realworld @ 52

.
Of course the natural question is: So why have deaths from IED’s been falling these last several months? Even when adjusted for the summer, and for the increased troop strength they’ve been falling consistently. If the Iranian’s are supplying the IED’s they must be sending dud’s. I say, bring-em-on!

I think you have to distinguish between IEDs and EFPs. A decline in overall IED use may be a function of the shaky truce in Anbar. The use of EFPs has probably been going up. This has little to do with Iran. While the original expertise may have come from Iran, the components can be and probably are manufactured in Iraq. Increased EFP use is most likely due to increased US operations in Shia areas. An odd logic is at work here. US troops attack Shias, the Shias fight back, and we accuse them of making more attacks on us. They use more EFPs in these attacks and so we accuse Iran.

But if you look at the attacks on vehicles over the last year it’s clear that very few of these occur in Shiite areas. So if EFP’s are “responsible for over 50% of the recent attacks on US Forces” most of these attacks have to come from NON-SHIITE zones of control.

Does the Pentagon really expect us to think that Shiite militiamen are creeping into the Sunni triangle planting their EFP’s and waiting around in a corner cafe for hours until a US patrol happens to wander into the area?

I think that he Pentagon is definitely fudging their figures and the evidence about these EFP’s. Either not all (or any) are actually coming from Iran…or only a small amount is…not the numbers that they claim.

And that raises the issue that much of this stuff is coming from other sources…the Saudis, or perhaps as second-hand weapons from the Hezbollah stocks in Lebanon…but not directly being given by Iran.

ironranger @ 68

Nugent is a pig. I don’t suppose msm will even mention his threats. Now if a singer or group said the same things regarding republican legislators, we would be hearing about it nonstop for weeks.

Can you imagine a “liberal” holding guns up in the air at a public event and shouting, “suck on this…(insert any prominent Republican name). That liberal would be thrown in jail and called a terrorist in 10 seconds flat. Liberals get arrested for wearing T-shirts with anti-Bush slogans.

Remember that 13 year old girl that had posted (and taken off) an image of a knife stabbing a hand…with the words “I Hate Bush” on the same page. She was hauled out of school by the FBI and interrogated for 3 hours without her parents being allowed to sit in.
The Bushbots all said she should have gotten even more…for this oblique “threat” to the President.

I seriously doubt the Nuge will even get a visit from the FBI despite his clearcut threats while brandishing weapons.

Steve-AR @ 44

OT..no surprise but it does make my stomach hurt..

CIA said to step up operations in Iran as hawks seek to tie Iraq bombs to Tehran

In an effort to build Congressional and Pentagon support for military options against Iran, the Bush administration has shifted from its earlier strategy of building a case based on an alleged Iranian nuclear weapons program to one invoking improvised explosive devices (IEDs) purportedly manufactured in Iran that are killing US soldiers in Iraq.

According to officials – including two former Central Intelligence Agency case officers with experience in the Middle East – the administration believes that by focusing on the alleged ties between IEDs and Iran, they can link the Iranian government directly to attacks on US forces in Iraq.

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._0824.html

Of course the natural question is: So why have deaths from IED’s been falling these last several months? Even when adjusted for the summer, and for the increased troop strength they’ve been falling consistently. If the Iranian’s are supplying the IED’s they must be sending dud’s. I say, bring-em-on!

The also need to explain the odd fact that the vast majority of IED attacks occurred in areas under the control of Al Qaida in Iraq or SUNNI militias or insurgent groups. That belies the idea that it is IRAN supplying these weapons…there must be other sources…or the linkage is simply the result of looted stockpiles smuggled out be sold on the black-markets.

The “evidence” that these come from Iran, and that Iran is directly making them available to their allies in Iraq is highly questionable.

GSD @ 15

My, it looks like the Brownshirts are getting anxious to start killing Democrats.

Ted Nugent’s rants against Sen. Clinton and Obama:

“Obama, you might want to suck on this(hoisting an automatic rifle in the air) you piece of shit.”

“Hillary, you might want to suck on this(raising guns) you bitch.”

Enter the brownshirts, stage right.

-GSD

!!!!!
If this doesn’t qualify as hate speech, what does?

Methinks that Nugent is a washed-up rocker that hasn’t had a hit in decades and is slavering for attention he doesn’t deserve…but hopefully he’ll receive it from the wrong people. Does the NRA need folks like this as “advocates”?

BTW The Constitution specifically states that the “militia” will be “regulated according to the discipline prescribed by Congress, and the officers will be selected by the States”…and it shall be called up in case of INVASION or in CASES of CIVIL INSURRECTION.

Hmm! Seems to me that the militias were to be used to suppress folks like these NRA thugs like Nugent when they start threatening the legally elected representatives of our nation.

Citizen msmolly:

Read the posts at #105-106, I’m sorry if that ain’t enough ta eswage yer delicate sensibilities…if not, don’t get chapped lips kissin’ my gluteus maximus.

KEEP THE FAITH AND STAY INDOORS IF YER SCARED!!

norske-

i do believe bustedknuckles was giving you a compliment……..it’s a common phrase, people use it all the time here……

and you jumped all over him……it’s like when someone gives you a present, do you stomp the shit out of it cuz you don’t like how it’s wrapped?

i like your commentary, but not this one……sometimes you (and others) take stuff totally the wrong way, jump up their ass and bite for no apparent reason, just cuz you don’t like the way they said it…..0 to 60 in a second….. i don’t get it.

My reaction exactly. I don’t think this blast was necessary. Commenters who do that lose me completely.

i knew that……you sounded a little bit stressed…..but didn’t want to ask……so just gave you a nudge instead……

(smooch)

Citizens dmac and Bustednuckles:

I over reacted to brother Bustedknuckles rather benign post and I AM sorry. I work nights and I’m tired of all this shit comin’ down without even a whimper of opposition from our elected Democrats. I’m even more upset that, once in the majority at the state or national level, the Democratic Party can do no better’n try and move as far ta the right as it can to isolate the majority of workin’ and votin’ folks in the country. When I post a rant I assume EVERYONE has the same experience and understandin’ that I do so any response that indicates otherwise tops my impatience overflow…

I am sorry brother Bustedknuckles if I misinterpreted yer response to my post but I am sooooo tired a the shit that’s goin’ down and the best we ken come up with in response is Hillary Clinton??!!

KEEP THE FAITH AND MAKE THE BASTARDS WORK FOR US FOR A CHANGE!!!