Mixed Signals and Doublespeak

Gates Says Troop Drawdown Possible

WASHINGTON -  Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged Sunday that political stability in Iraq won’t likely happen before the Bush administration makes its critical September assessment on whether its war strategy is working. But Gates declined to predict that a drawdown of U.S. military forces in such a scenario would happen by year’s end.

Gates is almost good at ‘doublespeak‘. More references to Orwellian moments.

“It’s a possibility,” Gates hedged, when asked if he considered a troop drawdown this year a “strong possibility” or would bet on it.

“We’re doing contingency planning on a lot of different possibilities,” Gates said.

“Circumstances changed in a different way,” Gates said. “That’s the process we hope will evolve over time.”

Gates cannot keep his optimism afloat. Speculation about what US “drawdown” capabilities will be when Petraeus reads his script in September, is a marketing exercise. Why can’t Gates keep his story straight? Because, he has no clue what script will handed to him, he is not the only Hollywood production in the works.

US may start Iraq pull-out this year, says Gates
Gates: U.S. underestimated Iraq ‘mistrust’
Gates says Iraq politics disappointing

Gates says political stability in Iraq unlikely before September

Then, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says on Fox Noise,
Security “has improved some” because of U.S. and Iraqi cooperation, she said Sunday.

“Clearly, too, we have a lot of work to do on the political side,” she said. But, she added, “I would not underestimate the importance of the continuing work of the leaders of these very powerful parties in Iraq.” A majority vote would get the law passed “but it would not have the force of all of the groups that wanted to do this,” she said. “They don’t want a 51-49 on constitutional reform.”

Condi is expert at ‘doublespeak‘. No one can pin her down on anything.

Good Timing For Bush – American Al Qaeda Speaks

Qaeda video vows attacks on US missions

LONDON (Thomson Financial) – A wanted American member of Al-Qaeda has warned in a new video that US diplomatic missions and other interests were ‘legitimate targets,’ vowing that the network would attack these ‘spy dens.’

In the footage compiled by Al-Qaeda’s production arm As-Sahab, an unnamed narrator singled out US missions in oil-rich Gulf Arab states as potential targets.

American Terrorist Threatens U.S. in New Al Qaeda Video

CAIRO, Egypt — An American member of Al Qaeda threatened foreign diplomats and embassies in the Islamic world calling them “spy dens” in the terror network’s latest video released Sunday. “We shall continue to target you, at home and abroad, just as you target us, at home and abroad, and these spy dens and military command and control centers from which you plotted your aggression against Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzan al-Amriki.

Well, well, well, whether the threat is real or not, the timing of this new threat is impeccable. That children’s story, about the kid who cried ‘WOLF’ too many times, is front and center in my mind. King George has deceived us so many times and been caught in so many lies, that I am skeptical about any more video productions allegedly from Al Qaeda. If this threat is real, we are at the same security level we’ve been in since the war began. Nothing has really changed. Bush and his marketing handlers have staged so many productions that Hollywood should be the one threatened. Funny how Al Qaeda pops into the news every time Bush wants to pull something over on Americans. This ‘American Al Qaeda’ is probably a CIA operative who is handed a script to boost polls to continue Bush’s Armageddon Envy.

Tough Choices: Who Should We Fear, Them Or Us

Maliki: timetable for US withdrawal not possible

Iraqi PM says neither Baghdad nor Washington can set timetable for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.

Collapsing Bridges vs. War in Iraq

The Bush administration’s spending priorities – including an estimated $1 trillion for an unnecessary war – will cost the lives not only of US soldiers and Iraqi civilians but American citizens who will die from a decaying infrastructure and other government neglect, argues Stephen Crockett.

Daily demonstrations of corporate corruption, political corruption, missing cash, misused assets, and general bribery reminiscent of third world dictatorships. Corruption is an epidemic in the United States of America. Why? The ‘shock and awe’ of America’s decline is overwhelming. Republicans and Democrats share this disgusting tragedy. Republicans currently hold center stage and are too arrogant about being entitled to break every law this country has. Why? Aren’t tired of the word “FREEDOM” being used for everything from War to Viagra? What exactly are Americans FREE to do? Free to be lazy and complacent? Free to be led by the nose into total chaos by self-serving politicraps? America’s passion has been hi-jacked and is held hostage by political marketing!

Does anyone remember Nikita Khrushchev:

“Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.”

He was the instigator of Soviet missile forces in Cuba and the Cuban missile crisis, the builder of the Berlin Wall, launched Sputnik and started the Cold War and the space race.  Nikita was a comic but worthy enemy.  His uneducated wisdom does ring true today.

We are victims of our own success and will be hung by our own rope, so espoused Nikita Khrushchev.

 

Just Another Day: Military, Civilian Body Count

Following are the latest figures for military deaths in Iraq and Iraqi civilians killed in attacks since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003:

U.S.-LED COALITION FORCES:

United States 3,646

Britain 163

Other nations 129

IRAQIS:

Military Between 4,900 and 6,375#

Civilians Between 67,945 and 74,336* This is the most disputed number!

Iraq Body Count The Last 5 Days

Sunday 22 July: 59 dead

Baghdad: motorcycle bomb near Kulfaa Square; mortars, Bab al-Sharqi; roadside bomb, Amin; 21 bodies. Taji: truck bomb kills 6. Mosul: 6 men killed in separate attacks.
Iskandariya: mortars kill 2; civilian is shot dead in clashes; gunmen kill policeman; drive-by shooting kills civilian; 3 bodies. Basra: father and son shot dead; body found.

Saturday 21 July: 91 dead

Baghdad: up to 18 civilians reported killed in 3:00am US air raid in Husseiniya -7 children among them; bomb in bus kills 5, Baladiyat; mortars, Mashtal, Rashad; 5 die in random shooting by unknown gunmen; 17 bodies. Mosul: roadside bomb kills 6 policemen; gunmen shoot dead 2 men watching football match in cafe; 11 bodies. Iskandariya: 5 bodies. Hilla: 2 bodies.
Kut: gunmen kill policeman and translator working for US military.
Samarra: 2 killed by US fire, after coming under attack.

Friday 20 July: 38 dead

Baghdad: gunmen kill policeman and his wife, Dora; 16 bodies.
Muqdadiya: gunmen kill 2 women; body found. Hassawiya: attacks kill 5 residents. Ajemi: attacks kill 4. Mosul: civilian dies in US helicopter fire.

Thursday 19 July: 55 dead

Baghdad: roadside bombs, mortars kill 10; 17 bodies.
Dhuluiya: 2 killed in drive-by shooting. Jidaydat al-Shatt, Mansuriyat al-Shatt: unmen attacks kill 10 residents. Mosul: 8 bodies. Iskandariya: 8 bodies.

Wednesday 18 July: 92 dead

Baghdad: roadside bombs, Al-Qanat; mortars, Zafaraniya; roadside bomb kills 4 Electricity Ministry employees, Salihiya; Iraqi police kill 3 in Amiriya; US troops shoot dead 2 people, after coming under attack, Adhamiya; 15 bodies. Khalis: gunmen attack bus, kill 7 passengers.
Basra: university professor shot dead; body found.
Hilla: gunmen kill mother, father, son. Latifiya: 3 truck drivers killed by gunmen.
Baquba: roadside bomb kills 3; 2 bodies. Mosul: gunmen kill KDP official, guard; 6 bodies.

In outsourced U.S. wars, contractor deaths top 1,000

But, we don’t count the ORPHANS and WIDOWS do we? Heaven and Hell must be outsourcing by now, don’t you think?

This crazy, arrogant, mega-low-maniacal, morons who are trying to grab and squeeze the last drop of oil out of Iraq, are creating multi-national populations of damaged souls and broken bodies.

I see a ‘mushroom cloud’ of hate spreading across the horizon that will cover all Americans whether they agreed with the war or not. No casualty really believes the American public is innocent, because this administration hides behind “the will of the American people” to do anything it wants. The “will of the American people” no longer exists … The more Americans are hated, the more King George claims “we are making PROGRESS”!

 

Injured Iraq War Veterans Sue VA

Veterans denied health care, is an absolute disgrace! To me there is no excuse that the VA can possibly give to defend their complete lack of incompetence and responsibility to veterans.

This administration and the GOP could give a rat’s ass about the soldiers. They will send them into harms way and them turn their backs on them. There is no follow through, no caring, no responsibility for the damage that they’ve done or continue to do.

• Frustrated by delays in health care, a coalition of injured Iraq war veterans is accusing VA Secretary Jim Nicholson of breaking the law by denying them disability pay and mental health treatment.

• The class-action lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs, filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco, seeks broad change in the agency as it struggles to meet growing demands from veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Suing on behalf of hundreds of thousands of veterans, it charges that VA has failed warriors on several fronts — from providing prompt disability benefits, to adding staff to reduce wait times for medical care to boosting services for post-traumatic stress disorder.

• The lawsuit also accuses VA of deliberately cheating some veterans by allegedly working with the Pentagon to misclassify PTSD claims as pre-existing personality disorders to avoid paying out benefits.

Pre-existing, are you freaking kidding me. Do you thing that might backfire on the VA and the Pentagon? If you know someone has PTSD before you send them into war, why in the hell would you send them to war. The logic of this government is beyond explanation. It’s all about the almighty dollar.

• “Unless systemic and drastic measures are instituted immediately, the costs to these veterans, their families, and our nation will be incalculable, including broken families, a new generation of unemployed and homeless veterans, increases in drug abuse and alcoholism, and crushing burdens on the health care delivery system,” the complaint states.

• Today, the VA’s backlog of disability payments is now between 400,000 and 600,000, with delays of up to 177 days to process an initial claim and an average of 657 days to process an appeal. Several congressional committees and a presidential commission are now studying ways to improve care.

Studying the problem; how long does it take to know that the VA doesn’t work? It hasn’t work for years. Viet Nam vets are still fighting them, just ask any vet living on the street. The Dole- Shalala committee seems to be dragging their feet. Remember the committee that Bush created to get to the bottom of the VA problems. Bush is very good at creating shit and then doing nothing about it. Hell, why don’t we just have a VA Czar, Bush loves having those around. We seem to have more Czar than Russia ever did.

• “While steps can and will be taken in the political arena, responsibility for action lies with the agency itself,” said Melissa W. Kasnitz, managing attorney for Disability Rights Advocates, in a telephone interview. Her group is teaming up with a major law firm, Morrison & Foerster, to represent the veterans.

• “We don’t believe the problems will be fixed by the VA if we wait for them,” she said. “In the meantime, it is veterans who risk their lives for our country who are suffering the consequences.”

• The lawsuit cites violations of the Constitution and federal law, which mandates at least two years of health care to injured veterans.

This administration will go down in history as being the worst violators of the U.S. Constitution. At least you have to give them credit for being consistent in the destruction of this country on more than one front.

Of course when the discussion of bringing the troops home comes up again, Bush, the GOP and all their blind supporters will say they support the troops. To steal Mitch McConnell’s line “it’s political theater”. If they truly supported the troops we would not see class-action lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs.  

Bush Executive Order: Criminalizes the Antiwar Movement

So you thought you lived in a free society, where dissent is patriotic, where speaking your mind is your Constitutional right. Well, not any more my friends. A new Bush Executive Order, signed July 17^th allows Bush to seize property and other fun stuff from anyone who is against the war. So I guess Congress, all the anti-war movements, all the progressive movements and blogs are in for a treat.

The executive order violates the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the US Constitution.

This seems to go hand in hand with the Executive Order Bush signed in May giving him complete control after a catastrophic event is announced.

Global Research, July 20, 2007, by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky

The Executive Order entitled “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq” provides the President with the authority to confiscate the assets of whoever opposes the US led war.

A presidential Executive Order issued on July 17th, repeals with the stroke of a pen the right to dissent and to oppose the Pentagon’s military agenda in Iraq.

The Executive Order entitled “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq” provides the President with the authority to confiscate the assets of “certain persons” who oppose the US led war in Iraq:

“I have issued an Executive Order blocking property of persons determined to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq or undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people.”

In substance, under this executive order, opposing the war becomes an illegal act.

The Executive Order criminalizes the antiwar movement. It is intended to “blocking property” of US citizens and organizations actively involved in the peace movement. It allows the Department of Defense to interfere in financial affairs and instruct the Treasury to “block the property” and/or confiscate/ freeze the assets of “Certain Persons” involved in antiwar activities. It targets those “Certain Persons” in America, including civil society organizatioins, who oppose the Bush Administration’s “peace and stability” program in Iraq, characterized, in plain English, by an illegal occupation and the continued killing of innocent civilians.

Indict Bush After Immunity Is Gone, Like Chirac

Chirac on trial

No other former president in the nearly 50-year history of the Fifth Republic has been questioned by a judge investigating criminal activities.

France’s Chirac Queried in Probe of Party Financing

PARIS — A judge questioned former president Jacques Chirac for more than four hours Thursday in an investigation into a party financing scandal that dates to his time as mayor of Paris, his attorney said.

Chirac faces investigators, his immunity gone

Mr. Chirac lost his presidential immunity from prosecution on June 16, a month after he left office. He has denied committing any wrongdoing during his time as mayor of Paris.

France: Chirac Faces Corruption Inquiry

In light of these developments surrounding France’s Ex-President prior criminal activities, this country must have the resources to do the same to the Bush Crime Syndicate! Someone, please, gimme a legal take on what we must do to hold them accountable if impeachment fails!

Beware! Bush has a terrorist production in the wings to postpone coming elections! He is laughing from his ass now that the polyps are gone …

No Wonder Iraqi Military And Police Aren’t Ready

US Papers Friday: President a Defiant Decider

Bush sees Iraq as half-full; Iraqi Army loses ground; House votes to bug out

Today’s front pages were dominated by the tussle between President George W. Bush, the declared decider, and Congress, the would-be inhibiter.

U.S. kills six Iraqi policemen in Baghdad raid

By Alister Bull Reuters Saturday, July 14, 2007; 8:20 AM

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – U.S. soldiers killed at least 13 people including six Iraqi policemen after coming under fire from a police checkpoint in Baghdad on Friday, the U.S. military said.

An Iraqi reporter working for The New York Times was also shot dead on his way to work in Baghdad, the newspaper said, a day after two Reuters employees were killed during an incident involving U.S. forces in the city.

Iraqi Military’s Readiness Slips

Report Says That Since January, Fewer Units Can Operate Independently

By Karen DeYoung Washington Post Friday, July 13, 2007; Page A04

Despite stepped-up training, the readiness of the Iraqi military to operate independently of U.S. forces has decreased since President Bush‘s new strategy was launched in January, according to the White House progress report released yesterday.

The Pentagon refused yesterday to elaborate on the “slight reduction” in independent Iraqi units. Any information about the number, size or designation of such units is “in the classified realm,” said a spokesman, Lt. Col. Mark Ballesteros.

Bush and Cheney ARE the Axis of Evil pounding lie upon lie about Iraq! We ARE the obstacle to Iraq’s readiness. Our continued presence IS the irritant that aggravates the civil war inside Iraq. The continually mounting collateral casualties among those who are supposed to replace our soldiers has erased our credibility.

As much as our military tries to discriminate between good guy & bad guy, “they all look alike” and if you can tell who is who “kill ‘em all and let God sort ‘em out”. Some of these casualties are family of Iraqi Army and Police.

The policy of ‘kill multiple innocents to get one or two terrorists’ has backfired in both Afghanistan and Iraq!

 

We Are All Upside Down And In Distress

Silent flag protest raises outcry

UPSIDE-DOWN U.S. FLAG

By Ann Schrader Denver Post Staff Writer

Beth Hammer has turned her gated Wheat Ridge community upside down with her upside-down display of the U.S. flag.

On March 19 – the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq – Hammer decided to hang her flag upside down, which under the federal flag code is a signal of distress. (see Section 4 (a))

The 64-year-old retired banker said flying the flag with the white-starred blue field – called the union – on the bottom is her silent protest.

“I think the war in Iraq has put this country in distress,” Hammer said. “We are losing lives, liberty and our honor.”

Hammer contends displaying the U.S. flag upside down is her First Amendment right of free speech. She has hired a Denver civil rights lawyer, Mari Newman.

“Just because she lives in a covenant-controlled community doesn’t mean she gives up her rights to free speech,” Newman said.

The Cambridge Park Homeowners Association, which represents owners of 107 patio homes, doesn’t agree with Hammer’s perspective.

Kudos to this brave lady and her husband for standing up as Americans!

What a great way to SHOUT our DISTRESS at the trashing of this country! Even if you are not prone to exhibiting the Stars and Stripes, this is a wonderful way to demonstrate your right of ‘silent protest’ to the terrible mess this administration has inflicted upon us.

Whadaya think?

 

Bush’s Private Armies Suffering Breakdowns

Contractors Face Combat-Related Stress After Iraq

WASHINGTON, July 4 — Contractors who have worked in Iraq are returning home with the same kinds of combat-related mental health problems that afflict United States military personnel, according to contractors, industry officials and mental health experts.

But, they say, the private workers are largely left on their own to find care, and their problems often go ignored or are inadequately treated.

A vast second army, one of contractors — up to 126,000 Americans, Iraqis and other foreigners — is working for the United States government in Iraq. Many work side-by-side with soldiers and are exposed to the same dangers, but they mostly must fend for themselves in navigating the civilian health care system when they come back to the United States.

With no widespread screening, many workers are not identified as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or other problems, mental health experts and contractors say. And, they add, the quality of treatment for others can vary widely because of limited civilian expertise in combat-related disorders.

Damn right TERROR is following us home!  The wave of haunted and terrorized casualties returning home number thousands more than official US military figures.  The symptoms of PTSD range from mild to totally PSYCHOTIC and AGGRESSIVE.   Both diagnosed and UN-diagnosed combat related mental illness will be trying to ASSIMILATE back into American society for years to come.  So, Yes, the terror has followed us home!  The American Taxpayer will foot the bill once again, one way or another.

Thanks George, your self-fulfilling prophecy comes true.