Monday, March 27, 2006
Nothing to See Here Folks
BBC NEWS reports,
In an attempt to be fair and balanced, I did take a moment to visit the U.S. Embassy's site. The latest press release is from March 19, 2006. The topic, Georgie's remarks upon returning to the White House. Must be a slow news day in Iraq.
BBC NEWS reports,
At least 40 people have been killed by a suicide bomb inside a military base housing US and Iraqi forces near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.Details are a bit iffy, but it appears the dead are recruits who were in line for some reason or another. Sure looks like progress to me.
In an attempt to be fair and balanced, I did take a moment to visit the U.S. Embassy's site. The latest press release is from March 19, 2006. The topic, Georgie's remarks upon returning to the White House. Must be a slow news day in Iraq.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Last Throes
Despite all the happy talk coming out of the White House, the news from Iraq continues to be grim. The New York Times reports,
The almost daily reports of large groups of beheaded and shot bodies being dumped along with the Iraqi Army's admission that there are areas "too dangerous" to go into give lie to the White House's happy talk on Iraq. Next time you hear someone like Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice say
Invading Iraq was a mistake. Failing to build a real international coalition was a mistake. Failing to provide meaningful security during and immediately after the invasion was a mistake. All were mistakes of policy, not competence. Iraq has become our albatross.
Despite all the happy talk coming out of the White House, the news from Iraq continues to be grim. The New York Times reports,
The bodies of 30 beheaded men were found on a main highway near Baquba this evening, providing more evidence that the death squads in Iraq are becoming out of control. [. . .] Iraqi army troops were waiting tonight for American support before venturing into the insurgent-infested area to retrieve them.Two things are apparent. One, the violence continues and the Iraqi government is unable to do anything about it. Despite claims that things are moving forward politically, these killings make it clear that many people in Iraq have no faith in elections, political negations, or diplomacy. Second, the Iraqi Army, not withstanding the photo-op otherwise known as operation "Swammer," is incapable of operating on its own. One has to ask, if the Iraqi Army can't venture into Baquba, who is in charge there? The bodies were
"It's too dangerous for us to go in there alone," an Iraqi Army commander, Tassin Tawfik, said.
Earlier in the day, the corpses of 10 other men, all bound, blindfolded and shot, were discovered in Baghdad.
heaped in a pile next to a highway that links Baghdad to Baquba.That doesn't sound like a very remote area and the fact that the Iraqi Army is afraid to drive on the highway linking two major cities is troubling at best.
The almost daily reports of large groups of beheaded and shot bodies being dumped along with the Iraqi Army's admission that there are areas "too dangerous" to go into give lie to the White House's happy talk on Iraq. Next time you hear someone like Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice say
"I think it's entirely probable that we will see a significant drawdown of American forces over the next year,"remember it's nothing but wishful thinking. We've been hearing the same pie in the sky talk for going on two years. There are few signs that the Iraqi Army will be able to operate effectively by December. There are few if any signs that there is a "political" solution on the horizon. If American troops do leave, we should be prepared for lots of blood.
Invading Iraq was a mistake. Failing to build a real international coalition was a mistake. Failing to provide meaningful security during and immediately after the invasion was a mistake. All were mistakes of policy, not competence. Iraq has become our albatross.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Smells Like Victory.
BBC NEWS reports
Meanwhile the "new" Iraqi "government" is still MIA. It seems there is no agreement on who should be the Prime Minister. But don't worry, they'll work it out soon and freedom will be on the march once again.
So remember, despite continued violence and a political deadlock, we're making progress in Iraq.
Oh, and Operation Swarmer ended, "without any casualties and all of the tactical objectives met." And USAID along with its partners have completed the distribution of "1,000 water storage tanks [. . .] and a six-month supply of water purification tablets" in Al Anbar province (see page seven). No word on what happens when the "six-month supply" runs out. Don't say we don't focus on the good news out of Iraq!
BBC NEWS reports
Five Iraqis have been killed and 17 injured by a bomb planted outside a Sunni mosque in the town of Khalis, 60km (40 miles) north-east of Baghdad.
[. . .]
Police also discovered the bodies of seven men in the city's east. They had been handcuffed and shot in the head.
Meanwhile the "new" Iraqi "government" is still MIA. It seems there is no agreement on who should be the Prime Minister. But don't worry, they'll work it out soon and freedom will be on the march once again.
So remember, despite continued violence and a political deadlock, we're making progress in Iraq.
Oh, and Operation Swarmer ended, "without any casualties and all of the tactical objectives met." And USAID along with its partners have completed the distribution of "1,000 water storage tanks [. . .] and a six-month supply of water purification tablets" in Al Anbar province (see page seven). No word on what happens when the "six-month supply" runs out. Don't say we don't focus on the good news out of Iraq!
Thursday, March 23, 2006
More Progress in Iraq
Just doing my bit to remind everyone how swell things are going in Iraq. ABC News/AP reports:
There are unconfirmed reports that someone, somewhere in Iraq was able to go about his business without worry of a car bomb, kidnapping, U.S. military strike, IED, or just getting caught in the cross fire. Because we're dedicated to telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we at CRANKed will be following up on this report.
BREAKING There is also news that a school has just been painted!!!!! No word on whether or not the school has electricity on a regular basis or clean running water, but it has been painted!
Just doing my bit to remind everyone how swell things are going in Iraq. ABC News/AP reports:
At least 56 Iraqis died Thursday in violence, including a car bombing that killed 25 people in the third major attack on a police lockup in three days.When a CRANKed reporter asked a Pentagon spokesperson about these incidents of "progress" he swore he could hear what sounded like Uncle Rummy's voice bellowing, "Democracy is messy!" from some backroom.
A suicide car bomber detonated his explosives at the entrance to the Interior Ministry Major Crimes unit in Baghdad's central Karradah district, killing 10 civilians and 15 policemen employed there, authorities said.
[. . .]
Insurgents engineered a successful jailbreak that released more than 30 prisoners north of Baghdad on Tuesday.
[. . .]
A mortar round fell on a Baghdad house, wounding three civilians, said police Lt. Ziad Hassan. Another civilian was seriously wounded by an Iraqi army patrol that was shooting in the air to clear traffic in a western neighborhood, police said.
[. . .]
Fourteen more bodies were found in an ongoing series of shadowy sectarian killings
There are unconfirmed reports that someone, somewhere in Iraq was able to go about his business without worry of a car bomb, kidnapping, U.S. military strike, IED, or just getting caught in the cross fire. Because we're dedicated to telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we at CRANKed will be following up on this report.
BREAKING There is also news that a school has just been painted!!!!! No word on whether or not the school has electricity on a regular basis or clean running water, but it has been painted!
Thursday, March 16, 2006
GOP: The Hypocrisy Party
Republicans are for states' rights, except for when they're not. The Los Angeles Times notes
See here's the deal, states have the right to discriminate, or not fund education, or to pass laws outlawing abortion or any other law that goes along with the moral outrage du jour of the likes of James Dobson, but states don't have the right to do anything else, especially if doing so might hold multi-national corporations accountable. So much for being the "culture of life" party, because this vote will result in lots of early deaths and lots of suffering. And so much for the hollow talking point about how the free market doesn't "ration" health care. Only the morally bankrupt Republican Party would claim that cutting health care coverage is central to acutally improving it.
Maybe all those flip-flop chants and signs at the 2004 Republican National Convention were really a party slogan? Now, repeat after me "Culture of Life! Culture of Life! Culture of Life!"*
*Unless providing things that make life possible, like maternity care, diabetic supplies, mammograms, vaccinations, etc. would cost ourfriends sugar daddies in the insurance industry a few extra pennies.
Republicans are for states' rights, except for when they're not. The Los Angeles Times notes
On a party-line vote, a Senate committee approved a bill that would preempt state laws that require insurance policies to cover specific services, such as maternity care and supplies for diabetics.It's just like how Republicans are for law and order, ethics, character, doing the right thing, honor, personal responsibilty, etc. except for when they're not. Or how they're for holding the president accountable and maintain that the president isn't above the law, except for when they're not. Or how they're for lobbying reform, except for when they're not. Or fiscal restraint, except for when they're not.
See here's the deal, states have the right to discriminate, or not fund education, or to pass laws outlawing abortion or any other law that goes along with the moral outrage du jour of the likes of James Dobson, but states don't have the right to do anything else, especially if doing so might hold multi-national corporations accountable. So much for being the "culture of life" party, because this vote will result in lots of early deaths and lots of suffering. And so much for the hollow talking point about how the free market doesn't "ration" health care. Only the morally bankrupt Republican Party would claim that cutting health care coverage is central to acutally improving it.
Maybe all those flip-flop chants and signs at the 2004 Republican National Convention were really a party slogan? Now, repeat after me "Culture of Life! Culture of Life! Culture of Life!"*
*Unless providing things that make life possible, like maternity care, diabetic supplies, mammograms, vaccinations, etc. would cost our
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
What Civil War?
What Bush has wrought. Today Iraqi police found "15 bodies in the back of a pickup truck." All indications are that the men were "strangled." Saddam was a despot and a murderer, but that is no excuse for the well documented failures of the Bush regime to plan for a post-invasion Iraq. The Guardian reports that British PM Blair's envoy to Iraq, John Sawers, called the U.S. post-invasion effort "'an unbelievable mess.'" Of course, the pre-invasion plans weren't much better. From the very start the U.S. plot to invade Iraq was characterized by
What Bush has wrought. Today Iraqi police found "15 bodies in the back of a pickup truck." All indications are that the men were "strangled." Saddam was a despot and a murderer, but that is no excuse for the well documented failures of the Bush regime to plan for a post-invasion Iraq. The Guardian reports that British PM Blair's envoy to Iraq, John Sawers, called the U.S. post-invasion effort "'an unbelievable mess.'" Of course, the pre-invasion plans weren't much better. From the very start the U.S. plot to invade Iraq was characterized by
No leadership, no strategy, no coordination, no structure and inaccessible to ordinary Iraqis.I would add that the whole thing was inaccessible to everybody but a small cabal in Washington who were hell bent on revenge and blinded by their own hubris. Sadly, the lack of leadership and a strategy continues. Speeches at American universities won't turn the corner. Speeches are little more than pep rallies. The lack of resources, both material and intellectual, has damned Iraq to what looks like a protracted and bloody civil war. I'm sure uncle Rummy will be popping up to remind us that democracy is messy. Only someone as intellectually and morally bankrupt as George W. Bush could look on events in Iraq and proclaim, "Yet out of this crisis, we've also seen signs of a hopeful future." Mr. President, when every week brings news of dozens of people strangled, hung, and shot there is very little reason to be "hopeful." Mr. President, when every week brings news of yet another deadly car bombing there is very little reason to be "hopeful." Mr. President, saying things could be worse is an insult to the Iraqis who have suffered. Mr. President, another coat of white wash won't fix the disaster your policy has wrought. Mr. President, resign; it's the only honorable course of action.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Repeat After Me
Yep, we're making progress all right. Iraq is on the road to becoming a peacefulliberal neo-conservative democracy oligarchy. Of course, they'll be a few bumps in the road like the most recent incident, but it's really nothing to worry about and it isn't a sign that Iraq is spiraling into chaos or that the Iraqi Army is compromised or anything like that. CNN reports that a top Iraqi general was killed in a ambush outside of Baghdad.
UpdateVia Needlenose comes this Reuters report. It's troubling.
Yep, we're making progress all right. Iraq is on the road to becoming a peaceful
Maj. Gen. Mubdar Hatim was the commander of the Iraqi army's 6th Division, which had taken over responsibility for security in portions of Baghdad over the past several months.But don't worry, the security situation in Baghdad won't change all that much. I mean there might be a few extra car bombs, a few more attacks on mosques, a few more kidnappings, etc. but nothing the average person would notice in all the chaos that is Iraq. Anyway, I'm sure the 6th Division's morale is sky high and they're just itching to stand up to the terrorists.
UpdateVia Needlenose comes this Reuters report. It's troubling.
The general was wearing body armour, the ministry official said. He opened the door of his four-wheel drive vehicle and a single bullet struck his head as he was putting on his helmet.It appears that this was an inside job targeting the general, who just happens to be a Sunni. The Reuters report notes that the general was in the area "to investigate a gun battle." Sounds like someone set him up. If this is right, then the situation in Iraq is going from bad to worse, but don't worry there isn't a civil war in Iraq nor does it mean that the "dead-enders" are getting stronger.
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Oh, that Economy
Hey look the Dow Jones industrial average is below 11,000 again, falling 63 points to close at 10,958.59. Wow those tax cuts and give aways to the filthy rich are really working. Hurry everyone and line up for your piece of the ownership society, pieces are going quick. I'm sure all those employees who had their defined benefit plans converted to cash or stock market-based plans are sleeping well tonight.
Hey look the Dow Jones industrial average is below 11,000 again, falling 63 points to close at 10,958.59. Wow those tax cuts and give aways to the filthy rich are really working. Hurry everyone and line up for your piece of the ownership society, pieces are going quick. I'm sure all those employees who had their defined benefit plans converted to cash or stock market-based plans are sleeping well tonight.
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