New Game For Iraq

Sadr threatens to start new war against US, Sunnis agree to return to the government. This all is becoming one large game in Iraq.

Iraq’s largest Sunni bloc has agreed to return to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s cabinet after a boycott that lasted nearly a year, several Sunni leaders said on Thursday, citing a recently passed amnesty law and the Maliki government’s crackdown on Shiite militias as reasons for the move.

The Sunni leaders said they were still working out the details of their return, an indication that the deal could still fall through. But such a return would represent a major political victory for Mr. Maliki in the midst of a military operation that has at times been criticized as poorly planned and fraught with risk. The principal group his security forces have been confronting is the Mahdi Army, a powerful militia led by Moktada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite cleric. Even though Mr. Maliki’s American-backed offensive against elements of the Mahdi Army has frequently stalled and has led to bitter complaints of civilian casualties, the Sunni leaders said that the government had done enough to address their concerns that they had decided to end their boycott.

Sadr calms down, sunnis leave government, sunnis return to government, Sadr starts thumping his war chest....do you guys see a pattern here? It is becoming all too predictable. It is not even a good game of political chess they are playing.

Have Cigar

Yesterday was the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War, now there is something to celebrate. 5 yrs, almost 4000 dead, many thousands wounded and maimed and a 1/2 a trillion bucks spent. Take a moment and think about that. Now that you have, what have we gained from this waste of money and treasure? Are we safer? According to the Pres we are, but then he has been in never never land for 5 yrs.

Now Bush is using our fear of higher gas prices to motivate the people. He know says that we must stay in Iraq to prevent al Qaeda from taking over the oil fields and using that cash to create market chaos and to fund their activities. I can smell the fear rising now!

Many protesters took to the streets yesterday as a nationwide protest to the war. A valiant effort, but will it be effective? NO! I WILL NOT! When half the American people still believe that Saddam was so how responsible for 9/11. Sad indictment of the mentality of the American people.

The War Heats Up

Recently at a press conference, Pres. Bush has challenged the allies of the US to send more assistance to Afghanistan. Actually he is asking for more combat troops. The resurgent Taleban is becoming a major problem for the country. The US cannot send too many more combat troops to the country; they are needed in Iraq. There is some success there and he needs to keepp the pressure on. His legacy is at stake and that is far more important than fighting the people that actually gave us 9/11.

But the question now is, just how receptive will the allies be to sending more troops to Afghanistan? Everyone of our allies is having war problems . I think his calls will fall on deaf ears. Bush is hanging himself slowly with a rope of his own making. Could not happen to a better person.

An Iraqi Withdrawal Plan

I have been neglecting my posts on crap happening around the world. US politics and this election cycle is just so fascinating that I get caught up in the manure spreading of the candidates. I have not seen this much crap in one place for a long time, It is GREAT!

But I had a thought about a new plan to withdraw from Iraq almost immediately.

Withdraw all troops from Iraq and leave Blackwater in place to handle the drudgery of being the back-up force for the Iraqi military and PD. This would accomplish two things, first, it would take our troops out of harm's way and leave the real security force in place. Second, this would eliminate the US from getting the blame for any crap that happens. The US could say that it is a private firm and the government had nothing to do with their actions.

Any failure would not be the fault of the President, but rather that of a corporation. The troops would be safe--the Iraqis would not--but at least the president could have acceptable deniability. This could go a long way at repairing out image in the Middle East.

As long as the US has a private army, why not use them and discard them, pretty much the way they treat the wounded vets.

Gitmo Executions?

With all the US election stuff, I have neglected my posts on other news from the world. Just the american political process this cycle is just so damn fascinating and the possibilities are just amazing.

I want to speak on the news about the 6 "terrorists' that will be tried and killed in the name of justice. Ok, these guys may well be the a/holes that they are called by the US and the media. They may be murderers and rapist and child molesters, but I still believe in the due process of law. To try these people without access to lawyers and a jury is not due process. A military tribunal will be just a kangaroo court.

I am not in favor of the death penalty to begin with, and I am doubly against it in this form of justice. But what can we expect from a cowboy president with the IQ of a rotten turnip. I would hope that the American people would find this repugnant. That means disgusting, in case it eluded you.

H.R. 1955--Authorization For Martial Law

Within HR 1955, section 899D, part b says:

`(b) Purpose- It shall be the purpose of the Center to study the social, criminal, political, psychological, and economic roots of violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism in the United States and methods that can be utilized by Federal, State, local, and tribal homeland security officials to mitigate violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism.

`(c) Activities- In carrying out this section, the Center shall--

`(1) contribute to the establishment of training, written materials, information, analytical assistance and professional resources to aid in combating violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism;

`(2) utilize theories, methods and data from the social and behavioral sciences to better understand the origins, dynamics, and social and psychological aspects of violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism;

`(3) conduct research on the motivational factors that lead to violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism; and

`(4) coordinate with other academic institutions studying the effects of violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism where appropriate.

Does anyone else see a trend here? Yes, it is legal-ese but the wording is there for it to be used as a domestic spying program and if need be the establishment of martial law in the US. You need to read this stuff before you get into a situation that you cannot change before the damage is done.

CHUQ

Rumsfeld Snowflakes

In a series of internal musings and memos to his staff, then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld argued that Muslims avoid "physical labor," and wrote of the need to "keep elevating the threat," "link Iraq to Iran" and develop "bumper sticker statements" to rally public support for an increasingly unpopular war.

The memos, often referred to as "snowflakes," shed light on Rumsfeld's brusque management style and on his efforts to address key challenges during his tenure as Pentagon chief. Spanning from 2002 to shortly after his resignation following the 2006 congressional elections, a sampling of his trademark missives obtained Wednesday reveals a defense secretary disdainful of media criticism and driven to reshape public opinion of the Iraq war.

Seems Rumsfeld set the stage for the present probs we are having with Iran. Hopefully, no one is surprised. But wait!!! Did not Bush say that the War On Terror was not a bumpersticker? But yet Rummy used the term!

CHUQ

Is It Torture?

I am sick of this debate! Yes water boarding is TORTURE! But according to some Media talk show peeps, 90% of Americans will say it is okay. I suggest that before you make those kind of statements, that you ask someone who had been tortured. That would be a good idea before one makes some sweeping conclusion that has no validity.

Where do you draw the line? Who will be the oversight people? Does the results justify the means?

I am personally tired of talk show mouthpieces, that spend their time scratching their ass while in line to deposit their checks, making sweeping statements without knowledge of what it is they are supporting.

Let me ask, was the torture in NVA prisons justified? Was the torture inflicted by Nazis justified? How about the alleged torture of Cubans by Castro? And the torture of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge? If per chance you said no, then you are a HYPOCRITE!

Wake up butt face, TORTURE IS TORTURE! No amount of justification can change that fact.

I said it--I mean it!

CHUQ

Verizon--Your Link to The World

Do you have Verizon cel services? Did you know they gave phone records to the US spy agencies without a warrant? Is that what you want from a wireless carrier?

People, people, we are losing our civil rights one piece at a time. The Congress is not being much help protecting us, they have authorized even more violations. When will this stop? Not until you get off your ass and make it STOP! Stop living in fear! Find real protectors of your rights and support them.

As long as this bunch of people are in power, you will continue to lose your rights and no one will help you--you must help yourself! Let me give you a clue--if they are on TV massaging voters for their support, you will pay a large price for your support. Or just roll over and play dead--for they will eventually come for YOU!

CHUQ

Professor's Poll Watch

Damn! Saturday already! Time flies when you are medicated! LOL

This week the poll watch is fairly extensive. I found in Foreign Policy magazine a poll taken of the 100 top foreign policy experts, both conserv and liberal and wanted to share with my reader(s) the findings.

Is the world more dangerous or safe? 91% more dangerous, 2% safer

Is The US winning the WOT? 84% No, 6% Yes

Is surge working? 53% No, 17% Yes

Would a withdrawal of troops lead terrorist back to US? 49% Unlikely, 12% Likely, 39% Cannot say.

None of this poll and the conversations with the experts, bears out anything that the Bush and his entourage are saying.

BONUS...........Just thought I would throw in the latest results from the Zogby poll.

Congressional approval is at 11%.

Presidential approval is at 29%

But yet they are still the leaders of the country. Come on people!

Love/Hate Affair--A Vicious Cycle

Is Osama on the payroll of the GOP? why do you ask, Professor? Osama seems to be the most vocal when there is an election in the making. When the news is not its best, Osama makes a statement and Bush calls him on it and the ratings go up.

Osama is the best thing that could have ever happened to the Bush Admin. Why? Defense spending was a priority and was in sad shape in 2001, but then BAM! 9/11 and the pres got everything he wanted out of the Congress. From that point on, the FEAR CARD, is always played when it will be the most effective.

Osama picks his moments to go public. Almost everytime his comments aid the Bush Admin in whatever battle they are facing. Osama needs the Repubs to win the election. Why? It will keep his brand of Islam in the forefront of everybody's mind and will only assist AQ in their recruitment programs.

So, Osama has a vested interest in who will win the next election. He will be heard from a couple more times before the election. The Repubs love to hate Osama, but he is the pillar of their policies.


Enough Said!?!


I am CHUQ and I have approved every word of this post.

Turn Up The Pressure

The US is preparing to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards force as a foreign terrorist unit, officials say.

If confirmed, this will be the first time official armed units of a sovereign state are included in the list of banned terrorist groups.

The classification would allow the US to target the force's finances.

The US has repeatedly accused Iran of destabilising Iraq and Afghanistan, blaming the Revolutionary Guards for supplying and training insurgents.

I am sorry, but I missed a memo! If Iran is one of the infamous "Axis Of Evil" would that not include any and all units of the government? Or maybe it was a bumpersticker after all. Whatya think? I am so sorry but where do the pundits in Washington draw a line?

Really sports fans, this is stupid! all it is is a ratching up of the pressure on Iran. Their people will bre targeted and they will probably react. Sounds like a plan to me. Let me see, for months now the Admin has been issuing so many accussations at Iran that it did not react well, so now the plan is to target their people. Now ask what will be the outcome? you may not like the answers you will arrive at.

This may be a mistake or it may be a bluff. Either way out troops will be tested again.

CHUQ

Afghanistan And The War

This is an article I found while researching the BBC site. I thought I would put it here and see if there are any comments.

Can the war in Afghanistan be won?

The BBC begins a week of in-depth coverage of Afghanistan by asking its World Affairs editor, John Simpson, to consider if the Afghan government and the West can win the war against the Taleban.

The Taleban have new confidence and new tactics, and their campaign against the government and its Nato backers has been increasingly successful since the beginning of this year.

In the east of the country, around Jalalabad, suicide bombings have become such frequent occurrences that the road from there to Kabul is now known as "the Baghdad road".

I have been coming to Jalalabad since 1989, but for the first time in my experience we needed a police escort to drive around there. In the countryside near the town, they urged us not to get out of our vehicle when we stopped, despite the intense heat.

"There are spies everywhere," the police explained.

The police themselves are a major target for the Taleban and al-Qaeda guerrillas who operate here now.

Outside the main police headquarters in the town, a senior policeman ran out and ordered us to stop filming in case our presence attracted the attentions of a suicide bomber.

There have been several attacks there, and an unexploded rocket is still lodged in a tree in front of the building.

Terror tactics

Until the end of last year, Jalalabad was relatively quiet. Now it is becoming a battleground.

Along part of the length of the so-called "Baghdad Road", local people point out the places where American soldiers fired at passers-by a few weeks ago, after an attempted suicide bombing.

The soldiers claimed they had come under small-arms fire from the side of the road.

The local authorities later apologised and paid compensation for the deaths.

So far neither Nato nor the government of President Karzai seems to know how to counter the resurgent Taleban

As a result of this and other incidents in this part of the country, Nato and US troops are often regarded with dislike and distrust.

The Taleban's tactics are designed to make people feel there is no safety anywhere.

Last week, just north of Kabul in an area which has always been a stronghold of support for the government and for the Northern Alliance which swept the Taleban from power in November 2001, the Taleban staged a fierce and concerted attack on a pro-government village.

HAVE YOUR SAY The open-ended presence of foreign troops is turning this war into a war of liberation against foreign occupation Mike Lee, Malaysia

Just south of Kabul, in Logar province, two schools have been attacked in the past few days, and schoolgirls murdered or injured. The Taleban are particularly opposed to the education of women.

At the hospital where one of the schoolteachers and her pupils were being treated, they begged us not to film them for fear of the consequences.

And the capital itself experienced on Sunday its worst bombing since the fall of the Taleban in 2005, when more than 30 people were killed in an attack on a police bus.

Uncertain future

For several years after the Taleban were chased out of power, they seemed to be finished. Girls went back to the schools which the Taleban had closed down, women's groups started up and women appeared on television as newsreaders.

Now a new campaign of murder against prominent women has begun.

With Nato troops mostly tied up in the southern part of the country, the Afghan police and army are finding it harder to operate elsewhere. New recruits, new weapons and new tactics are coming in to help the Taleban from outside.

Especially from Iraq. Al-Qaeda, the Taleban's close ally, is redirecting some of its forces here.

The new al-Qaeda commander in Afghanistan, Mustafa bin Yazid, has himself had combat experience in Iraq, and is thought to be behind the new tactic of suicide-bombing; something that was relatively rare in Afghanistan until recently.

But the Taleban are not winning all the battles. I spoke to a senior Taleban figure who has just defected to the government in Kabul after falling out with the overall Taleban leader, Mullah Omar.

He maintained that many Taleban leaders like himself are hostile to al-Qaeda, and are looking for some third way between the government with its Nato allies and the foreign extremists led by bin Yazid.

But he agreed the Taleban were proving increasingly successful against the government, and confirmed that their strategy was to surround Kabul and eventually capture it.

While Nato forces are in the country, that will not happen. But so far neither Nato nor the government of President Karzai seems to know how to counter the resurgent Taleban.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/6756125.stm

Published: 2007/06/17 23:04:25 GMT

© BBC MMVII

New Terror Reports

The Bush admin just keeps throwing this sh*t out there and the American people, go into the ever popular fear mode.

One of the more memorable and revealing statements explaining the nature of the Bush administration buildup to the invasion of Iraq was offered in September 2002 by then White House chief of staff Andrew Card. "From a marketing point of view," he said, "you don't introduce new products in August." Five years later, a period longer than the Civil War and World War II, the administration is preparing to present its case for continuing the surge in Iraq. But rather than waiting for September, when Gen. David Petraeus is scheduled to deliver his report, the administration has moved up the marketing to July.

The familiar props are rolled out, like the well-worn and peeling painted backdrop for a production of a traveling Victorian theatrical troupe, and members of the audience are expected to watch with rapt fascination, as though they had never seen this show before. The negative response to the preview does not alter the same old script.

Mr. President--please---STOP IT!


CHUQ

Come September

Bush says:

President George W. Bush argued forcefully today that an Al Qaeda-affiliated group in Iraq is linked tightly to the central Al Qaeda leadership, and that for American forces to leave Iraq without defeating the terror group would be “dangerous for the world and disastrous for America.”


A new report says:

Despite its lead role in protecting the nation's critical assets, the Department of Homeland Security is three years late in developing a plan to protect its own facilities from terrorist attacks, according to a new report.

Instead, the department has relied on a patchwork of efforts by its many components, leading to uneven results, the congressional watchdog office finds.

Another report says:

In a new intelligence bulletin obtained by NBC News, the Transportation Security Administration is warning law-enforcement and airport officials that terrorists "may be" conducting "preattack security probes" at U.S. airports.The unclassified bulletin, dated July 20 and marked "For Official Use Only," is titled "Incidents at U.S. Airports May Suggest Possible Pre-Attack Probing.""A surge in recent su

OK I am tired of reading! Bush and his Boyz are pulling out all stops as we run up to the September progress report. The Fear Card is in full swing. I enjoy all these attempts to influence. Sad thing, it will probably work! Divert attention as far away from Iraq as you can and what better way to do that than slide the fear card out there for the media to zero in on?

CHUQ

Terroists Attack In '09?

Some are saying that the best time for a new attack on the US will be shortly after the new admin takes office. They will not firmly be comfortable with their new tasks and would possibly make a new attack much easier.

With the nation's intelligence analysts warning that a resurgent Al Qaeda could attempt another strike in the United States, homeland-security officials are refocusing on some of the nation's most apparent vulnerabilities.

At the top of the list is the January 2009 transition to a new administration – when a changing of the guard may leave the country less able to respond quickly and decisively to an attack.

The issue has gained urgency with last month's attempted car bombings in London and Glasgow, which occurred just days after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown assumed power.

Homeland-security and intelligence analysts in the US are analyzing the factors that have allowed Al Qaeda, characterized as "on the run" by President Bush last year, to recover enough to allow it to continue to be a serious threat to the next administration.

"Our preoccupation with Iraq provided Al Qaeda with breathing space at probably what was the most critical time for them to enable them to reconstitute themselves," says Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at the Brookings Institution, a research and policy group in Washington. "The other question boils down to our relationship with Pakistan: Al Qaeda would not have been able to revive had they not had the safe haven that they seem to enjoy in these tribal areas of Pakistan."

Above is the first couple of paragraphs from a story in nthe Christian Science Monitor. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Is this feasible?


CHUQ

A New Threat

Yesterday or so, Goldman Sachs has recieved numerous threatening notes sent to them thru newspapers. These notes read something like , "your days are numbered, you caqnnot be safe we are inside, yada, yada, yada". And the they were signed A.Q. USA. The police and FBI have been informed and security precautions have been put into place.

Now with all that dsaid, when was the last time al-Qaeda sent a note letting everyone know of an impending act of violence? Waiting......Waiting.....did not think so. At best, this is some guy getting a woody by all the jumping thru asses his notes have caused. If it was the infamous group you would know about the act of terrorism when it happened. Calm down! Go shopping or the terrorists will win.


CHUQ

England And The Bombs

Has everyone heard about the bomb attacks that occurred in London and Glasgow? If not, then I suggest you return your head to the sand and I will go on.

The news outlets have interviewed just about everyone but a squirrel in the park. we have heard ever angle from ever angle. Was it al-Qaeda in Britain?

Let us look at it! Bomb by club ws detected, bomb in park did not go off, Jeep in Scotland burst into flames but did not explode. Is that about it?

Does any of that sound like an al-Qaeda cell? F*CK NO! It sounds like amatuers trying to be a terrorist. They may think of themselves as al=Qaeda, but please stop calling them that! These are the same, lame bozos that f*cked up the Ft. Dix thing by taking the vid to be put on cd. Does not sound like the actions of dedicated terrorists? NO! It is wannabes, while they are dangerous, they are no al-Qaeda

All this action did was scare the living sh*t out of Brits! Other than that, it was a total waste of time. All these people did was give the War on Terror a shot in the arm and make it appear that the west is actually winning the war. It is good news for politicians, both US and Brit. Will it make the terrorists more cautious? No doubt! Will it help stop any future action. Not a chance!


CHUQ

Follow Us Home!

Are You Safer Now?

This question was asked of the Republican candidates during a recent debate. Almost to a man they said yes. And it is because we are in Afghanistan and Iraq fighting against al-Qaeda, et al. Also almost to aman they said that if the US pulls out of Iraq, the bad guys will follow us home and we in turn, woulod be less safe than we are now.

May I see a show of hands of those who feel the way that the candidates do?

I have two things to interject here. One--those looking into that crystal ball are the same people and the same crystal ball that sent us to Iraq in the firsat place. They wrong then and possibly are wrong now. Two--If you believe that the bad guys will follow us home I would like to ask, whay of the two plots discovered in the US?

I would say that they do not need to follow us home, they are already here. These people both have al-Qaeda links, at least that is the story fed to the media. For the sake of argument, why would they follow us homee, if they are already here?

I am not saying that these guys are innocents but that it comes at a most advantadeous time for the admin. Someone needs to call their bluff on the follow us home diatribe. But I do not think it will happen. And some journalists, if there are any left, should pursue these stories and find out all they can, without using the DHS line.

So, do you really feel safer now?


CHUQ

06/06/07

An Idea For A War

OK, with the world as pathetic as it is these days, war is inevitable; someone will piss someone else and the bangs will begin. I suggest that Saudi Arabia donate a 100 sq, km. tract of land in the desert and on this land the world builds a town (design to be forthcoming). Then the sides with the beef at each other oick 100 hundred people per side, then each side is given the same ordinance (types to be announced). Then they flip a coin to see who will be the aggressor and who will be the defender. At a prescribe day and time, the war will begin and continue until one side wins.

Oh yeah, the leaders of the two countries will be involved in the fighting.

Whoever wins the battle wins the dispute.

This is a simple solution, I agree, but think of the death and destruction that could be avoided. And the warring countries could continue with daily life without the hinerance of a conflict.

This plan would solve the problem of politicians strarting wars and sitting back to let others handle the devastation. They will be involved up to their collective yellow asses!


Thoughts?


CHUQ