Full of Sound and Fury

In regards to the hanging of Saddam Hussein, I am reminded of Gandhi's statement that violence will vanquish violence only when darkness can dispell the darkness. In other words, if anyone thinks that executing Saddam Hussein in the middle of a civil war is going to curtail the mutual slaughter, this isn't going to happen. Violence is only going to "surge". Many Sunnis were devoted to Saddam and will likely want revenge in the form of assassinations and bombings of Shiites and Americans. Perhaps the Bush Administration will welcome this as an excuse to escalate its attacks on Anbar Province further. But we also know that even our good buddies, the Saudis, are financing Sunni insurgents and organizations in Iraq, to keep them from being exterminated by the Shiites. The confragration will only grow.

Furthermore, everyone knows that Saddam's trial was a cariature of justice by American legal standards, with bizarre goings-on from beginning to end, with the not so hidden hand of the Bush Administration influencing the entire process. This trial, however, was not so much about justice as it was about Shiite revenge, a Roman-style trophy for American audiences and the shutting up of Saddam before he could be questioned about the complicity of American officials in arming and directing him during his war against Iran, as well as other obscenities.

If true justice against Hussein, who was indeed a bloody tyrant, was the goal, why was he executed so hastily, before the trial over his massive slaughter of the Kurds had even taken place, leaving millions of Kurds without any sense of resolution? Hussein should have been tried before an international tribunal. The thousands of Iranians who also lost loved ones because of Hussein's war with Iran should have also been invited to press charges, especially in reference to his chemical attacks on Iranians. But then uncomfortable inquiries about alleged American chemical and biological weapons sales to Hussein might have been brought up during the proceedings, not a welcome idea to George Bush Senior and Donald Rumsfeld, to name a few players. (see Wayne Madsen's revelation on this at: http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_wayne_ma_061228_why_the_bush_crime_f.htm )

As for the poetic symbolism of this event, even though President Bush must certainly feel ecstatic now at fulfilling his obsession to get Saddam, what has transpired with Saddam's hanging is the equivalent of the three fateful witches in MacBeth throwing another bat's wing or spider into their witches' brew, so as to make it all the more potent. Our benighted President, acting out his pathetic version of MacBeth, can't wait to drink another cup from their black cauldron, again mistaking it for the Holy Grail.

With all due respect Mr. President....

With President Bush making public statements about how minority extremists should not be allowed to inflict their ideology onto the people (of course he was referring to someone "other" than himself). This is a great description of how the neocon Republican minority has operated in the USA. Bush continues to insist that he remains the decider (and divider or the dictator) and what the American people want is trumped by Bush desires.....

I wonder if Bush would continue to push for this war if it involved "any" sacrifice from him and his family? Maybe Bush should offer up his new ranch in Paraquay to help pay for the Iraq debacle and impose a hefty war tax on everyone who has prospered because of this disaster.

I applaud Jim Webb and join him with my own sentiments. Image is courtesy of buzzflash and it is available as a refrigerator magnet here

Bush Denies Reality of Civil War

At a press conference today U.S. President Bush said, "There's a lot of sectarian violence taking place, formented in my opinion because of the attacks by al-Qaida causing people to seek reprisal." Bush believes the escalating violence is nothing new. “We’ve been in this phase for awhile.” Bush, continues to dodge acknowledging that a civil war exists in Iraq. "When you see a young democracy beginning to emerge in the Middle East, the extremists try to defeat its emergence," Bush said.

Bush said he will meet with al Maliki, Iraq’s prime minister for his plan to “quell” the violence. According to Bush, "The Maliki government is going to have to deal with that violence and we want to help them do so. It's in our interest that we succeed."

In spite of the anticipated recommendations of talks with Iran and Syria from the White House Iraq Commission, Bush does not affirm plans to talk with Iran or Syria. The U.S. President repeated the demand that Iran has to suspend their uranium enrichment program before the U.S. will enter talks.

Bush continues to promote his belief (with the help of the Western Corporate Media) that Iran and Syria are to blame for contributing to the violence in Iraq. "The Iranians and the Syrians should help — not destabilize — this young democracy," he said. "That government is being undermined, in my opinion, by extremist forces encouraged out of Syria and Iran," Bush said. "Why? Because a democracy will be a major defeat for those who articulate extremist points of view."

This "Bush belief" is debunked by many middle eastern experts. The US is seen as the creator of the Iraq civil war and the current unrest. This goal of the US--to create a civil war in Iraq--was put into action with Negroponte's (who has experience with death squads and fermenting civil wars in South America) appointment to Iraq. It is not in Syria's nor Iran's best interest to have a destabilized Iraq as a next door neighbor. Syria is already reeling from providing refuge to over 1 million Iraqi's with thousands more flooding Syria's borders every day.(Kaveh L Afrasiabi, Nir Rosen, Robert Fisk)

Meanwhile in Bush World, the Bush diplomacy continues with no recognition of what the United States has done to Iraq, the Iraqi's, and the people living in the Mid East Region. Bush refuses to acknowledge the damage and chaos that is the result of his actions--the illegal invasion of Iraq. Everyone is to blame except for George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Dick Rumsfeld, Condeleeza Rice and their minions.

Now George W. Bush expects the major victims of his failed plans--the Iraqi's--to create the solution. The "minor" victims--the American people--will continue to put their lives on the line and "foot the bill." This sounds like the expectations of someone who has been protected from accountability and responsibility for his entire lifetime.

Heaven help us all.
Sources:
Cartoon by Steve Bradenton
Yahoo News
Asia Times
Information Clearing House
DemocracyNow.org Nov 27, 2006 report

Saudi's Say Iraq is Lost

The Saudi's released a study concluding that Iraq is lost and there is no way the US. can win it.

According to the Hindustan Times:

The question in Iraq is not "if the US succeeds - it has failed by every single measure that you can think of," said Obaid, private security and energy advisor to the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Prince Turki al-Faisal.

"The failure is only compounded by the fact that we just don't know what the endgame is." said Obaid, head of the Riyadh-based independent consultancy which advises the Saudi government....

The study concluded that a Kurdish drive for quasi-independence within Iraq would gather speed, as would the insurgency, and Iranian influence in the country could be expected to increase as American influence waned.

Vice President Dick Cheney said in an interview yesterday violence would go on "for some considerable period of time in Iraq," but argued progress had been made.

Here's the source

Maybe we should stop having elections?

If you listen to the Republican spin you might start to think that elections are a bad idea.....It was just so convenient that the Foley sexual predator scandal came out "right before an election"....and now those damn "insurgents" are increasing their attacks b/c of the US elections.

Well, Mr. Bush...The New York Times HELD BACK the wiretapping story (while you campaigned and told the American people that no such program existed) when you were running for re-election...they held it for an entire year. I guess you prefer the media to listen to your commands...

Now you have the military making this political spin with no proof whatsoever. It's more feasible that the insurgency is "surging" because it's the month of Ramadan and the attacks typically increase during this time period. Combine that with the fact that you recently fired two of their top leaders who were top commanders in the police force, along with arresting a top leader on Tuesday.....and you have stirred up a hornet's nest.

Now you are using the military to put out Republican spin and distort our political process evidenced by the daily press briefing by Major General Caldwell yesterday.

Precise quotes are difficult because CNN broke in with a special report on Caldwell's daily briefing. They QUICKLY cut away after the Major General uttered two sentences to cover some dribble (It may have been the sting ray that jumped into the boat and attacking an elderly man)......But here's the gist of what Caldwell said.

Caldwell stated that the stepped-up insurgent violence may be part of an effort to influence the American elections....so far so good Caldwell is following the Republican line.Previously, Caldwell consistently blamed the increased attacks on Ramadan...but "today" he started using the Republican "spin." I doubt that was an accident and probably one reason why CNN was featuring this as a "special report" and broke into their progarmming with the briefing.

I have a feeling CNN cut away from the briefing because of what he started to say after this. Caldwell went on to say that the Baghdad situation is "deteriorating" (attacks increased by 22 percent). Caldwell said that the "Forward Together" plan is not working and needs to be reassessed. Despite increased US troops and joint US/Iraq operations.

The US Military should not be used to sway political elections....The military should not just state a Republican talking point with no evidence to back it up. This is the Pentagon INTERFERING with the American election process.

According to Will Bunch, "What General Caldwell said amounts to political slander. Democrats and others who care about the political process here at home should comdemn it quickly, because slander has a way of spreading....The Congressional Iraq Study Group says that civil war is weeks away, even though it looks like it's here already. Why isn't CNN reporting this story by the Reuters news agency, that Sunnis in parts of Iraq are already declaring an independent state..."

Shame on George Bush, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney and the Republican party for using the Pentagon to help them spin and try to win an election.

More details available here

Breaking news Iraq

CNN had a "short" newscast from Baghdad with Caldwell making a statement that the situation in Iraq is worsening and that we are going to have to re-think what we are doing....the network then cut to a fountain of youth report and nothing more is being said about Caldwell's press announcement (of which was not broadcast in its entirety.)

It sounds like the civil war in Iraq is worsening. Hopefully, Al Jazeera will be able to cover this soon....

Buzz...Buzz....Mosquito