Today in Iraq

Yesterday I posted commentary rhetorically asking how stupid the administration propagandists think I am. Apparently they think I'm really stupid. The outrage I'm feeling isn't just about one single sentence in Bush's State of the Union address; it's about a relentless, bloody-minded determination to pick a fight with Saddam Hussein and justify it to the American people by any means necessary. The administration trotted out one lie after another, from terrorist links with Al Qaeda, to the "aluminium tubes" story, to chemical and biological programs, to the Niger uranium story. Every time they got called on a specific lie, they shamelessly told another while always insisting that "no decision" on war had been made. When all else failed, they went into scoundrel defilade and accused their critics of being unpatriotic. Now that all their public rationales for war have been disproved, the question becomes, "What was the real, unspoken reason for war?" Since the administration has refused to tell the truth, I can only speculate. But reading the written, published thoughts of the administration hawks expressed in the basic PNAC document, "Rebuilding America's Defenses" there are two underlying themes. First, there is a belief that use of American power will magically cause free-market democracy to flourish. Perhaps this ideological belief caused the administration to base their post-war planning on nothing other than the best-case scenario. Second, the PNACers believe that there is a wide-spread perception prevailing among Americans, our allies and our enemies, that America is unwilling to accept military casualties. They never explain why they believe this reluctance is a bad thing, but there is a strong suggestion that America should undertake a military operation in order to dispell this perception. Did the administration provoke a war just to show how tough they are? That's beginning to look more likely every day. Bring ‘em on: New wave of attacks on US troops anticipated. “Over the last three days, American military officials said, there have been about 25 attacks a day involving American military personnel, although some were initiated by the United States. That rate is substantially higher than a week ago, though not yet as high as it was during a peak last month, the officials said.� Bring ‘em on: US base near Samarra mortared. Two US soldiers wounded. Bring ‘em on: US troops ambushed near Fallujah. No casualties reported. Bring ‘em on: Three attacks on US troops in Afghanistan. Iraqi religious leaders warn that Iraqis are fed up with occupation. “Holy war could be declared in six months.� Army troop announces rotations; KBR gets $200 million troop support contract. Looks like a long war. “Civil policing is not about 'kicking ass…'� US general warns Afghanistan is collapsing. Local story: Tennessee Guardsman killed in ambush. Local story: Texas soldier dies from non-hostile fire.