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.”

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.

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)

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.

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?

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.

…
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.

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.