Reporters and too many politicians continue claiming that happy days are here again in Iraq. Golly, that surge has been soooo successful – and things are going just swell. In fact, US soldiers have even been told to treat approaching Iraqi civilians as … civilians!
“Effective immediately, assume all civilian vehicles are friendly,” it read.
The order admonished soldiers throughout Iraq to yield to civilian drivers, allow vehicles to pass, and avoid firing their weapons as they escorted convoys of concrete barriers, generators, water and food to U.S. military outposts.
And talk is growing of not only withdrawing the “surge” troops in 2008, but perhaps more:
Gen. George Casey, the Army’s chief of staff and the former senior commander in Iraq, has been particularly frank about the state of the Army.
"We’re deploying at unsustainable rates," General Casey said three weeks ago during remarks to an audience at the Brookings Institution in Washington. The Army agreed to a buildup of troops a year ago with the understanding that it was temporary, he said. "We can’t sustain that. We have to come off of that, and we’re working that very hard."
In the rush to distract voters from the real issues of the Iraq occupation, I suspect we will hear more tales of success and improvement in Iraq.
Yet for Iraqis, conditions continue to spiral down.
The video above is an excerpt from a new BBC report on current conditions in the Basra region. Watch the full documentary here and it is very important viewing. Last night, CBS reported on a group of Iraqi women who have been jailed – often “because their husbands are accused of terrorism.”
Most of the women are being held on vague terrorism charges, with little or no evidence and no hope of legal advice — or even a court date.
"They accused my husband," one woman said. "Then arrested me too but I’ve done nothing!"
Another prisoner said through tears, "I was detained in the Green Zone by the Americans two years ago. I have no idea what’s happened to my family."
And yet, as we approach the Iowa Caucuses, only Gov. Richardson apparently was still willing to remind voters that the disaster in Iraq continues:
As other presidential contenders roll out their holiday-themed TV ads, Democrat Bill Richardson unveiled a new spot that goes after his rivals on their plans to get U.S. troops out of Iraq.
Let’s make sure all of our candidates know that we are not distracted by the bright shiny surge success chatter – and that our favorite holiday gift would be an end to the occupation now.
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Good evening Siun
Are we prepared to say things were better for the women of Iraq under Saddam?
How horrible. Is THIS the freedom and democrracy we’re supposed to be bringing to Iraq?
Are we prepared to indicate that life was better for most of the people of Iraq under Saddam?
that’s been said since they went to sharia law kiddo
hey now, this is interresting, gonzales might be throwing the chimp under the bus
Yes. The answer was obvious. ;0)
That is absolute F*ckery…
Here’s to peace in 2008. Come hell or high water.
This is a very useful report on the conditions of women in Iraq prior to the invasion: Background on Women’s Status in Iraq Prior to the Fall of Saddam
Hi, Siun! The book salon you led today was great; thanks for that!
Perris – did you mean Rodriguez or do you have a linky to Gonzales as well?
The report itself has worse …
But the surge is working.
Second that, Siun! (and sorry for the OT silly guess, PhysioProf!)
whatever it takes!
I am not surprised by this. The neocons don’t care about women in this country, why should they care about them in Iraq. They are sexist to the core and that won’t change.
This part makes it sound like they had more than we do in some areas.
no, just woke up and didn’t process the lead, thanks for the correction
It intrigued me. Do you know someone who is a PhysioProf?
ya, it didn’t make sense that gonzales would get out of harms way, gonzales is like a monkey with food in his fist and his fist won’t make it out of the hole so he’s stuck there cause he doesn’t want to let go of the food
this is my opinion of gonzales
We’re doing heckuva job in Iraq. Just ask the women of Iraq. Are embedded reporters allowed to interview Iraqi women? lahoma and i are outraged with what the Bush people have done and are doing in Iraq.
Surges work. Just look what they have done for the well being of the people of Gaza over the decades.
kiddo all good thinking americans are outraged by this.
Siun,
Lest I forget in my normal holiday rush, I wanted to wish you, Jane, Christy, Marcy, Pach and all the other residents and visitors of Firedoglake Happy Holidays!
A favorite of mine is “I’ll Be Around“.
Most indubitably… Will one of the Gorilla Guides make an appearance? 8-)
In the film Control Room, one of the interpreters said the war was going to drive out all of the quiet people.
Ask the Christians and the Yazidi and the gays who’s leadership fostered more tolerance?
Pretty sure Saddam trumps Chimpy.
-G
Yeah, what you said!
According to Chris Wallace of FauxNews, the surge in Iraq has been a “stunning success.”
Wallace and the rality-based worlds have different definitions of the word “success”.
I told a car full olf Fox people that they ’sucked’ today.
It felt good.
-G
And the Republicans, if they recapture the white House, will continue, indeed, step up their war against the women of Iraq. This will be an inevitable consequence of more war.
Mad Dog – thank you! and happy holidays to you as well!
Solstice is the return of the light – I like to think that we can look forward to such a return as well.
Thankfully, Gen. Betrayus ruled out a Presidential run… ;-)
Paging Mr Tuttle, Mr Tuttle to the blue courtesy blog.
You’ve asked about David Hicks in the past so I thought you might be interested in this story in today’s paper. The poor guy is due for release in a few days and, he’s grown so used to solitary confinement that he suffers severe anxiety and panic attacks thinking about going outside.
After 9/11 George W. Bush said there was a Global War on Terror. He just asserted it. Who the terrorists were that he said were global was presumed to be Al Qaeda, but he didn’t specify. He left it open to anyone who used terror, anywhere around the world. He just asserted it and later on we discovered that when he meant Global he meant GLOBAL, including the United States.
After they decided to take on Iraq they said that once we ‘broke it we had to stay and fix it’. They just asserted it. There’s no law to that effect and there’s no tradition of it either. It’s just the Bush way of getting what he wants by taking and waiting to see if someone corrects him. Nobody stopped him.
Bush broke the law by lying to the American people and Congress and the U.N. about WMD in Iraq. We overthrew their government. We changed the very form of their government. We killed and killed and killed and kept on killing as though our goal was to kill very living thing in the country. There has never been a legal justification for anything we’ve done to Iraq.
Somebody has to lay down the law and stop George and maybe Rodriguez, a top CIA spy, is the man to do it. It would certainly be great for America, but it would also be a great payback for what Dubya did to Valerie Plame Wilson and her organization and to the reputation of the CIA. Don’t mess with the Company!
Isn’t it ironic that the CIA headquarters is named for Papa Bush and it’s Baby Bush who is it’s worst recent enemy?
Regardless of the Democratic party nominee, next Spring there will be more home foreclosures and the economy might well tank. Along with that an impeachment of Dubya would really be traumatic. But, sometimes it’s seeing a turning of the corner which lets us know we aren’t going to continue down the path to disaster. If Pelosi & Reid can get Congress to execute this impeachment, then they will have redeemed themselves almost entirely. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
migt be a little ceasar theatrics though
I was thinking a lot yesterday about this – that we are such an “amnesia” prone culture and with the media parroting the surge success line, the realities of what we have done in Iraq and what life continues to look like there today will all too easily get lost. Clearly the presidentials would prefer they do …
Perhaps soon a WH wedding and the joy that engenders in our Royal family will allow all of us to escape from the continuing strife in the world. Maybe Fox could provide live feeds to Iraq so that citizens there can take part in events that are guaranteed to fill all Americans with pride.
Got up laye today and missed MTP, so i watched McLaughlin Group. they were doing their End-of-Year Awwards. What a scary show. First of all, John mcLaughlin got ancient – about 15 years ago. He looks the same. hang in there John. But what’s scary is that he was actually making as much sense as anyone half the time. Eleanor Clift is a punching bag andf some other guy kept giving the same awards as Clift. But scariness is not over. they have Monica WhatsHerFuck on the panel. Crowley, is it? The firs award everyone on the panel gave was Person of the Year. Know who Maonica gave hers to — George Bush. Jeez, McLaughlin gave Bush “Worst Politician of the Year.” But Monica’s reasoning was that the surge is working and a military victory is in sight. Pat Buchanan was repeating this, too, but at least he didn’t name Bush as his Person of the Year. BUt nobody called them on this bullshit. Unbelievable. And BTW, didn’t Petraeus himself say there wouldn’t be a militray victory in Iraq? ‘TF is Crowlet talkin’ about?
Mele Kalikimaka and Hauole Makahiki Hou!!!
Well, if people need to say we’re succeeding in Iraq in order to get their butts on a plane home, then let them say it! They can only spew the BS anyway, but if they are putting one foot in front of the other in the direction we want, then fanfuckingtastic!
oh, he is far higher then the worst recent, he might be the worst enemy of this state in our entire history
If Huck or Mitt win next year, they are going to take that win as a mandate. Of course the question arises. A mandate to do what?
Not just any mandate: a divine mandate.
G’day, Sheila! Wow, some serious fuckery… Didn’t he have to sign a Contract stating he cannot sue the US Govt…?
“If Huck or Mitt win next year, they are going to take that win as a mandate. Of course the question arises. A mandate to do what?”
_____
Fuck things up even worse.
MarkH, wow. Thanks. Well said.
I can buy that we’re amnesia prone. But why the media just swallowing theis “surge is a stunning success” bullshit and regurgitating it. Looking back, they reported bombs and explosions but never did report other stuff much. like what is happening/not happening with the Iraq military and government. Now that bombings are down, I guess that passes for “success” and they don’t know what to cover. i dunno. Just thinkin’ out loud here.
Iraq will collapse a couple months into 2009. Bush couldn’t care less about the Iraqis or their agony. He only cares that the collapse doesn’t happen during his administration. Because it’s all about him, ya know.
Won’t he be surprised if we collapse sooner?
I do believe that agreement would be unenforcible due to reasons of coercion and duress
BFL, today’s media does nothing BUT report what they’re told.
I think they’ve all fallen for the Petraeus love – and they sure don’t like to report on things like his supervision of Iraq supplies when they went missing – or notice that his “success” was bought by bombing residential neighborhoods, turning Iraqi cities like Baghdad into a series of ethnically cleansed walled in ghettos and bribing warlords to be “friendly.”
Probably. He would have signed anything to get out of Gitmo. From the description in the newspaper it doesn’t sound like he’d have the energy or motivation to start something so complex. Plus, he’d probably have to go to the U.S. courts. I get the feeling that this guy wont be leaving the country for a very long time.
They aren’t “swallowing” anything. They are a well-functioning propaganda machine doing exactly what their masters intend.
This is absolutely right. And so many people getting killed so it doesn’t happen on Bush’s watch. Bastard.
yep
Normally, I’d concur, but, Padilla lost out… Now, I would say that, Hicks should file with The Hague… ;-)
bingo
Of course, the media hype on success seems to be buying the candidates of both parties a chance to ignore Iraq – and guys like Rahm are quite happy to say Iraq is no longer an issue.
We really do have to keep the pressure on and get the candidates to speak about their plans.
The sales job for the surge is the same as the sales job for the initial war.
They never figure out what to do after they have closed the deal.
-G
That’s one of the things that always struck me as obvious bullshit but has gone under the radar. see, the Iraqis are takin’ things inta their own hands and kickin’ out alQueda and the country will be built from the bottom up. But there jhas been so much, as you correctly point out, ethnic cleansing. How can that form the basis of a unified country or a country with a functioning government? Can’t.
I wish that Edwards would do a better job connecting the dots between his domestic economic populism and the fact that Iraq and the “War on Terror” are both integral to the right-wing project of upward wealth redistribution.
2008 could well see a huge U.S. financial crash.
SAN FRANCISCO – Americans are falling behind on their credit card payments at an alarming rate, sending delinquencies and defaults surging by double-digit percentages in the last year and prompting warnings of worse to come.
An Associated Press analysis of financial data from the country’s largest card issuers also found that the greatest rise was among accounts more than 90 days in arrears.
Experts say these signs of the deterioration of finances of many households are partly a byproduct of the subprime mortgage crisis and could spell more trouble ahead for an already sputtering economy…
_____
I worked in subprime risk management for 5 years. I totally saw this coming (I quit in 2005). The whole re-selling of dubious debt, a.k.a. “securitized debt obligations” a.k.a. “structured finance instruments.”
Tipping point coming.
See, tat was so obvious when this war started, but wouldn’t you figure that they got burned once playing that role, they won’t do it again. You know, they were a tool in the run-up to te war andf they’d wanna get some credibility back and actually ask questions.
lahoma who is working on her laptop, and sitting next to me, says for me to say… may the spirit of Christmas be with each and everyone of you. ;0)
Goodnight. lahoma and okk.
How do you figure they got “burned”? They’re still on TV or in print, they still get invited to nice cocktail parties, and nobody but a bunch of dirty fucking hippies pays any attention to what they really say.
Having watched McLaughlin for many years, I actually enjoyed that show… I was glad that Tony Blankley was absent, so John and Pat shifted left… I thought it was pretty cool… *g*
Success means americans aren’t being killed.
Tiny Tim thoughts right back at you both.
-G
BTW, just to give credit where it is due, what I am saying about the mainstream media arises in large part out of Glenn Greenwald’s outstanding analyses published over the last few years.
One thing I’d wish for Xmas is that the MSM would stop repeating that canard that the American public has a “short attention span”.
The fact of the matter is that the MSM is the one with the short attention span!
Most folks that I encounter have excellent memories.
Unfortunately, we are under constant assault from the bombardment that results from MSM’s short attention span, and it is in their vested interest that the perception of the world around us, heck even our own lives, seems to speed by without time for thought and reflection.
It ain’t a secret that “new” is what News is all about.
sad but true.
I assume we have no desire for a functional Iraq – Petraeus’ goal is to quiet things just enough that US casualties decrease and a long term occupation is mostly “acceptable” to US politicians. After all, they got their $70Billion.
Sorry, minor edit…
They got burned in the sense that they didn’t ask hard questions and just reported as fact the whole WMD bullshit. remember that Bill Moyers show a few monmths back on this? Some media types promisin’ that would never happen again. Thank God for dirty fucking hippes.
Mad Dog – not sure if you saw our Book Salon today but our guest, David Bornstein, has some interesting things to say about media (see the first youtube there) in addition to his work on social entrepreneurs.
All of that served and continues to serve their interests and those of their corporate masters. You seem to be making the erroneous assumption that they actually care about doing a good job as journalists.
I missed it due to holiday cooking (I can actually cook stuff doncha know? Not much, but a few goodies. *g*)
I’ll jump back there to catch up on what I missed.
Ta!
You did an awesome job, Siun! An excellent intro and a meaty thread!
What’d you make?
Speaking of folks who DO get out the word on Iraq, Siun, is there any way to contribute to Gorilla Guides? Sounds like they’re undergoing some expensive re-tooling right now.
I assume we have no desire for a functional Iraq – Petraeus’ goal is to quiet things just enough that US casualties decrease and a long term occupation is mostly “acceptable” to US politicians.
I think you’re being too kind. I think that the *only* desire is to keep things just quiet enough so that this administration can get out of town before Iraq totally crashes. And as to that point, they care not at all, except in its potential as a political tool against the coming Dem administration.
“Hey – things were goin’ great until you guys took over”!
Siun, remember the organization that last week’s guest directed me to for refugee services in South Texas? Turns out that it is the sister organization to one of the groups I work with here in Central Texas. Going to talk with them about family education and some of the things we have done up here in coordinating with the school districts.
That is only going to be one element of an all-out mainstream media assault on the Dems if they take the White House and maintain majorities in the House and Senate. I get a sick feeling in my stomach when I think about what is going to happen in 2009.
Laura … I’ve asked multiple times but they do not accept any donations or gifts ever. They do have some great information today about Medecins Sans Frontieres work and ways to donate – and since many members of the Guides team are connected to Red Crescent, donations to Red Crescent are always appreciated.
Indeed. Then the GOP will revert to Blackhawk Down mode and will then become more than obsessed with every death and every grisly nuance of the plight of US troops in harms way.
-G
Apropos another great news organization getting word out from Iraq here’s a recent article by Leila Fadel, McClatchy Baghdad bureau chief
OT:
Whatever Happened To All That Cash We Gave To Pakistan?
from Joshing Politics by Josh”Ing”Silverstein
Remember how we were going to support Pakistan’s efforts to help us fight that “War on Terror” by giving them a billion dollars a year in taxpayer money? Well it turns out that the money might not have been going to the projects we thought they would. Officials in Islamabad have a strong suspicion that we might have been financing a sizable chunk of Musharraf’s tiff with India. While Pakistan
Betsy! that’s great news!
And thank you so much for the work you do .. wow!
Folks may want to look at last week’s post for more on some great ways to help Iraqi children and families.
Which can be handily reached here: International Red Cross, Red Crescent.
Bless those Gorilla Guides. I hope others will join me in making a donation to the Red Crescent in honor of them.
We’ve always had a Christmas Eve family get together, and each one of us makes a dish.
My family is insistent that I must always make and bring my Hot Cheese Dip (or I’d better not show up *g*).
Since I’d miss out on all the good food everybody else brings, I reluctantly make my dip every year. *g* I think they wouldn’t let me in the door if I didn’t have it in hand.
There is nothing really special about the recipe. I know zillions of folks make something like it, but my family insists on Hot Cheese Dip made by me personally.
Laura – thank you for posting the link and for your wonderful support of Red Crescent and of Guides. I know they appreciate it a lot!
Speaking of regional instability, Bahrain aint looking so hot these days. Seems the Iraqi experiment is making some Shiites to question Sunni supremacy.
-G
Siun it is not as hard as it sounds. Schools are always looking for family and community involvement, and the refugee organizations are a natural bridge in that process. We’ve also gotten 4 congregations from Austin Area Interfaith to donate their time, expertise and money to helping refugees adjust to their new lives.
Yep. I think one needs to assume that the next president will be a one-termer. Not that it necessarily follows that a different Dem couldn’t be elected in 2012, but it will be difficult.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to get Hillary’s term out of the way now?
I am a PhsyioProf; I was thinking more along the lines of actual formulae.
Betsy – years ago I lived in an apartment building that was also used as a first stop for Russian Jews fleeing the Ukraine. It was fascinating and also very touching to see the work that went into helping them make the transition .
Hey Mad Dog … are you just going to mention your world famous hot cheese dip … and not share?
OT or not, we could use a good dip every now and then.
I was involved in that effort as well, while still in graduate school.
either on the plate or on the dance floor. . ;)
I wonder if we were to look back at what the old Commies put Sharansky and and Solzhenitzen through and see how closely it resembles our Guantanimo follies.
-G
When we get national health care, can it please include dental care?
In Kentucky’s Teeth, Toll of Poverty and Neglect
from NYT > Home Page by IAN URBINA
About half the population in Kentucky does not have dental insurance, and 1 in 10 residents are missing all their teeth.
or both!
Betsy – so cool to hear you were involved with that. It was really something to live in the middle of the resettlement. Our apt was on the first floor and in the summer, it sounded like we were living in Moscow… which was pretty cool. I often got to take families to the grocery store for the first time … which was a very interesting experience.
And I got to take them to buy school supplies.
Interesting point.
A friend recently pointed out that the number of Iraqis we have killed is quite similar to the killings in Rwanda … a comparison that is pretty striking.
McClatchy had an interesting piece up (link via KC Star), that had the headline “U.S. Releases Iraqi Detainees as Part of Reconciliation Program.” It opens with the story of one of those released, Mohammed Amin, and his wife Leila Nasser. After introducing them, the article turns to the numbers:
That’s 25,000 held; 48 released last month but 40 more detained; 15 released now . . . Sunnis and Shia can agree that 562 should be released; the Great White Father in DC says 15.
Let’s just say that at this rate, it’s going to take a while.
Leila Fadel, the reporter, wrote up the story of the reconciliation program, but it’s clear that she’s not terribly impressed.
I’m thinking we can put Nasser in the “not a success” column. Great post, Siun!
Where was this?
Peterr … stunning story, thank you for sharing that.
My sister has hosted teens from all the hemispheres, currently she has a seventeen yro female from Kazakhstan, my Sis finds her the most fascinating… ;-)
Years ago in New Haven … our building was right across the street from an orthodox synagogue and the community at the synagogue was very involved in the resettlement. This would be … lets see … in the 80s.
Ok Siun and PhsyioProf,
You’ve twisted my arm, so I’ll give it up. *g*
Hot Cheese Dip
1 # ground beef
1 Lg onion, chopped
1 – 16oz can stewed tomatoes (drained) or same of diced tomatoes
2 – 4oz can chopped green chilies
2 # Velveeta
Seasonings: Chili powder, chopped garlic, hot sauce and Tabasco sauce to taste.
Saute ground beef and onions. Drain.
Add stewed tomatoes and green chilies.
Add the above to a microwaveable container.
Cut cheese in square inch size pieces and add to the mixture.
Add the seasonings.
Place the container in the microwave and heat. I usually run it for 1 minute at at time at High and then take it to stir the mixture. Continue to heat until the cheese is thoroughly melted.
Keep warm in a crockpot on low heat.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Lastly, I usually downsize the ingredients for this recipe in 1/2 for the meat eaters. The other half I make with no ground beef and that seems to please the veggies in my family just fine. *g*
I am going to remember this … just in case!
Dang, Mad Dog ya like some heat, eh?
Are you suggesting Hilary is a “loss leader”? ;)
That’s very cool. I had a post-graduate trainee in my lab who came with her parents to the US from Ukraine when she was little. She is of the age that they probably came during that time frame, if it was the late 80s.
That was one of the reasons why I was so pissed about the talking point declaring ‘If we pull out of Iraq the killing will be horrendous’.
The killing under the US occupation was horrendous…tens of thousands dead…mass graves…mass bombings…massacres….
It was horrendous.
Yet these assholes feigned horror at what ‘could’ happen.
-G
Mad Dog … we could use some of that here tonight – 80 mph winds in Chi and seriously dropping temps!
I do love me some velveeta (sigh)
My guess is that it is an idea dreamed up by a local commander — “hey, if we can get the two sides to agree that person A is not a problem, then we can make everyone happy and turn them loose.” Sounds good on paper, but this being a local commander, he’s got to get someone higher up who is not tied into the situation on the streets to sign off on the releases, and no one wants to put their names on a paper giving this the OK for fear of having one of these folks turn around and blow someone/something up.
Call it the “No Willie Horton” policy, which just keeps everyone locked up indefinitely.
That’s got to make things rough for the local commander who sold this idea to the Sunnis and Shia. (How’s he going to answer them when they tell him, “But you said if we both agreed . . .”) The next time he tries to sell them an idea for cooperation, it’s going to be much harder to pull off.
precisely
Just look at the story about soldiers now being told to not shoot at Iraqi cars … and consider the reports the ACLU has gotten under FOIA which are just a tiny sampling of what has happened in Iraq … yet we claim to need to stay. oof!
The video that the youtube is a sample of is very worth watching btw.
With the sheer amount of sh*t that is coming down the pike… Definitely, whomever, assumes the mantle will be doomed to one term… Clinton’s one term, in the natural progression… Bush-Clinton-Clinton-Bush-Bush-Clinton?
There’s a reason for the hot in Hot Cheese Dip. *g*
Served with an abundance of tortilla strips… :P
Yeah, we had 35-40 mph wind all day with about 4-6 inches of snow here in the Twin Cities. That was on top of the 3 inches we got Friday night.
Friday night started as rain, turned to snow and froze rock solid by Saturday morning.
So now we’ve got 4-6 inches that drifted to a foot or more sitting on top of 3 inches of rock hard ice. More snow expected overnight, so getting around tomorrow is gonna be interesting.
Our snow washed away in the rain last night – and the snow passed to the south. I’d much prefer a nice snow storm I must say.
A thoughtful letter to him sharing your view would likely be read. When I worked in the McGovern midwest campaign in the midwest I was surprised, actually thrilled, to learn he read and responded to thoughtful letters frequently.
Hasn’t there been enough multi-car pileups associated with that front already…? Lucky I live in Hawai’i… *g*
A TwinTowner over at Sadly,No suggested it Nature waging “war on christmas” and that there would be some casualties!1!11!
FelixMoronia has been afflicted with tuttleitis and is showing the first symptoms with an abundance of !’s showing (laughing)
then you’ll love the Philly cheesesteak (if you eat meat)
Hey, Ma Cheri, I’ve been behaving… *g*
yes you have – i believe santa crossed off lump of coal for your stocking this year
ah Elliot … I also like Philly cheesesteak but hate to admit it – and mostly do not indulge.
TeddySanFran has a nice, shiny new post upstairs.
It was more in the spirit of eleventy1!!11! and “Oh no, Christmas is being attacked!Elventy1eleventy111″
I know what you mean
I only do it if I earned it. . *g
What a good idea. I’m in!
(laughing) i know – i just could not resist (as ct knows all to well) twas tongue in cheek teasing and not serious at all
Dr Hillhouse has the CIA Contractor 12 Days of Christmas up over at her place, The Spy Who Billed Me.
I’ll believe the surge is successful when Riverbend can get her old job back as a computer programmer and can wear jeans on the bus again as she goes to work. Last I heard, before she and her family left Baghdad for Syria (they were among the last to get into Syria before Assad was forced to cut back on the number of Iraqi refugees he could allow into the nation before Syria’s own infrastructure collapsed under the strain), she couldn’t go outside without heavy hijab and at least two armed male relatives flanking her.
Thanks Dru!!