U.S. headed for disaster when efforts in Iraq collapse
Red flags flapping sharply in the wind signal our country is on the verge of
a major political - and economic - setback.
We may now be only weeks away from a complete collapse of the Iraqi army and
the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq in the face of overwhelming
public pressure on Tony Blair.
That is a realistic projection based on the reports of two Washington Post
reporters, whose dispatches from inside Iraqi Army units and U.S. units
assigned to train and work with the Iraqi military have just been published.
What the Post reporters found was massive disenchantment on both sides:
American forces bitterly disappointed with the Iraqi government forces, and
Iraqi troops harboring similar feelings toward their American counterparts.
Only a small percentage of all Iraqi troops are now estimated to be
adequately trained to take over the defense of their country. Desertions are
widespread.
More than 1,700 American men and women sent to Iraq have returned home in
body bags thus far, and more than 7,000 have been critically wounded. War
dead in total exceeds 25,000, including "collateral casualties." And the
price tag for our military operations tops $200 billion - and counting.
Recent surveys in Iraq have shown that insurgents are overwhelmingly Iraqis,
not foreign fighters. Few are associated with al-Qaida.
Since President Bush's declaration that "major combat operations are over,"
three weeks or so after the U.S.-British assault on Baghdad, there has been
one disingenuous statement after another from the White House, the State
Department and the Pentagon.
Successive rationales for the war - finding Saddam's cache of weapons of
mass destruction, heading off an imminent threat to Israel and even to our
own country, capturing Saddam and ending his bloody dictatorial reign,
establishing democracy in Iraq - have been trotted out, and found to be
seriously flawed or even outright wrong.
Interviews by the Post reporters show that many U.S. and Iraqi troops no
longer know what they are fighting for.
The scandals of prisoner mistreatment at Abu Ghraib in Baghdad and at
Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, coupled with a burgeoning debt that likely will
never be paid back by Iraqi oil and the Halliburton cost overruns ripping
off the U.S. military by millions of dollars, have soured much popular
support of the war.
With morale of our troops in the field trending lower by the week, the U.S.
Army and the U.S. Marines have missed their recruiting targets for the past
four months straight. Unless something changes dramatically, a draft would
seem unavoidable.
Conservative columnists and Republican members of Congress who voted for the
war are now among those joining the chorus of criticism. The latest is Rep.
Walter R. Jones, R-N.C., the very person who coined the term "freedom fries"
for French fries served in the House cafeteria. He has matched Sen. Ted
Kennedy, D-Mass., and others in calling for a deadline for withdrawing U.S.
troops from Iraq.
He also wants someone in the Bush administration "to be large enough to
apologize for this war." So far, the silence from the White House has been
deafening.
John Patrick Grace formerly worked as an editor on the foreign desk of The
Associated Press in New York and a correspondent in The AP Rome bureau. He
lives in Huntington.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/2005/June/24/OPlist3.htm
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| User: "The Psychedelic Pope - Saint Isadore of Laytonville - Patron Saint of the Internet" |
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| Title: Re: Hahahahahahahahaha!!!! |
26 Jun 2005 04:03:40 PM |
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I think impeachment proceedings are in order ASAP.
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| User: "Doc" |
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| Title: Re: Hahahahahahahahaha!!!! |
27 Jun 2005 09:05:24 AM |
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"The Psychedelic Pope - Saint Isadore of Laytonville - Patron Saint of the
Internet" <tadapope@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1119819820.336471.54960@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
I think impeachment proceedings are in order ASAP.
ASAP, indeed, before that pinheaded psychopath and his pals dramatically
compound the death and suffering in their desperation for continued
support from an increasingly outraged citizenry.
Enough's enough. Gallons of blood, loss of massive amounts of lives,
civilian and military, and a huge waste of public money. And all blown on
an illegal, unjustified preemptive invasion.
Pull out all troops! Get the men and women soldiers back to their
families!
A hardliner now heads up Iran, a hardline US ambassador will soon be in
place, and the Security Council will soon deliberate on economic sanctions
against Iran. Iran vows to economically strike back if they do...which
means they'll put the squeeze on oil. All because Bushmeat and his
fanatics keep pushing for a confrontation.
Picture a late summer with rocketing gas prices and shortages, with
half-witted neocon nuts running around yelling for military action
(again). Some will be shouting and spitting from their SUVs while waiting
in long lines at gas stations.
They'll try to avoid saying anything scary or negative about nuke-armed
Pakistan, though, or "friendly" Uzbekistan, or "cooperative" Saudi Arabia.
Those nations have "good" dictators, don't you know? ...LOL.
Doc
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| User: "Nobody" |
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| Title: Re: Hahahahahahahahaha!!!! |
27 Jun 2005 08:04:02 PM |
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He values the $ more than his pride. I predict a full pull out
as soon as possible by all troops from everywhere. Besides
the USA has WAY BIGGER threqats to it now than an unstable
hot spot like Iraq. We fucked it up enough. Let's leave and see
what happens. We didn't get whuped out. We've just grown tired
of being there.
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Hahahahahahahahaha!!!! |
30 Jun 2005 02:23:12 PM |
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The Psychedelic Pope - Saint Isadore of Laytonville - Patron Saint of
the Internet wrote:
I think impeachment proceedings are in order ASAP.
They're overdue.
Woods
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