefings.
But, as The Decider made clear about his approach to governing as revealed in a statement as governor of Texas.... "I am not part of the problem. I am a Republican."
And, John McSame promises to slip into Bush's Decider boots and march off the cliff....
Showing posts with label al Qaeda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label al Qaeda. Show all posts
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Bush's Legacy is a "Mess"
Nothing seems to be working for The Decider.... not clutching onto the hem of popular Pope Benedict XVI, nor holding a podium-lolling Texas-cowboy press conference with Gordon Brown, the premier of staunch ally Britain. For Bubble Boy, it's just "One Thing After Another." (Froomkin-WaPo)
Regardless of these pandering PR attempts, today public opinion experts seem to agree.... Bush "has made a mess of things."
A poll conducted by the Pentagon's top military educational institute shows the public is "profoundly" unhappy about the economy and continued U.S. involvement in Iraq, calling the war a "major debacle" whose outcome "is in doubt."
And, a government audit concludes that the Bush administration lacks a comprehensive plan to combat terrorism in the part of Pakistan where Public Enemy #1 al-Qaeda is regenerating its ability to attack the U.S. (Note to John McSame and Darth Cheney.... al-Qaeda is in Pakistan, not Iraq, nor Iran.)
Just what was Boy George's view of such a dire Iraq assessment.... "So long as I'm the president, my measure of success is victory - and success."
Well.... that clears things up. Don't you feel safer now?
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
McCain's Shadow....
Munich Security Conference of 2006. John McCain was conferring with the foreign minister of Germany when...."McCain 'started shaking and rising out of his chair," said one participant, a former senior diplomatic official who related the anecdote on condition of anonymity. "He said something like: 'I haven't come to Munich to hear this kind of crap.' " McCain's old pal Joe Lieberman jumped in. "Lieberman, who reads him very well, put his hand on McCain's arm and said gently, 'John, I think there's been a problem in the translation.' Of course Lieberman doesn't speak German and there hadn't been any problem in the translation.... It was just John's explosive temper." (Newsweek)
Fast forward to McCain's visit two weeks ago to the Middle East when he mistakenly said Iran was training al Qaeda in Iraq. Always-there-Joe quickly whispered in McCain's ear that Iran was accused of training fellow Shiite extremists, not their archenemies the Sunni al Qaeda.
At many McCain campaign stops, Lieberman is onstage with a microphone also fielding questions, sometimes holding forth longer than McCain. The Joe-and-John show arrived at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall in matching yarmulkes, and were decked out like teeny-bopper twins in matching suit-and-red-sweater combos at a snowy New Hampshire town hall meeting.
It's obvious, Lieberman, Democratic VP candidate to Al Gore in 2000, now an Independent after being shown the door by Democrats in Connecticut.... is McCain's ever-present minder.
Like a slick mob consigliere, Lieberman is there to smooth things over and rescue McCain when he strays off the farm.... which happens quite often. Maybe a choleric 70 plus is....
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
McCain's Free Ride
It's clear.... John McCain is getting a free ride from the media, maybe lulled by their chummy hops on his Straight Talk Express.
McCain has dodged his lobbyist ties to his bimbo eruption.... he's disarmed his misleading "safe" stroll around a Baghdad market while being guarded by the might of the U.S. military... he's silenced the fallout from his "bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" warbling.... he's stepped away from his 100 years in Iraq commitment.... he's tamped down his Mad Max persona....
He's downplayed his pandering to far-right hate purveyor Jerry Falwell and seeking the endorsement of Catholic-and-gay-bashing televangelist John Hagee.... he's expounded unchallenged on his recommendation for less "regulatory, accounting and tax impediments to raising capital" in the face of the Bear Stearns billions bailout even though he admittedly doesn't understand the economy....
And, he's excused for his who-is-who stumbles in Jordan, that a hovering Joe Lieberman whisperingly corrected, on Iran training their enemy al Qaeda.
Just imagine.... imagine if Barack Obama had made these fumbles. He would be history. Imagine if Hillary Clinton didn't know that Iran and al Qaeda are enemies..... she'd be out of the race. But McCain.... the news organizations like the cut of his jib. Never mind that he's not up to the job, he's a nice guy.
Haven't we heard this before? Remember during his presidential campaign when The Decider couldn't name world leaders. Ha, ha, ha, the press said. Isn't that cute. Just like they are treating a not-ready-for-prime-time McSame.
As Harold Meyerson points out today in "McCain on the Red Phone" if McCain becomes president we had better hope that Lieberman bunks with him so if that call comes in the middle of the night he can whisper in McCain's ear.
Meyerson makes the case that McCain made the Iran-al Qaeda mistake more than once, it "wasn't just a passing thought. It was a thought that had taken up residence in McCain's brain.... Whether it was a simple mistake, a neoconservative delusion or a habit of mind that lumps together all of America's enemies we cannot say. What we can say is that the idea of any or all of these options is profoundly disquieting.
"The very thought of a president who deliberately conflates or erroneously confuses our adversaries with each other is appalling, though not without precedent. We're mired in a war that has its roots in George W. Bush's both imagining and fabricating an alliance between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. Do we really want to perpetuate these habits of mind in the next administration?"
Meyerson points out that "McCain's meshugas didn't really get the attention it deserved.... he was fortunate that his descent into fantasy occurred in the same week as Barack Obama's reverend crisis and Wall Street's near-meltdown.
He got a pass from the media, Meyerson says, because his statement "ran so completely counter to his image as an expert on national security."
But just what is that expertise? Has anyone seriously assessed his beliefs? His neoconservative, war-first stance.... The Decider on steroids.
Meyerson bemoans.... "Hard to say what's more dangerous - McCain's approach to the economy or McCain's approach to the world. The thought of him answering the red phone at 3 a.m. fills me with foreboding. Hell, I don't want him answering the phone at 3 p.m."
Monday, March 24, 2008
Media Excuses, Ware Reality
Recent polls show Americans are not as concerned about the Iraq war.... why?
Perhaps this has something to do with their flagging attention, "The War Endures, but Where's the Media?" (NYTimes)
That's right, as recently as the middle of last year.... around "surge" time.... "it was still the most-covered topic. Since then, Iraq coverage by major American news sources has plummeted, to about one-fifth of what it was last summer."
The policy debate in Washington has almost disappeared from the news.... made obvious by the media's ignoring of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's major policy speeches on the war and national security last week.
The media wants to roll around in the muck of Rev. Wright's rejected comments, or Bill Clinton's musings that John McCain and Hillary Clinton are patriots.... plainly implying that Obama is not.
Just how does this smear-touchy-feely coverage inform the public on what the presidential candidates propose on vital issues like the slogging-in-place quagmire of the Iraq war, the dangerous state of our quickly unraveling economy and the out-of-control cost and out-of-reach availability of medical care and health insurance for tens of millions U.S. citizens?
This month marks both the 5th anniversary of an unwinnable Iraq war that is gutting our nation's military, economic health, and standing in the world.... and the horrific casualty benchmark from that war.... now a mournful 4,000 of our brave troops.
Yet, while news organizations say that the last six months have been safer for U.S. troops.... with statistics and reports spoon-fed to them by the White House.... they also say in the same breath that "violence against journalists makes reporting on Iraq costly and difficult.... the risks have forced news organizations to hire private security forces and Iraqi employees who can go places that Westerners cannot safely explore."
"From the start of the war through 2005, journalists and their support workers were killed in Iraq at a rate of one every 12 days.... in 2006 and 2007, the rate was one every eight days. Most of those killed have been Iraqis."
So.... which is it? Are things less deadly in Iraq or not? Or, is the expense of covering the war the driving factor in the lack of coverage? Easier to just take the war stories dished up by the Bush administration perhaps.
And, while we're on the subject.... what does straight talking, on-the-spot-in-the-middle-of-Baghdad-since-before-the-war reporter, CNN's Michael Ware, have to say about the lagging public interest.
In a recent interview (YouTube) with Bill Maher, Ware asked why would the public want to watch an Iraq horror show every night. He points out that regardless of what the "used car salesman" tries to tell us, only about 2 percent of the violence is caused by al Qaeda, that they are just used as the sales pitch to justify our presence.... this war has handed Iraq to Iran on a platter.
He further points out that the "surge" is working because besides more boots on the ground, we're bribing 70,000 militia every month so they'll sit on their hands.... for now.... and, that the neighborhoods are quieter because they've been ethnically cleansed.
But, he also warns that leaving would impact on our economy because unchecked militias on both sides of the civil war would go after the oil.
So, whether or not it started out as the reason... in deference to those of you still clinging to the ever-changing fairy tales of justification.... it's becoming increasingly clear that oil is why we're staying.
The media can make its excuses.... but they're not reporting on Iraq because the presidential campaign circus is in town and all three rings are the current freak show.
As Ware said, in Iraq at least, al Qaeda is so yesterday.
Perhaps this has something to do with their flagging attention, "The War Endures, but Where's the Media?" (NYTimes)
That's right, as recently as the middle of last year.... around "surge" time.... "it was still the most-covered topic. Since then, Iraq coverage by major American news sources has plummeted, to about one-fifth of what it was last summer."
The policy debate in Washington has almost disappeared from the news.... made obvious by the media's ignoring of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's major policy speeches on the war and national security last week.
The media wants to roll around in the muck of Rev. Wright's rejected comments, or Bill Clinton's musings that John McCain and Hillary Clinton are patriots.... plainly implying that Obama is not.
Just how does this smear-touchy-feely coverage inform the public on what the presidential candidates propose on vital issues like the slogging-in-place quagmire of the Iraq war, the dangerous state of our quickly unraveling economy and the out-of-control cost and out-of-reach availability of medical care and health insurance for tens of millions U.S. citizens?
This month marks both the 5th anniversary of an unwinnable Iraq war that is gutting our nation's military, economic health, and standing in the world.... and the horrific casualty benchmark from that war.... now a mournful 4,000 of our brave troops.
Yet, while news organizations say that the last six months have been safer for U.S. troops.... with statistics and reports spoon-fed to them by the White House.... they also say in the same breath that "violence against journalists makes reporting on Iraq costly and difficult.... the risks have forced news organizations to hire private security forces and Iraqi employees who can go places that Westerners cannot safely explore."
"From the start of the war through 2005, journalists and their support workers were killed in Iraq at a rate of one every 12 days.... in 2006 and 2007, the rate was one every eight days. Most of those killed have been Iraqis."
So.... which is it? Are things less deadly in Iraq or not? Or, is the expense of covering the war the driving factor in the lack of coverage? Easier to just take the war stories dished up by the Bush administration perhaps.
And, while we're on the subject.... what does straight talking, on-the-spot-in-the-middle-of-Baghdad-since-before-the-war reporter, CNN's Michael Ware, have to say about the lagging public interest.
In a recent interview (YouTube) with Bill Maher, Ware asked why would the public want to watch an Iraq horror show every night. He points out that regardless of what the "used car salesman" tries to tell us, only about 2 percent of the violence is caused by al Qaeda, that they are just used as the sales pitch to justify our presence.... this war has handed Iraq to Iran on a platter.
He further points out that the "surge" is working because besides more boots on the ground, we're bribing 70,000 militia every month so they'll sit on their hands.... for now.... and, that the neighborhoods are quieter because they've been ethnically cleansed.
But, he also warns that leaving would impact on our economy because unchecked militias on both sides of the civil war would go after the oil.
So, whether or not it started out as the reason... in deference to those of you still clinging to the ever-changing fairy tales of justification.... it's becoming increasingly clear that oil is why we're staying.
The media can make its excuses.... but they're not reporting on Iraq because the presidential campaign circus is in town and all three rings are the current freak show.
As Ware said, in Iraq at least, al Qaeda is so yesterday.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Obama and McCain Speak
The two leading candidates for the presidency made public comments today. Sen. Barack Obama spoke in Philadelphia about race and his vision for a "perfected" America, and Sen. John McCain spoke to the press in Amman, Jordan about terrorism and al Qaeda.
The words of Obama: "... This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that never should've been authorized and never should've been waged, and we want to talk about how we'll show our patriotism by caring for them, and their families, and giving them the benefits they have earned." (NYTimes)
The words of McCain: "It was common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate." (MediaMatters)
At which time Sen. Joe Liberman, standing just behind McCain, stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate's ear. McCain then said: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al Qaeda."
And, this isn't the first time he made this mistake.... On right-wing Hugh Hewitt's radio show Monday night he made the same assertion. It wasn't a "misspeak" in Amman, just his Bush-bobble-head chant.
Wouldn't you think that someone who professes to have the most foreign policy experience of any presidential candidate would know that Iran and al Qaeda represent opposing sides in the Iraq civil war. Al Qaeda being Sunni Muslim while Iran is ruled by Shiites who comprise 90% of their population.
Tomorrow Obama is giving an address on Iraq and national security, and the day after tomorrow on the economy. If you want to hear intelligent discourse on these thorniest of the many Bush-bestowed quagmires, tune in.
Then decide.... which man is best equipped to be our next president.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Biden Pakistan Warnings Prophetic
Regardless of the saber-rattling of The Decider against Iran, presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) has been warning that the hot spot in the Middle East isn't Iran, but Pakistan.... a country rife with al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists and bristling with nuclear weapons.
Today in Rawalpindi, Pakistan's instability was tragically validated with the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto who headed up a party in opposition to President Pervez Musharraf.
Bhutto was shot in the neck and chest just before a suicide bomber detonated explosives near her car as she was leaving a campaign rally. At least 20 others were also killed by the bombing.
Also today in Rawalpindi, a rooftop sniper opened fire at the rally of another political foe of Musharraf, the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, killing four supporters.
It's just 12 days until the Pakistanis are supposed to vote in national parliamentary elections.... the party with the most legislative seats determines who is prime minister. Will Musharraf now call off these elections and reimpose a state of emergency, leaving him in power and the push for democracy nowhere?
U.S. military officials said last week that the terrorist group al Qaeda is increasingly focusing its efforts in Pakistan.... considered the most dangerous country in the world..... a nuclear-armed country quickly plunging into chaos.
Ask yourself who do you want in the White House as the situation in Pakistan becomes ever more dangerous.... the candidate who is highly respected and experienced in foreign affairs, who understands the gravity and complexity of the situation in the Middle East, knows its leaders, and serves as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
That presidential candidate is Democrat Senator Joe Biden.
Today in Rawalpindi, Pakistan's instability was tragically validated with the assassination of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto who headed up a party in opposition to President Pervez Musharraf.
Bhutto was shot in the neck and chest just before a suicide bomber detonated explosives near her car as she was leaving a campaign rally. At least 20 others were also killed by the bombing.
Also today in Rawalpindi, a rooftop sniper opened fire at the rally of another political foe of Musharraf, the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, killing four supporters.
It's just 12 days until the Pakistanis are supposed to vote in national parliamentary elections.... the party with the most legislative seats determines who is prime minister. Will Musharraf now call off these elections and reimpose a state of emergency, leaving him in power and the push for democracy nowhere?
U.S. military officials said last week that the terrorist group al Qaeda is increasingly focusing its efforts in Pakistan.... considered the most dangerous country in the world..... a nuclear-armed country quickly plunging into chaos.
Ask yourself who do you want in the White House as the situation in Pakistan becomes ever more dangerous.... the candidate who is highly respected and experienced in foreign affairs, who understands the gravity and complexity of the situation in the Middle East, knows its leaders, and serves as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
That presidential candidate is Democrat Senator Joe Biden.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Deadly Middle East Meddling
Here we go again!
Regime change to solve a problem.... like the U.S.-supported shah of Iran. And, we all know how that turned out. Iran now has a radical Islamic controlling party and the United States is the enemy.
Learning nothing from history, The Decider tried regime change in oil-rich Iraq. So far what that has gotten us are countless U.S. and Iraqi casualties, a virtual tsunami of national debt, and an unstable warring nation bordering on, and largely politically controlled by, neighboring U.S.-unfriendly Iran. With no good resolution in sight.
The United States had one "friend" in this Middle East cluster, military-coup president Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan. He "supported" the Iraq invasion while dealing with very unstable Islamic elements in his own country.... obviously not very successfully as al Qaeda and The Taliban relocated and revitalized their command and control operations to Pakistan's mountainous northwestern region, even infiltrating and overrunning some cities.
So..... a meddling Bush twisted Musharraf's arm to allow exiled former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto to return to Pakistan in order to forge a power-sharing government. A government pleasing to the United States. This set the stage....
When those negotiations not surprisingly broke down, rather than relinquish his dual role as president and head of the military, Musharraf declared a national emergency.
You see, the "term of Pakistan's current government expires on Thursday, and it also would have been the final day of Musharraf's current stint in office had he not extended it by declaring emergency rule." WaPo
So now, this nuclear-armed nation is coming apart at the seams, and rival leaders are under detention or have been "carted off by the police." NYTimes
Opposition politician Imran Khan, a popular former cricket player, appeared at a university anti-Musharraf protest Wednesday. You probably saw the media accounts.... signs that read "No to Emergency" and "Go Musharraf, Go." Not the "Go" rallying cry of football games, but the "Go" of leave office now.
What you may not have seen were the students at the protest affiliated with the radical Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami who were chanting slogans against President Bush and the United States. Kahn was seized by students belonging to Islami Jamiat-e-Talba, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. They detained him until he was arrested by police.... obviously the radical Islamics are emboldened by recent events.
So, here is the "shah of Iran" showdown once again.... and Musharraf, by aligning himself with the United States, is the enemy of the radical Islamists, but has also alienated the Pakistani moderates with his suspension of the constitution and national-emergency strong-arm tactics....
But this Pakistan showdown is deadly different from Iran's uprising..... for whoever controls Pakistan controls a nuclear-armed nation.
Regime change to solve a problem.... like the U.S.-supported shah of Iran. And, we all know how that turned out. Iran now has a radical Islamic controlling party and the United States is the enemy.
Learning nothing from history, The Decider tried regime change in oil-rich Iraq. So far what that has gotten us are countless U.S. and Iraqi casualties, a virtual tsunami of national debt, and an unstable warring nation bordering on, and largely politically controlled by, neighboring U.S.-unfriendly Iran. With no good resolution in sight.
The United States had one "friend" in this Middle East cluster, military-coup president Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan. He "supported" the Iraq invasion while dealing with very unstable Islamic elements in his own country.... obviously not very successfully as al Qaeda and The Taliban relocated and revitalized their command and control operations to Pakistan's mountainous northwestern region, even infiltrating and overrunning some cities.
So..... a meddling Bush twisted Musharraf's arm to allow exiled former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto to return to Pakistan in order to forge a power-sharing government. A government pleasing to the United States. This set the stage....
When those negotiations not surprisingly broke down, rather than relinquish his dual role as president and head of the military, Musharraf declared a national emergency.
You see, the "term of Pakistan's current government expires on Thursday, and it also would have been the final day of Musharraf's current stint in office had he not extended it by declaring emergency rule." WaPo
So now, this nuclear-armed nation is coming apart at the seams, and rival leaders are under detention or have been "carted off by the police." NYTimes
Opposition politician Imran Khan, a popular former cricket player, appeared at a university anti-Musharraf protest Wednesday. You probably saw the media accounts.... signs that read "No to Emergency" and "Go Musharraf, Go." Not the "Go" rallying cry of football games, but the "Go" of leave office now.
What you may not have seen were the students at the protest affiliated with the radical Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami who were chanting slogans against President Bush and the United States. Kahn was seized by students belonging to Islami Jamiat-e-Talba, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. They detained him until he was arrested by police.... obviously the radical Islamics are emboldened by recent events.
So, here is the "shah of Iran" showdown once again.... and Musharraf, by aligning himself with the United States, is the enemy of the radical Islamists, but has also alienated the Pakistani moderates with his suspension of the constitution and national-emergency strong-arm tactics....
But this Pakistan showdown is deadly different from Iran's uprising..... for whoever controls Pakistan controls a nuclear-armed nation.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Fighting Them Where?.....
The Decider and his course-whisperer Darth Cheney keep telling us to be very afraid....a Middle Eastern country wants nuclear weapons.... fight Islamic militants there so we don't have to fight them here.
They are describing the next country in their cross hairs, Iran.
But.... Iran doesn't have nuclear weapons, and isn't a base for Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda or the Taliban.
What they won't tell you because it doesn't fit their "axis of evil" mentality.... is that arguably the most dangerous country in the world, one "Where the Jihad Lives Now," and, "Islamic militants have spread beyond their tribal bases, and have the run of an unstable, nuclear-armed nation"....is Pakistan. (Newsweek)
Just ask Benazir Bhutto how dangerous Pakistan is. Upon her return from exile in Dubai last Thursday, suicide bombers unleashed explosions that killed at least 134 bystanders and police, and injured 450 more on her motorcade's parade route in Karachi.
You see, Pakistan created militant Islamist groups for their own purposes.... originally recruited, trained and armed by the Inter-Services Intelligence agency.... who have now become a rampaging monster, twice nearly succeeded in assassinating the country's autocratic leader, General Pervez Musharraf.
Al Qaeda doesn't have to look to Iran or any other country for its nuclear bomb, it's right in their Pakistan backyard where the "Taliban and Qaeda elements have now turned much of the country, including some cities, into a base that gives jihadists more room to maneuver, both in Pakistan and beyond."
Dozens of Taliban commanders have moved their wives and children to Pakistan from Afghanistan. Islamist fighters now operate relatively freely in cities like Karachi after lying low in remote mountain villages since 2001. The Taliban work closely with Qaeda leaders in the tribal regions, "planning attacks together and pooling their skills."
Meanwhile.... the dastardly D.C. duo, led by Cheney, are pounding the war drums on Iran, echoing the same drumbeat that justified the attack on Iraq. Sunday Cheney called Tehran, "the world's most active state sponsor of terror" and vowing "serious consequences".... and The Decider uttered the "W" word last week.... WW III.
So while our reckless leaders go charging after old scores to settle in Iran, the deadly jihadist cancer spreads in Pakistan.... nuclear-armed unstable Pakistan.
They are describing the next country in their cross hairs, Iran.
But.... Iran doesn't have nuclear weapons, and isn't a base for Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda or the Taliban.
What they won't tell you because it doesn't fit their "axis of evil" mentality.... is that arguably the most dangerous country in the world, one "Where the Jihad Lives Now," and, "Islamic militants have spread beyond their tribal bases, and have the run of an unstable, nuclear-armed nation"....is Pakistan. (Newsweek)
Just ask Benazir Bhutto how dangerous Pakistan is. Upon her return from exile in Dubai last Thursday, suicide bombers unleashed explosions that killed at least 134 bystanders and police, and injured 450 more on her motorcade's parade route in Karachi.
You see, Pakistan created militant Islamist groups for their own purposes.... originally recruited, trained and armed by the Inter-Services Intelligence agency.... who have now become a rampaging monster, twice nearly succeeded in assassinating the country's autocratic leader, General Pervez Musharraf.
Al Qaeda doesn't have to look to Iran or any other country for its nuclear bomb, it's right in their Pakistan backyard where the "Taliban and Qaeda elements have now turned much of the country, including some cities, into a base that gives jihadists more room to maneuver, both in Pakistan and beyond."
Dozens of Taliban commanders have moved their wives and children to Pakistan from Afghanistan. Islamist fighters now operate relatively freely in cities like Karachi after lying low in remote mountain villages since 2001. The Taliban work closely with Qaeda leaders in the tribal regions, "planning attacks together and pooling their skills."
Meanwhile.... the dastardly D.C. duo, led by Cheney, are pounding the war drums on Iran, echoing the same drumbeat that justified the attack on Iraq. Sunday Cheney called Tehran, "the world's most active state sponsor of terror" and vowing "serious consequences".... and The Decider uttered the "W" word last week.... WW III.
So while our reckless leaders go charging after old scores to settle in Iran, the deadly jihadist cancer spreads in Pakistan.... nuclear-armed unstable Pakistan.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Withdraw Showdown?
Looks like Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki can't stand success.
A key aide says Maliki's relations with U.S. commander General Petraeus are so poor that Maliki may ask Washington to withdraw.... the troops?..... they're ready to take over?...... no, to withdraw Petraeus from his Baghdad post. "Heat Rises Between Iraq PM and Petraeus." (WaPo)
Seems like Maliki doesn't like the successful tactic employed by Petraeus of enlisting Sunni militants in the fight against al-Qaeda.
Iraq Foreign Minister Zebari told Newsweek magazine that Maliki told him he threatened Bush that he would counter this tactic by arming Shiite militias, and "Bush told Maliki to calm down."
One thing our Texas "Bring it on" nacho-man does recognize.... shooting from the lip.
"Petraeus, meanwhile, must deal with an Iraqi military and police force, nominally under Maliki's control, that often acts out of sectarian, namely Shiite, interests, and not national Iraqi interests. He faces a significant challenge in persuading Maliki to shed his ties to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who runs the Mahdi Army militia."
Hopefully, the Petraeus, "neighborhood watch with teeth" will level the Iraq playing field for the tribal Sunnis being overwhelmed on two fronts... al Qaeda and the Shiite militia.
As Shiite Iran-favoring Maliki lodges his objections to the Petraeus' Sunni initiative, he at the same time is dragging his feet on an oil-industry law and other legislation critical to meet U.S. benchmarks.
It's increasingly clear.... the U.S. needs to withdraw.... their support of Maliki.
A key aide says Maliki's relations with U.S. commander General Petraeus are so poor that Maliki may ask Washington to withdraw.... the troops?..... they're ready to take over?...... no, to withdraw Petraeus from his Baghdad post. "Heat Rises Between Iraq PM and Petraeus." (WaPo)
Seems like Maliki doesn't like the successful tactic employed by Petraeus of enlisting Sunni militants in the fight against al-Qaeda.
Iraq Foreign Minister Zebari told Newsweek magazine that Maliki told him he threatened Bush that he would counter this tactic by arming Shiite militias, and "Bush told Maliki to calm down."
One thing our Texas "Bring it on" nacho-man does recognize.... shooting from the lip.
"Petraeus, meanwhile, must deal with an Iraqi military and police force, nominally under Maliki's control, that often acts out of sectarian, namely Shiite, interests, and not national Iraqi interests. He faces a significant challenge in persuading Maliki to shed his ties to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who runs the Mahdi Army militia."
Hopefully, the Petraeus, "neighborhood watch with teeth" will level the Iraq playing field for the tribal Sunnis being overwhelmed on two fronts... al Qaeda and the Shiite militia.
As Shiite Iran-favoring Maliki lodges his objections to the Petraeus' Sunni initiative, he at the same time is dragging his feet on an oil-industry law and other legislation critical to meet U.S. benchmarks.
It's increasingly clear.... the U.S. needs to withdraw.... their support of Maliki.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Iraq Should Be a Nation Divided....
The vote in the Senate today.... probably coming late in the night as the GOP filibusters.... decides a simple matter really. What do we care about, the lives of our troops, or the occupation of a nation waging a tribal civil war where 69 percent of the citizens don't want our presence, and whose Prime Minister Maliki told us a few days ago could take over their own security operations.
As the "Democrats Maneuver To Force Iraq Votes," let's not lose sight of the troops, as Majority Leader Harry Reid passionately reminded the Senate..... not just the unacceptable loss of life, but the tens of thousands injured, many with the loss of limbs and other horrific disabilities.
Reid said of the vote, "It's unfortunate that President Bush has proven, beyond any doubt, that he won't listen to the Congress or the American people unless he's forced to, and that's what this amendment does."
Yes, Chicken Little Bush continually fear mongers that if we leave Iraq the sky will fall. That's not what recent "war games" exercises for the U. S. military concluded however as outlined in "Exit Strategies." (WaPO)
It's worth quoting in full: "If U.S. combat forces withdraw from Iraq in the near future, three developments would be likely to unfold. Majority Shiites would drive Sunnis out of ethnically mixed areas west to Anbar province. Southern Iraq would erupt in civil war between Shiite groups. And the Kurdish north would solidify its borders and invite a U.S. troop presence there. In short, Iraq would effectively become three separate nations."
This outcome is basically the same as the thoughtful proposal of Sen. Joseph Biden that has received bipartisan support.... dividing Iraq into three defined states under a weaker central government. The sky wouldn't fall. Especially if the administration drops the "stay the course" rhetoric and works to implement such a plan.
Today's "Intelligence Report Warns of al-Qaeda's Capabilities," (WaPo) and confirms our worst fears as articulated by Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, that the invasion of Iraq "diverted needed resources from eliminating the threat from al Qaeda".... and "points out that the real threat to the U.S. homeland emanates from Afghanistan and Pakistan, not Iraq."
Sorry to say, though, undoubtedly when the clock strikes midnight in the Senate tonight nothing much will have changed.... and the "stay the course" pumpkin-heads will once again frustrate the will of the nation.
As the "Democrats Maneuver To Force Iraq Votes," let's not lose sight of the troops, as Majority Leader Harry Reid passionately reminded the Senate..... not just the unacceptable loss of life, but the tens of thousands injured, many with the loss of limbs and other horrific disabilities.
Reid said of the vote, "It's unfortunate that President Bush has proven, beyond any doubt, that he won't listen to the Congress or the American people unless he's forced to, and that's what this amendment does."
Yes, Chicken Little Bush continually fear mongers that if we leave Iraq the sky will fall. That's not what recent "war games" exercises for the U. S. military concluded however as outlined in "Exit Strategies." (WaPO)
It's worth quoting in full: "If U.S. combat forces withdraw from Iraq in the near future, three developments would be likely to unfold. Majority Shiites would drive Sunnis out of ethnically mixed areas west to Anbar province. Southern Iraq would erupt in civil war between Shiite groups. And the Kurdish north would solidify its borders and invite a U.S. troop presence there. In short, Iraq would effectively become three separate nations."
This outcome is basically the same as the thoughtful proposal of Sen. Joseph Biden that has received bipartisan support.... dividing Iraq into three defined states under a weaker central government. The sky wouldn't fall. Especially if the administration drops the "stay the course" rhetoric and works to implement such a plan.
Today's "Intelligence Report Warns of al-Qaeda's Capabilities," (WaPo) and confirms our worst fears as articulated by Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, that the invasion of Iraq "diverted needed resources from eliminating the threat from al Qaeda".... and "points out that the real threat to the U.S. homeland emanates from Afghanistan and Pakistan, not Iraq."
Sorry to say, though, undoubtedly when the clock strikes midnight in the Senate tonight nothing much will have changed.... and the "stay the course" pumpkin-heads will once again frustrate the will of the nation.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Will Someone Wake Me Up?
Here's the nightmare.... al Qaeda is Sunni. Saudi Arabia is Sunni... and supposedly our friends, even though Osama bin Laden and most of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudi nationals.
Radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's powerful Mahdi Army is a Shiite militia. Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is Shiite. Iran is majority Shiite.
Shiite militia has been infiltrating Iraqi police units, and the Iraq military.
"Mahdi Army, Not Al-Qaeda, is Enemy No. 1 in Western Baghdad." It's no longer the case that the "Sunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq is the city's most formidable, the Mahdi Army has transformed the composition of the district's neighborhoods by ruthlessly killing and driving out Sunnis...." (WaPo)
There has been an ethnic cleansing of Sunnis in the 10-square mile district of West Rashid, home to about 700,000.... the Shiites have taken over.
The Shiites already control Iraq in the east on the Iran border, and in the south.
Although the bloody toll continues to rise in attacks across Baghdad, and in the Kurdish north, we heard Maliki assert on Saturday that Iraqis were ready to take over security operations "any time" American forces choose to leave.
How?.... because the Shiite militias with Iran's help will be the ones taking over, with Maliki's blessing?
Oh sure, today we hear lots of backtracking and explaining by Maliki over his comment, and not unsurprising really, the main thrust of his clarification is a defense of al-Sadr as being good for Iraq. Is anyone in Washington listening to this?
Meanwhile, our troops are still dying in the 103 degree heat while the Iraqi government takes an August vacation. So, between now the the September report from Gen. Petraeus, nothing much will happen from Maliki's government to bring the factions together, there will be more cleansing, and the Shiites will grow even stronger.
And, the Sunni al-Qaeda.... "Pakistan Truce Appears Defunct." (WaPo) A peace deal between the Pakistani government and tribal leaders in the north where al-Qaeda is known to be regrouping is over. Last weekend, 70 mainly soldiers and police were killed after the Taliban fighters announced an all-out guerrilla war against the Parkistan army.
So, this is the effect of what Bush and Cheney have wrought with their misbegotten Middle East adventure.... they are handing Iraq to the Shiites, and thus to Iran, while al-Qaeda is gathering strength in Pakistan.... a country with nuclear weapons and a weakened President Musharraf.
It's too late for what they should have done after 9/11.... gone after Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and made THAT country a bastion of freedom from terror.
What we should be doing now is strengthening our own borders and ports, and aggressively rebuilding our military.... not because Homeland Security's chief Chertoff's gut is rumbling.... but because while we're over there, the terrorists will show up here, "Big Time."
Radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's powerful Mahdi Army is a Shiite militia. Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is Shiite. Iran is majority Shiite.
Shiite militia has been infiltrating Iraqi police units, and the Iraq military.
"Mahdi Army, Not Al-Qaeda, is Enemy No. 1 in Western Baghdad." It's no longer the case that the "Sunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq is the city's most formidable, the Mahdi Army has transformed the composition of the district's neighborhoods by ruthlessly killing and driving out Sunnis...." (WaPo)
There has been an ethnic cleansing of Sunnis in the 10-square mile district of West Rashid, home to about 700,000.... the Shiites have taken over.
The Shiites already control Iraq in the east on the Iran border, and in the south.
Although the bloody toll continues to rise in attacks across Baghdad, and in the Kurdish north, we heard Maliki assert on Saturday that Iraqis were ready to take over security operations "any time" American forces choose to leave.
How?.... because the Shiite militias with Iran's help will be the ones taking over, with Maliki's blessing?
Oh sure, today we hear lots of backtracking and explaining by Maliki over his comment, and not unsurprising really, the main thrust of his clarification is a defense of al-Sadr as being good for Iraq. Is anyone in Washington listening to this?
Meanwhile, our troops are still dying in the 103 degree heat while the Iraqi government takes an August vacation. So, between now the the September report from Gen. Petraeus, nothing much will happen from Maliki's government to bring the factions together, there will be more cleansing, and the Shiites will grow even stronger.
And, the Sunni al-Qaeda.... "Pakistan Truce Appears Defunct." (WaPo) A peace deal between the Pakistani government and tribal leaders in the north where al-Qaeda is known to be regrouping is over. Last weekend, 70 mainly soldiers and police were killed after the Taliban fighters announced an all-out guerrilla war against the Parkistan army.
So, this is the effect of what Bush and Cheney have wrought with their misbegotten Middle East adventure.... they are handing Iraq to the Shiites, and thus to Iran, while al-Qaeda is gathering strength in Pakistan.... a country with nuclear weapons and a weakened President Musharraf.
It's too late for what they should have done after 9/11.... gone after Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and made THAT country a bastion of freedom from terror.
What we should be doing now is strengthening our own borders and ports, and aggressively rebuilding our military.... not because Homeland Security's chief Chertoff's gut is rumbling.... but because while we're over there, the terrorists will show up here, "Big Time."
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