Goodish News from Iraq

It also should mean that we can bring home our troops more quickly--maybe even in the next 16 months.

Where they can then be redirected towards that other war...what is that place called? Starts with an A....

Hmmm maybe Max Boot made a "rookie mistake"

Joe-You thought the war was a foolish venture? Really? Trigger dream sequence.
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http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/13390771/the_low_post_101_ways_to_lie_about_iraq
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FAIL!

I will refrain from pointing too many fingers over how the debate preceding our entry into Iraq went and will, in particular, avoid discussing present company.
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Instead I will simply type "Natalie Maines" and "Cakewalk" and let google lead wherever it may.
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2002/03 remains a case study in collective insanity. If we can ever get to the point where we can examine what happened with a properly cynical eye, we might begin to realize the degree to which we're STILL engaged in delusional thinking.
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The election of Obama represents an important first step but we have a long way to go before we see the limits in our ability to control events with explosives.

Any Iraq credit for Bush by Klein?

Of course not.

That would simply disrupt the lefty loon media's agenda.

Same story as with Reagan (he that insisted Russia be freed from the chains of Stalinism, never mind Clinton-Gore's rank neglect of the peace store). The dipstick press and tenured types to this day have not recognized in public Reagan's achievements, even while Jiminy Crater screams for the death of Israel every day and with little public broadcasting outcry.

Transparency has come to Time, if little else.

Meanwhile, back at TAX CHEATS B DEMS...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090202/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/daschle_taxes

Maybe he and little Timmy Geithner can open up their own movie academy accounting firm some day -- since they both chunked it on Obama's lobbyist Wall Street.

We're not in the age of hope & change, people.

We're in the age of dopes & loose change.

What a legacy.

I'm having flashbacks to 2003. Serious ones. I remember when I was getting medevaced in May and ran into some d1psh1t light bird from 4th ID who talked about the war being over. I went off on a five minute rant that basically amounted to "you're a cherry, no it's not". He and everyone else in the room just kind of looked shell shocked and shut up (I'm sure part of it was just jaw dropping awe that that had just happened given the rank difference).
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Yes, there is progress. Yes we should be happy about it. No, it's not weird to think the war was a colossal mistake and executed with criminal, prosecutable incompetence and still be happy that progress is being made.
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Just remember, Odierno is in charge in Iraq now. In 2003 this was the guy who personally ordered guys to take targets' families prisoner if they weren't home and then hold said families until the suspects came to turn themselves in. The guy is incompetent scum. Petraeus kept him on a leash for awhile. I doubt he'll stay on it without close supervision.

SIGNS THAT SANDY BURGLAR HAS JOINED YOUR 2009 UNION LEGACY BUILDING STIMULUS TEAM...

:: Director of Smithsonian Institution leaves voice mail at DNC HQ for your staff, tells them to "keep Sandy Scissor Hands out of the Clixon, er, Clinton records" warehouse in Little Rock -- or he'll be forced to file another complaint with the Pulaski County SPCA, for large rodent fondling.

:: Every Arby's in Northern Virginia keeps running out of curly fries and ketchup packets.

:: MeetUp grandstand construction leader on Mall calls your president select to ask "What the hell do we do with all these Top Secret files and stained size 57 state jockey shorts under our portable union trailer?".

:: Cindy Shiite blames Bush for Secretary Hillary's mandatory federalized 401k plan that would automatically and retroactively cover perjurers, traitors, adulterers, tax cheats, illegal aliens, and other leading Obamite era liberals.

:: FBI opens new Sandy Burglar Center in D.C. across from Watergate complex.

:: Trump, Soros, Blago, Madoff, and Streisand inaugurate National Archives Shuttle, with hourly discounted helicopter service between Washington media and Baltimore municipal document dump.

:: To celebrate Sandy's Second Coming, get free updated credit reports on every Republican candidate and spouse, posted on-line courtesy of Chuck Schumer PI.

:: Used pair of size XXL tube socks found nightly by cleaning crew beneath shredding machine at John Edwards 2008 Memorial Kinko's in downtown Compton.

:: Bin Ladens and Sandy make it for your alleged mammalian 60th birthday celebration on the Vineyard, with no major hassles at Logan airport.

:: Red Chinese slush fund balance mysteriously triples over Pwezidents Day 2009 weekend.

:: Chelsea Clinton heard mumbling something about being "the first cool semi-teen ambassador to Davosland" as parents again fight over dark meat at Thanksgiving dinner.

:: Al Queda USA announces record third quarter fundraising and first place in the latest New York Times-CNN-Pravda polling.

:: CBS relents to shareholder pressure, finally fires Kookie Couric, somehow re-hires Dan Rather, and drives hard for another Top 5 finish in the next Nielsen's.

Truth was the first casualty of 1993...

"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction. ...without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. And now he has continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real ... " “I will be voting to give the president of the United States the authority to use force - if necessary - to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." SENATOR JOHN F KERRY (D, MA), in 2003

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."SENATOR TED KENNEDY (D, MA), in 2002

"As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am keenly aware that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons is an issue of grave importance to all nations. Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process." – NANCY PELOSI, in 1998

"Iraq does pose a serious threat to the stability of the Persian Gulf and we should organize an international coalition to eliminate his access to weapons of mass destruction. Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to completely deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." – AL GORE, in 2002

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members .. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons." - Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), in 2002

"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face." - Madeline Albright, in 1998

"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies." - Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, in 1999

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983." - Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, in 1998

"The community of nations may see more and more of the very kind of threat Iraq poses now: a rogue state with weapons of mass destruction, ready to use them or provide them to terrorists. If we fail to respond today, Saddam and all those who would follow in his footsteps will be emboldened tomorrow." – BILL CLINTON, in 1998

Oh well.

LEGACY HAPPENS.

"Just remember, Odierno is in charge in Iraq now. In 2003 this was the guy who personally ordered guys to take targets' families prisoner if they weren't home and then hold said families until the suspects came to turn themselves in. The guy is incompetent scum. Petraeus kept him on a leash for awhile. I doubt he'll stay on it without close supervision."

... ... ...

And you're still free to speak your mind, in any Time line.

Yes, let's put Gonzalez back in charge instead.

Good plan.

We know how hard and fast a group of unpaid patriots the Sunni terrorist families tended to be, particularly among the Anbar province throng. Why would Odierno have reason to doubt them, as a group?

Nothing that the Gaza Strip clans wouldn't appreciate of course.

[Where do you think they learned their craft, those IED planting ones? Costa Rica?]

To be fair, when over-stating the case against the current DOD leadership, be sure to ignore the jackasses at the MisState Dept that screwed around with the direct dissemination of funds at the local level (see Fort Campbell for related details), where the company commanders and Sgt Majors were reroutinely told to stand down but for the sake of some political hacks in Foggy Bottom that simply can't stand to see the troops succeed where diplomacy failed for 30 years.

"It also should mean that we can bring home our troops more quickly--maybe even in the next 16 months"
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You mean other than the 15,000 who are being flown to Afghan, our other boondoggle?

You know it's a good Klein post when hulagate vomits up 70% of the comments.

"You mean other than the 15,000 who are being flown to Afghan, our other boondoggle?"

Howard Dean wants us to invade Iran too, didn't you get the memo?

The media has done ZILCH when it comes to acknowledging the hard earned progress in Iraq.

That simply wouldn't jive with their GET BUSH agenda.

Yeesh. QH is back with a vengeance, eh?
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Is Max Boot really dumb enough to think a victory for Maliki, even a fairly superficial one, is a defeat for Iran? Does he read newspapers?
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After reading Anthony Shadid's piece on the Anbar sheiks/bosses, it's hard for me to get excited over this.

Joe: I would be glad if the Iraqis can take charge and manage their own affairs. I am not optimistic about PM Maliki and the Shias; but I recognize that Iraqis - Kurds, Sunni and Shias - must solve this. And I am very down on expanding our act in Afghanistan. Time we moved out and allowed local players to deal with the nonsense that history calls Afghanistan. We don't have the resources and the money to burn.

Uhmmm has anybody else seen this bullsh*t??!! The word TREASON comes to mind. And trust me, you want to click that link, even and especially you Joe Klein because if true, this is some serious sh*t

Is Max Boot really dumb enough to think a victory for Maliki, even a fairly superficial one, is a defeat for Iran?
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Yes.
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This has been another edition, etc.

sgw, I heard a tiny bit of discussion of the Jan 29th NYT article referred to, but that was about it. Of course we knew that St. Petraeus was going to try to kick Obama under his control as he had GHWB, but those of us who voted for Obama didn't think he would make it.
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Will be interesting to watch this play out.

ivb
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Thats some phucking reprehensible crap right there. If he is really mobilizing other Generals to oppose President Obama AND the will of the Iraqi people he is unfit to wear the uniform and should be fired IMMEDIATELY!!!

sgwhite,
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That isn't treason. It's sub-ordinates disagreeing with their CO and working to change his mind. If they don't present him the detailed 16 month plan that he asked for, that's still not treason, its disobeying a direct order. If they do present him the detailed 16 month plan he asked for and try to convince him its a bad idea, that's still not treason, it's getting a different perspective from your sub-ordinates. Which is kind of one of the things Obama promised to look for to avoid the Bushian "echo chamber".
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Chillax dude.

Jihad Joe Klein is not a news correspondent, and never was.

He's a Hoofington Postish loon cult member with a major league drinking problem.

And a conspiracy theorist deluxe (like most of the Big Mall Meet Up mobsters from 1-20-09, a day that will live in under-reported trash tossing history).

Try to know the subtle differences, eh libwits?

Sean DeCoursey
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I am not talking about the disagreement. This is what I am talking about.
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Keane, the Army Vice-Chief of Staff from 1999 to 2003, has ties to a network of active and retired four-star Army generals, and since Obama's Jan. 21 order on the 16-month withdrawal plan, some of the retired four-star generals in that network have begun discussing a campaign to blame Obama's troop withdrawal from Iraq for the ultimate collapse of the political "stability" that they expect to follow U.S. withdrawal, according to a military source familiar with the network's plans.
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The source says the network, which includes senior active duty officers in the Pentagon, will begin making the argument to journalists covering the Pentagon that Obama's withdrawal policy risks an eventual collapse in Iraq. That would raise the political cost to Obama of sticking to his withdrawal policy.
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If Obama does not change the policy, according to the source, they hope to have planted the seeds of a future political narrative blaming his withdrawal policy for the "collapse" they expect in an Iraq without U.S. troops.
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That line seems likely to appeal to reporters covering the Iraq troop withdrawal issue. Ever since Obama's inauguration, media coverage of the issue has treated Obama' s 16-month withdrawal proposal as a concession to anti-war sentiment which will have to be adjusted to the "realities" as defined by the advice to Obama from Gates, Petreaus and Odierno.

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Now that to me looks clearly like a plan to undermine President Obama's authority AND put political pressure on him to do their bidding. If that isn't treasonous it sure as hell isn't just not being an echo chamber either!

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45640

Lacking reality from Obama, expect MASS resignations from the Army combat officer and senior Sgt ranks, within 6 months -- which I predicted.

Obama's end run around reality speaks volumes about the poor influences that he's succumbed to, for a long time, and the little merit he believes our troops have earned in Iraq.

Obama's lack of interest in the facts on the ground, and the realities of necessary contingencies of all kinds, provides the sort of evidence of his immaturity that even Hillary might find somewhat suspect -- if she too weren't on the Arabian-Gaza dole. These were the same complaints made about BUSH, were they not? Some change.

A clear and present danger to peace and stability, that one.

sgwhiteinfla

You want a YES MAN, bud?

You're out of luck.

Petraeus and Odierno will tell Obama the actual TRUTH, not what he or the freakin Mother Jones RETREAT AT ALL COSTS loons want to hear -- and if he really intends to endanger Iraq's progress by pulling the rug out from the troops before the job is done?

Maybe Madame Pelosi can send her grandkids to Pockeestahn to fight Obama's War.