Christy!

zed??

BADA BING!

Thanks, Christy!

Just trying to keep up with you today…*g*

Madness! Madness! Madness!

ooh, shiny!

Shiney objects – Christmas comes early.

Absolute failure writ large on Clusterfucks forehead.

sent Feinstein her “welcome back” email with a list of all that needs to be attended to… loudest among them (along with complaints about Southwick and FISA) was the demand she do something about getting us out of Iraq…

another drop of water trying to wear away the stone.

I’ve already informed downstairs of the new thread. Christy, before I go back up and read this post, I wanted to commend you for the last thread, and say, Amen!

I was also wondering if anyone has any idea what’s become of Evil Parallel Universe? Haven’t seen him/her around here for a while.

Bustednuckles @ 7

Absolute failure writ large on Clusterfucks forehead.

i r fuster cluck!

Bush is completely transparent. He goes on a “surprised” visit to Iraq with Gates and his beloved Condi, confines himself to the military base at Anbar Province, takes a lot of photo opps with the troops, holds court with generals “on the ground” (that is, at the base) and with Al-Maliki, whom he’s planning to scapegoat, then after seven hours, he jets off to Australia as a guest of the nutcase John Howard.

OldCoastie @ 8

sent Feinstein her “welcome back” email with a list of all that needs to be attended to… loudest among them (along with complaints about Southwick and FISA) was the demand she do something about getting us out of Iraq…

another drop of water trying to wear away the stone.

Ahh, I should do the same, too ;-)

Ok. So when I are we going to lift the quota on Iraq refugees. Deja Vu

OldCoastie @ 8

sent Feinstein her “welcome back” email with a list of all that needs to be attended to… loudest among them (along with complaints about Southwick and FISA) was the demand she do something about getting us out of Iraq…

another drop of water trying to wear away the stone.

Drops of water made the Grand Canyon. But Feinstein is another matter.

Biodun @ 11

Bush is completely tranparent. He goes on a “surprised” visit to Iraq with Gates and his beloved Condi, confines himself to the military base at Anbar Province, takes a lot of photo ops with the troops, holds court with generals “on the ground” (that is, at the base), Al-Maliki, whom he’s planning to scapegoat, comes calling to the court, then after seven hours, he jets off to Australia as a guest of the nutcase John Howard.

It would be awfully nice if howard gets his *ss canned in the next election……..for no other reason than his love affair with shrub.

Ann at 9 — I get the occaisional e-mail from EPU, who has been involved in a move and some other ventures that have kept him very busy. He pops into the comments on occasion, as time permits and I’m hoping he’ll find time to do more of that as winter approaches. *G*

peanutbutter and Old Coastie,

You know, the Grand Canyon was all rock at one time.
Drip…drip…drip ;-)

Speaking of which, get a load of this:

Baghdad has not met 11 of its 18 political and security goals, according to a new independent report on Iraq that challenges President Bush’s assessment on the war, The Associated Press has learned.

The study, conducted by the Government Accountability Office, was slightly more upbeat than initially planned. After receiving substantial pushback from the White House, the GAO determined that four benchmarks — instead of two — had been partially met.

But GAO stuck with its original contention that only three goals out of the 18 had been achieved. The goals met include establishing joint security stations in Baghdad, ensuring minority rights in the Iraqi legislature and creating support committees for the Baghdad security plan.

Did you all catch that?

Anne Flaherty of the AP actually admitted that the GAO — which is, y’know, supposed to be an INDEPENDENT accounting arm of the Federal Government — got and partially caved in to political pressure from the Bushistas.

Usually the press doesn’t like to admit it when BushCo applies pressure to anyone or anything.

OldCoastie @ 8

sent Feinstein her “welcome back” email with a list of all that needs to be attended to… loudest among them (along with complaints about Southwick and FISA) was the demand she do something about getting us out of Iraq…

another drop of water trying to wear away the stone.

I need to do something similar with Donnelly. There are so many important issues, I could write a novel, but it would probably be best to stick to only a few of the most important issues.

Maybe we should come up with a top-ten list of things to harass your congressperson about.

I’m sure FISA and the Iraq war would be the top two with most of us. What else is coming down the pike that we should pro-actively contact congress about?

I usually try to limit my emails to one topic only but today seemed special somehow.

SufiLizard @ 19

OldCoastie @ 8

sent Feinstein her “welcome back” email with a list of all that needs to be attended to… loudest among them (along with complaints about Southwick and FISA) was the demand she do something about getting us out of Iraq…

another drop of water trying to wear away the stone.

I need to do something similar with Donnelly. There are so many important issues, I could write a novel, but it would probably be best to stick to only a few of the most important issues.

Maybe we should come up with a top-ten list of things to harass your congressperson about.

I’m sure FISA and the Iraq war would be the top two with most of us. What else is coming down the pike that we should pro-actively contact congress about?

Iran

What we thought as well:

With Petraeus and Crocker on the way to the United States next week to give their assessments to the White House and Congress, what did Bush gain out of a trip to Iraq except for a photo opportunity signaling that he’s fully engaged and knows more than the rest of us? And on other hand, if it really was so “important” — as Stephen Hadley says –for the president to see things in Iraq “firsthand,” then how can it be that this was only his third trip there in the four and a half years since he started the war?

To see things in Iraq “firsthand”–confined for seven hours to the military base in Anbar Province?

Thanks, Christy!

And while being distracted by shiny objects, be prepared for moving goal posts, once again. When the funding for the surge was approved, the goals were political reconciliation. We need to keep focused on the GAO report that concluded that only 5 of the 18 goals were met. The WH noise machine is already dissing the GAO report, which is part of their “moving the goal posts” strategy.

Bob in HI

“”The longer that we’re here, the less inclined they are to run things for themselves,” he said. “So by moving out of Basra I think what we’ll start to see is slightly more subtle and sophisticated Iraqi answers to some of the problems that exist here in Basra.

“I hope that by removing ourselves from Basra, quite a lot of the violence which is directed at us – and over 90 per cent of the attacks are against British forces – will reduce and Basra will become a calmer and less violent place.”

Basra has had a full-time British presence since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It is the last of five provinces in the UK’s sphere of operations in southern Iraq to move to local Iraqi control.

With the handover completed yesterday and Iraqis manning the gates of the Basra Palace base, people on the streets cheered the British departure and made clear their views on the drawing to an end of this four year presence.

“We are pleased that the Iraqi army are now taking over the situation. We, as Iraqi people, reject occupation. We reject colonialism. We want our freedom,” resident Rudha Muter said.”

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1405872007

Bob Schact at 23 — Yes, Bush is still crowing about his whined for “gentleman’s Cs,” I see.

Biodun @ 22

What we thought as well:

With Petraeus and Crocker on the way to the United States next week to give their assessments to the White House and Congress, what did Bush gain out of a trip to Iraq except for a photo opportunity signaling that he’s fully engaged and knows more than the rest of us? And on other hand, if it really was so “important” — as Stephen Hadley says –for the president to see things in Iraq “firsthand,” then how can it be that this was only his third trip there in the four and a half years since he started the war?

To see things in Iraq “firsthand”–confined for seven hours to the military base in Anbar Province?

I think Al Asad is the ’safe’ base that Rumsfeld used to visit; a friend’s son who was stationed there has a picture of himself and his buddies with Rummy. And re Petraeus, isn’t he only there because the generals that Bush couldn’t manipulate are gone?

Scrolling Juan Cole’s Site:

” My friend had spoken to someone in one of the leading neo-conservative institutions. He summarized what he was told this way:

They [the source’s institution] have “instructions” (yes, that was the word used) from the Office of the Vice-President to roll out a campaign for war with Iran in the week after Labor Day; it will be coordinated with the American Enterprise Institute, the Wall Street Journal, the Weekly Standard, Commentary, Fox, and the usual suspects. It will be heavy sustained assault on the airwaves, designed to knock public sentiment into a position from which a war can be maintained. Evidently they don’t think they’ll ever get majority support for this–they want something like 35-40 percent support, which in their book is “plenty.”

Eh? Is this democracy?

For any Colorado pups here, I just heard that Mark Udall (CO 2nd Congressional District) is having his first town meeting in, oh, a coupla years, maybe.

Event: Thornton Town Meeting
Where: Thornton City Council Chambers, 9500 Civic Center Dr, Thornton, CO
When: September 12, 2007, 4:30pm – 5:30pm

His Web site announces “Please join me to share your thoughts on health care, education, growth and other issues of importance to you.”

Oh, I’ve got thoughts, all right. I’m kinda shy (been lurking here for a year) but I’m going to this meeting and asking my questions!

Raw Story headline: White House scrubs site to make office exempt: Soon

Biodun @ 11

Bush is completely transparent. He goes on a “surprised” visit to Iraq with Gates and his beloved Condi, confines himself to the military base at Anbar Province, takes a lot of photo opps with the troops, holds court with generals “on the ground” (that is, at the base) and with Al-Maliki, whom he’s planning to scapegoat, then after seven hours, he jets off to Australia as a guest of the nutcase John Howard.

Love the synopsis Bio!

bobschacht @ 23

Thanks, Christy!

And while being distracted by shiny objects, be prepared for moving goal posts, once again. When the funding for the surge was approved, the goals were political reconciliation. We need to keep focused on the GAO report that concluded that only 5 of the 18 goals were met. The WH noise machine is already dissing the GAO report, which is part of their “moving the goal posts” strategy.

Bob in HI

It’s like having a plan to clear land to start construction on a building, and declaring success because you’ve cleared a lot of brush, even though the construction company never showed up.

The goal posts are now on their own one-yard line. This is not a kindergarten class, we don’t need to put up with them declaring that they’re all winners to help their self-esteem.

mui @ 27

Scrolling Juan Cole’s Site:

” My friend had spoken to someone in one of the leading neo-conservative institutions. He summarized what he was told this way:

They [the source’s institution] have “instructions” (yes, that was the word used) from the Office of the Vice-President to roll out a campaign for war with Iran in the week after Labor Day; it will be coordinated with the American Enterprise Institute, the Wall Street Journal, the Weekly Standard, Commentary, Fox, and the usual suspects. It will be heavy sustained assault on the airwaves, designed to knock public sentiment into a position from which a war can be maintained. Evidently they don’t think they’ll ever get majority support for this–they want something like 35-40 percent support, which in their book is “plenty.”

Eh? Is this democracy?

Lordy. How can we counter this?

Kucinich in Syria:

http://www.sana.org/eng/22/2007/09/04/137444.htm

weffie at 28 — Good on you! Let us know how it goes. :)

Stephen Parrish, CPA @ 29

Raw Story headline: White House scrubs site to make office exempt: Soon

http://rawstory.com//news/2007….._0904.html

Biodun @ 11

Bush is completely transparent. He goes on a “surprised” visit to Iraq with Gates and his beloved Condi, confines himself to the military base at Anbar Province, takes a lot of photo opps with the troops, holds court with generals “on the ground” (that is, at the base) and with Al-Maliki, whom he’s planning to scapegoat, then after seven hours, he jets off to Australia as a guest of the nutcase John Howard.

And don’cha love how they spin his skipping Baghdad because planes have been shot at there recently?

better democrats please: Why Is Barack Obama Buying Into White House Framing on Iran?

we have a war to prevent, a country to redeem and a planet to save.

selise @ 37

better democrats please: Why Is Barack Obama Buying Into White House Framing on Iran?

we have a war to prevent, a country to redeem and a planet to save.

Obama is about ambition, not public service.

Many Iraqi people believe that the “cakewalk in Iraq” zealots agenda in Iraq was to create the perfect enviroment for destruction, chaos and death to take place.

How else do you explain all of the mistakes, death and the 4 million refugees. Easier to grab the power and oil in Iraq when millions have left the country or have died.

kdh22 @ 30:

Thanks!

Precisely, Christy.

The question isn’t about some meaningless scorecard related to the sleight-of-hand trick of the “surge” – a “surge” that has been nothing but a delaying tactic and a distraction from the get-go [but which nevertheless successfully out-maneuvered the new Congress, with the help of the AWOL Democratic “leadership”].

It’s about indefinitely occupying a foreign nation – apparently for various illicit purposes having to do with authoritarian Israeli government and American-Israeli Foreign Lobby agendas, and Big Oil profits.

In other words, it’s about pursuing an unstated objective for unstated reasons ‘behind the backs,’ yet hidden in plain sight, of the American people. All maintained with a veneer of legitimacy for public consumption by the tireless propaganda efforts of the media and the many complicit actors in our government – including many of those making pretty speeches about “terror” and other permanent facts of life on the Senate floor, and all paid for by our dime and by new 30-year mortgages on our federal treasury from totalitarian Chinese bankers. There are not words to describe the unconscionable betrayal of our American ideals that these depraved schemes – by those abusing the public trust while holding Executive and Legislative office in our government – represent.

Members of Congress need to start kicking their ingrained habit of lying to the public – which requires that Members of Congress start to call each other’s lies and obvious statements of propaganda out for what they so obviously are. Silence is complicity. Start asking the questions in committee, legislators, about the real agenda that is being pursued in front of all our ‘lying eyes’ – and nevermind the White House/DOD propaganda performance structured around the fraudulent “surge” which you are being spoonfed – unless, as Atrios nails it, you are all eager and willing to keep “playing along” with this morally bankrupt fraud being perpetrated on this country by this Executive Branch.

I thought I would put up again my 20 reasons why the “surge” is not working again.

1. Failure to meet the two goals of the surge: 1) Security in Baghdad and 2) A political settlement
2. The move away from benchmarks because little or no progress has been made on them
3. Failure to recognize Iraq is in civil war and create a strategy which addresses it
4. Continued conflation of al Qaeda with the Sunni insurgency
5. Exaggeration of Iran’s role in Shia militias and minimization of Saudi Arabia’s role in the much more deadly Sunni insurgency
6. Failure to resolve tensions between the Kurds and Turkey in the North
7. Corruption, disorganization, sectarian nature, and ineffectualness of the Iraqi government
8. High levels of violence and deaths of Iraqis which have not declined
9. Iraqi security forces remain largely fronts for militias and death squads
10. The Iraqi army has almost no reliable troops and remains strongly dependent on our forces
11. Deterioration of basic services, such as water, electricity, and healthcare
12. Large scale malnutrition among Iraqis children (~28%)
13. Continued high levels of unemployment (25%-40%)
14. Declining oil production, Iraq’s principal source of income
15. High numbers of refugees: 2 million in neighboring countries, 2 million internally displaced
16. Tenuousness and temporary nature of Sunni truce in Anbar
17. Increased Shia on Shia violence in the South
18. Exhaustion of American troops and equipment
19. Inability to sustain the number of troops needed for the surge
20. Post-withdrawal violence will occur if we leave now or later

I would also throw out the idea again that there is a Washington-based and a Iraq-based narrative to describe what is happening in Iraq. In the Washington-based narrative, reconciliation isn’t happening because Maliki is weak and ineffective. In the Iraq-based narrative, Maliki is not moving on reconciliation because it is on no one’s agenda, not Shia, Sunni, or Kurd. All sides want as much as they can get and all sides still believe they have a good chance of getting what they want. For the Sunnis, that’s a return to power. For the Shia, it is to keep and extend their power. And for the Kurds, it is a real or de facto Kurdistan.

At the heart of the clash in these two narratives is the denial in Washington that Iraq is really and truly in a civil war. Bush and Petraeus see a quieter Anbar as a success. The Shia see it as the US taking sides against them in the civil war. They were perfectly content to see US troops fight and die on their behalf in Anbar because it meant we were weakening their enemies for them. Now they see the opposite happening. Not only are we bolstering the Sunnis but we are attacking Shia militias and making war like noises against their one Shia ally Iran.

The reason that both Bush’s Iraq policy and “surge” strategy will not work is because they ignore the fundamental realities of what is going on on the ground in Iraq. You can not hope to fix a problem if you don’t know what the problem is. And Bush and Petraeus have shown over and over again in their embrace and extension of the Washington-based narrative, they have no understanding of Iraq or Iraqis.

Jena 6 finally hits the news:

http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/4/122253/7499

mui @ 27:

Know something? The air is thick with description (to borrow a phrase from anthropology/ethnography) about some kind of military move against Iran. Cheney is/has been behind all this. It won’t surprise me one bit if they pulled this off. They were waiting for Israel to do it. But for all sorts of reasons, Israel has held off making a move.

More on Iran war rollout:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…..23226/7763

Hugh @ 42

You can not hope to fix a problem if you don’t know what the problem is.

Amen.

Biodun @ 44

mui @ 27:

Know something? The air is thick with description (to borrow a phrase from anthropology/ethnography) about some kind of military move against Iran. Cheney is/has been behind all this. It won’t surprise me one bit if they pulled this off. They were waiting for Israel to do it. But for all sorts of reasons, Israel has held off making a move.

The Israelis stand ready to fight Iran to the last American. That simple. Why do it when Bu’ush will do it for you?

Kathleen @ 39

Many Iraqi people believe that the “cakewalk in Iraq” zealots agenda in Iraq was to create the perfect enviroment for destruction, chaos and death to take place.

How else do you explain all of the mistakes, death and the 4 million refugees. Easier to grab the power and oil in Iraq when millions have left the country or have died.

The elimination of the Iraqi army, the Iraqi looting, thousands of unguarded weapons depots, the hundreds of thousands of weapons supplied by Victor Bout, the shutdown of factories by Bremer and the Young Neo-cons…

Kommander Guy hated Nation Building, but he loves Nation Destroying.

The occupation of Iraq has been mismanged from the start – a start that should never have occurred and piss poor planning that has never been remedied. It is political chaos writ whack-a-mole. Who is to blame for these many failures? George Bush

you know, even though the administration is indeed inept, we really have to start asking the question;

“was the war really mismanaged?”

obviously in the sense that every single facet of the war was prosecuted as badly as possilbe

but my question is;

‘wasn’t that exactly what they wanted to do?”

I believe the pnac makes it clear, they wanted unrest in the middle east

they accomplished that goal and to that goal they didn’t mismanage the war at all

spurious @ 32

Lordy. How can we counter this?

By getting the word out BEFORE they can do their “product rollout”.

Spread the word. Pass it on.

Write letters to the editor. Mention it when you call into radio call-in shows (especially nationally-broadcast ones). Send it to your rellies.

perris @ 49

The occupation of Iraq has been mismanged from the start – a start that should never have occurred and piss poor planning that has never been remedied. It is political chaos writ whack-a-mole. Who is to blame for these many failures? George Bush

you know, even though the administration is indeed inept, we really have to start asking the question;

“was the war really mismanaged?”

obviously in the sense that every single facet of the war was prosecuted as badly as possilbe

but my question is;

‘wasn’t that exactly what they wanted to do?”

I believe the pnac makes it clear, they wanted unrest in the middle east

they accomplished that goal and to that goal they didn’t mismanage the war at all

Which is exactly why all the shit the troops are getting should trickle back up the chain of command.

Don’t get shut out of New Jersey. For $65 they are going fast:

Join Sean Hannity, 77WABC Radio and
LtCol Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) on September 11, 2007 at Six Flags Great Adventure for one of the 2007 Hannity Freedom Concerts.

Headlining this year’s star-studded concerts will be two of America’s hottest country sensations, Montgomery Gentry and LeAnn Rimes, as well as America’s country music legend, Lee Greenwood.

Guest appearances by Mark Levin, Ollie North and Curtis Sliwa

ccmask @ 52

Don’t get shut out. For $65 they are going fast:

Join Sean Hannity, 77WABC Radio and
LtCol Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) on September 11, 2007 at Six Flags Great Adventure for one of the 2007 Hannity Freedom Concerts.

Headlining this year’s star-studded concerts will be two of America’s hottest country sensations, Montgomery Gentry and LeAnn Rimes, as well as America’s country music legend, Lee Greenwood.

Guest appearances by Mark Levin, Ollie North and Curtis Sliwa

707

on c-span3 now:

2 pm – Senate Foreign Relations
Iraq: An Independent Assessment
Witness: David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, U.S. Government Accountability Office

NPR capsule comment at end of interview:

“The idea was to buy time; time was bought, but not spent very well.”

The actual Bush ground plan has always been to stay the course, whatever the cost.

Bob in HI

Can you guys clarify?

Are you saying that Bush is planning to take the troops not now needed in al Anbar and move them to Iran? Is that what I’m reading between the lines?

ps hi bobby

LS @ 24

“”The longer that we’re here, the less inclined they are to run things for themselves,” he said. “So by moving out of Basra I think what we’ll start to see is slightly more subtle and sophisticated Iraqi answers to some of the problems that exist here in Basra.

“I hope that by removing ourselves from Basra, quite a lot of the violence which is directed at us – and over 90 per cent of the attacks are against British forces – will reduce and Basra will become a calmer and less violent place.”

Basra has had a full-time British presence since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It is the last of five provinces in the UK’s sphere of operations in southern Iraq to move to local Iraqi control.

With the handover completed yesterday and Iraqis manning the gates of the Basra Palace base, people on the streets cheered the British departure and made clear their views on the drawing to an end of this four year presence.

“We are pleased that the Iraqi army are now taking over the situation. We, as Iraqi people, reject occupation. We reject colonialism. We want our freedom,” resident Rudha Muter said.”

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1405872007

Yeah, there is nothing like creating a power vacuum to increase stability.

“Matt Howard, who completed two tours of duty in Iraq as a truck driver for a Marine tank corps, said US soldiers “see nothing we are doing is helping the people of Iraq”.

“We are done being told under threat of court martial to run over children that get in the way of our speeding convoys. We are done raiding and destroying the homes of innocent Iraqis. We are done abusing and torturing prisoners,” he said.

His comments were in contrast to those of Defence Minister Brendan Nelson, who said on Monday that Australian troops wanted to “finish the job” in Iraq.”

http://www.theage.com.au/news/…..37603.html

the Bushies push at Iran is scary and bears watching BUT it’s not happening this month anyway… only one carrier group in the Gulf and I’m not gettin’ anything from my Navy contacts about any extra energy put anywhere…

we aren’t, at this moment, in any position to attack Iran… and I don’t want to let my fears distract me from keeping an eye on the stuff that is happening.

Before appearing in front of Congress, David Petraeus ought to give Colin Powell a call.

He might learn through Powell’s tragic experience following his UN presentation, that being a good soldier requires much more than being the Commander in Chief’s mouthpiece.

old gold at 60 — That should have come with a spew warning. *g*

I’m hoping its quiet here because everyone is watching Walker.

zennurse @ 62

I’m hoping its quiet here because everyone is watching Walker.

I am quiet & watching

selise @ 37

better democrats please: Why Is Barack Obama Buying Into White House Framing on Iran?

we have a war to prevent, a country to redeem and a planet to save.

Absent the charisma, Obama is a fairly Establishment Democrat. His knowledge of foreign affairs is pretty simplistic and based a lot on whatever the CW is in Washington.

MSNBC is promoting their new web page and blog. Maybe Russert and Tucker will do some blogging. We can ask Tucker why he is not joined the army to win the war. We can ask Russert if he eats cocktail weenies with Karl Rove.

Hugh@42
That’s the best analysis I’ve read and I’ve read a lot. It’s exactly what the Dems should be saying in Congress and over the airwaves: Bush can’t solve the problem because he doesn’t know what the problem is.

Frank33 @ 65

MSNBC is promoting their new web page and blog. Maybe Russert and Tucker will do some blogging. We can ask Tucker why he is not joined the army to win the war. We can ask Russert if he eats cocktail weenies with Karl Rove.

I’d ask if he eats quail wings with Rove.

Shrub and Co. have invested a tremndous effort in pursuing their goals.

I don’t see them just walking away (and, in some cases, risking embarrassing investigation or criminal prosecution) after the 2008 elections.

Unless they’re able to make some deal with the incoming administration. A deal based on money, blackmail, or both.

Jonathan @ 68

Shrub and Co. have invested a tremndous effort in pursuing their goals.

I don’t see them just walking away (and, in some cases, risking embarrassing investigation or criminal prosecution) after the 2008 elections.

Unless they’re able to make some deal with the incoming administration. A deal based on money, blackmail, or both.

I think you are right. I also think they will get the deal, because everyone wants them gone…

old gold @ 60

Petraeus ought to give Colin Powell a call

I’m sure Petraeus feels that his time is better spent reading and studying the report that the shrubites wrote for him to sign.

selise @ 37

better democrats please: Why Is Barack Obama Buying Into White House Framing on Iran?

we have a war to prevent, a country to redeem and a planet to save.

Especially as the Bush framing is same-old, same-old, and as a recent Gallup Poll shows, people who voted Democratic last fall did it for CHANGE, not for “same-old, same-old”.

zennurse @ 56

Can you guys clarify?

Are you saying that Bush is planning to take the troops not now needed in al Anbar and move them to Iran? Is that what I’m reading between the lines?

No — Bush plans to use the USAF to bomb Iran. Possibly using nukes. We don’t have the ground forces to invade…

zennurse @ 62

I’m hoping its quiet here because everyone is watching Walker.

i am

Hugh @ 64

Absent the charisma, Obama is a fairly Establishment Democrat. His knowledge of foreign affairs is pretty simplistic and based a lot on whatever the CW is in Washington.

that is my impression… and since foreign affairs CW is, imo, fucking insane – i want better.

BobbyG @ 47

Biodun @ 44

mui @ 27:

Know something? The air is thick with description (to borrow a phrase from anthropology/ethnography) about some kind of military move against Iran. Cheney is/has been behind all this. It won’t surprise me one bit if they pulled this off. They were waiting for Israel to do it. But for all sorts of reasons, Israel has held off making a move.

The Israelis stand ready to fight Iran to the last American. That simple. Why do it when Bu’ush will do it for you?

Also an Israeli attack on Iran is not that easy logistically, would almost certainly be ineffective, and might lead to another round of war with Lebanon, and possibly Syria. A nuclear strike by the Israelis would make them pariahs (and I don’t mean just disliked) in the international community overnight. Any legitimacy or claim to special status due to the Holocaust would be lost, period.

zennurse,
Bush and Cheney are considering an air campaign against Iran. If ground troops were to be used, these would most likely be special forces used against specific high value targets like Natanz.

Bush’s statements about troop reductions was so much smoke and propaganda. He would only remove troops if security conditions improved but it is unlikely that this will happen in any meaningful way.

Brisingamen @ 72

zennurse @ 56

Can you guys clarify?

Are you saying that Bush is planning to take the troops not now needed in al Anbar and move them to Iran? Is that what I’m reading between the lines?

No — Bush plans to use the USAF to bomb Iran. Possibly using nukes. We don’t have the ground forces to invade…

I hope your “action” works!! Strange about the new moon on the 10th, and the solar eclipse on the 11th.

Good grief! The Horse’s Mouth has an article by its other end, a purveyor of shiny objects, coming back for yet another thrashing. This guy has got to be a masochist!

I’ve sometimes wondered about Bush/Cheney’s “real” intentions about Israel. If anybody attacks Iran, Israel will be toast.

LS @ 77

I’ve sometimes wondered about Bush/Cheney’s “real” intentions about Israel. If anybody attacks Iran, Israel will be toast.

Just another pawn on the chess board of Cheney’s mind

LS @ 77

I’ve sometimes wondered about Bush/Cheney’s “real” intentions about Israel. If anybody attacks Iran, Israel will be toast.

That would be the “forcing the Rapture” line of thought: whether or not Cheney is of that ilk, I don’t know.

Blub @ 78

LS @ 77

I’ve sometimes wondered about Bush/Cheney’s “real” intentions about Israel. If anybody attacks Iran, Israel will be toast.

Just another pawn on the chess board of Cheney’s mind

Yup, and considering the political leanings of Prescott Bush…you gotta wonder.

has everyone seen the report or want to see the graphs:

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-co…..09/gao.pdf

peanutbutter @ 79

LS @ 77

I’ve sometimes wondered about Bush/Cheney’s “real” intentions about Israel. If anybody attacks Iran, Israel will be toast.

That would be the “forcing the Rapture” line of thought: whether or not Cheney is of that ilk, I don’t know.

Cheney worships money and power. He is godless.

LS @ 82

Cheney worships money and power. He is godless.

…or he’s god… or thinks he is

Hugh @ 74

BobbyG @ 47

The Israelis stand ready to fight Iran to the last American. That simple. Why do it when Bu’ush will do it for you?

Also an Israeli attack on Iran is not that easy logistically, would almost certainly be ineffective, and might lead to another round of war with Lebanon, and possibly Syria. A nuclear strike by the Israelis would make them pariahs (and I don’t mean just disliked) in the international community overnight. Any legitimacy or claim to special status due to the Holocaust would be lost, period.

zennurse,
Bush and Cheney are considering an air campaign against Iran. If ground troops were to be used, these would most likely be special forces used against specific high value targets like Natanz.

Bush’s statements about troop reductions was so much smoke and propaganda. He would only remove troops if security conditions improved but it is unlikely that this will happen in any meaningful way.

Thanks thanks thanks. So helpful.

zennurse @ 81

has everyone seen the report or want to see the graphs:

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-co…..09/gao.pdf

thanks!

I hope your “action” works!! Strange about the new moon on the 10th, and the solar eclipse on the 11th.

I wrote a series of comments a few nights ago on the political consequences of an American attack on Iran, how it would be carried out, and when it was most likely to happen.

On the when, I said basically between October and April and on the night of a new moon plus or minus one day from a Friday.

New moons occur on Oct. 11 (Thurs.), Nov. 9 (Fri.), Dec. 9 (Sat.), Jan. 8 (Tues.), Feb. 7 (Thurs.), Mar. 7 (Fri.), and Apr. 6 (Sun.)

This leaves 5 dates: Oct. 11 (Thurs.), Nov. 9 (Fri.), Dec. 9 (Sat.), Feb. 7 (Thurs.), and Mar. 7 (Fri.).

Walker just said essentially we should figure out what we want to do over there.

The Israelis would be wise not to align themselves with Bush/Cheney. Bush/Cheney are aligned with the Saudis. The neocons would like nothing better than to have the middle east countries annihilate each other…leaving rubble and oil for the taking.

OT New Froomkin

OT–

Keith O declares for Elizabeth:

New York Mag: Who should be the next president?

Olbermann: Elizabeth Edwards.

I am so glad Russ is there.

LS @ 33

Kucinich in Syria:

http://www.sana.org/eng/22/2007/09/04/137444.htm

Thank you, LS. Cheney wants to blow up Iran, but Kucinich is promoting peace in Syria.

Elliott @ 87

Walker just said essentially we should figure out what we want to do over there.

Any policy should answer 3 questions:

What do you want?

What can you do?

And what can you live with?

This is not rocket science but it is depressing how often only the first question is answered and that usually stupidly.

A US military move against Iran would most certainly create a royal mess in the Middle East–and will also make the US more hated in the world, if that’s possible.

LS @ 75

Brisingamen @ 72

No — Bush plans to use the USAF to bomb Iran. Possibly using nukes. We don’t have the ground forces to invade…

I hope your “action” works!! Strange about the new moon on the 10th, and the solar eclipse on the 11th.

I’ll be doing the ritual 3 times — Midnight on the 9th and 10th, and right before the eclipse on the 11th — if I time it right, I’ll be sending the third spell at totality.

We won’t know if it’s a failure until we know what the actual aims of the Junta are. Any ideas about the latter? If so, then please make them plain for the rest of us.

Brisingamen @ 72

Possibly using nukes

OK.. even baby shrub realizes that the preemptive use of nukes would instantly catapult him into the Dante’s Inferno league of global infamy, forever, doesn’t he? He would certainly secure his legacy… as a demon.

LS @ 77

I’ve sometimes wondered about Bush/Cheney’s “real” intentions about Israel. If anybody attacks Iran, Israel will be toast.

check this out

Middle East
Aug 30, 2007

Israel urged US to attack Iran – not Iraq
By Gareth Porter

WASHINGTON – Israeli officials warned the George W Bush administration that an invasion of Iraq would be destabilizing to the region and urged the United States instead to target Iran as the primary enemy, according to former Bush administration official Lawrence Wilkerson.

Wilkerson, then a member of the US State Department’s policy planning staff and later chief of staff for secretary of state Colin Powell, recalled in an interview that the Israelis reacted

from here

Brisingamen @ 95

LS @ 75

I hope your “action” works!! Strange about the new moon on the 10th, and the solar eclipse on the 11th.

I’ll be doing the ritual 3 times — Midnight on the 9th and 10th, and right before the eclipse on the 11th — if I time it right, I’ll be sending the third spell at totality.

Missed the orig discussion of this, what’s it about?

Again: How in the world can the US win/or lose an Iraqi civil war? It flies aginst any form of logic: classical, cartesian or Bolean.

Biodun @ 90

OT–

Keith O declares for Elizabeth:

New York Mag: Who should be the next president?

Olbermann: Elizabeth Edwards.

I love this interview. I guess I am a Keith junkie

Can anyone name a country who is not pissed off at America?

ccmask @ 102

Can anyone name a country who is not pissed off at America?

Poland, Bulgaria, Albania, Kenya and, strangely enough, China, according to shrub-approval polls

ccmask @ 102

Can anyone name a country who is not pissed off at America?

Albania

ccmask @ 102

Can anyone name a country who is not pissed off at America?

Eurasia Oceania

ccmask @ 102

Can anyone name a country who is not pissed off at America?

Even most of America is pissed off at America.

Elliott @ 87

Walker just said essentially we should figure out what we want to do over there.

and, i think, that obviously we’re going to be there for a long time.

somebody please call bullshit.

punaise @ 105

ccmask @ 102

Can anyone name a country who is not pissed off at America?

Eurasia Oceania

Atlantis

Shuster on MSNBC, cites the Friedman Six Month Unit, for Iraq success.

ccmask @ 102

Can anyone name a country who is not pissed off at America?

What countries are we paying off?

dakine01 @ 110

ccmask @ 102

Can anyone name a country who is not pissed off at America?

What countries are we paying off?

Hell, there are plenty that we ARE paying off who still hate us!

Frank33 @ 109

Shuster on MSNBC, cites the Friedman Six Month Unit, for Iraq success.

LOL

ccmask @ 102

Can anyone name a country who is not pissed off at America?

Kurdistan…*g*

LS @ 108

punaise @ 105

Eurasia Oceania

Atlantis

Middle Earth

Is CSpan not a national outlet? Why is the audio so bad? Sooooo annoying.

Biodun @ 94

A US military move against Iran would most certainly create a royal mess in the Middle East–and will also make the US more hated in the world, if that’s possible.

I said that, with a one letter difference, in March of ‘02.

Thanks! Good to see we still have some friends out there. How about the Vatican?

Speechifying, although very nice in terms of hearing where these guys sit, is not maximizing the input this guy can offer.

zennurse @ 114

LS @ 108

Atlantis

Middle Earth

Watership Down

ccmask @ 117

How about the Vatican?

…they don’t like the war, and torturing people. So, no, not even the grand-inqusitor-in-charge is happy with shrub these days…

Blub @ 103

ccmask @ 102

Can anyone name a country who is not pissed off at America?

Poland, Bulgaria, Albania, Kenya and, strangely enough, China, according to shrub-approval polls

China. Not. Not from what I saw and heard when I worked there. Most Chinese think the Bush administration is arrogant, to say the least. Think about Hainan Island incident and also about the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.

From the general (you have got to click on the link for the Bush pic)

(Jivester News, Lmtd.) An excited and enthusiastic President Bush appealed to Americans to give him more of the tokens he needs to win the war in Iraq. “I’m close, I’m really, really close,” said the President while he wolfed down a piece of Chuck E. Cheese’s pizza, then made a beeline for the restroom.

ccmask @ 117

Thanks! Good to see we still have some friends out there. How about the Vatican?

Or Monaco ?

Biodun @ 121

China. Not. Not from what I saw and heard when I worked there. Most Chinese think the Bush administration is arrogant, to say the least. Think about Hainan Island incident and also about the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.

Polls are mixed on this one, but they’re a lot more favorable than most countries. I travel a bit to there on business, and get a sense that there’s a subset of people who like shrub because he’s a “strong” leader… an assertive “leader”… an admirable trait, I guess, for some people with a prediliction for authoritarian swagger.

Blub @ 97

OK.. even baby shrub realizes that the preemptive use of nukes would instantly catapult him into the Dante’s Inferno league of global infamy, forever, doesn’t he? He would certainly secure his legacy… as a demon.

You’re assuming the Criminal-in-Chief is sane. I submit that he is not, and he positively salivates like one of Pavlov’s dogs when mushroom clouds are mentioned…

Biodun @ 100

Again: How in the world can the US win/or lose an Iraqi civil war? It flies aginst any form of logic: classical, cartesian or Bolean.

You are so correct. There is only neocon “thought’, not logic, at work, isn’t there?

Thanks Christy, for maintaining focus on the facts.

I Sent the following short list to each of my Senators and Rep as well as Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid today.

Dear ____,

Get us out of Iraq now,completely, including the paid militia. America is conducting genocide for no good reason, with no real threat to our national security. The surge is not working..with at best 3 of 18 benchmarks met so far. Deaths and casualty tolls are up all over despite the manipulated figures reported in the press. Reliance by some on the ISG report is pure folly. I have read the report and the authors said themselves it would only be useful if implemented in a few short weeks from its completion last year. It is no longer worth the paper it is printed on.

Don’t bomb Iran.

Get Comey into the United States Attorney General position.

Fix FISA in a manner which honors our constitutional rights under the 4th amendment first. Please do not provide any sort of legal amnesty to members of this administration, corporations or their officers which may have usurped the law under pressure from this administration.

Initiate impeachment investigation hearings on Cheney immediately.

Stop capitulating to Bush and the neo con republicans.. Fight! Stand up for our constitution and the rule of law please.

Thank you for you time,

Brisingamen @ 125

You’re assuming the Criminal-in-Chief is sane. I submit that he is not, and he positively salivates like one of Pavlov’s dogs when mushroom clouds are mentioned…

he. Probably true. Just to clarify, we would be talking about expulsion from the UN, trade sanctions, frozen offshore accounts, asset seizures of American corporations, global isolation… shrubco couldn’t even travel abroad anymore.. they’d be arrested and conveyed to Brussels for trial. We’d be the South Africa of our time.

zennurse @ 99

Brisingamen @ 95

I’ll be doing the ritual 3 times — Midnight on the 9th and 10th, and right before the eclipse on the 11th — if I time it right, I’ll be sending the third spell at totality.

Missed the orig discussion of this, what’s it about?

I’m doing a “banishing the oathbreakers” ritual, directed at Bush and Cheney. Since the DOJ was one of their main targets, I’m petitioning Themis to deal with them.

spurious @ 32

mui @ 27

Scrolling Juan Cole’s Site:
Eh? Is this democracy?

Lordy. How can we counter this?

This seems like a ripe topic for an Oversight hearing from Henry. Are government resources being used in this planned manipulation of the the press? I think that is illegal isn’t it? Any one know?

OMG, this is great, what will the popemeister say?

http://www.journalnow.com/serv…..&path=!living&s=1037645509005

Nuns calling for impeachment of Bush/Cheney

zennurse @ 131

OMG, this is great, what will the popemeister say?

http://www.journalnow.com/serv…..&path=!living&s=1037645509005

Nuns calling for impeachment of Bush/Cheney

I just saw that at C&L.
Looks like teh base is crumbling.

Yay, The Peanut made it home from school. :)

Brisingamen @ 129

zennurse @ 99

Missed the orig discussion of this, what’s it about?

I’m doing a “banishing the oathbreakers” ritual, directed at Bush and Cheney. Since the DOJ was one of their main targets, I’m petitioning Themis to deal with them.

cool!

Christy Hardin Smith @ 133

Yay, The Peanut made it home from school. :)

We’ll see you after while, after the debriefing.
Lol. (((((( Peanut))))))

Christy Hardin Smith @ 133

Yay, The Peanut made it home from school. :)

How old is the Peanut?

Blub at 136 — She’s 4. First day of real preK today.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 137

Bub at 136 — She’s 4. First day of real preK today.

:) congrats!

Good for Menendez for challenging the WH input into changes.

Blub @ 138

Christy Hardin Smith @ 137

Bub at 136 — She’s 4. First day of real preK today.

:) congrats!

heh, yeah, fun.

Somebody remind me, is Coleman the one who was so incredibly arrogant during the attorney firing hearings, coming in and arguing with another senator? Isn’t that him? Christy was liveblogging that one, I think.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 133

Yay, The Peanut made it home from school. :)

What time is soccer practice?

Christy Hardin Smith @ 137

Blub at 136 — She’s 4. First day of real preK today.

PreK? I started K at 4 and I haven’t turned out so……er……..nevermind.

zennurse @ 141

Somebody remind me, is Coleman the one who was so incredibly arrogant during the attorney firing hearings, coming in and arguing with another senator? Isn’t that him? Christy was liveblogging that one, I think.

Is the the brainwaves and heartbeats guy?

Juan Cole does an excellent job reporting the truth about Iraq. I visit his site regularly. His keen familiarity with the various factions and current events in Iraq make his concise reporting invaluable.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 137

Blub at 136 — She’s 4. First day of real preK today.

You made it!!! HOw many hankies and how many cups of coffee?

Christy Hardin Smith @ 133

Yay, The Peanut made it home from school. :)

I remember well the anxiety of that first day for mine, waiting for her to come out of the school bus; that is, making sure that she was on the bus.

Well, she’s nineteen now, with a driver’s license and her own car. Time flies indeed. And that’s The Peanut fifteen years from now. BushCo–even Darth–will be long gone by thwe hope.

hackworth @ 145

Juan Cole does an excellent job reporting the truth about Iraq. I visit his site regularly. His keen familiarity with the various factions and current events in Iraq make his concise reporting invaluable.

Ensuring that he will be ignored.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 133

Yay, The Peanut made it home from school. :)

Somebody’s gonna get a big hug and kisses from her mommy.

I remember the first day of Montessori pre-K for my oldest son (he’s going into 6th garde this year). As we walked hand in hand to the school’s entrance, I asked him if he was nervous, or if he was afraid, and assured him about how much fun he would have.

Finally, in his soothing 4 year old “big boy” voice he said to me, “Don’t worry, Daddy, I’ll be okay.”

I realized right then and there, letting go is going to take me a long, long time.

tw3k @ 144

zennurse @ 141

Somebody remind me, is Coleman the one who was so incredibly arrogant during the attorney firing hearings, coming in and arguing with another senator? Isn’t that him? Christy was liveblogging that one, I think.

Is the the brainwaves and heartbeats guy?

I just remember the obnoxious, confrontational, I-know-more-than-you-heh-heh approach and it totally turns my stomach. GAO is an objective agency, they are not the damned enemy and he could learn a thing or two if he’d listen and quit throwing around the names of the Generals he knows.

new thread, although I suspect everyone already knows that.

Christy Hardin Smith @ 133

Yay, The Peanut made it home from school. :)

kisses on The Peanut!

Blub @ 97

Brisingamen @ 72

Possibly using nukes

OK.. even baby shrub realizes that the preemptive use of nukes would instantly catapult him into the Dante’s Inferno league of global infamy, forever, doesn’t he? He would certainly secure his legacy… as a demon.

I think his attitude is better reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.

LS @ 11:38 am -

I hope your “action” works!! Strange about the new moon on the 10th, and the solar eclipse on the 11th.

September’s new moon will occur at 8:44 AM EDT on the 11th; the solar eclipse that you mentioned is a partial eclipse visible in South America, Antarctica, and the South Atlantic around 8:30 AM EDT on the 11th. For more information from NASA about this eclipse, please click on this link: Partial Solar Eclipse of September 11

Just got online. Added a comment to the end of Christy’s neoconman thread that is appropriate here, too.
———————–
The Powell/Rice plan (approved by Bush) was to have both Bremer and Khalilzad go to Iraq at the same time – Khalilzad to set up an Iraqi-style loya jirga (select gov’t from the bottom up). At the last minute, Khalilzad was sent to the Netherlands as ambassador. What happened? Bremer had lunch with Bush and said “we can’t have 2 representatives of the Pres in Iraq”. So Bush changed the plan, at lunch, without consulting anyone else.

Bremer & Bush – equally stupid, arrogant and egotistical.

Full story:
http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/…..dor-z.html

sunsin @ 154

Blub @ 97

OK.. even baby shrub realizes that the preemptive use of nukes would instantly catapult him into the Dante’s Inferno league of global infamy, forever, doesn’t he? He would certainly secure his legacy… as a demon.

I think his attitude is better reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.

his attitude is the rapture is a GOOD thing, armageddon is a GOOD thing

he is a dispensationalist and they beleivve they should do whatever they can to speed the onset of the ened of days

LS @ 77

I’ve sometimes wondered about Bush/Cheney’s “real” intentions about Israel. If anybody attacks Iran, Israel will be toast.

So far as I can tell, the Isr*el lobby has has been the major promoter of attacking Iran.

wigwam @ 158

LS @ 77

I’ve sometimes wondered about Bush/Cheney’s “real” intentions about Israel. If anybody attacks Iran, Israel will be toast.

So far as I can tell, the Isr*el lobby has has been the major promoter of attacking Iran.

Just check in with the A*P*C website to see first and how much the Israeli lobby is focused on Iran. I have been reading that site for six years. They pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq and began to focus on a pre-emptive strike on Iran just after the invasion of Iraq based on unsubstantiated claims about a nuclear “weapons” program.

Today Fresh Airs Terri Gross had Stephen
Walt on discussing Walt and Mearsheimers new book “The Israeli lobby and U.S. foreign policy”. Walt was balanced in the discussion and stated that many Jews across our nation did not support the invasion of Iraq but that their are radical right wing neo-cons that are Jewish and also zealots who pushed hard for the invasion based on Israel’s security.

Terri had Abe Foxman on for the other side of the story on this issue and Abe was on a tirade about the book and the claims (facts by most peoples standards0.

Foxman kept calling Walt and Mearsheimers claims “anti-semitic” the standard response when you bring up the “disproportionate” amount of influence that the I lobby has.

Go to Fresh Air to hear the interview.

Forget the political and military benchmarks; where does Bu$hCo stand on the all-important issue of getting the Iraqi government to agree to letting our oil companies keep 80% of the oil revenues? That — and the permanent military bases — are what this whole charade is really about.

kirk murphy @ 38

…
Obama is about ambition, not public service.

He talks different (or so he says). But, like Hillary being ready to “hit the ground running” we don’t know what direction either of them might actually go.

Except, there won’t be a Truth Investigation of the past, an escape from Iraq, an escape from Afghanistan or Pakistan, freedom from nukes, complete Universal health care for all and many other things Progressive Dems want.

Still, they smile nice.

Waccamaw @ 15

Biodun @ 11

It would be awfully nice if howard gets his *ss canned in the next election……..for no other reason than his love affair with shrub.

He will – Howard’s Liberal-National Coalition is 18%age points behind Labour on a two party preferred basis even if I have reservations about Rudd, the Labour leader. I like his deputy though.

LS @ 77

I’ve sometimes wondered about Bush/Cheney’s “real” intentions about Israel. If anybody attacks Iran, Israel will be toast.

I have been wondering about that too. For all the wrong headed Lik*d-neocon thinking, I have a suspicion that its not the Israelis as much as the Saudis egging Cheney on or perhaps both are. Saudis may have some geopolitical bargain to strike for sunni spremacy in the region but wtf can Israelis gain? Armageddon?

Hugh @ 86

On the when, I said basically between October and April and on the night of a new moon plus or minus one day from a Friday.

New moons occur on Oct. 11 (Thurs.), Nov. 9 (Fri.), Dec. 9 (Sat.), Jan. 8 (Tues.), Feb. 7 (Thurs.), Mar. 7 (Fri.), and Apr. 6 (Sun.)

This leaves 5 dates: Oct. 11 (Thurs.), Nov. 9 (Fri.), Dec. 9 (Sat.), Feb. 7 (Thurs.), and Mar. 7 (Fri.).

The Sunday Times (UK) piece suggests the bombardment is planned over three days. Would that suggest a Friday? so everything’s wrapped up by Sunday in time to hit the wires by Monday? That’s 9 November in the winter or 7 March in early spring.

LS

My comment above @163 (once cleared by the mods) was made before I read your subsequent comment saying exactly the same thing. The thing is, attempted destruction of Iran would send oil prices sky high. That would suit the Saudis very nicely now that their oil production seems to have reached ‘peak’ levels. What has the bridge across the Panj river connecting Tajikistan and Afghanistan have to do with all this? There are more Tajiks in Afghanistan than in Tajikistan (Afghan bridge exposes huge divide)

Biodun @ 100

Again: How in the world can the US win/or lose an Iraqi civil war? It flies aginst any form of logic: classical, cartesian or Bolean.

You are being too logical.

As NYT’s Michael Gordon and many others have asked, given that the 20 Brigade Surge with 15 month deployments can’t numerically go longer than April 2008 (since nothing politically–my opinion) is going to stop it–what happens “post-surge”? I haven’t heard a lot of the punditry and talking heads focused on that.

The tired old platitudes like “We’re fightin’ ‘em over there so we don’t have to fight ‘em here” from Bush have resulted in surge failure. The policy of the US is now to end run the Maliki gov.

Bush has outfiascoed the fiasco taking the word fiasco to new levels.

Apathetic America has a long running TV show going that’s not going to be cancelled, and it’s Iraq. Shiite power, a Sunni minority and endless car bomb attacks and IEDs (with Congress and Americans doing next to nothing to insulate soldiers from the cause of death of 80% of fatalities).

The situation has now degenerated into endless finger pointing on the part of US officials who screwed the pooch. Bush couldn’t even engage when Bremmer sent him a letter on dismantling the Iraqi army–nor could anyone at the highest levels of government.

The only event that is going to stop Iraq financial hemorrhage, mounting deaths for Americans and Iraqis and nearly 30,000 people tragically crippled for life now is one word pure and simple, a DRAFT.

When the little darlings from white suburbia are threatened with going to Iraq and playing IED Roulette instead of nice comfortable dorm rooms to the world of Facebook, Iphone, laptops and Keg parties then the troops will come home and not before then.

Patraeus (Betray-US) is the new Colin Powell and a political hack from colossal failure Condi Rice’s shop at State. Patraeus said Iraq was successful in 2004 6 months before the “election.”

Note the Michael O’Hanlon chart in the NYT editorial pages yesterday providing “facts” about Iraq that have quite clearly been pulled out of his ass out of the air.