And just HOW is the war going?

[michaeledward]

This is priceless.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/22/bush-stay-the-course/

The President of the United States saying his administration has:

"never been 'Stay the Course' "

Footnotes proving the President is lying included.

 

[jazkiljok]

This is priceless.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/22/bush-stay-the-course/

The President of the United States saying his administration has:

"never been 'Stay the Course' "

Footnotes proving the President is lying included.

politicians and presidents lie? well push me over with a feather...

here's another one:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/22/fernandez.statement/index.html

fernandez will of course backpedal on his apology as soon as he retires or gets his bookdeal.

looks like for now- he still needs the job.

 

[michaeledward]

Hey, how about this plan ....

It's March 18th 2003.

Your name is Cheney.

You have an 'unconditional surrender' letter from Saddam Hussein.

What do you do?

 

[michaeledward]

The Army Times
The Navy Times
The Air Force Times
The Marine Times


Each paper will publish an editorial on Monday, November 6th, calling for the resignation of the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld.

This surprises me.

It tells me that the editorial boards of these military newspapers do not believe the war is proceeding in a positive direction.

Time for Rumsfeld to go.

"So long as our government requires the backing of an aroused and informed public opinion ... it is necessary to tell the hard bruising truth."

That statement was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Marguerite Higgins more than a half-century ago during the Korean War.

But until recently, the "hard bruising" truth about the Iraq war has been difficult to come by from leaders in Washington. One rosy reassurance after another has been handed down by President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: "mission accomplished," the insurgency is "in its last throes," and "back off," we know what we're doing, are a few choice examples.

Military leaders generally toed the line, although a few retired generals eventually spoke out from the safety of the sidelines, inciting criticism equally from anti-war types, who thought they should have spoken out while still in uniform, and pro-war foes, who thought the generals should have kept their critiques behind closed doors.

Now, however, a new chorus of criticism is beginning to resonate. Active-duty military leaders are starting to voice misgivings about the war's planning, execution and dimming prospects for success.

Army Gen. John Abizaid, chief of U.S. Central Command, told a Senate Armed Services Committee in September: "I believe that the sectarian violence is probably as bad as I've seen it ... and that if not stopped, it is possible that Iraq could move towards civil war."

Last week, someone leaked to The New York Times a Central Command briefing slide showing an assessment that the civil conflict in Iraq now borders on "critical" and has been sliding toward "chaos" for most of the past year. The strategy in Iraq has been to train an Iraqi army and police force that could gradually take over for U.S. troops in providing for the security of their new government and their nation.

But despite the best efforts of American trainers, the problem of molding a viciously sectarian population into anything resembling a force for national unity has become a losing proposition.

For two years, American sergeants, captains and majors training the Iraqis have told their bosses that Iraqi troops have no sense of national identity, are only in it for the money, don't show up for duty and cannot sustain themselves.

Meanwhile, colonels and generals have asked their bosses for more troops. Service chiefs have asked for more money.

And all along, Rumsfeld has assured us that things are well in hand.

Now, the president says he'll stick with Rumsfeld for the balance of his term in the White House.

This is a mistake.

It is one thing for the majority of Americans to think Rumsfeld has failed. But when the nation's current military leaders start to break publicly with their defense secretary, then it is clear that he is losing control of the institution he ostensibly leads.

These officers have been loyal public promoters of a war policy many privately feared would fail. They have kept their counsel private, adhering to more than two centuries of American tradition of subordination of the military to civilian authority.

And although that tradition, and the officers' deep sense of honor, prevent them from saying this publicly, more and more of them believe it.

Rumsfeld has lost credibility with the uniformed leadership, with the troops, with Congress and with the public at large. His strategy has failed, and his ability to lead is compromised. And although the blame for our failures in Iraq rests with the secretary, it will be the troops who bear its brunt.

This is not about the midterm elections. Regardless of which party wins Nov. 7, the time has come, Mr. President, to face the hard bruising truth:

Donald Rumsfeld must go.

 

[jazkiljok]

The Army Times
The Navy Times
The Air Force Times
The Marine Times


Each paper will publish an editorial on Monday, November 6th, calling for the resignation of the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld.

This surprises me.

It tells me that the editorial boards of these military newspapers do not believe the war is proceeding in a positive direction.

[/FONT]

that the rank and file are now voicing their discontent with the progress, the promises, and the sad realities of iraq is further indication of the absolute failure this war has amounted to.

it is an extraordinary demand by these publications to ask for the removal of rumsfeld.

 

[jazkiljok]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/11/05/1999-war-games-predicted-_n_33328.html

more things that make you wonder who's paying attention in the white house.

 

[jazkiljok]

low-level civil war. that's what they call it now.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15889021/

 

[michaeledward]

Let's review the 'As they stand up, we'll stand down' fallicy.

Right now, what the American Military is doing, and the American Public is Paying for, is the arming and equipping of the Shi'ite Militia. We think that we are training an "Iraqi" army and police force. But, the evidence on the ground is that there is no local understanding of "Iraqi". It is a forced Western Construct.

The instant the "coalition" blinks, the people we trained are going to divide into their religious/tribal heritage, and genocide will begin.

Currently, more than 1,000 people a day are making themselves refugees in Iraq. They are leaving their homes and going to communities of like-sect areas. The breakup of Iraq into three parts began over a year ago.

Not only are we left with zero good solutions, every bad solution we are faced with, leads us from bad to worse.

When dealing with the simple premise of 'First Aid', the use of a tourniquet is the correct option when dealing with the immediate threat of loss of life of limb. It is long past time to apply the tourniquet metaphore to Iraq. We are in danger of losing life or limb. It is past time that the United States must take the drastic measure, for our own self-preservation, to cut off the hemorrhaging.

Iraq will die. Shi'istan will join with Iran; isn't that a pleasant thought. Sunni'stan will, perhaps join with Syria. Kurdistan will continue to stand on its own ... which will create difficulties in NATO, vis-a-vis Turkey.

Our new focus will need to be preventing full out Islam-on-Islam war; especially in a region so important to the global economy.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

Best line I've heard:

"Stephen Hawking has a better chance of standing up than these people."


Regards,


Steve

 

[jazkiljok]

]Let's review the 'As they stand up, we'll stand down' fallicy.

Right now, what the American Military is doing, and the American Public is Paying for, is the arming and equipping of the Shi'ite Militia. We think that we are training an "Iraqi" army and police force. But, the evidence on the ground is that there is no local understanding of "Iraqi". It is a forced Western Construct.

The instant the "coalition" blinks, the people we trained are going to divide into their religious/tribal heritage, and genocide will begin.

yes,shiia militias owe more allegiance to the iranian mullahs than the democracy backing USA. perhaps there are some leaders who see the killing as detrimental to their own future and will not operate in a murderous way.

Currently, more than 1,000 people a day are making themselves refugees in Iraq. They are leaving their homes and going to communities of like-sect areas. The breakup of Iraq into three parts began over a year ago.

Not only are we left with zero good solutions, every bad solution we are faced with, leads us from bad to worse.

When dealing with the simple premise of 'First Aid', the use of a tourniquet is the correct option when dealing with the immediate threat of loss of life of limb. It is long past time to apply the tourniquet metaphore to Iraq. We are in danger of losing life or limb. It is past time that the United States must take the drastic measure, for our own self-preservation, to cut off the hemorrhaging.

bailing out may or may not have horrific consequences. genocide is not a given. syria, iran, jordan, and even the sauds know that they won't be able to let it go without intervention. which is why they don't want us to get up and go just yet. i do think a pan-arab force is what's needed there. U.N. led,, islamic forces on the ground that will make the populace not have US forces to focus their anger on.

Iraq will die. Shi'istan will join with Iran; isn't that a pleasant thought. Sunni'stan will, perhaps join with Syria. Kurdistan will continue to stand on its own ... which will create difficulties in NATO, vis-a-vis Turkey.

Our new focus will need to be preventing full out Islam-on-Islam war; especially in a region so important to the global economy.

[/QUOTE]

surrounding nations weren't able to cut up somalia. i don't think the wanted too. kurdistan is already operating independently cause they have no trust in "iraqi" rule, shiia or sunni, and never will. the sunni and shia regions could operate automonously connected to a loose federation that shares in oil profit.

i am waiting for the gate's exit plan. we know it's coming-- isn't that why he was hired?

 

[hardheadjarhead]

The Commandant of the Marine Corps says the Corps is spread too thin...

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=2673434&page=1

"The new commandant of the Marine Corps has sounded an alarm about Marine readiness. Gen. James Conway said that the demands of Iraq have put strains on the Corps that threaten its worldwide mission."

Durned liberal turncoat.


Regards,


Steve

 

[jazkiljok]

it's now being called a civil war. the killings are taking a massive toll.

funny how george w. was in vietnam recently extolling their economic virtues... we couldn't leave that place either for all the reasons they're giving for us staying in iraq.

but we did anyway...

 

[jazkiljok]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/02/rumsfeld.memo.reut/index.html

so, rumsfeld realizes now that the socalled strategy isn't working. really. now, he gets it.

the fact that he sends this memo on his way out of service is just one more indication of the purposeful blinders george and company have worn their entire time in office.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

it's now being called a civil war. the killings are taking a massive toll.

Ah, yes. But we must focus on all the GOOD we've done there, such as the building of hospitals.*

Surely you don't think that Iraq was better off under Saddam, do you?

Oh. Sorry. I forgot. Those catch-phrases are no longer de rigueur, and have gone the way of "Wanted, dead or alive," and "Mission accomplished."


Regards,


Steve

*Which, albeit, are overflowing.

 

[michaeledward]

Ah, yes. But we must focus on all the GOOD we've done there, such as the building of hospitals.*

Surely you don't think that Iraq was better off under Saddam, do you?

Oh. Sorry. I forgot. Those catch-phrases are no longer de rigueur, and have gone the way of "Wanted, dead or alive," and "Mission accomplished."


Regards,


Steve

*Which, albeit, are overflowing.

You know ... if you just run a 'The Google' search on 'Better Under Saddam', you get quite a few reports, from quite a few varied think tanks, press outlets, and foreign governments that argue, for certain parts of Iraqi society, things were indeed 'Better Under Saddam'.

I wonder when the some of these parts will begin to outweigh the whole; if they haven't already tipped the equation in that direction.

 

[michaeledward]

When asked "Are we winning in Iraq" in a meeting before the United States Senate today, the candidate for Secretary of Defense, said,

"No."

 

[jazkiljok]

When asked "Are we winning in Iraq" in a meeting before the United States Senate today, the candidate for Secretary of Defense, said,

"No."

yes, it seems that stating the irrefutably obvious is now the best way to win senate support.

a long time ago before the rise of the new world order fantasists this was always considered a very effective means of expressing oneself and earning the respect of your fellow americans.

i believe it is time again that we should all strive to spot and articulate the obvious.

i for one would like to say that the billions we have already spent in reconstruction in iraq is mostly unaccounted for with a good portion going to line the pockets of corrupt officials.

let me add another clear as day observation- if we spend another 10 billion dollars more there-- it too will be mostly unaccounted for with most of it going to line the pockets of corrupt officials.

 

[michaeledward]

let me add another clear as day observation- if we spend another 10 billion dollars more there-- it too will be mostly unaccounted for with most of it going to line the pockets of corrupt officials.

Reality Check here .....

I think that 10 Billion gets us to about Valentines Day.

Attention all corrupt official wives ... you should be looking for very big boxes of chocolate next year.

 

[jazkiljok]

...it's going to get worse before it gets.. worse.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/21/Iraq.main/index.html

 

[The Master]

So at what point do the American People say as one "Enough" and demand this mess end?