Gen. John Abizaid, the head of U.S. Central Command, is headed to Washington for meetings with President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
His trip from Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, comes amid concerns in the Bush administration that tactics need to be re-evaluated in Iraq, where coalition and Iraqi forces face an unrelenting insurgency and sectarian violence.
On Thursday, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell announced that a U.S. operation aimed against increasing insurgent violence in Baghdad is not living up to expectations. A 22 percent upsurge in violence, Caldwell said, was linked to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and the November 7 U.S. midterm elections.
The fighting has resulted in the deaths of 74 U.S. troops this month, putting October on track to be among the deadliest for U.S. forces since the 2003 invasion.
Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, will be involved in the Washington meetings via teleconference from Baghdad.
Dare we hope that something will be DONE soon?
So much for "stay the course"...
here's more on the situation in Iraq and international doubts
Still and the same, I'll believe that Bush is bringing us out of Iraq when i see it!
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at him that his 'stay the course' crap is just that and is losing them votes.
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
Hehehehehe good point!
Sorry there's not much commentary in this post-when this sort of news breaks, i prefer to wait a bit for more ot come out, but its worth seeing!
from Bush.
Too little too late!
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=29&ContentID=10667
President George Bush and his Republican Party strategists are planning a series of bitter attacks on the opposition Democratic Party in the final two weeks of the campaign for the November 7 elections to try to minimise predicted Republican losses.
But there are signs of serious splits in the Grand Old Party, as the Republicans are popularly known, over the Iraq war in the light of rising public anxiety over the conflict. Strategists and pollsters say the public mood has darkened in the past few months as mounting body counts and the growing spectre of civil war in Iraq has dragged public confidence in the war effort to new lows.
A CNN poll last weekend found support for the war at just 34 per cent, with 64 per cent saying they opposed it.
Across the country, Republican candidates are breaking with the White House over how long troops should remain in Iraq and who should lead the war effort. New Jersey Senate candidate Tom Kean said the Bush administration had made “horrendous mistakes” in Iraq.
Even some of Mr Bush’ staunchest allies in solidly Republican States are questioning the administration’s war policies, while others are scrambling to find new ways to talk about Iraq.
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
Its amazing how fast people are opening thier eyes, adn how quickly Republicans are fleeing Iraq. I swear, there've been a couple of periods where i thought the press was beginning to come through, but nothing like this.
Also, now that the numbers are more against the war, more people probably won't feel unpatriotic FOR being against it-it's hard being in that minority as we were for the longest time, constantly defending ourselves...
There are still enough days left until election day to warn Democrats: don't count your political chickens until they're hatched.
On the other hand, angry rumblings — coming from such diverse constituencies as former members of the first Bush administration, independent voters, and traditional conservatives — are the sounds of egg shells breaking.
Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh lecturing InstaPundit Glenn Reynolds on not adhering to the party line (which Rush always espouses) is the sound of another eggshell noisily starting to crack.
But one thing is clear:
At this point in the election campaign it appears as if White House political maven Karl Rove's strategy of wrapping the election around Iraq and the phrase "stay" the course" (with the corollary "cut and run") may have badly backfired.
http://www.themoderatevoice.com/posts/1161232519.shtml
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
backfired... is that an understatement or what? I swear they'd have better success hanging themselves with the "mission accomplished" banners...
TO say nothing of Condi's "student of history" line...
But its time for a change, thankfully we may still GET that change!
Hersh warns of Iraq meltdown
Pulitzer-winning journalist bashes Bush at keynote speech for Abu Ghraib conference
October 20, 2006
By Sini Matikainen
The Abu Ghraib torture scandal has wrought untold psychological damage to American soldiers and to the U.S. reputation in the Middle East, eminent investigative journalist Seymour Hersh told a packed house at Kresge Auditorium yesterday evening.
Enlarge
Bernard Bluhm
Seymour Hersh speaks about the aftermath of Abu Ghraib
“After Vietnam, our troops came back in disgrace and were called babykillers, but the Iraq war has engendered the most violent soldiers we have probably ever produced,” Hersh said to students and community members reclining in seats, sitting in aisles, lining the walls and listening to the broadcast outside. “The carnage going on that troops have done collectively is just breathtaking, but there is no stigma. The soldiers are just as much victims as the people they killed.”
“Something is going on in Iraq now,” he continued. “God knows what, but it’s not good.”
http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2006/10/20/hershWarnsOfIraqMeltdown
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
excellent speech, but thoroughly scary.
ITs nice that these intelligent views are being heard, if only they'd been allowed to voice sooner...
VIETNAM ALL OVER AGAIN
Face truth: Iraq war is a waste
MOLLY IVINS
I came across a remarkable article written for the The Nation magazine (known for its liberalism for 141 years) by Richard J. Whalen - a conservative in good standing, a former Nixon staffer. Whalen has undertaken the singularly valuable task of talking to dissenting generals about the war in Iraq.
I suppose one could argue, and I am sure someone will, that these are mostly retired generals. Some, like Lt. Gen. William Odom, are calling Iraq "the worst strategic mistake in the history of the United States." And they are retired precisely because of their opposition to Iraq.
"The only question is whether a war serves the national interest," one retired three-star told Whalen. "Iraq does not."
Whalen writes: "The dissenting retired generals are bent on making Iraq this nation's last strategically failed war - that is, one doggedly waged by civilian officials largely to avoid personal accountability for their bad decisions. A failed war causes mounting human and other costs, damaging or entirely destroying the national interest it was supposed to serve."
During Vietnam, senior soldiers kept quiet. But after it ended, officers, including Colin Powell, "vowed it would never happen again." But Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the other civilians in charge overruled the military minds and ignored the possible consequences.
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/sunnews/news/opinion/15804158.htm
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
THat article totally made my day!
I remember back when we FIRST started sensign the deja vu-its so sad that its come to this point in lives...
Saw an article, cant find the link, that mentioned that in December, we will officially have been in Iraq as long as we were in Europe during WWII... that was sort of disturbing... Did you see that?
U.S. October Death Toll in Iraq Hits 70
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By STEVEN R. HURST Associated Press Writer
October 19,2006 | BAGHDAD, Iraq --
Eleven more U.S. troops were slain in combat, the military said
http://www.salon.com/wire/ap/archive.html?wire=D8KRJ8EG1.html
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
Lovely. that number is disgusting-it hasnt even been a month yet! Will it reach 100 by the END of the month?
BTW... have you read riverbends blog? she FINALLY has a new post up(i'm so glad shes OK) and she mentioend that if they had fudged the numbers of Iraqi civilian dead, she didnt want to KNOW how bad they fudged the American soldiers death... That has me kind of insecure on ALL of these numbers!
Regarding Iraqi civilian deaths, go to IraqBodyCount.org. They're anti-war, but don't make up fake numbers like 600,000.
Do you know the piece that I'm talking about, and the blogger? I'll find a link for you in a minute...
But she didn't say they "made it up".... THis Iraqi girl said that it was MUCH morei n teh ballpark than the previous numbers, but that she didn't know if it was there YET...
I hope you're not talking about the bogus 650,000 civilian casualty number. That's really not been trusted, and the guy's previous number (100,000 in 2004) was discredited as well. Read Rich Miniter's "Disinformation."
You know, it helps to offer LINKS... as I have done for my figures(see the piece i WROTE about that number)
Makes it a lot easier to gauge the credibility of your argument. Have you read riverbends blog? Shes Iraqi, and thinks that all along the numbers were fudged, and that even THIS one is only "closer"
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/
Not to mention that its not "this guy"... its an independant, CREDIBLE international group-not someone who has somethign to gain from numbers that are bigger or smaller.
With all do respect to her, she isn't a professional pollster. And if I could link to a chapter in a book, I would have. Until then, these will have to do.
http://iraqbodycount.org/press/pr14.php
http://timblair.net/ee/index.php/weblog/547_becomes_654965/
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20060104-085709-7440r.htm
Did you see the new thread i put up specially for your concerns on this study?
Did you see the new thread i put up specially for your concerns on this study?
The base is crumbling, and Congress will fall to Democrats
Dick Morris
Cagle Syndicate
The Republican base, that vaunted entity whose every mood swing has controlled the zigs and zags of the Bush administration policy, has moved out, according to the latest Gallup polling. Karl Rove’s heroic efforts to preserve its fealty have failed to move Republican base voters. Karl cannot compensate for Bush’s failure to project his issues as the midterm disaster for the Republican Party nears.
The Gallup poll of Oct. 6-8 shows that, in the wake of the Foley scandal, the number of “white frequent churchgoers” who are planning to vote Republican has dropped from 58 percent to 47 percent since last month. The margin of their support for Republicans over Democrats, 26 percentage points in September, has entirely disappeared and the parties are tied among this core element of the Republican base.
The Gallup poll also reveals that Democrats now win all eight major issues, including terrorism and morality. Asked which party would do more to enhance “moral standards in the country,” Democrats now win 47 to 36! And on terrorism, Democrats now have a 47-to-42-percent advantage.
The Foley scandal has wrought extraordinary damage to the Republican Party and appears to have had a particularly negative impact on the base. No amount of blame shifting onto Democrats for breaking the story or for holding it until September is likely to compensate for the evidence that House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) did not act promptly to expose it himself. According to the latest Fox News poll, 61 percent of voters believe that Hastert knew about the Foley affair early on and did nothing to stop it.
Churchgoing whites are the core of the Republican base. The fact that they are now breaking even in the approaching midterm elections foretells total disaster for the GOP. For this group to leave is, quite literally, the political equivalent of the last dog dying! It is now likely that they will lose both houses of Congress.
http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/opinion/local_story_293173601.html
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
excellent numbers!
I dont want ot get too eager though-it'll only curse us!(hehehe... i'm not even a superstitious person!)
*LoBiondo: It's time for Rumsfeld to go
By THOMAS BARLAS Staff Writer, (609) 272-7201
Published: Thursday, October 19, 2006
PLEASANTVILLE — U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd, on Wednesday joined a list of federal lawmakers who say U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld should be replaced.
Speaking to an editorial board of The Press of Atlantic City, LoBiondo said he has “never been a fan of Rumsfeld,” who has been “arrogant and abrasive” during briefings.
LoBiondo said Rumsfeld appears to be increasingly isolated from what’s happening in Iraq.
“Commanders in the field aren’t getting through to him, or he’s not listening to what they’re saying,” the congressman said. “The president has to make a switch on Rumsfeld.”
LoBiondo also defended his votes to send troops to Iraq, saying those votes were based on “the best information I had at the time.” He said it’s no coincidence that there have been no more terroristic attacks on American soil since the United States invaded Iraq.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/newjersey/nj_politics/story/6854897p-6720518c.html
**The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
Its been time for Rumsfeld to go for a LONG time, but he's not out YET!
I love hte little side comments attempting to link this to the "fighting them over there not here" argument... OH well, i guess we'll look for a little change at a time!
http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
Thumbing through that link, there's a LARGE part of me that HOPES it's only hearsay and conspiracy theories... I'd like a few pdf's or something from them...
But MAJORLY scary stuff!
http://mediamatters.org/items/200605260016
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
Holy crap!
I've seen the commentary on the ipod section before, but the rest was totally new...
EXCELLENT piece!
http://mediamatters.org/items/200605260003
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
I understand that by being politicians they put themselves in the spotlight, but i DO find the fixation with personal lives appalling... from ANY press source!
I hate how mainstream its become!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2433838
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
Are they tought upon entering the party how to run a cover-up?
Scary. It certinaly explains alot though-i wonder what skeletons the OTHER members of th house caucus on Missing and Exploited children know first hand about the exploitation part!
Latest story today is of some Republican who seriously abused his wife and paid her off to keep silent. Can't find the link.
Nice family values.
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
Now THAT one i haven't heard anyhting about...
If you find any links can you post them, or send me them?
WHo was it? etc.
Curiousity is killing me!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2442078
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
sheesh... TALK about living in a bubble!
Yay for people who actually file lawsuits defending their rights!
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/NY_Times_Sadr_militia_sows_destruction_1021.html
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
I saw that earlier but hadnt had time to right.
So much for all of the PROGRESS that George W. made us believe we could bring to Iraq...
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Blog_Sixalarm_fire_at_Maryland_building_1020.html
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
Have there been any follow ups on there? I'm curious what was destroyed, if the fire was a "terrorist attack" or poor fire response or electrical system failure, or what!
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/10/20/diebold-code-sent-in-anonymous-package/
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
its sad that this sort of behavior during elections is no longer the reign of bad science fiction movies! I DO have someone in a class from maryland-if we weren't forbidden from discussing politics with classmates i'd ask him if he heard about it.
Oh well...
many of your "blogging friends" are--since they haven't posted--they are scattered all over the place. Lot's going on. Most are working on GOTV. Work. School. Haven't been around. Also, haven't seen many people. C's son got in a serious accident so those two are not blogging for you. A and H are not able to be around. Neither is D and S. J and other friends and DDgn is swarmped too. And everyone has deserted the ship.
So all in all...everyone has scattered like the wind.
I've talked to a few and they say hi and good luck. And they wanted you to keep up the good work. (Maybe be able to blog after the election.)
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
Thanks for the updates on everyone... it hAS been scary quiet on here, for the most part...
Other than your helpful links. I'm swamped as well, getting ready to start a new job, getting used to a new city adn new school-its been hard to really feel as totally filled in on the news as i usually feel. Thanks so much for all the links!
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
Yep, thanks for doing so!
It's good that the U.S. is reviewing its war strategy. I'm not a fan of the post-war planning.
That being said, we should recognize that most of the "sectarian violence" is the work of the Mehdi Army--financed and armed by Iran. It is not representative of the average Iraqi.
Also, reports have indicated that Ayatollah Khameini has demanded that U.S. casualties in Iraq reach 3,000 by the Nov. 7 elections. Iran appears to be the primary sponsor of this violence.
Yet we have nothing to do with Iran, nor are we keeping those out.
All i've been hearing about Iran lately is in concern over "weapons" and such... do you have a link for all of that?
Its easy to find proof Iran is behind the insurgency. I suggest subscribing (its free) to RegimeChangeIran.com. It's a daily newsletter regarding Iran.
Iran is trying to undermine Iraq in order to keep us bogged down, expand their influence, and most of all, stop the development of a democracy that involves moderate Shiites which would begin the end of their regime.
Once again, I'd still like to see proof of that though.
THey may have a part, but i DO believe there's far more than outside militias causing havoc-these are people who really don't have the unified view that we have-and they've been fighting for hundreds or thousands of years.
Here's just one article I found from a very brief search.
http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3179
Actually at my school we just had a professor who specializes in Middle Eastern history testify that the Shiite-Sunni violence is a NEW thing. Under the Ottoman Empire, there was no such thing. And from the Iraqis I've talked to, I don't find a seething hatred towards other sects. They all seem to want peace and a better life for their family.
If they all really hated each other that much, I think the American casualty rate would be much higher than a relatively low 2,800 and the Iraqi security forces would have torn apart.
Do you have a link for this professor you quote? IF we're going on hearsay from teachers, I studied with an art history teacher, who said the exact OPPOSITE-that iraq had been drawn by a british officer who knew NOTHING of hte mesopotamian feuds and differences of sects that had existed for centuries. She didn't htink we could have picked a more volatile place to invade if we'd done it PURPOSELY. Admittably, she hasn't TESTIFIED on this...but I'd still like to see where YOUR teacher did.
No, the professor didn't write his lecture. And you're art teacher isn't incorrect. The British DID draw up Iraq without regard to the sects. However, the fighting between the sects is relatively recent. Such a thing didn't occur under the Ottoman Empire.
But you still haven't linked to any news stories or government sites for where he testified. Still hearsay. You made a point of claiming he does this professionally, and i dont doubt he's qualified, but it does mean that even if he didnt type the lecture he gave YOUR CLASS, there should be a trail of research on his views.
Thats the point of what i'd like to see.
And as stated, thats where you and my teacher differ-she felt that she'd seen evidence of it continuing for every bit of history in which they weren't actively occupied or ruled by someone with a particularely heavy fist.
That article doesn't even prove your point. It shows that Iran is HELPING insurgents-NOT that they are the CAUSE of the violence, or that they are the ones running the death sqads and attacks.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=69956
http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=303
Most sectarian violence involves the Mehdi Army, which is armed, trained, financed by Iran.
Also, if you read Ken Timmerman's book, you can see actual pictures of Iranian agents from the Revolutionary Guards meeting with insurgent leaders.
WEll if you wanted an insurgency wouldn't you look for support too? We know that many sectarian killers were trained by the US as well! They deserted from teh Iraqi army with weapons we had given them!
But showing that these killers need someone to help them get a hold of items is not saying that they were CONCIEVED by another nation-it only says that they found one who was willing to enable them.
It doesn't say anyhtign of the will to fight that existed anyways. They were not hired by Iran to stir up trouble-the desire was already there. All that that shows, is that the UN needs to reprimand Iran, and assert penalties for dealing in arms with Iraqi groups.
Well, there are actual incidents of Iranian intelligence operatives involved in bomb attacks, so it is clear that to some degree it is engineered. I know that Michael Ledeen and others before the war reported that Iran and Syria were preparing this. The insurgency would only be a fraction of what it is today if Iran and Syria weren't involved.
I know of no credible evidence that the U.S. trained these sectarian militias, especially the Mehdi Army.
but I suppose you'll see what you want to see.
Plus, I bet you never bothered researching what Valerie Plame was working on when Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, Mr. Armitage, Mr. Novak, etc decided to out an undercover spy.
Our government is broken. And treason happened within the White House and the Republican ranks, but I bet you wouldn't believe the numerous credible sources that say it.
***The thing is, if you control the Senate meetings, you control the gavel. And the gavel is a very important instrument... an instrument of power. An instrument that establishes the agenda.
Dan Quayle former Republican VP of George Bush Sr***
I wonder if TDC will respond... its been a while since people posted so he may be distracted.
I know there's debate about her status. For example, neighbors and other commentators like General Vallely said that Wilson was pretty open about his wife's status as a CIA analyst. I honestly am not positive either way.
I just don't see how revealing that someone was a CIA operative is "discrediting" either, as anyone making an argument would love to have that on her resume. And this "outing" increased the attention to the Wilson claims tenfold.
It increased attention to the Wilsons situation-EXACTLY... it was no longer possible for her to be ABLE to work in her capacity because she was "marked" by it. He may or may not have been open with friends, but the LEAK was open with the ones who she was dealing with in a professional capacity.
And critics say this is to "discredit" Joseph Wilson, it did exactly the opposite. The key questions are whether Valerie Plame was a covert operative in the past five years, whether she was covert at all or simply an analyst, whether there was intent to do harm, etc. Fitzgerald seems trustworthy, and hasn't indicted Rove. I've heard so much back and forth about the laws regarding the case, that I could really only feel confident commenting if I was an intelligence lawyer which I'm not.
Affect or intentions-it was still an illegal action of the government to leak with a political purpose, and highly unethical.
ITs sort of sad that the only thing people can argue this case with is that it DIDNT have the intended affect...
I disagree with you about it doing the OPPOSITE though-it DID harm Wilson, through his personal life, and certianly sidetracked the media from his story-particular with that nice little "his CIA wife GOT him this job" storyline that they played with for forever and a day.