Writing by Marq on Wednesday, 28 of February , 2007 at 12:40 pm
I blogged about this myself, but Neocynic over on DailyKOS has done a great job, so I am reposting it here.
For those who missed last month's ration of neocon Orwellian agitprop, be advised that for today's Two Minute Hate Session: We have always been, and are now, and will be forever at war with Iran, and not Al-Queda, who have been, and are now, and will be forever our ally.
As any sophisticated reader of the New York Times, or its Cold War counterpart, Pravda, will attest, when read backwards, most articles yield up their most telling "facts" or "revelations" at the end, awaiting discovery by only the most intrepid of readers. Thus Seymour Hersh's New Yorker Magazine article, "The Redirection: Is the Administration’s new policy benefitting our enemies in the war on terrorism?", which led with details regarding the Administration's advanced war planning against Iran, the "scoop" covered breathlessly by the MSM, concluded with the revelation that Dick Cheney's office is probably running an illegal guns and money campaign against Iran. http://www.newyorker.com/… In keeping with the cynical aphorism that my enemy's enemy is my friend, these weapons and money are finding their way into the hands of radical Islamic Sunni groups in Lebanon with strong affiliations to Al-Queda.
Hersh details how the unintended, yet perfectly predictable, Shiite ascendancy via the Iran/Iraq nexus, now threatens wider US interests in the region, specifically Saudi Arabia. The Bush Administration now accepts the fact that, as Vali Nasr of the CFR quoted by Hersh states, "the biggest threat is Iran and the Sunni radicals are lesser enemies," thus a "victory for the Saudi line". And in keeping with the adage that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, Cheney et al. have resorted to their old tricks learned from the good ole days of Reagan's Iran Contra Guns for Money criminal machinations to organize, finance with embezzled funds, and manage an illegal anti-Iran campaign involving stolen money from Iraq to finance Al-Queda operations against Iranian proxies, namely Hezbollah in Lebanon.
This huge gamble is predicated upon one precious fact: the Saudi royal family believes that as long as they continue to tolerate and finance schools and charities connected to virulently anti-Shiite Sunni extremists, specifically the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis, the royal family will be left alone to enjoy its illegitimate rule over the country. The last time the Saudis got into the business of aiding and abetting the Salafis, it spawned Osama Bin Ladin and the creation of Al-Queda in 1988. The Saudis now promise the Bush neocons that this time, they won't let the party get so out of hand that jets are crashed into buildings, and will ensure that the Salafis direct their animus, and most importantly, their explosives against Iranians, Syrians, and their respective proxies, Moqtada al-Sadr and Hezbollah. It is with respect to the struggle to subvert Hezbollah that money and guns are being secretly funnelled, via the US-supported Siniora Government of Lebanon, to Al-Queda through the good offices and efforts of our esteemed Vice President, Dick Cheney.
The Siniora Government is handing out our financial and armed assistance to radical Sunni groups in northern Lebabon, such as Fatah al-Islam and Asbat al-Ansar, with known ties to Al-Queda, as a way of counterbalancing Hezbollah power and influence throughout the country. These groups are known to "hate the Shiites, but hate Americans more." The Sunni majority leader in the Lebanese parliament, Saad Hariri, not only posted bail for four members of a group, the Dinniyeh Islamists, that according to the Crisis Group , "had trained in al-Queda camps in Afghanistan", but also obtained amnesty for 21 of its members convicted for crimes ranging from the bombing of foreign embassies to assasinations of Prime Ministers.
These matters require immediate Senate attention and investigation, and if proven accurate, Cheney et al. will have been caught financing our enemy, the real enemy, most responsible for the vast majority of US combat deaths in Iraq.
Writing by Marq on Wednesday, 28 of February , 2007 at 12:26 pm
I am sure that the troops are just loving how much Bush and his Republicans support them. Now that the Walter Reed story is out there and there is no taking it back, Army officials are punishing the wounded soldiers for talking to the media.
Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media.
“Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media,” one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
It is unusual for soldiers to have daily inspections after Basic Training.
Soldiers say their sergeant major gathered troops at 6 p.m. Monday to tell them they must follow their chain of command when asking for help with their medical evaluation paperwork, or when they spot mold, mice or other problems in their quarters.
They were also told they would be moving out of Building 18 to Building 14 within the next couple of weeks. Building 14 is a barracks that houses the administrative offices for the Medical Hold Unit and was renovated in 2006. It’s also located on the Walter Reed Campus, where reporters must be escorted by public affairs personnel. Building 18 is located just off campus and is easy to access.
The soldiers said they were also told their first sergeant has been relieved of duty, and that all of their platoon sergeants have been moved to other positions at Walter Reed. And 120 permanent-duty soldiers are expected to arrive by mid-March to take control of the Medical Hold Unit, the soldiers said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Army public affairs did not respond to a request sent Sunday evening to verify the personnel changes.
Writing by Marq on Wednesday, 28 of February , 2007 at 9:43 am
No I am not kidding, Bush may be doing an Iran-Contra style money laundering scheme to fund the Sunnis against the Shiites at the behests of the Saudis, Bush’s masters. Always remember that Al Qaeda is a Sunni faction brought to you by Saudi Arabia. Bush may be funding the very people that perpetrated 9/11.
Writing by Marq on Wednesday, 28 of February , 2007 at 9:32 am
I think that it is funny that just this weekend on Meet the Press, or some other Sunday talk show I catch there was a Republican talking head going on and on about how great the economy was doing. That the war in Iraq did not matter because the stock market was doing great and uber rich people were getting uber richer.
Yesterday the stock market fell 417 points, ex-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said that the American economy was heading into a recession for 2007. So the ONE thing the Republicans are trying to hang 2008 on, the one thing that may not have been turned into total shit on their watch is… anyone need more proof that god is not a Republican?
Writing by Marq on Friday, 23 of February , 2007 at 1:56 pm
US Army Medical Chief said that the Washington Post story was dead on the mark, but “One-sided”. He is right, it was on the side of our troops, and god knows that is the wrong side for the Bush Administration.
Bush and the Republicans have a saying, Nothing is to good for the troops, and nothing is what they are going to get...
Writing by Marq on Friday, 23 of February , 2007 at 11:48 am
Under the Republicans, who shirked their duty every chance they had in doing any level of oversight on the war in Iraq, the Bush Administration was able to manage it any way they wanted, and what have we gotten under Bush management, a nation descending into the bowels of hell. The Republicans never once said no.
When Bush said, “I want to rotate the troops back in so fast they do not even get a chance to screw their wives and watch the baby be born”, the Republicans said “Sure thing!”
When he said, “I would like to load money into trucks and dump it at Halliburton’s door”, the Republicans said, “What ever you say boss!”
Bush said, “The troops mean so little to me that I do not care if they are housed like 3rd world prisoners on a bad day”, the GOP leadership in congress said, “Say it and we will make it happen.”
At ever turn, and at every moment for the last 5 years of the Bush “Presidency” the Republicans in the House and Senate have covered for him, ran interference for him, turned a blind eye to him, or flat out lied for him, the mess in Iraq, the drain on the Treasury and the death of ever soldier falls squarely in the laps of George, Dick, and the GOP who acted as enablers to the disaster. Bush has had it all, and look what we have to show for it.
Last week the Republicans tried to bluff their way out of dealing with Iraq, many of them said on the floor of the Senate that they would not support the “Non-binding resolution” because it was non-binding. Some went so far is to dare the Democrats to put forth a binding resolution, something that made the debate more than symbolic, well you got what you asked for, and I am sure in Republican circles the administration is shitting itself right now…
And for you right wingers out there that are screaming something to the effect of “Democrats don’t support the troops” Shut the fuck up, we do support the troops, many of us (Unlike the GOP cacus) were troops, and we are bring them home, or we are asking that they be fully trained and equipped before they go over. How is asking for them to be trained and equipped not supporting the troops? Will it hamper the Bush war machine, your damn right it will, because right now we is sending them over to Iraq with little or no training, and no equipment, how is that supporting the troops again?
As a disabled-vet, I support the moves being made by the Democrats!
Writing by Marq on Wednesday, 21 of February , 2007 at 1:54 pm
Boy is the White House in full tilt spin mode. As I posted last night, along with many others, the callus response the White House gave about the horror that our wounded troops are going trough to get treatment at Walter Reed Army medical Hospital.
The White House even went so far as to add a clarifying statement to the transcript posted on the White House web site, they said @ 12:42 “* The President first learned of the troubling allegations regarding Walter Reed from the stories this weekend in the Washington Post. He is deeply concerned and wants any problems identified and fixed.”
Now why the backtrack? Well because Tony said that the President had known about the nightmare our troops had when they came home, and had done NOTHING about it. Support the troops my ass. This little * is an attempt to cover-up the fact that Bush does not really give 2 shits about any human, even ones he calls troops. The added statement lends itself to its own set of questions, like, what kind of Commander in Chief does not know what is going on to the troops? Tony said himself, “It’s a commitment to support the troops. And the President, as you know, has visited the wounded many times at Walter Reed and we are concerned about it. And the people who”, so you have been there, and you know nothing? Does this not concern you?
Writing by Marq on Wednesday, 21 of February , 2007 at 1:12 pm
Britain and Denmark pulling out of Bush's Disastrous War
The “Collation of the Willing” is almost no more. Britain said it is pulling out of Iraq, Denmark as announced the same. This war is a disaster and no one wants to be a part of it.
Now this is pure speculation right now, but one has to ask, why is Tony Blair, who has stuck with Bush come hell or high water all of the sudden wanting to get out of Dodge?I, and a few others have a feeling that there is another Downing Street Memo, a letter showing that the Bush administration is tiring to “fix the facts” to go to war with Iran, and Britain will have NONE of that. Remember that the Brits are in the South of Iraq, it would be hard pressed not to get involved in a US / IRAN war if the launch pad is Iraq.
Britain will withdraw around 1,600 troops from Iraq in the coming months and aims to further cut its 7,100-strong contingent by late summer if Iraqi forces can secure the country's south, Prime Minister Tony Blair said Wednesday.
The announcement, which came as Denmark said it would withdraw its 460 troops and Lithuania said it was considering pulling out its small contingent, comes as the U.S. is implementing an increase of 21,000 more troops for Iraq - putting Washington on an opposite track as its main coalition allies.
Analysts say there is little point in boosting forces in largely Shiite southern Iraq, where most non-U.S. coalition troops are concentrated. Yet as more countries draw down or pull out, it could create a security vacuum if radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stirs up trouble.
Blair told the House of Commons that British troops will stay in Iraq until at least 2008 and work to secure the Iran-Iraq border and maintain supply routes to U.S. and coalition troops. He told lawmakers that "increasingly our role will be support and training, and our numbers will be able to reduce accordingly."
Writing by Marq on Tuesday, 20 of February , 2007 at 2:50 pm
In what can only be called the perfect response from the most uncaring administration ever to grace 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, today White House talking hack Tony Snow told America exactly what Bush is going to do about the deplorable conditions suffered by out returning wounded from Iraq, as one said "If Iraq don't kill you, Walter Reed will."
Q The administration's mantra for a long time has been "support the troops." What is the reaction, then, when you read this series of stories in The Washington Post about troops coming home from Iraq, Afghanistan and being treated so poorly, apparently, based on this long investigation? What's the President's reaction?
MR. SNOW: There are a couple of things. First, it's not a mantra. I would really choose words carefully. It's a commitment to support the troops. And the President, as you know, has visited the wounded many times at Walter Reed and we are concerned about it. And the people who –
Q Were you aware?
MR. SNOW: We are aware now, yes. And I would refer you to the Department of Defense, which I know is taking a very close look at it, too.
Look, the men and women who have gone and fought for our country over there, they deserve the best care.
Q So why has that not been guaranteed, then?
MR. SNOW: I'm not sure that — you know, when you find a problem, you deal with it.
Q So you're saying the President learned about this from The Washington Post?
MR. SNOW: I don't know exactly where he learned it, but I can tell you that we believe that they deserve better. And, again, Ed, this is something where I'd suggest you give DoD a call, because I know they've taken a good, hard look at it.
Q Tony, can I follow on that? As Bob Dole might ask, where's the outrage?
MR. SNOW: There's plenty of outrage.
Q Is there?
MR. SNOW: Yes.
Q So the President responded how when he learned about this? What, specifically — did he order something to be done?
MR. SNOW: What I'm suggesting — there's a reason I'm suggesting — DoD is the proper place in which we'll be taking care of these issues. And I would refer you to them for comment. But this is something that's going to have to be an action item.
Q But is there any evidence that it was even looked at before the paper printed its two stories?
MR. SNOW: Yes.
Q Then tell us about that evidence.
MR. SNOW: That's why — again, I would refer you, Bill, to the Department of the Army, which runs the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. This is the place where if you want to get –
Q That's just an easy way for you not to have to talk about it.
MR. SNOW: Well, it's also a way of pointing to the proper authorities, which is what you would want.
Q The White House doesn't want to be on record with a more emphatic expression of amazement and upset about this?
MR. SNOW: No. David asked where the outrage — of course there's outrage that men and women who have been fighting have not received the outpatient care — if you read the stories, there are many who are happy with it, some who are unhappy, and it's important that we show our commitment to the people who have served. I don't know what more you want me to do.
*** Q What is your reaction of Major General Weightman, who is the Commander at Walter Reed, also says in the bottom of the article on Sunday in The Washington Post, said that he's concerned and that they're bracing for, "potentially a lot more casualties," people coming to Walter Reed because of the surge. Does that cause the White House to think at all about that policy, because you have the Commander of Walter Reed –
MR. SNOW: There are a whole series of things, and, again, this is why you need to talk to people who are in the chain, because –
Q But this he said on the record.
MR. SNOW: I understand, Ed. But there are a series of things. First, for Walter Reed, what you end up having is treatment of people who are wounded — and also this is Bethesda, as you know, different sorts of injuries are treated at the two facilities. And many of those people are there for months. And this story deals with outpatient care after that treatment, right? So it's important, I think, to understand that you've got to be prepared for all things that are going to come your way, including getting the piece right when it comes to outpatient care, and continuing also to do well by inpatients.
But, again, I know you want me to — I'm simply not going to go beyond what I know. And in this particular case, the people who do know the facts and do know what's going on, and do know how the investigations are proceeding are the guys over at DoD.
Writing by Marq on Friday, 16 of February , 2007 at 3:24 pm
In a stinging rebute of “President” Bush’s failed Iraq policies the House today voted 246 to 182 on a non-binding resolution to stop the escalation of the war. While the house is in strong Democratic hands a large handful of Republicans (17) joined them in sending a clear message to Bush, your plan for Iraq sucks, and has failed.
Now many of the right-wing will say that “Oh the Democrats don’t support the troops, blah blah…” this is total crap. The Republicans have taken every chance they get to dig the troops into whole after whole. From the total lack of armor and vehicles in Iraq, to taxing their combat pay, the Republicans have shown that NOTHING is to good for the troops, and NOTHING is what they are going to get.
For the record, Marshall, Jim; Georgia, 8th and Taylor, Gene; Mississippi, 4th, both Democrats voted with the lapdog Republicans.
Controversy over a possible missed U.S. opportunity for rapprochement with Iran grew on Wednesday as former aide accused Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of misleading Congress on the issue.
Flynt Leverett, who worked on the National Security Council when it was headed by Rice, said a proposal vetted by Tehran’s most senior leaders was sent to the United States in May 2003 and was akin to the 1972 U.S. opening to China.
Speaking at a conference on Capitol Hill, Leverett said he was confident it was seen by Rice and then-Secretary of State Colin Powell but “the administration rejected the overture.”
Rice’s spokesman denied she misled Congress and reiterated that she did not see the proposal.
Separately, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns warned Iran it risked further U.N. and other sanctions if it did not halt uranium enrichment as the U.N. Security Council demanded.
He stressed there was still time for diplomacy before Iran reached a critical point in its nuclear capability and said conflict with Iran was not inevitable.
Writing by Marq on Monday, 12 of February , 2007 at 9:48 am
I a not sure why the Republicans are doing their best to stand behind this lame duck president. The Republicans have done their best to stop all debate on Iraq, while saying they want to have the debate. Well debate means little or nothing to the house, and the Democrats are going to take the resolution to the floor, where it will win by a landslide.
Democrats will file a nonbinding resolution against the Bush plan while Republicans will try to broaden the dispute and seed doubt in the Democratic approach. Although Senate Republicans were able to block debate on a resolution condemning Bush’s war policies last week, it will be much easier for Democrats in the House to bring a measure to the floor.
The GOP, whose members have conceded they are likely to lose, is treating the debate like a mini-political campaign, deploying a rapid-response team to counter Democrats’ statements, aggressively trying to get its leaders on television and radio, and creating a “resource center” off the House floor where members can fill their arms with maps, research material, videos or other visual aids to use during their floor time.
“We may lose the vote, but we’ll win the debate,” said Kevin Smith, a spokesman for House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio).
While the GOP stalls to give Bush cover, Americans Soldiers Die.
I am starting to think that the home district is calling, and the pressure hurts:
“What we have now is a dispute in tactics,” said Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.), who once supported the administration but is opposed to the troop increase. “This is a situation where we’ve been dealt a bad hand, where we’ve made a lot of mistakes, where we should have addressed the problems in Baghdad a long time ago, and now a surge on the scale the president has proposed is unlikely to move us forward.”
One House Republican close to the GOP leadership spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to be blunt. “This next week is going to be a very tough one for us to get through,” he said. “The Democrats know that. We can sit back and hope they overplay their hand, but I don’t think they will.”
Writing by Marq on Friday, 9 of February , 2007 at 4:58 am
Now when the far right hacks start looking at the far right hacks and pointing out the depth of idiocy in their comments you know the lie must be so off base even the liars can’t swollow it. The only real difrence between the plan Nancy Pelosi takes and the one the former Speaker of the House took, Fat load Dennis Hastert, is that the plane uses less gas to fly, because face it, Hastert is such a giganic load of shit that it took far more fuel to get that beast aloft.
Everyone, even the right-wing White House hack, Tony Snow said, “I’ll just repeat our position, which is, as Speaker of the House, she is entitled to military transport, and that the arrangements, the proper arrangements are being made between the Sergeant of Arms office in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Department of Defense. We think it’s appropriate, and so, again, I think this is much ado about not a whole lot. It is important for the Speaker to have this kind of protection and travel. It was certainly appropriate for Speaker Hastert. So we trust that all sides will get this worked out.”
Republican Representative Ray LaHood, Republican of Illinois said, “This is a bunch of baloney” when asked about the fake controversy.
I know that it drives the right-wing hate mongers nuts that Nancy, a Democrat from California is 3rd in line for the presidency, and that at the rate Bush and Cheney are going, she just might get it, but the fact of the matter is that she gets a plane, and she gets one that can fly non-stop from DC to her home district in San Fransisco. Fat Load Hastert only needed to go a third of the distance, therefor most planes can do that without a refueling stop. Get over it people, your reckless disregard for the American people lost you the election, and you all only look like desperate freaks trying to make up shit. You lost, and will continue to loose at this rate.
U.S. Marine Gen. Peter Pace admitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday equipment will be a problem when U.S. forces in Iraq are increased.
During testimony over the $481.4 billion fiscal 2008 defense budget, Pace said the military has about 41,000 armored vehicles in Iraq — fewer than will be needed “to cover all of the troops that are deploying.”
Pace said it will be July before enough equipment is in place.
“The commanders on the ground have talked with the chief of staff of the Army and the commandant of the Marine Corps and have agreed that they will be able to share the assets on the ground so that no soldier or Marine will leave the compound without proper protection,” Pace said when asked why more troops should be deployed immediately.
U.S. Marine Gen. Peter Pace admitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday equipment will be a problem when U.S. forces in Iraq are increased.
During testimony over the $481.4 billion fiscal 2008 defense budget, Pace said the military has about 41,000 armored vehicles in Iraq — fewer than will be needed “to cover all of the troops that are deploying.”
Pace said it will be July before enough equipment is in place.
“The commanders on the ground have talked with the chief of staff of the Army and the commandant of the Marine Corps and have agreed that they will be able to share the assets on the ground so that no soldier or Marine will leave the compound without proper protection,” Pace said when asked why more troops should be deployed immediately.
