Today in Iraq

War News for July 31, 2003 Bring ‘em on: One US soldier killed, three wounded by land mine on Baghdad airport road. Bring ‘em on: One US soldier killed, two wounded in attack on US command post near Baquba. Bring ‘em on: CENTCOM reports attempted IED attack against US troops at Husaybah. Bring ‘em on: Ambush in western Baghdad. Discontent in the Shi’ite south: Muqtada al-Sadr recruits “Islamic Army.” Colin Powell: Saddam Hussein is “no longer bad news” and just a “piece of trash waiting to be collected.” Then why the hell are you idiots offering a $25 million bounty on a harmless piece of trash? L. Paul Bremer says Iraqi elections are possible in a year. US offers weapons, twists arms in exchange for Iraqi troop support. Annan says many countries want UN mandate, oversight before they will commit troops to Iraq. The Bushies want help in Iraq. The notion of collective security is heresy to the neo-cons and the PNAC ideologues, so they’ll continue the unilateral policies that have produced such spectacular successes as the Coalition of the Willing. North Korea: Colin Powell says multi-lateral talks with North Korea are “distinct possibility.” John Bolton calls Kim Jong Il a “tyrannical dictator,” says North Korea is a “hellish nightmare” and supports terrorists. As usual in the Bush administration, the right hand doesn’t know what the far-right hand is doing. Local story: Soldier killed in Iraq memorialized by comrades.

War News for July 30, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Three US soldiers wounded in RPG attack in Samarra. Another was wounded a separate, previously unreported RPG attack in Samarra on Tuesday. RPG attack on US tank in Fallujah. US troops in Baquaba pulled from guard duties due to “rash of attacks.” Mortar fire directed at US troops in Mosul and Baquba. Bring ‘em on: US troops attacked with RPG fire in Baquba on Tuesday. CENTCOM reports in the last 24 hours, coalition forces conducted 51 raids, 953 day patrols and 737 night patrols and conducted 142 day patrols and 145 night patrols jointly with Iraqi police. Iraqi Police conducted 16 day patrols and nine night patrols. The total raids and patrols resulted in 559 arrests. I sometimes include CENTCOM's daily sitrep as an indicator of military activity, not as a measurement of mission success. “Taking out” Saddam Hussein may accomplish little to end Iraqi revolt. From the article: “The goal of the resistance, some experts fear, has widened beyond restoration of the old regime and may be attracting followers, perhaps including Islamic extremists, who are motivated by their hostility to foreign military occupation.“ “Their goals are power with or without Saddam and hatred of the U.S. occupation.” - snip – ''There's been a spin blaming the insurgency, the guerrilla warfare tactics, on holdovers from the old regime,'' former CIA analyst Ray McGovern told Cable News Network. ''And now that will be put to the test. We'll see whether there's any change in that.'' Tribal leaders protest botched raid in Baghdad. “Al-Habib is one of Iraq's most influential tribal leaders. He says such raids create ‘hatred’ toward Americans -- and he adds ‘that's not healthy.’" Interesting article, from an intelligence analysis point of view. The author, a retired Indian civil servant, says that US policy makers and intelligence officials underestimate Iraqi patriotism as a “motivating factor,” but his conclusions on the ability of the Iraqi resistance to effectively operate in the absence of telephone or wireless communications indicate that US assumptions about the Iraqi revolt are badly flawed. (“TECHINT” is old Britspeak for SIGINT, or signals intelligence, meaning information obtained through intercepted radio or telephone communications.) Belgian Red Cross aid workers evacuated from Baghdad “after tensions between US soldiers and the local Iraqi population was deemed too high.” General Myers denies that Iraq war harms operations in Afghanistan. General Myers formally asks Pakistan for Iraq troop commitment. Di Rita unaware of policy on Saddam Hussein’s fate; Lt. Gen. Norton Schwartz, JDCSOPS, says this is a “tactical issue.” You gotta be shittin' me! Take these two statements together. The DoD undersecretary for policy isn't sure what to do with Saddam Hussein when we find him, and the Joint Chief's Director of Operations says some platoon leader is going to make the decision? Saddam promises revenge for deaths of sons. Reporting casualties and complaints. (Thanks, weatherman.) Pentagon clarifies policies on reporting non-combat casualties. Local story: Pennsylvania soldier killed in Baghdad. Local story: New York soldier killed on patrol. Home Front: TSA scales back air marshal program to reduce costs. Gotta find a way to pay for those jobs-and-growth tax cuts, folks!

War News for July 29, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Iraqi insurgents attack bridge repair crew. Iraqis furious after botched US raid. Anger simmers in Baghdad. Unemployed Iraqis demonstrate in Baghdad. Explosion at Baghdad mosque, no casualties, cause unreported. Blood money, private militias in Fallujah. “Instead of waiting for the police to adjust, the brigade allowed the mayor to assemble a protection force, drawn from the city's largest tribes. Ives {the brigade intelligence officer} organized training for the group, whose members now walk around with AK-47 assault rifles and green FPF armbands. "You have to bend with the culture," Ives said. "In America, this would be illegal. But here, it's natural." The reaction of people in the city has been cautious. Many who so ardently wanted American troops to leave now express deep reservations about the decision to allow the mayor -- who was not popularly elected -- to have his own militia. "This is the same thing Saddam did," said Nadir Mukheef, the owner of a juice bar. Shocking! CNN reports condoms and Viagra discovered among Uday’s personal effects. The US media is broken beyond salvage. American soldiers are dying daily in an illegal war, the occupation policy includes assassination and family hostage-taking, US special operations teams kill civilians in the street, and CNN hypes the sex angle. Give correspondent Barbara Starr a Pulitzer for this report - and is this reporter aptly named or what? US pays $200 million for Polish troops. Stars and Stripes reports informal inquiry into soldiers complaining to reporters; division commander bars reporters except under limited circumstances. Local story: Soldier learns to cope with amputation. Home Front: Department of Homeland Security issues warning that Al Qaeda may hijack US planes. Demonstrating yet again the curious inverse relationship between Bush’s poll numbers and the terrorist threat level… Yankee's Rant of the Day We have lost this war. It doesn’t matter that the administration redefines success, or finds new factors to blame for their own failures. We have lost. We lost diplomatically before the first shot was fired. Where America once had friends and allies, we are now alone and isolated. We no longer lead the Free World; the Free World treats us as a pariah and we lead a motley assembly of hopeful opportunists and mercenaries. The opportunists will be disappointed and the mercenaries will disappoint us. We lost militarily. We overpowered a conventional army that wouldn’t fight but we created an insurgent army that will fight us where none existed before. We gave the world’s sympathy to people who want to kill us and destroy our nation. People once said Americans lost their innocence in Vietnam. In Iraq we have lost our honor. We justified an aggressive war on conquest based on falsehoods as flimsy as the Nazis justified the conquest of Poland on a fictional incident at Sender Gleiwitz. While the American media believed those lies, the rest of the world did not. It might be worth remembering that in 1939, only the Germans believed Goebbels. We have disgraced our profession of arms. We have a shoot-on-sight policy for our enemies. We kill bystanders, pay blood money and call it “cultural awareness.” We kidnap families as hostages, call them “detainees,” and believe that information extracted under such circumstances is “intelligence.” We have lowered the standards for actionable intelligence to the point where we feel justified to use lethal force in two simultaneous raids, hundreds of miles apart, to kill the same man. We have lost but we don’t know it yet.

War News for July 28, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Two US soldiers killed in grenade attack in Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: Explosions and casualties reported in central Basra. Iraq is a “terrorist magnet” for attacks against US troops. US troops raid Baghdad house looking for Saddam. Five Iraqis dead, eight wounded, no Saddam. US troops raid houses in Tikrit looking for Saddam Hussein. No Saddam found. Gen. Myers: Saddam Hussein not coordinating attacks. US troops open fire on demonstrators in Karbala; on Iraqi killed, three wounded. Deaths of Husseini sons “galvanized” Iraqi revolt. Frist says US troops will remain in Iraq “for a number of years.” CPA signs oil deals. CPA shuts down cell phone entrepeneurs. Free market, my ass. Local story: Arizona families worry about soldiers in Iraq. Afghanistan: Six Afghan police killed in Taliban ambush. Afghanistan: Taliban regrouping, Afghan officials ask US for assistance against “free-roaming” Taliban fighters. Condi: “We don’t need the 82d Airborne to escort kids to kindergarten.” CENTCOM: “In Al Asriya, a rural town about 15 kilometers northwest of Baghdad, Coalition forces used bulldozers and dump trucks to remove waste piled throughout the village.” Now that’s what I call a shit detail.

War News for July 27, 2003 Bring ‘em on: CENTCOM reports one US soldier killed, two wounded in small arms, RPG and possible an improvised explosive device ambush on Highway 10 near Abu Ghuraib. Bring 'em on: CENTCOM reports one US soldier killed, one wounded when their patrol was ambushed in Babil province near the village of Al Haswah. Solders were attached to 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. Thai troops deploying to “quiet” Karbala. US troops kill two civilians in Karbala. (Last paragraph of this article.) Raid in Tikrit “missed Saddam Hussein by 24 hours.” Resentment builds in Tikrit; US troops brace for attacks. Baathist purges may backfire. Japan will send troops to Iraq; no timetable set and only to “non-combat” zones. Sen. Lugar says Bushies are hiding true costs of Iraqi operations. Four US soldiers charged with mistreating Iraqi POWs. Afghanistan: Mullah Omar orders more attacks on US troops. Afghanistan: US command expects Taliban and AQ terror attacks. Afghanistan: Villagers fear US will kill them for being Muslim. Is Ann Coulter on a book tour in Kabul? Home Front: Wives sound off, brass unhappy.

War News for July 26, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Three US soldiers killed, four wounded in Baqouba. Bring ‘em on: Two US soldiers wounded in Baghdad. Gunfire and explosions in Baghdad overnight. Support the troops! Bush administration wants to reduce hostile fire pay and family separation allowance. Moqtada Sadr urges Iraqis to expel American soldiers from Najaf, demands dissolution of Provisional Council. Many Iraqis believe US faked identities of bodies. Iraqi cleric calls display of bodies “barbaric.” Muslims offended, clerics says display of bodies violated Islamic law and tradition. Uday and Qusay might be dead, but where are the electricity and water? “Taking out” Baathists won’t end resistance if the Bushies can’t get the water turned on. Mubarak said dissolving Iraqi Army was a mistake, warns of more attacks if US cannot stabilize Iraq and begin election process soon. Another reorganization at CPA: James Baker to receive an appointment. "We need to show short-term success," said a Bush aide. Home Front: Cheney stiffs local taxpayers for $4,000 in security costs at GOP fundraiser. That’s two hot dogs for a Republican, and two months' pay for a working American.

War News for July 25, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Ambush reported in Baghdad’s Dora district. Two US soldiers wounded. Bring ‘em on: Nightly ambushes continue in Ambush Alley. ``’Every night, it's knock on steel,’' said Staff Sgt. David Gonzalez, 33, master gunner for the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment.” CPA shuts down Baghdad newspaper and arrests editor. Japanese journalist robbed on Baghdad – Ramadi highway. US troops raid house in Baghdad, 16 arrested. Bodies displayed to journalists in Baghdad. Iraqis not convinced. Democratic congressmen start Iraq Watch. US-German ties seriously damaged by Iraq war. Rummy still insists the Generals don’t know what they’re talking about: there is no guerrilla war in Iraq. Rummy says he checked the dictionary, so he's sure on this point. I ain't making this shit up, folks. US presses hard for troops from Pakistan, India, Turkey. If the Bushies had worked hard for allies, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Local story: Connecticut soldier wounded by mine near Syrian border. Local story: One of the three US soldiers killed near Mosul was from California. Comic relief: Heritage Foundation says that every day in every way the situation is Iraq is getting better and better. Now who should those Iraqis believe: the Heritage Foundation or their own lying eyes?

War News for July 24, 2003 Bring 'em on: Three US soldiers killed in ambush north of Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: US troops ambushed in central Baghdad. US troops mistakenly kill two Iraqis in central Baghdad. This incident occurred at the same place and just before convoy ambush reported above. Incidents like this will inflame the Iraqi revolt far more than killing Baathists will subdue the revolt. Revenge attacks promised. US intelligence receives more reports of Saddam Hussein sightings. France warns of more attacks, tells Bush to get a mandate. Bush hasn’t had a mandate since January 20, 2001. Wolfie concludes Magical Mystery Tour. "We fooled ourselves into thinking we would have a liberation over an occupation. Why did we do that?" said a US official. As this article makes clear, we did it because ideological war hawks Wolfie, Perle and Cheney repeatedly placed conservative dogma above prudent contingency planning: “Preliminary planning for the occupation began in August (2002)…. “By early October, officials drawn from agencies across the government were beginning to meet, amid speculation that the United States could be at war by year's end. Considerable attention was focused on a potential humanitarian crisis, and how relief and reconstruction would win Iraqi support for the occupation. "’The whole operation is going to rise or fall on whether Iraqi people's lives are materially improved,’ said one committee member who reckoned that the Americans would have to deliver visible results within weeks of an invasion. “Veterans of other conflicts soon identified security as the most important requirement for early relief and long-term stability. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell emphasized the need in talks with Bush last fall, aides said, as he urged the president to seek U.N. approval for the war. With U.N. assent, Powell believed, would come troops and contributions from other nations. “Similarly, the intelligence agencies, especially the CIA, were ‘utterly consistent in arguing that reconstruction rather than war would be the most problematic segment of overthrowing Saddam,’ a senior administration official said. In classified written and oral reports, the official continued, the intelligence community warned the administration ‘early and often’ about obstacles U.S. authorities were likely to face. “In particular, the agencies repeatedly predicted that Hussein loyalists might try to sabotage U.S. postwar efforts by destroying critical economic targets, the official said. One analysis warned that Iraqis ‘would probably resort to obstruction, resistance and armed opposition if they perceived attempts to keep them dependent on the United States and the West.’ “Those concerns, however, were secondary among the principal architects of the Iraq policy, who were concentrated in the Defense Department, the White House and Vice President Cheney's office.” - snip – “Wolfowitz turned not to the roster of career specialists in the State Department's Near Eastern Affairs bureau, but to a political appointee in the bureau: Elizabeth Cheney, coordinator of a Middle East democracy project and daughter of the vice president; she recruited a State Department colleague who had worked for the International Republican Institute.” - snip – "There's been a lot of talk that there was no plan," Wolfowitz said yesterday. "There was a plan, but as any military officer can tell you, no plan survives first contact with reality." Wolfie don’t try to hide behind the uniforms. You and your neo-conservative friends, including Cheney’s daughter, need to take responsibility for your utter failure to provide realistic planning. And you’re wrong about what military men say. “No plan survives the first contact with the enemy” is what military men say, and it’s meant as a warning that staff officers should plan for every contingency, not just the best-case scenario. You are trying twist that adage into an excuse for failure. You’re still not listening, are you?

War News for July 23. 2003 Bring ‘em on: CENTCOM reports US troops disarmed four improvised explosive devices (that means home-made bombs) in separate incidents throught the Iraqi area of operations.. Numerous patrols confiscated weapons, ammunition, money and arrested Iraqi suspects. Troops responded to small-arms fire at the new Iraqi police station in Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: CENTCOM reports one US soldier killed, seven wounded by IED ambush near Mosul. Bring ‘em on: CENTCOM reports one US Soldier killed, another US soldier and civilian contractor wounded by IED ambush near Ramadi. India would reconsider troop support to Iraq only with “explicit” UN mandate. “If there is no UN mandate, there is no question of sending the troops. If there is, we have said we would consider it.,” said Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha. Army announces troop rotation plan. Forces in Iraq to be maintained at 145,000. Two National Guard brigades will be activated for one-year tours of duty. “The scramble to find replacement units for Iraq duty is stark evidence of how thin the 480,000-strong American Army is stretched. Of its 33 active-duty brigades, 21 are deployed overseas: 16 in Iraq, two in Afghanistan, two in South Korea and one in Bosnia. All but three of the rest are either preparing for one of those missions, recovering and retraining after one of those missions, or held in reserve.” Japanese public support for troop deployment declines. Bremer announces 60-day reconstruction timetable. Of course, it appears intended more as a shield to temporarily defuse domestic criticism that a workable solution to the Iraqi revolt. Yankee’s Rant of the Day: Lieutenant AWOL swaggered out to the Rose Garden today and crowed about the deaths of Saddam’s sons Uday and Qusay, killed during an American attack on their hide-out in Mosul. As usual, Bush made sure his comments emphasized meanness and rottenness, saying of the dead men, "Saddam Hussein's sons were responsible for torture, maiming and murder of countless Iraqis.” No doubt about that. But we're also seeing Bush’s consistent self-appointed God schtick: these here Hussein boys were a just couple of no-good terrorist varmints who needed killing and I’m the rootin’ tootin’ cowboy who can git the job done. But the other part of Bush’s consistent schtick was evident also: the faith-based belief that a desired result can be obtained regardless of the evidence at hand. The administration’s best-case scenario in Iraq is that the death or capture of Baathist leadership will end the revolt. “Now more than ever all Iraqis can know that the former regime is gone and will not be coming back," Bush said. Plan A, or Rosy Scenario, is that the Iraqi revolt will end just as soon as Saddam Hussein and the Baathist Party leadership are eliminated. There appears to be no Plan B on the shelf in case Plan A falls flat on its ass, as it surely will. The Bushies solely blame Baathist “dead-enders” for the Iraqi revolt. American forces have already killed or captured 35 of the 55 Baathist critical leadership personalties identified in the CENTCOM deck of cards, and the revolt is growing. Press reports indicate that low-level Baathists provided the leads that led to the assault in Mosul, and Army intelligence has made progress in penetrating the Baathist network at the tactical level. But the revolt is growing, not diminishing. Other groups, some directly opposed to Baathist rule, have claimed credit for attacks against US forces. Influential and charismatic Iraqi clerics are beginning to chafe and exert power. Ordinary Iraqis are pissed because the infrastructure has collapsed, security is virtually non-existent, soldiers at checkpoints are jumpy and sometimes shoot good guys by mistake, and there are no jobs. Those folks don’t blame the Baathists. They blame us. Further, the Bushies have always claimed that there is no central organization behind the revolt. Maybe they're lying to us, maybe they're lying to themselves, maybe both. Actually, it's good news if they're lying. The Turkish terrorist group Dev Sol caused no end of problems in Turkey throughout the 1980s and early 90s. Organized in a stovepipe, rather than a pyramid configuration, each cell was a self contained unit that responded to direction from the central leadership cell. When the Turkish National Police decapitated the organization, individual cells spazzed out (I remember one spectacular shootout at the Topkapi bus station in 1992 - you could hear gunfire all over European Istanbul ) but the movement quickly died. But if the Bushies claim is true, eliminating Baathist leadership does nothing to end the revolt except remove perceived intimidation as a motivating factor for the population. Insurgents require a compliant population for support and cover. They can obtain compliance either through intimidation or by consent. The Bushies are crossing their fingers and hoping that eliminating Baathist cells will remove insurgent support by intimidation. But their other policies seem aimed at obtaining security through force, and Bremer's 60-day Miracle Plan appears more for US domestic consumption than a workable solution. If they’re wrong about Baathist intimidation as the primary motivating factor supporting the revolt – and it looks like they are wrong – they will find an insurgency supported by a consenting population. That’s the worst-case scenario and, true to the Bushie pattern, there is no Plan B.

News entries for July 22 Bring ‘em on: CENTCOM reports one soldier killed and one wounded in convoy ambush between Balad and Ar Ramadi. Bring ‘em on: Two US troops wounded in ambush in Ramadi marketplace. More protests in Baghdad. On patrol with the troops. Duty in Dreamland: “Re-enlistment is a cuss word right now.” Local stories: 101st Airborne soldiers killed near Mosul were from Townsend, Massachusetts and Elba, Alabama. Rummy and Condi ignored findings from the professional Army on force structure. Bad assumptions, inter-agency squabbling, faith-based planning… Bush now trying to build a Coalition of the Able. Was the Coalition of the Willing just more hype? Afghanistan: Taliban fighters increase attacks. Afghanistan: Canadian troops arrive. Wolfie: Finding WMD no longer a priority. There's a pattern here. After 9/11, Bush said he was "on the hunt" and he'd get Osama bin Laden dead or alive. But in March 2002, after that wily ol' debbil Osama slipped out of Afghanistan, Bush suddenly said, "he's not a priority." That other ol' debbil, Saddam Hussein was such an imminent threat that we had to invade Iraq right now. We even launched the ground war before the troops were out of the staging areas because of a tomahawk strike that targeted Hussein personally. But when he vanished, Bush said Hussein was now irrelevant. Just what is a priority with this administration? Aside from smash and grab tax cuts, of course. Comic relief: Bush asks Berlusconi to help mend US-European relations.

News entries for July 21 CENTCOM reports one US soldier killed, two injured in vehicle accident near Baghdad airport. Bring ‘em on: US soldier and Iraqi interpreter killed in Baghdad ambush. Najaf cleric warns of “uprising” if US troops remain. Saudis won’t send troops to Iraq. 37 nations pledge $3 billion for Iraq reconstruction. At cost of $4 billion per month...that makes... The CEO of Iraq… Any you thought I was just bullshitting about Bremer's cute combat boots. A blast from the past: “Sending our military on vague, aimless and endless deployments is the swift solvent of morale." Texas Governor Grorge W. Bush, speaking to cadets at The Citadel, September 23, 1999. "We must be selective in the use of our military, precisely because America has other great responsibilities that cannot be slighted or compromised. And nothing would be better for morale than clarity and focus from the commander-in-chief…"

Bring ‘em on: Two US soldiers killed in ambush near Mosul. Bring 'em on: UN convoy ambushed in Baghdad; Iraqi driver killed. Bremer arrives in Washington for unannounced visit. If it was an unannounced visit, how did he get scheduled on the Sunday talk shows so quickly? Iraqi council fails to choose a president. Bush and Blair want UN to help with occupation costs and troop support. Protests in Baghdad. Shi’ite cleric denounces US “occupation.” Protests in Basra continued for a second day in a row, demanding that Iraq's new governing council include representatives chosen in free elections. Afghanistan: Pakistani press reports sixteen US troops killed in two attacks. Caveat Lector: This is the only source reporting this story. Afghanistan: US press reports two coalition soldiers wounded in convoy ambush. Afghanistan: Germany cuts peacekeeping troops by 800. Home front: Bush campaign cash tops $40 million. Wolfie’s Magical Mystery Tour continues. For a classified and unannounced visit, Wolfowitz sure seems to be getting quite a bit of press coverage. WaPo’s Jim Hoagland accompanied him and yesterday filed a dispatch from southern Iraq. Jim was gushing over Wolfie as he "sits cross-legged in the blowing dust of a hall made of reeds and perspires visibly as a tribal sheik pleads for support. Wolfowitz's blue blazer and red tie add to his discomfort; but the U.S. deputy defense secretary insists on showing respect to a people he has almost certainly helped save from extinction.” Extinction? Don’t you think that’s laying it on a bit thick, Jim. Or is this the start of a new neo-conservative justification for the war? “Saving the Marsh Arabs from Saddam’s Genocide.” Continuining on this theme, today Wolfowitz visited a mass grave. He can’t find the WMDs he promised – but remember that he promised just for bureaucratic reasons, with his fingers crossed – so he’ll settle for the mass graves, and the American press dutifully reports this change of spin without batting an eye. You have to wonder about the US press, when they report that, “in Karbala and Najaf, Mr. Wolfowitz today heard from Iraqis as well as General Conway and his officers, that the region was relatively free of the security problems and deadly attacks against Americans in and around Baghdad.” Meanwhile, Channel News Asia reports 10,000 people turned out in Najaf today to protest a ham-handed attempt to intimidate a popular cleric who spoke out against the US occupation by surrounding his house with troops. Last week, a Reuters report in Gulf News reported a Najafi resident describing the city as a “time bomb.” Overseas press reports indicate a similar disparity in Karbala: Wolfie and the US press get glowing reports that everything is just hunky-dory while Australia’s Sunday Mail tells its readers of growing cultural and religious conflict between residents and local US commanders. Are these reports coming from the same country? It appears that Wolfowitz and his US press entourage are only seeing what they want to see. Still, I've got a couple of questions for Jimbo Hoagland. Does Wolfie wear combat boots with suit and tie, like L. Paul Bremer? I'll bet the troops are really impressed with that fashion statement. And does Wolfie get his ideas about showing respect for the natives from back editions of the London Illustrated News? No wonder he's the talk of the mosque. Bremer hits the talk shows circuit. Bremer made the roundsof the Sunday talk shows, brimming with confidence and blaming Saddam Hussein for everything that has gone wrong since March, although he denied there was any central control to attacks on American troops in Iraq. And contrary to his recent statement to the Iraqis that the US would leave right after elections, he told Americans today that, “we are going to be there for a while. I don't know how many years." The question to be asked is, who is getting the snowjob, us or the Iraqis? Of course, it’s only of historical interest now, but some folks may remember back to November 1967, when LBJ launched his “PR Campaign,” designed to rally public support for the Vietnam War. General William Westmoreland returned from the front to address the National Press Club saying that the U.S. had reached the point "where the end comes into view." The PR campaign was followed by an NVA attack on the Marine firebase at Khe Sahn, and then by the Tet Offensive on January 31, 1968. Coming on the heels of so many administration officials assuring that they could see the “light at the end of the tunnel, Tet and Khe Sahn shook public confidence. CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite traveled to Vietnam and filed several reports. Upon his return, Cronkite presented his "editorial opinion" at the end of the news broadcast on February 27th. "For it seems now more certain than ever," Cronkite said, "that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate." After watching Cronkite's broadcast, LBJ said, "That's it. If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost middle America." At this point, the historical analogy between Vietnam and Iraq breaks down completely. In 1968, the American media had credibility. People paid attention because news wasn’t a subsidiary of the network entertainment division. Newsman like Cronkite had big iron balls that clanged when they walked and politicians feared they might be held accountable for deceits. Today’s celebrity journalists have teeny-tiny genitalia that tinkle like wind chimes as they preen for the camera or tremble at the approach of a displeased politico.

And now for something completely off-topic, "Mommy, make the scary lady go away."

Two of the fundamental truths of military science, which all soldiers learn during their first days in the training barracks, are that shit always rolls downhill and stink always wafts its way to the top. Operations that are planned by the division staff are executed by a young buck sergeant leading a squad of even younger infantrymen, and when something goes wrong with the plan the general hears about it. Sometimes heads roll. The ideological war hawks of this administration fail to understand either of these principles, which is why the troops are sounding off. Some people dismiss these complaints as typical of disgruntled privates bellyaching about the chow and the mail. Others, especially on the far-right, are outraged: “How dare they not support the President?” But these aren’t a bunch of privates pitching a bitch about a latrine detail; the guys sounding off are mid-level officers and senior NCOs. Soldiers with experience and training who wear combat patches on their right shoulders, veterans of Gulf War I, Somalia, Bosnia, Haiti, Macedonia, Afghanistan and Kosovo. Those soldiers know what they’re talking about. They’ve seen peacekeeping operations done right, in Bosnia, Haiti and Kosovo. And they’ve seen them done wrong in Somalia and Afghanistan. One of the most common complaints we keep hearing from the troops is that they’re not trained, staffed or configured for peacekeeping operations. The ideologues who planned this operation have always hated the idea of peacekeeping. During the 2000 Presidential campaign Condi Rice articulated the contempt that hard-right conservatives felt toward peacekeeping by saying, “We don’t need to have the 82d Airborne escorting kids to kindergarten.” In fact, one of the Bushies first moves in the Defense Department was to abolish the Army War College’s Peacekeeping Institute. This agency analyzed past peace operations, including NGO participation and military-civilian agency interaction, and passed the results on to the hundreds of American military officers who attended its seminars and courses. Based on this agency’s input, the military services developed their own unique peacekeeping doctrine, incorporating the lessons learned from past operations. But hey, we’re the greatest power on earth, said the neo-conservatives. We don’t need no stinking Peacekeeping Institute. Professional soldiers are trained to sound off when something is going wrong. Civilians often have the wrong impression that soldiers smartly salute every order saying, “Yes sir, three bags full!” I heard a first sergeant in Bosnia sounding off to our brigade commander one day, complaining after the brigade commander issued a complicated order to deal with an individual problem: “One guy shits his pants, and now the whole goddam brigade’s gotta wear a diaper?” That colonel listened to that first sergeant, because he knew that the NCO would have to implement his order. Army leadership schools at all levels emphasize the importance of dissent in the decision-making process. What the outraged conservatives fail to understand is that these professional soldiers are supporting the chain-of-command. The problem is that the commander-in-chief and his chief advisors can't smell the stink. Good commanders encourage dissent and bad commanders surround themselves with yes-men. Any organization that relies on yes-men is bound to fail because nobody will point out folly. Ideologues, yes-men by nature, always fail because they are unable to recognize folly, let alone voice objection. The neo-conservative ideologues who planned this Operation Iraqi Freedom systematically excluded dissent, shouted down critics and accused questioners of treason. In the Army, this kind of organizational behavior is called a circle jerk. The planning of Operation Iraqi Freedom was a classic circle jerk. Led by Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Perle, the ideologues created a climate that excluded input even from the professional warfighters. When General Shinseki rained on their war dance by suggesting that post-war operations could require up to 150,000 troops for ten years, he was ridiculed by the ideologues. Instead, the ideologues believed and bought the estimates of Ahmed Chalibi and his exile buddies at the Iraqi National Congress who told them a tale they wanted to hear. When General Shinseki retired, he warned policy makers to “beware the twelve division strategy for a ten division Army.” Of course neither Rumsfeld nor any of ideologues heard that warning; no representative from the Office of the Secretary of Defense attended Shinseki’s retirement ceremony, apparently just to spite the unaptriotic General who disagreed. The neo-conservative circle jerk continues in full frenzy. General Abizaid administered a well-placed bitch slap to the war hawks by stating unequivocally that the US now faces classic guerrilla warfare in Iraq, something about which they have been in denial about for quite some time. But when Wolfowitz arrived in Baghdad for his classified, super-secure Magical Mystery Tour of Iraq, he announced, “I look forward to seeing firsthand evidence of what it means for the Iraqi people to be liberated from decades of brutal repression.” He's looking for a few good ass-kissers. Meanwhile, when Bremer was asked if he had a strategy to stabilize the country, he whined "We've got a strategy. It's just damned hard to implement it." And Doug Feith dismisses criticism of his own post-war planning assumptions as “simplistic.” Simple denial. Rather than admit the failure of the neo-conservative ideology of reverse domino-theory and the spontaneous bloom of a rapturous state of free-market democracy, Wolfowitz and Bremer will ignore the professionals, shut down dissent, and try to make reality conform to ideology. Still, the neo-conservatives are determined to learn from their mistakes. "We're going to get better over time," promised Lawrence Di Rita, assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and late of the Heritage Foundation. "This is the future for the world we're in at the moment," he said. "We'll get better as we do it more often." Exactly how the neo-conservatives plan to “get better” is almost as worrisome as the notion that they’ll “do it more often.” Given their consistent pattern of the ideological circle jerk, “getting better” means improved spin control and fixing the leaks before the next circle jerk. All this peacekeeping might be new stuff for the administration’s ideological war hawks, but it’s old hat for the professionals. General Abizaid criticized the officers and NCOs who sounded off to the press, but he also said discipline is a matter for local commanders. A few officers will get hammered on their efficiency reports, crusty sergeants-major will lay down the law to the NCOs that they better not sound off in public, and the bitching will cease. Remember, these guys are professionals. They know shit rolls downhill. Hey, I'm retired from the colors. I can sound off as much as I please until I get recalled to active duty, a possibility that once seemed remote but now appears more likely every day. I was looking through some old disks the other day, and I came across some of the items I kept from my own Army career. Among the ash and trash I fould this piece of cynical humor, the kind of stuff soldiers love. It seems appropriate to this post, so I'll include it here: In the beginning was the Plan. And then came the Assumptions. And the assumptions were without form. And the plan was without substance. And darkness was upon the faces of the Sergeants. And the Sergeants spoke among themselves saying, "It is a crock of shit and it stinketh." And the Sergeants went unto their Captains and said, "It is a pail of dung and we cannot live with the smell." And the Captains went unto their Colonels saying, "It is a container of organic waste and it is very strong such that none may abide by it." And the Colonels went unto their Generals, saying, "It is a vessel of fertilizer and none may abide by it." And the Generals spoke to the Secretaries and Under-Secretaries, saying unto them, "It contains that which aids plant growth and it is very powerful, but none can abide it." And the Secretaries and Under-Secretaries spoke among themselves, saying to one another, "This new plan will actively promote growth and vigor with very powerful effects." And the president looked upon the plan and saw that it was good. And the plan became Policy. And this is how shit happens.

CENTCOM reports US soldier died from injuries received during small-arms and RPG attack in Baghdad. US soldier wounded when the convoy he was in was attacked with small arms fire, rocket propelled grenades and mortars near Muqdadiyah. News analysis: “The attacks are coming every two hours now…” Another Iraqi cleric denounces US appointed interim government. Another Iraqi resistance group pledges to continue anti-American attacks. Wanting it both ways: US wants a UN resolution as a way to get more troops, but refuses UN role in peacekeeping. Soldier sounds off about Lieutenant AWOL’s “Bring ‘em on” comment: “`Myself and every last man in my unit are deeply offended that our President would make such a statement inviting us to be attacked. President Bush has lost the respect of every soldier I have spoken to because of his speaking those irresponsible words. Those words spread like wildfire among the troops.” Wolfowitz says United States was unprepared for the collapse of law and order in post war Iraq. No, Wolfie. YOU were unprepared to administer post-war Iraq. This was YOUR plan. YOU chose to ignore the advice of the professionals, and YOU still don’t have a plan. Wolfowitz interview: Blame CENTCOM, blame Garner, blame Franks, blame Saddam Hussein… Officers say criticism of Bush’s war ended careers. Of course, this has nothing to do with Wolfie’s visit. Three peacekeepers wounded in Afghanistan. Local story: Tennessee Guardsman killed was grandfather to seven. And he didn’t go AWOL when called to duty, either.

US soldier killed by command-detonated mine in Fallujah. CENTCOM reports US sailor dies from “non-hostile gunshot wound.” US troops defuse “huge” remote-controlled bomb near Baghdad airport. US troops blow up another Saddam statue. US reconstruction headed for failure without massive commitment of money and resources. AP reports attacks on US troops in Fallujah decreasing. Article on the Iraqi resistance. Afghanistan: Taliban kills eight Afghan soldiers. Home Front: Bush goes to Dallas fundraiser.

US troops in Iraq on alert. Yesterday’s SAM attack at Baghdad was second incident this month. Baghdad airport road is a “shooting gallery.” Another Saddam Hussein tape is broadcast. Germany offers humanitarian support for Iraq but no troops. "I think the relevant Security Council Resolution 1483 (which provided a mandate for nations to send forces to bring stability to Iraq after Saddam Hussein's regime was ousted in April) made it quite clear that the responsibility on the ground is in the hands of the coalition," said German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. Bush, you broke it, you bought it. Wolfowitz arrives in Baghdad. “I look forward to seeing firsthand evidence of what it means for the Iraqi people to be liberated from decades of brutal repression." Is Wolfie still looking for flowers and music? Local story: Florida soldier paints bleak picture of guerrilla war. Maybe Wolfie should talk to this Army intelligence warrant officer, instead of listening to Feith-based intelligence. Troops are feeling the strain. “The problem, said one 2nd Brigade officer, who also asked not to be identified, is that the decision makers in Washington are out of touch with what's happening in Iraq.” Lieutenant, what did you expect from a bunch of chickenhawks, armchair Napoleons, and a commander-in-chief who went AWOL from a National Guard unit? US payoffs to former Iraqi officers are viewed as “disrespect.” Thailand prepares to send troops. Tight security for Bremer. We need to protect the guy who made such a strong fashion statement by posing for a NYT photo op in a tailored suit and combat boots. Reserves may be mobilized, in addition to the 201,000 National Guard and Reserve troops already are on active duty. Commentary: The Silence of the Hawks. “For his part, Bush was incoherent Monday about his own decision-making process.”

Bring ‘em on: US soldier killed, two wounded in ambush. More enlightening is the reaction of the Iraqis who witnessed this incident. Bring ‘em on: SAM fired at US C-130 at Baghdad Airport. Bring ‘em on: US convoy ambushed between Ramadi and Habbaniyah. No US casualties, five Iraqis killed. Bring ‘em on: Six US soldiers wounded in mortar attack near Balad, where mortar attacks occur daily. Twenty soldiers were wounded in one recent attack. Bring ‘em on: US troops ambushed near Fallujah. No US casualties reported. Fifth to last paragraph of article. Bring ‘em on: Pro-US Iraqi mayor and son assassinated. CENTCOM reports US Marine dies after fall from building. US troop morale low. Guerrilla warfare after all. Actually, any second lieutenant could have recognized the condition two months ago, but Rummy didn’t want Americans to think Operation Iraqi Freedom might be turning into a quagmire. Local story: Georgia soldier KIA. Number 32’s name was Sgt. Michael Tyrone Crockett. He was 27. Fallujah local council rejects the new Iraqi governing council. Iraqis in Basra demonstrate against Iraqi governing council. Najaf: Ayatollah Ali Hussein al-Sistani questions authority of Iraqi governing council. Karbala: Sliding toward chaos.

Bring em on: CENTCOM updates report on yesterday's RPG ambush in central Baghdad. Ten soldiers, not six as originally reported, were wounded in the attack. One soldier was killed. All were assigned to the 3d Infantry Division. Two more Iraqi resistance groups warn against sending troops to Iraq. Resentment growing in Iraq. "'I see this as Somalia writ large,' said Jonathan Stevenson, an American counter-terrorism expert at London's International Institute for Strategic Studies. Iraqis are getting frustrated the Brits, with too. Local story: Soldiers describe ambushes. Bush administration response to India on troop issue: "We would have hoped that India would have made a different choice, that they would be able to do this in Iraq for our interests and what we perceive to be their interests.'' India said it would only deploy troops to Iraq under a UN mandate. 3d Infantry Division extended again. Families and soldiers upset. "Even senior enlisted soldiers with just a few years left until retirement said they are seriously considering getting out because of the apparent inability of the Pentagon to make a decision on the length of their stay." Good point, especially after Rummy told Congress just last week that 3ID would be coming home "this month." "We won't overextend our troops, period," pledged Bush. "Too late," says Sgt. Robert Page. "Operation Restore Iraqi Oil:" Costs expected to exceed 1.6 billion, US Army to provide security for Bechtel and Halliburton. Corps of Engineers expects to reach pre-war production levels in a year, providing no further sabotage. Let's see, Rummy suddenly reverses a statement he made to Congress last week to bring the 3ID back within a month only one day after the Corps of Engineers finalizes oilfield contracts that provide DoD security for bechtel and Halliburton? Even I can connect those damn dots, Condi. There are only two of them. Afghanistan: Car bomb targets US military personnel. Afghanistan: US credibility at stake, warns Afghan minister. You mean we still have some? North Korea: DPRK claims hostile acts by US. Commentary: "But the argument for war, in its entirety, was dishonest. President Bush says it's time to move on, and we agree - let's move on to the hearings that will get to the bottom of this." Baltimore Sun. Commentary: "President Bush's top aides have resorted to silly hair-splitting in trying to deny that he and they misled America and the world about the nuclear threat supposedly posed by Saddam Hussein." Wilmington Star.

Aaaah, shit. I managed to offend one of the only two people who have ever read this miserable blog by mistakenly placing the link to his own blog in the Fruit Basket. Looking at my blog template, I now realize how I did this, but rather than give an explanation that would only further reveal how ignorant I really am, I'll just offer my own version of the Ah So Defense: "Yankeedoodle fucked up."

Bring ‘em on: US troops ambushed in central Baghdad. One American soldier killed, six wounded. Bring ‘em on: US soldier wounded in RPG attack in Baghdad suburb. Bring ‘em on: US troops attacked at Baghdad checkpoint. One Iraqi policeman killed, four wounded responding to call for assistance. (Buried deep in this story.) Bring ‘em on: Al Qaeda group claims responsibility for attacks on US troops, promises more. “The group, whose name had not been heard of before, also issued a vague warning of a new attack in days to come that would ‘break the back of America completely.’” Hey Condi, weren't you warned that invading Iraq would help, not hurt, anti-American terrorists? And where is Osama bin Laden? Bring ‘em on:Car bomb detonated near Iraqi police station in Baghdad. One killed. The device may have been intended for a US troop target and exploded prematurely. CENTCOM reports one US soldier killed, two injured in vehicle accident. CENTCOM issues situation report on second day of Operation Ivy Serpent: Eight hundred 82-mm mortar rounds, 50 AK-47s, 26 rocket-propelled grenades and three hand grenades confiscated, and 226 individuals detained. Six of the detainees are former regime loyalist leaders. US suspects Saudi sponsored Wahhabi fundamentalists in Iraqi anti-American attacks. Condi, please explain again why we attacked Iraq, especially the part about links to anti-American terrorism. US appointed Iraqi governing council meets. Replaces six Baathist holidays with one new holiday. Iraqis skeptical; “too many former exiles…just a tool of the United States.” Rummy: More troops might be needed in Iraq. Rummy, please tell me why you ignored to General Shinseki. Article on tensions in Tikrit. “’Tikrit is like the Mason-Dixon line,’ said a sergeant in the U.S. Special Forces operating in Saddam Hussein's hometown.” Afghanistan: US plan “unravels.” Plan? What plan? It’s no fun if you have a plan. Diplomatic front: Russians angry with US ambassador’s remarks. Home Front: Bush well-greased fundraising machine.

I am returning to the original purpose of this blog. For detailed analysis and commentaries on the twists and turns of the Bush administration's lies and lying liars, please visit Eschaton. Bring ‘em on: US military police attacked at Abu Ghraib prison. One soldier reported wounded. US troops begin “Operation Ivy Serpent.” US troops under RPG fire northeast of Baghdad. “Many Iraqis in Fallujah don't feel safe when joint U.S.-Iraqi patrols drive by -- they feel rage.” India refuses to send troops to Iraq. “The Government has reached its ‘no troops’ decision despite a clear understanding that the Bush administration will not be pleased….What has weakened the case for sending the troops is the fact that the United States has not yet been able to provide any kind of road-map for the future of Iraq.” Commentary: US Army stretched too thin. “The difference between then and now, former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta said, is that Clinton built international coalitions to share the burden.” Soldier granted compassionate reassignment after Congressional intervention. Afghanistan: CENTCOM reports rocket attack on Bagram air base. Afghanistan: Explosion at UN refugee center in Jalalabad. North Korea: Bush Botch III continues. Reprocessing of fuel rods completed. Poll: What do you think about the "bring them on" challenge President Bush issued July 2 from the White House, referring to those who attack U.S. troops in Iraq? Scroll down. Home front: Anxieties rise in Minnesota and South Carolina.

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.

When I started this blog, I told myself I would limit the scope of this project to news items that relate directly to the War on Terror, and leave criticism of the administration's lying and prevarication to others. But after today's bobbing and weaving by Bush, Condi and Powell, I am very pissed. How stupid do these people think I am? Do they think the consequences of their manufactured "reasons" to invade Iraq are the moral equivalent of a fratboy dorm prank and they can just talk their way out of accountability? Today, Condi blamed the CIA for false claims in SOTU: ``The CIA cleared the speech in its entirety... If the CIA Director of Central Intelligence had said, 'take this out of the speech', then it would have been done...'' In fact, the White House and Condi's NSC ignored a direct CIA request to remove uranium references from SOTU: “CIA officials warned White House National Security Council staff that the intelligence was not strong enough to flatly state that Iraq tried to buy uranium from Africa…” Condi can’t keep her lies straight. On her June 8th appearance on MTP, she said, "We did not know at the time - no one knew at the time, in our circles - maybe someone knew down in the bowels of the agency, but no one in our circles knew that there were doubts and suspicions that this might be a forgery." As I said above, How stupid do these people think I am? On to the news: Bring ‘em on: US patrol ambushed in Baghdad. Two civilians wounded in crossfire. Bring ‘em on: Heavy fighting reported near Ramadi. US troops likely to remain in Iraq for many years. No significant reductions before 2004. AWOL Guardsman tells troops to “remain tough." US troops withdraw from Fallujah police station. Arab view: Chaos in Baghdad, Bush policies encourage resistance. Local story: Wisconsin reservist killed in RPG ambush was father of three.

Bring 'em on: Three mortar attacks on US troops in Ramadi. US logistics base in Balad mortared. RPG fired at US troops in Tikrit. Bring ‘em on: RPG attacks in Fallujah on Wednesday: RPG fired at US installation, another impacts at City Council building. Bring ‘em on: Ambushes in Tikrit and Mahmudiya. Two US soldiers killed. CENTCOM reports two US soldiers died in non-hostile gunshot incidents, one soldier from 101st Airborne, one from 4th Infantry Division. US trained Iraqi police mutiny in Fallujah. (Story buried deep in this article.) Rummy doubles cost estimate for Iraq occupation, clueless about exit strategy. Bounty on Saddam Hussein called futile. Local story: Oregon soldiers wounded in Iraq. Reconstruction: Bush cronies cash in.

Bring ‘em on: US base near Balad mortared. Bring ‘em on: Two US soldiers wounded by explosive device on Baghdad airport road. Bring ‘em on: US soldier wounded by anti-tank mine near Baghdad; Bradley fighting vehicle destroyed. Bring ‘em on: British soldier shot by sniper in Basra. Goodwill rapidly fading in Iraq. Utility crisis in Baghdad continues. CPA redirects power from Baghdad to other regions. Iraq – Turkey pipeline sabotaged; “widespread” sabotage reported in southern oilfields as well. Afghanistan: Karzai and Musharraf feuding over border skirmishes. Some historical information about British colonial occupation of Iraq. Father of US Marine killed in Iraq says he lost his job over anti-war statements. Local story: Florida soldier killed on Baghdad campus was 22 years old. Local story: Army sergeant shot to death on Sunday was father of three. Local story: Connecticut Guardsmen wounded in Iraq. Local story: Mother of US soldier is upset about “bring ‘em on” comment. She writes to the White House daily but Bush fails to respond. Home Front: George P. Bush begins fundraising career.

CENTCOM reports on Operation Beanies for Baghdad. In Mosul eight security officers and 70 corrections officers graduated from training. No bombs reported at the ceremony. The sulphur plant fire at Musul continues to burn. Bring ‘em on: Three separate attacks in Baghdad on Sunday kill three US soldiers. Bring ‘em on: Four US soldiers wounded during RPG ambush in Ramadi on Sunday. Bring ‘em on: US troops again ambushed in Ramadi. Multiple explosions reported. Bring ‘em on: RPG attack on UN office in Mosul. No casulties reported. Bring ‘em on: Australian journalist dies of wounds received in June 29 grenade attack in Fallujah. US troops kill Iraqi civilians in Ramadi firefights. Iraqis fear US can't protect them from a return of Saddam Husseain. Press reports US troops looted Baghdad airport. Strong criticism of US policy in Iraq. The author better start worrying about getting Ashcrofted. Only 19% of Japanese support sending Japanese troops to Iraq. Local Iraqi media spreads anti-US propaganda. Whatever happened to Charlotte Beers, the adveritising executive who was going to sell America and make our case to the Muslim world? Well, she resigned for health reasons. The position is still vacant.

CENTCOM reports Operation Sidewinder ended: Two hundred and eighty two individuals detained and a variety of weapons were seized, including 96 AK-47 rifles, 3 heavy machine guns, 217 rocket-propelled grenades, 33 grenades, 200 60mm-mortar rounds, and other military equipment, documents, weapons and ammunition. No US KIA, but 30 casualties from Iraqi non-compliant forces and 28 coalition forces injuries. CENTCOM reports bomb at Ramadi police station was command detonated device. US soldier critically wounded by sniper in Baghdad. British TV camaraman shot dead by sniper in Baghdad. Operation Grave Digger. Patrolling in Fallujah. Bounty on the Boogyman: No evidence linking Hussein to attacks on U.S. forces. Analysis: US military faces acute retention crisis. Bush solution: Rent-a-Grunt. US pays “allies” for troop commitments at $3 billion per month. That’s YOUR money! Al Qaeda blamed for Pakistan mosque bombing. Op/Ed: On to Liberia! Local stories: South Carolina KIA, here and here. Local story: New Jersey KIA. Local story: Funeral of Puerto Rican soldier killed in Afghanistan. Bush “twisted” intelligence to hype war. Afghanistan: Eight killed in warlord fighting. Afghanistan: Anti-US demonstration in Kabul.

Bring ‘em on: US Troops in Fallujah under daily attack. “…locals are apparently launching green flares to signal oncoming tank patrols, and red ones for soldiers on foot." Bring ‘em on: Up to 50 Iraqi fighters involved in yesterday’s ambush near Balad. Bring ‘em on: US soldier killed in Baghdad on Thursday identified. Bring ‘em on: Attackers become bolder, more organized. Saddam Hussein audio tape urges Iraqis to bring ‘em on. Bush wets himself and skedaddles off to Ohio air force base. CENTCOM: British troops conduct drug raids seizing $11,000, forgery equipment, some suspected cannabis resin and two bags of pills. Three Iraqis were arrested. Operation Sidewinder situation report: Coalition forces conducted 20 raids, 1,390 day patrols and 880 night patrols and jointly patrolled with Iraqi police, conducting 187 day patrols and 148 night patrols over the last 24 hours. Four rocket-propelled grenade launchers and five rocket-propelled grenade rounds, one set of night vision goggles and 227 rounds of various types of ammunition were confiscated. Has anybody done a cost-benefit analysis on this operation? Pakistan waffles on Iraqi troop deployment. Local editorial criticizes Musharraf. India also becomes reluctant to commit troops. Letter to the Editor comment. US asks Nepal for troops. Don't we have allies anymore? I guess all that talk about "freedom fries" and "cheese eating surrender monkeys" has consequences after all. "You call Donald Rumsfeld and tell him our sorry asses are ready to go home." Rummy's Pentagon poorly prepared for “regime change” policy. US detains Turkish soldiers in Iraq in “ugly incident.” Afghanistan: Three Dutch soldiers wounded while on patrol near Kabul. Comic relief: Success in Iraq, courtesy of the alternate universe of FrontPagemag.com.

Operations Desert Scorpion and Desert Sidewinder continue. From CENTCOM: “Eight raids were conducted in the last 24 hours by the 4th Infantry Division. Operation Sidewinder resulted in 32 detained individuals and 10 AK-47s, two pistols and one mortar being confiscated. In one successful raid, the 4th ID detained a Ba’ath party colonel along with five other individuals. Eight million Iraqi Dinar and assorted weapons, including eight AK-47s, were also confiscated in the raid. “In Baghdad, the 1st Armored Division detained 148 individuals and secured 247 sites by conducting raids, cordon and search operations, checkpoint operations, presence patrols and a river operation.” Rumsfeld denies Iraq is a “quagmire.” Soldiers in Iraq disagree: “Administration officials need to get our asses out of here.” Mistrust and frustration sets in with US troops. Officers think Rummy’s full of shit, too. Rummy blames Iraqi resistance on The Boogyman again. Bush blames Clinton for recession. Mosque explodes in Fallujah; five Iraqis killed. Residents blame US missile. The view from Islam Online. RPG attack on US troops in Baghdad. Armored vehicle destroyed, troops wounded. Other sources reports blast caused by car bomb; four Americans killed. RPG attack on US convoy near Baghdad airport. US soldier wounded. German Charges d'Affaire shot at in Baghdad. Local stories: KIAs from Houston and Alabama. US-appointed mayor of Najaf arrested for kidnapping and extortion. Growing hostility toward US forces in Iraq. Iraqi clerics demand self-government. Iraqi detainee accuses US of mistreatment. Ammunition dump explodes. Thirty Iraqis killed. Why wasn’t this place secured? Afghanistan: Pro-US mosque blown up in Khandahar. Musharraf says foreign troops in Afghanistan should withdraw once stability has returned to the country. Afghanistan: Lost in the shuffle. NYT commentary. Afghanistan: Desperation in Kabul. NYT commentary. North Korea threatens to abandon armistice. Home front: Bush raises 3 million in Florida. Cheney attends Ohio fundraiser. Comic relief: The upside spin from GOPUSA.