Today in Iraq

War news for September 30, 2003 Bring ‘em on: One US soldier killed, one wounded in bomb ambush at Habbaniyah, near Fallujah. Bring ‘em on: Shi’ite cleric working on Iraqi constitution ambushed by gunmen in Baghdad; bodyguard killed. Bring ‘em on: Demonstrators in Kirkuk stone US soldiers. Troops reportedly opened fire killing man and child. Bring ‘em on: US position in Hawija, near Kirkirk, under mortar fire. Bring ‘em on: Reports continue of multiple, coordinated ambushes near Khalidyah yesterday. US confirms two American soldiers wounded. Witnesses report as many as six American casualties. Bring ‘em on: Firefight near Balad. American troops recover M16 rifles belonging to two US soldiers captured and later killed near Baghdad in June. Bring ‘em on: US soldier wounded by grenade in Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: Six US soldiers confirmed wounded in yesterday’s convoy ambush near Fallujah. Bring ‘em on: Heavy fighting reported near Tikrit. Bring ‘em on: US soldier killed, two wounded in Afghanistan fighting. Pipeline sabotage: Good analysis, map and timeline of pipeline sabotage. The proposed solutions are indicative of the scale of the security problem. Religious conflict looms in Iraq. Troops lack body armor, armored Humvees. Thousands of tons of weapons, explosives and ammunition remain unsecured in Iraq. “General Abizaid's sobering assessment directly contradicted reassurances from a senior Pentagon official earlier in September that ‘all known Iraqi munitions sites are being secured by coalition forces.’” Cashing in: Joe Allbaugh, Dubya’s 2000 campaign manager, sets up consulting firm to advise clients seeking lucrative contracts in Iraq. More from the NY Times. Commentary on Bush’s crony contracts from Paul Krugman. CPA may reinstate Baathists in civil service jobs. Commentary: Cheney’s mask is slipping. Local story: Oregon Guardsman contends with illness. “Greg's eight months is an example of personal sacrifice for this country.” Contrast this soldier’s service with Joe Allbaugh and the rest of the neo-cons who are scheming to get rich on Iraqi contracts. Makes me want to puke. Local story: New Hampshire Guardsman killed in Iraq. Local story: Kansas soldier killed in Iraq.

War News for September 29, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Four US soldiers wounded in two separate bomb attacks near Iskandariya and Taji. Bring ‘em on: US convoy attacked in Fallujah, Polish troops shoot attacker at al-Hilla (last paragraph of this story.) Bring ‘em on: Indian and South African media report US convoy attacked between Khaldiyah and Ramadi. Witnesses report several US soldiers killed. Xinhua reports same story with mention of “heavy casualties” in firefights that lasted “several hours.” US media reports story without reference to casualties, although this version also reports that a Baghdad video store selling Saddam Hussein atrocity flicks got blown up. The truth finally emerges: During the deployment and planning phases, Rummy was screwing with the TPFDD. “But there has to date been no public accounting of the consequences of Rumsfeld's modifications to the military's standard deployment practices as war approached….The result…was a force that was under protected, undersupplied and undermanned for the mission ahead: securing Iraq once major combat ended.” And it looks like Rummy expects the uniformed officers to take a bullet for his incompetence. How do you wreck an Army? Ask Rummy. ”You can politicize the Army promotion system for three- and four-star generals. “Rumsfeld and his civilian aides such as Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith and his military handmaidens have intruded deeply and harmfully into the way the services promote their leaders. “Where once the Army would send up its nominee for a vacant billet, now it must send up two or three candidates who must run the gantlet of personal interviews in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Not just Rumsfeld, but all of his civilian experts who never wore a uniform. What hoops must the successful one jump through? Will it be the tough, bright candidate who's unafraid to speak when he sees mistakes being made? Or will it be the buttoned-down, willow-in-the-wind, can-do yes-man? Your basic Oliver North?” Bush’s Marshall Plan comparisons are pure hooey. Or is that ‘revisionist history?’ Kenya may send troops to Iraq, with UN approval (and an appropriate level of US “investment.”) Chalabi’s defectors fed US intelligence garbage. “…State Department officials involved in the program said, the Iraqi exiles used most of the money to recruit defectors who claimed to have sensitive intelligence information. Until 2002, the State Department handed over those defectors to the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for debriefing. Federal officials said that very few of them had been judged to be credible, but that they knew of no specific assessment of their credibility. After internal State Department reviews…concluded that much of the $4 million allocated for the program had not been properly accounted for and that the intelligence-gathering program was not part of the department's mission, oversight was transferred to the Defense Department in 2002.” Gee, that was just in time for Doug Feith’s newly-created Special Plans Office to get their hands on these bullshit artists and start trumpeting the news that Saddam has WMD and links to terror. It seems to me that these people weren’t connecting dots as much as they were cherry-picking information. Army may reopen Peacekeeping Institute (under a different name, of course.) Bushies distorted Iraqi polls. Max Cleland sounds off about the George W. Bush Desert Classic. Conservatives begin familiar whine: the media is too negative! Andy Sullivan and Instapundit agree. Local story: Wounded soldier from South Carolina copes with combat stress.

War News for September 28, 2003 CENTCOM demotes casualties. Commentary: How about some truth from Bush about casualties? NEWSWEEK reports on how Bush’s ideologues ruled the mess in Iraq. “…the State Department people were deemed to be Arabist apologists, or squishy about the United Nations, or in some way politically incorrect to the right-wing ideologues at the White House or the neocons in the office of the Secretary of Defense. The vetting process ‘got so bad that even doctors sent to restore medical services had to be anti-abortion…’” “The White House fiddles, trying to restructure Iraq's oil-rich economy so that it will suit American investment, while troops die.” Worldwide demonstrations against US policy in Iraq. Bush says international community has an obligation to change his nappies when he soils himself. UK troops warned of “inevitable” terror attack in Iraq. Tell them to suck it up, Tony. Condi says they’re flypaper. More details emerge of Bush’s continuing inability to administer Iraq. Bushies see American media scrutiny as the new enemy in Iraq. Resistance spreading outside “Sunni Triangle.” Increasing SAM threat at Baghdad airport halts Red Cross flights. “Two U.S. defense officials familiar with reports from inside Iraq said commanders on the ground have reported a rash of attacks on coalition aircraft at Baghdad airport and elsewhere, ranging from missiles to anti-aircraft artillery to small-arms fire. ’It's not every time a plane lands, but a couple of times a day that planes report something,’ one of the officials said…’Forget about investments {in Iraq},’ said Clyde Prestowitz, a former senior Commerce Department official in the Reagan administration …’The first thing is to establish security so that you can, as a practical matter, conceive of flying in. Then once you get to that point you can think about attracting private investments.’”

Today in history: September 27, 2002: Bush said the United Nations should have a chance to force Saddam Hussein to give up his illicit weapons before the United States acted on its own against Iraq. Quote of the Day: “Limbaugh’s full of shit.” Gen. Wesley Clark. War News for September 26 and 27, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Mortar round fired at US troop position kills seven Iraqis in Baquba. Bring ‘em on: Rocket attack on Baghdad hotel housing senior US personnel. Bring ‘em on: US soldier dies in Tikrit fire. Bring ‘em on: One US soldier killed, two wounded in Kirkuk RPG attack. Bring ‘em on: US military spokesman reports “three to five attacks” on US troops in 101st Airborne sector every day. US calls up more reserves for Bush’s War. Army offers $5,000 reenlistment bonus for mid-termers in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan and Korea. If you look at the conditions of this reenlistment bonus, you'll realize how bad the Army's short-term manpower situation really is. Rummy’s massive planning failure in Iraq rapidly reaching a crisis. Social conservatives push military “reform,” meaning a return to restrictions on female soldiers in combat roles. I suppose PFC Lori Piestewa wasn't patriotic enough for these righteous busybodies. Let’s see some social conservatives actually supporting the troops instead of using the military to support their fundie agenda. US troops open fire at checkpoint in Fallujah. Four Iraqis killed, three wounded. “US military officials could not be reached for comment because their telephone system appeared to be malfunctioning. However, residents reached by telephone in Fallujah said the incident occurred late on Friday on the eastern edge of Fallujah, where opposition to the American presence runs deep.” Small towns feel the pain of Bush’s War. "My son died because Bush lied." Fifteen hundred Iraqi civilians dead in Baghdad chaos since liberation. US troops face disciplinary action over last month’s Sadr City flag incident. No help for US in Iraq. Commentary: Bush’s poor leadership fails American soldiers. “Thus the American soldier carries on in Iraq, nearly alone, with no end in sight. It is a devotion to duty that speaks well of all our armed forces, if not of the military doctrine that put them there.” Pentagon may restart “embedded” reporters program in effort to generate positive news from Iraq. (Scroll down for story.) Army wife raising money to pay for soldiers’ furloughs. Bush plans Wisconsin campaign fundraiser. Putin visits Bush. “There is a great deal of speculation in Moscow these days that Russia would agree to send troops to help the American-led coalition in Iraq if the Bush administration moved to protect Russian oil interests in that country…” Musharraf warns Bush: Ignore Muslim anger at your own peril. "If we show one more negative, in the form of a military operation against another Muslim country, I think it's going to be disastrous."

War News for September 25, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Bomb explodes at Baghdad hotel housing NBC media. Civilian guard killed. Bring ‘em on: Four US troops wounded in Mosul ambush. “I saw the bodies of four Americans who had died, one of them without legs." Bring ‘em on: Second bombing ambush in Mosul wounds three more US soldiers. CENTCOM reports one US soldier killed, two injured in vehicle accident. CENTCOM reports US soldier dies from “non-hostile gunshot wound.” Bush fails to secure international troops or funds despite two days at the UN. US soldiers react to Bush’s UN speech. List of this week’s dead soldiers. IGC member dies after assassination attempt last Saturday. About that “Sunni Triangle…” A soldier sounds off. Bush’s reconstruction funds includes $60 million for an "oil infrastructure security force," $55 million for a "quick reaction pipeline repair team," $125 million to buy oil "topping plants," $125 million to "provide water injection for the southern Rumalia oil fields." $68 million for tankers and petroleum gas trucks when pipelines go down. Army Civil Affairs Team in Fallujah. “The paratroopers do not trust Hameed, but he is all they have to work with. This is a common problem in Iraq, as much of the educated population comes from the Sunni minority that was well supported by Saddam Hussein's Baath Party…Several units have had the task of pacifying Fallujah, making it difficult to establish long-term improvement projects. Every time a project begins to take root, the unit moves and another has to start from scratch.” Sound familiar? US Army vehicle runs over Iraqi kid in Fallujah. Local story: Two New Jersey soldiers killed in Iraq.

War News for September 24, 2003 Bring ‘em on: US troops guarding oil pumping station attacked near Balad. More fighting reported near Tikrit. Bring ‘em on: At least one US soldier and three Iraqi police officers wounded in Baghdad shooting. Bring ‘em on: Baghdad bombing targets US military convoy; 2 Iraqis killed, 20 wounded. Bring ‘em on: US troops attacked near Fallujah. Bring ‘em on: Three US soldiers wounded in Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: Fighting near Baquba results in two Iraqis killed, one wounded. Wounded American soldiers are no longer considered newsworthy by the US national press. “The number of casualties maintained by Central Command are only released when requested and are often forgotten by a public focused on the rising number of dead.” US media ignores Iraqi casualties, too. US expresses “regret” for three civilians killed by tank fire in Fallujah. Demonstrators in Khaldiyah want Saddam back. Bomb explodes in Mosul theater. Bush presents “my way or the highway” offer to UN. Most opt for the highway. Lots of links embedded in this story. General Pace says US may be forced to send more troops to Iraq. Reservists will be alerted in “four to six weeks.” Hey, but those lucky duckies are going to get fifteen days of leave! Maybe. Bush in “no hurry” on UN resolution for help in Iraq. Bremer’s staff racks up $20,000 per day in catered meal costs at Al-Rasheed Hotel. Sends laundry to Kuwait, sends bill to Congress.

War News for September 23, 2003 Bring ‘em on: US troops attacked while conducting raids near Fallujah. Bush may disclose he has asked Chalabi to prepare a transition timetable. Winning hearts and minds in Fallujah. US trained Iraqi police lack weapons. Morale is bad, too. Details of Bush’s Iraqi spending binge emerge. $100 million to protect - and perhaps relocate overseas - 100 witnesses and their families, $9 million to modernize Iraq's postal system, $55 million for an oil pipeline repair team… Iraqi Governing Council bans two most popular Arab TV networks. Canadian Army intelligence report predicted long period of internal turmoil after invasion of Iraq. Local story: Alabama soldier wounded in Iraq. Local story: Florida soldier woundded in Iraq.

Today in History. September 22, 2002: From the NYT, MoDo says, “We’re being steamrollered” and the LA Times asks Bush for answers to some uncomfortable questions. War news for September 22, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Second car bombing of UN mission in Baghdad. At least one dead. Last US combat troops leave Saudi Arabia. Citizens, this is a great victory against Osama bin Laden, since removing American troops from Saudi Arabia deprives him of a vital issue. Bush has brought the war within measurable distance of its end. Chirac offers detailed plan for Iraqi transition. Bush offers repackaged failure. Proconsul Bremer of Baghdad promises to veto any decision by his hand-picked Iraqi Governing Council toward Iraqi sovereignty. Russia backs off on sending troops to Iraq. Little chance of Pakistani troops to Iraq without further American “assistance.” A wink and a nudge from Musharraf to Bush. Economic “overhaul” in Iraq. “The new economic policy also will slash Iraq's top tax rate for individuals and businesses from 45 percent to 15 percent starting Jan. 1…all goods except humanitarian supplies that are brought into the country will be subject to a 5 percent ‘reconstruction surcharge.’” Grover Norquist writes Iraqi tax policy and John Snow wants to sell stuff that doesn't belong to him. Local commentary: “The daily, patronizing stay-the-course, things-are-getting-better speech becomes more irritating and insulting with each ambush death of an American serviceman.” Local commentary: The $87 billion wake-up call. “The anti-tax movement has gained a stranglehold on the American psyche in recent years. Encouraged by politicians and interest groups devoted to rolling back the Great Society and the New Deal, many Americans believe they are paying far more of their income in taxes than is actually the case.” Home Front: Goopers fire first shots Culture War. Karl Rove says Fort Sumter was a winning issue for Jefferson Davis.

Today in History: In his weekly radio address, Bush uses Homeland Security legislation to attack collective bargaining rights for Federal workers. “…the Senate bill would weaken my existing authority to prohibit collective bargaining when national security is at stake…I need this authority in the war on terror.” FLASH TRAFFIC: If you are a retired military member (or if you know one) the Military Officers Association of America – formerly The Retired Officers Association – advises you not to answer questions about your personal finances in a new Defense Department survey. “It’s no secret that some DoD officials hold that retiree compensation should be ‘means tested,’ “ the MOAA newsletter says. MOAA insists financial information from the new survey “could be used at some point to build the case that certain military entitlements should be ‘means-tested.’” Concurrent receipt of full retirement pay and veterans’ disability benefits “is likely the first target of opportunity,” the group said. Army Times story here. (Link fixed.) War News for September 21, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Three US soldiers wounded in two separate RPG ambushes in Mosul. Bring ‘em on: One US soldier killed in ambush near Ramadi. Two US soldiers killed, thirteen wounded in mortar attack at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. Palace issues statement from His Excellency, Proconsul Bremer of Baghdad US troops resume patrols in Fallujah. US troops open fire on car approaching Halliburton headquarters in Palestine Hotel in Baghdad. Iraqi resistance: united by piety. "The American people should realize they're going to start receiving coffins," Kirtani said. "We're not their slaves." He stopped to catch his breath, shaking his head as if uttering a self-evident truth. "We accept death as easily as we drink water." Iraqis angry at slow pace of US reconstruction. Don't these people read Proconsul Bremer's palace statements about how swimmingly the treconstruction effort is proceeding? US confirms story that an American soldier shoots a caged tiger at Baghdad zoo. “It was impossible to reach the U.S. military spokesman's office because the telephones have not worked for three days, Associated Press said.” Help is on the way: Bush’s War is creating a hollow Army. But there’s not enough money to increase the force. General Shinseki: America's fight in Iraq and Afghanistan "didn't have to be this difficult." So why are the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan so difficult? Because our Defense Department is run by a bunch incompetent Heritage Foundation ideologues who refuse to listen to the professional soldiers. I expect to hear many more uniformed officers start to sound off about the Bush debacles that have weakened our defenses, drained our treasury and cost the lives of so many American soldiers. Local story: Tennessee soldier killed in Iraq. Local story: West Virginia soldier wounded in Iraq. Rant of the Day The story about the soldiers shooting the tiger really pisses me off. It pisses me off because that goddam tiger is getting more attention in the American media than the three soldiers who got killed today and the sixteen others who got their asses shot off. It’s not that I’m not pissed off at the idiot who shot the tiger. I even feel some sympathy for the moron who fed his own finger to the animal. But I just spent an hour searching Google News for stories about Iraq and the dead tiger is more popular with the American media than the dead soldiers by about five to one. Worse, many of the dead soldier stories are really stories about something else while the dead tiger always gets his own headline. But I shouldn’t be surprised. Ever since the shock and awe wore off, the American media has ignored the debacle in Iraq. We’ve got an administration that slick-talked its way into an aggressive war, screwed it up, and is now having all the success of a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. We have corruption and cronyism on a grand scale. Bremer’s miserable Baghdad satrapy is broke, incompetent and everybody in the whole world wide knows it except us. This should be the biggest story of the Bush administration, but the American media is content to report about that dead tiger. Somebody ought to name a journalism school after that poor beast, because American journalism is a dead tiger.

Today in history: On September 20, 2002 Bush declared a new US security policy of pre-emptive war. War news for September 20, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Member of Governing Council shot in Baghdad ambush. L. Paul Bremer says he is “shocked” by assassination attempt against IGC member. Bremer doesn’t get out of the palace much. Bring ‘em on: Explosions, small arms fire in Fallujah as US troops begin security operation. Bring ‘em on: Roadside bomb detonates prematurely in Baghdad. Power remains unreliable in Baghdad. “The U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority running Iraq also recently hired 24,000 guards to watch over power lines and oil and water pipelines.” Cashing in: WorldCom/MCI, which donated $100,000 to Bush’s election campaign, received a $45 million no-bid Pentagon contract to build an iraqi cellular phone system. The company has no experience in building such a network and recently settled the largest financial fraud case in US history. Read this article to see how your $87 billion is being squandered by the Bush adminintration. Cashing in: Doug Feith’s law firm offers assistance to “regional construction and logistics firms to collaborate with contractors from the United States and other coalition countries in implementing infrastructure and other reconstruction projects in Iraq.” Cashing in: Halliburton's contracts in Iraq top $2 billion. Family advocacy group launches television ad campaign against Halliburton’s sweetheart deals. A “family” organization with money that isn’t a Gooper mouthpiece? Now I'm shocked! The real numbers on Bush’s shabby "coalition." Private security is a growth industry growing in Iraq. Bush’s battleship mouth scores direct hit on his rowboat ass. Local story: Pennsylvania soldier wounded in Iraq. Local story: New York soldier killed in Iraq. Local story: Massachusetts soldier wounded in Iraq. Local story: Texas soldier wounded in Iraq. Local story: Ohio soldier killed in Iraq.

Today in History: On September 19, 2002, George W. Bush asked Congress for authority to ''use all means,'' including military force if necessary, to disarm and overthrow Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein if he did not quickly meet United Nations demands to abandon all weapons of mass destruction. War news for September 19, 2003 Bring ‘em on: US cannot confirm reports of “heavy casualties” in yesterday's ambush near Khaldiyah. Bring ‘em on: Two US soldiers wounded in ambush near Ramadi. Bring ‘em on: Three US troops killed, two wounded near Tikrit. Fighting continued from 8:00pm (local) until daybreak. “In what the commander of the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade called a ‘coordinated attack,’ Saddam loyalists armed with rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and assault rifles attacked two operating bases on the western bank of the Tigris River and ambushed a patrol on its east side.” Bring ‘em on: Mortar rounds fired at US bases in Samarra, and Baghdad airport. CENTCOM reports US soldier electrocuted while clearing dangerously low hanging power lines. US troops accidentally kill translator for Italian official. Iraqi police launch crime crackdown in Baghdad. “’Tonight marks the night that the Iraqi citizen takes back control of Baghdad streets,’ U.S. Army Colonel Ted Spain said, ahead of an exercise intended partly as a show of force to boost public confidence.” This guy sounds like John Walsh. “‘It looks like a bad episode of 'Cops','' said a passing U.S. soldier to a colleague” Iraqi privatization plans postponed. Sen. Kennedy calls Bush’s War a “fraud,” “made up in Texas,” and says US policy is “adrift.” Also accuses Bush administration of being unable to account of over half of the $4 billion spent in Iraq every month. ''My belief is this money is being shuffled all around to these political leaders in all parts of the world, bribing them to send in troops,'' he said. US scientists find no evidence of smallpox program in Iraq. “Smallpox fears were part of the case the Bush administration used to build support for invading Iraq.” Chicago Sun-Times commentary: Bush's Big Lie strategy is coming apart. Baltimore Sun commentary: When will Bush come clean on WMD lies? Brazil rejects US appeal for troops. Bush personally begs Japanese PM for troops. Turkish business group wants UN resolution before committing troops to Iraq. Pakistanis demonstrate against sending troops to Iraq. Myers: US wants Muslim troops in Iraq. Anti-US sentiment in Europe highest since Vietnam War. Bush seeks to isolate France at UN Security Council discussions. Master of Low Expectations seeks to lower expectations on UN resolution. Thousands turn out in Kosovo to welcome President Clinton. “The reception contrasted starkly with the maximum security visits to Iraq recently by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, both of whom had virtually no contact with ordinary local people.” Eat your heart out, rushbox. This is what a real President can accomplish. Rant of the Day A soldier sounds off.

War News for September 17 and 18, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Eight US soldiers reported killed in convoy ambush near Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: Three US soldiers wounded in convoy ambush south of Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: In four separate incidents near Mosul, a US convoy was ambushed, two Iraqi were policemen murdered, an RPG attack on US troop quarters, and attempted assassination of US troops at a restaurant. Bring ‘em on: Three US soldiers wounded in separate incidents near Fallujah and Mosul. Bring ‘em on: Albanian soldier killed in grenade attack in Mosul. CENTCOM reports 101st Airborne soldier dies due to non-hostile gunshot wound. Kirkuk-Bajaii explodes pipeline again. Last sabotaged on August 30th. US troops open fire at wedding party in Fallujah; one Iraqi killed, six wounded. Lt. Gen. Sanchez: Mistakes cause revenge attacks. Troop shortage may force Bush administration to abandon Balkans. Reinforcing failure by wrecking success. Wounded soldier becomes US citizen. Max Cleland sounds off. Considering the way the GOP treats veterans, Max is too polite. Personally, I think Bush isn't fit to be a pimple on a veteran's ass.

War News for September 16, 2003 Today in History: On September 16, 2002, Iraq unconditionally accepted the return of U.N. weapons inspectors which Bush dismissed as unacceptable. Bring ‘em on: US-appointed Iraqi police chief killed in al-Khaldiya ambush. Bring 'em on: Four Mississippi Guardsmen wounded in Iraq. This incident ocurred on Friday, but the first time I saw it mentioned in the press was this morning, when the story appeared in local media. More evidence that the Bush administration has instituted an official, "if they don't ask, we won't tell" policy regarding conflict, casualties and the media. Boston Globe calls bullshit on Cheney’s Sunday morning lies. Meet L. Paul Bremer. A bungling, slick-talking neo-conservative ideologue, who has made a dog's breakfast of post-war Iraq but what a fashion statement! CENTCOM reports 101st Airborne hosts event for orphaned children in Mosul. US raids in Tikrit leave Iraqis angry. US and UN stalled on Iraq. Desperate Bush administration presses for Turkish troops in Iraq, despite warnings that Turkish troops will further erode security. Proving once again that the Bushies are less interested in actually stabilizing Iraq than they are in the appearance "coalition building." Member of Iraqi Governing Council says US troops “mistreat” Iraqi civilians. Bush’s palace intrigues: Sometimes Cheney’s in charge. Sometimes it’s Powell. Sometimes nobody can tell. Charles Rangel rallies support for Clark. Editorial: Americans are demanding answers. Local story: Michigan soldier killed in Iraq. Local story: Florida soldier shot at Baghdad University in July. Local story: Wisconsin soldier wounded in Iraq. Local story: New York Army reservists serving in Iraq. “No one is happy about this," Montera said. "But we will do what we are asked to do.”

War News for September 15, 2003 Bring 'em on: US soldier killed in Baghdad RPG attack. Failure becomes policy: Rumsfeld lowers expectations on obtaining foreign support. "If there's another U.N. resolution, my guess is the most we could hope to get for, by way of additional international troops, would be something between zero or 10,000 and 15,000." Satellite imagery of North Iraq oil pipeline fire. (It’s still burning, folks.) Bush administration military malfeasance continues. "When I get phone calls from parents who tell me their kids have been shipped to Iraq and they don't have Kevlar filling for their flak jackets, that makes parents angry. That makes me angry," said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis. Cheney defends failure in Iraq with lies and distortions. US asks South Korea for additional troops for Iraq. Bush personally asks for South Korean troops, attempts to exploit domestic Korean politics. Deep divisions in Korea over supporting Bush’s War. Korea Herald editorial. Citizen soldiers bearing burden of Bush’s War with little relief in sight. Powell makes ritual neo-conservative pilgrimage to Iraqi mass grave. CPA efforts to exhume mass graves slipshod and disorganized. Powell channels Wolfowitz. Americans beginning to realize Bush has no plan. Robert Reich editorial: How to pay for Bush’s War. Clark slams Bush. “Clark told the Tennessee Democrats that when he retired from the Army, a colleague warned him that in civilian life, ‘There's no one in charge.’ ‘That's never been more true than since January 2001,’ Clark said, speaking of the presidency of George W. Bush. Reporter: Bush bullied the press during run-up to war. Gooper spin machine breaks sound barrier. Goopers explain Iraqi rebellion is just a PR problem, and selfish Americans are ungrateful to Bush for $87 billion no-plan spending request.

War News for September 14, 2003 Today in history: On September 14, 2002 President Bush said the United States was willing to take Iraq on alone if the United Nations failed to "show some backbone" by confronting Saddam Hussein. Bring ‘em on: One US soldier killed, three wounded by mine ambush in Fallujah. Bring ‘em on: Three US soldiers wounded in RPG attack in Mosul. Bring ‘em on: US troops under fire in Tikrit. Bring ‘em on: US troops under mortar fire near Mahmudiyah. More on fratricide incident near Fallujah from Stars and Stripes. Two more Iraqi policemen die of wounds, Iraqis promise revenge. WMD report shelved indefinitely due to lack of evidence. Report on US casualties. Soldiers cope in Iraq. Don’t blame these soldiers for the failed policies of George W. Bush. Guerrillas vow to drive US from Iraq. Bush’s failed policies seem to be helping them, too. Powell leaves Geneva empty-handed. On to Baghdad. Newsweek analysis: “If anything, the next confrontation promises to be as nasty as the last, and possibly more damaging to the transatlantic relationship. Reason: the Bush administration is desperate.” CENTCOM reports US 101st Airborne Division helps recover refinery. National Guard recruiting and retention devastated by Bush’s War. “The National Guard had hoped to enlist 62,000 soldiers by the end of September but appears to be falling far short. Only 47,907 soldiers had been enlisted as of the end of August, leaving the Guard 22.7 percent short of its goal. The military's fiscal year ends in September.” Restoring electricity to pre-war levels will take three years and cost $20 billion. It’s useful to remember that Bush’s $87 billion supplemental request included $20 billion for the entire costs of reconstruction. Bush's supplemental request earmarked only $6 billion for electric power. Fuzzy Math! Commentary: How do we get out of this mess without bankrupting our future? Including some interesting observations about how the Great Uniter has divided us as Americans. Local story: Colorado soldier wounded in ambush. Local story: Illinois soldier killed in Iraq.

War News for September 12 and 13, 2003 Bring ‘em on Two US soldiers killed, seven wounded in raid in Ramadi. Two others wounded in Ramadi in mine ambush unconnected with CJTF-7 raid. Bring ‘em on: US troops in firefight with Iraqi guerillas (not police) in Fallujah. Bring ‘em on: Three US soldiers wounded in Baghdad mine ambush. Bring ‘em on: Firefight reported in central Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: Four US soldiers wounded in ambushes near Khaldiya and Mosul. Bring ‘em on: US troops under mortar, RPG fire near Kirkuk. (Incident mentioned deep in this article) CENTCOM reports US medics supported Iraqi National Immunization Day at Balad hospital. US soldier killed in motor pool accident near Balad. US troops kill at least eight Iraqi policemen, one Jordanian security guard in fratricide incident in Fallujah. This is the second fatal fratricide incident between US troops and Iraqi police that we know of. It’s time for a review of the US fire control procedures. “Unlike at other police stations in Iraq, there is no American military police presence in Falluja to liaise between Iraqi and US security forces in the area - a circumstance which might have prevented yesterday's tragedy.” Why not? It seems that the complete withdrawal of US forces from Fallujah was a hasty and poorly made political decision intended to reduce US exposure rather than a coordinated measure intended to return civil control to the local Iraqi council. Fallujah residents bury the dead, show anger at US occupation, and local leaders call for "major strike." Bush wants $2.1 billion from US taxpayers to repair Iraqi oil fields, in addition to the $1 billion already spent. “The effort to restore Iraq's oil production and export has been plagued by repeated acts of sabotage. The attacks have become so frequent that Corps of Engineers officials concede they don't know what the final cost figures will be.” Northern pipeline sabotage repairs expected to last through mid-October. Powell rejects French proposal to relinquish US control of Iraq as “unacceptable.” Iraqi privatization plan won’t be ready for two more years, says US-appointed Iraqi finance minister. Former US diplomat Joseph Wilson says Bush is losing the war on terror. Bush: “No free nation can be neutral in the fight between civilization and chaos.” Bush returns to his “you’re with us or against us” theme that has proven so remarkably persuasive in the past. Eleanor Clift commentary: Iraq is a disaster in the making. “This administration has great powers of self-delusion. The neocons are isolated from reality, but they run the government, and they’re unrepentant.” Local story: Oregon Guardsmen wounded in Iraq. Local story: Arkansas soldier killed in Iraq. Local story: Montana soldier injured in Iraq accident. Local story: Oklahoma Guardsman wounded in Iraq. Home Front: Bush attends $1,000 per plate GOP fundraiser in Mississippi. Home Front: Cheney attends $1,000 per plate GOP fundraiser in North Carolina.

Happy Trifecta Day to George W. Bush! War News for Spetember 11, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Firefight in Fallujah; two US soldiers wounded in Mosul, one US soldier wounded in convoy ambush near Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: Attacks against US troops increasing. “US commanders also reported a fresh spate of violence, with 22 attacks on US soldiers in a 24-hour period on Tuesday and Wednesday, sharply up on the daily average of 13 to 15.” Out of sight, out of mind: CENTCOM website hides casualty reports behind the fine print. Do not think for one minute that this policy didn’t originate with the Bush administration. CENTCOM changed their website layout on the day after Rummy threw a temper tantrum at a Baghdad press briefing saying the media focuses only on bad news in Iraq. So the CENTCOM website will apparently prominently feature stories about US troops rebuilding the Mosul zoo while burying stories about soldiers killed and wounded on the Mosul road. People are starting to notice. Support the troops: Bush bills the wounded for food. China joins France, Germany and Russia in demanding limits to US control of Iraq. Jordan rejects Bush’s call for troops. Canadian foreign minister Bill Graham: "’No country is going to commit their soldiers or their treasury or their taxpayers' money unless they believe they have some role in making a decision about how that money will be spent or how the lives of our citizens will be risked.’" Asahi Shimbun commentary: Bush demands tribute for failed Iraq war. India Express commentary: Bush’s war robs US of sympathy, support. Commentary: Bush’s failed war on terror: “With astonishing speed, the United States and Britain are making their nightmares a reality. Iraq is fast becoming the land that they warned about: a throbbing hub of terror. Islamists bent on murder, all but non-existent in Saddam Hussein's Iraq, are now flocking to the country from Syria, Iran and across the Arab world.” Mission Accomplished! Bush’s failed foreign policy has made the US a pariah. New terror alert. With the Bush administration failure is not an option – it’s policy.

War News for September 10, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Six US DoD civilians wounded in Arbil car bombing. This attack was directed against a DIA safe house indicating that the intelligence war is going very badly Bring ‘em on: US soldier killed while defusing bomb in Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: One US soldier killed, one wounded in convoy ambush near Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: Fourteen US soldiers wounded in past 24 hours. Bring ‘em on: Six US soldiers wounded in Fallujah, Balad, and Baghdad. I included this article because it is typical of how the US media is reporting Bush’s war. In a story about how the US administration in Baghdad is failing to control the spread of armed militias in iraq, the news of three attacks and six casualties are buries in the last paragraph. The casualties in this story are also reported in the Sky News story above, and four were among the casualties I included in yesterday’s news. Bush urges Congress to invest in failure. Congressional Republicans support failure. And they still think Iraqi oil is going to pay for Bush's War. Bush’s irresponsible fiscal policy, coupled with badly-planned war damages economy. Neo-cons have hijacked US foreign policy. “But it's still a well-kept secret that the vast foreign policy mainstream -- Republican and Democratic ex-public officials, former ambassadors, military and intelligence people, academic experts -- consider Bush's whole approach a disaster.” Acting Iraqi President Chalabi calls for 10,000 Turkish troops in Iraq. Chalabi has not been indicted in Turkey nor do the Turks yet have any active arrest warrants for him, unlike many other countries in the region. Great Moments in Bush Diplomacy No. 39066 in the series: Bush tells US allies, ''not get caught up in past bickering.'' German foreign minister says Bush has failed in Iraq. France, Germany submit amendments to US draft UN resolution. “Their proposals would virtually shut out current U.S.-led occupation authorities from much of the political process, a concept Secretary of State Colin Powell and British Foreign Minister Jack Straw were certain to reject.” Japan unwilling to commit troops; may contribute transport aircraft. Sounds like our allies aren't just going to get over it, Georgie.

War News for Spetember 9, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Three US soldiers wounded by mine ambush near Fallujah. Bring ‘em on One US soldier seriously wounded during mortar attack in Balad. Bring ‘em on: Pipeline sabotaged; oil deliveries halted. ABC News: No US casualties for one week. (Wounded soldiers don’t count in Disneyland.) Reservists and Guardsmen receive extended tours in Iraq. Commander of DC National Guard AWOL at soldier’s funeral. “Perhaps Bush could not figure out a way to make political hay out of Dent's funeral -- although he does seem to have a knack for turning sorrow over the casualties of war into talk of more war….” Commentary: It’s hard to respect a man who lies as often as Bush. Norway wants more UN participation than Bush offers. Bush “created the conditions that have made Iraq the place to come to attack Americans." Military families protest Bush’s failed Iraq policies. Europe balks at bailing out Bush. "There is a deep conviction in Europe that if you keep a dominant American role in Iraq, the stabilization effort will not work ..." India says US resolution on Iraq “not sufficient,” despite personal phone call from Bush. Baghdad TV and radio building on fire. Sabotage? Poll: More Americans think Iraq war has increased risk of terrorism in US Rant of the Day During his speech to the nation on Sunday night, Bush tried hard not to smirk, and he barely succeeded. He spoke to three different audiences trying to accomplish three different objectives. First, he had to throw some red-meat justifications to his far-right base by linking his disastrous war in Iraq with their fear of terrorism, and appease his campaign donors by assuring them their precious tax cuts remain safe. Mission accomplished; while he didn’t once mention how he planned to pay the bills for his war, he used the word “terror” 28 times, slyly linked Iraq to both weapons of mass destruction (“they used weapons of mass destruction,” a statement that’s technically true since the Iraqis used them twenty years ago but an utter and contemptible lie in the context Bush said it) and trotted out his proven bait-and-switch technique by swapping al Qaeda for Saddam Hussein (“Iraq is the central front in the war on terror.”) Noticeably absent was any reference to Osama bin Laden, the man who actually attacked the United States. But what works with Bush’s far-right base fails miserably with the other, more important audiences. For the majority of Americans Bush presented the bill for his war: an additional eye-popping $87 billion dollars, in addition to the $79 billion he has already spent. (This shouldn’t be surprising for anybody familiar with his life: Little Georgie has perfected a lifestyle of letting others pick up the tab for his personal and political failures.) Bush failed to present any plan, timetable or exit strategy with the bill, again reflecting his personal sense of entitlement. Bush’s campaign mantra, “It’s your money!” has become “It’s my money.” The most important audience watching Bush’s performance was the international community. International support is crucial to the American effort in Iraq. Whether Bush lied to get us there is immaterial on this point; we’re there, we’re stuck there, the place is a mess, and we desperately need help. Bush offered no incentive for anybody to contribute the help America so desperately needs. Instead, he brought out the tired old wheeze that he expects others to help extricate America from the mess he created, without offering any substantial participation in the decision-making. It's the entitlement thing again. This is bad news for America. The international community - at least those nations that have the resources necessary, not just those tinhorns willing to lend their names only - have made it abundantly clear that they no longer trust Bush and are unwilling to pull his preppy chestnuts out of the fire without the power to veto the schemes of Bush's neo-conservative war hawks or some kind of assurances that their money will not ultimately wind up in the pockets of Dick Cheney's cronies at Halliburton. We are stuck in Iraq, alone save the Brits, the Iraqis, and the terrorists who want to kill every American soldier they can find. The rest of the world sees helping Bush as a greater threat than Osama, and with good reason. Aside from his constant lying and the terrifying belligerence and incompetence of his advisors, Bush has established a reputation as a dishonorable man. In the name of a discredited ideology, he has repudiated treaties that the US signed in good faith and which the rest of the world regards as vital. As 10,000 people died in Europe from this summer's heat wave, an event never seen in the 600 years since Europeans started systematically recording the weather, those leaders remember how Bush trashed the Kyoto accords and they see how he is defunding independent climate research in the United States. When Bush demands their help in Iraq, they remember how he shamelessly promised anti-AIDS funds and then failed to deliver. For the last fifty years, we and our allies built our defense systems on the principle of collective security and invested tremendously in NATO, the UN, OSCE and other institutions. Bush, in word and action, has demonstrated his total contempt for collective security institutions and assured the world that his core beliefs support the crackpot ideals of the Project for the New American Century. Bush has not only failed to secure relief and assistance from the international community, he has ensured that they will contribute only the minimum amount of effort necessary to prevent a complete collapse of order in Iraq that might threaten their own security. Not one nation of consequence will lift a finger to help America out of the mess Bush has created until we rid ourselves of Bush and his gang. Not only has Bush squandered the goodwill and sympathy of the world after 9/11, he has pissed away the prestige and stature that the United States has accrued since the defeat of fascism. I take no satisfaction in seeing my country debased. I am an American, and I am enraged at the little men who treat America like their own personal litter box. But Bush’s lies are relevant in another sense. Bush and his administration must be held accountable and not just at the ballot box. The people who made the decisions to present lies as facts, to wage aggressive war, and to loot the US taxpayers have committed criminal acts. The men who committed the crimes of Iran-Contra were never held accountable and I firmly believe that had we thrown Caspar Weinberger, Oliver North, and John Poindexter (to name but a few) in prison until they are very, very old men, then Karl Rove, Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and George W. Bush would have thought twice before they launched aggressive war. Jeremy Bentham was right: you can’t have general deterrence without the public examples of specific deterrence. Little George will get his money, directly from your pockets, to support his war. The Republican congress will make some noise, but they’ll pony up. Meanwhile, until November 2004, that nest of right-wing nut jobs at the Pentagon will continue to squander American lives, limbs and treasure with their ideological incompetence and greed. Americans aren’t as stupid as Rove thinks we are. We’re pissed. And we’re going to wipe that smirk right off Little Georgie’s evil face.

War News for September 8, 2003 Bring ‘em on: At least two US soldiers wounded in Baghdad ambush. Sunni cleric says US promotes strife in Iraq; calls for “peaceful” resistance to US occupation. Iraq: From tyranny to anarchy. The world is starting to notice: US media coverage of Bush’s War sucks. US troops raid homes in Tikrit. CPA to buy electricity from Iran and Syria. Reaction to Bush's speech in Iraq not positive among Iraqis or US troops. Allies aren't impressed, either. "Allies?" We still have allies? Rant of the Day If anybody is offended by barracks language, I apologize. But Donald Rumsfled can suck my greasy dick.

War News for September 7, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Mortar fire near Tikrit. Bring ‘em on: Seven US soldiers wounded in separate attacks near Mosul, Kayarah, Tikrit and Muqdadiyah. Attempted pipeline sabotage reported near Kayarah. Bring ‘em on: SAMs fired at US C-141 at Baghdad airport. Insurgents probably hoping to bring down Rummy's aircraft. Bad news is that they have SAMS, are trained to use them and can deploy them undetected close enough to get off a shot. Good news is that their intelligence isn't good enough yet to target a specific aircraft. On the other hand, if the press got it wrong and the missiles were fired at Rummy's aircraft, we have a very bad problem. US officers in Iraq tell Rummy they need better intelligence support. “But American commanders also voiced frustration that they know little about the newest threat in Iraq - an influx of Arab nationalists and perhaps Islamic extremists.” Rummy and Feith deliberately short-circuited the intelligence process before the war to downplay the post-war risk. Now the troops on the ground don’t know what they’re up against because the neo-conservatives politicized the analysis process. For those of you unfamiliar with the intelligence process, strategic intelligence - as opposed to tactical intelligence - is a product of the analysis of raw intelligence gathered from many sources assembled and disseminated by DCI. So it's normal for a theater commander to rely on predictive intelligence assessments from DIA and CIA - the very products corrupted by Rummy, di Rita and Feith from deductive analysis to an inductive political tool. Resistance groups appear to be consolidating, coordinating. Local militias are forming. Anybody who remembers Lebanon in 1982 knows where this trend is heading. It's interesting that during the third Presidential debate in 2000, Candidate Bush thought the 1983 American intervention in Lebanon was a success. British send reinforcements to Iraq. Rummy says Iraqis are better off now. And he’s still working "diligently and professionally" to find evidence of weapons of mass destruction. Rummy sees a “bright future” for the Iraqis. "Baghdad is bustling with commerce. Universities and hospitals are open for business," Rumsfeld said. "A free press is flourishing, Iraqi banks have started taking applications for small business loans so Iraqi entrepreneurs can create jobs." Bremer’s Mesopotamian satrapy. You have to read this article to fully comprehend Bremer’s Peter Pan approach to reconstruction and stability: “If I just wish hard enough, my dreams will come true…” Sen. Robert Byrd: Our troops are stretched to the breaking point. “According to polls released by the Pew Research Center on March 18, the day before the war began, opposition to a war in Iraq was at 69 percent in Germany, 75 percent in France, 86 percent in Turkey and 87 percent in Russia. Yet the White House scoffed at this opposition and belittled the need to unify the world in confronting Saddam Hussein. Could it be that our troops are now paying the price for the administration’s bullheaded rush to war without the broad and active support of the international community?”

War News for September 5, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Halliburton employee shot dead in Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: Briton killed in ambush near Mosul. Bring ‘em on: US troops ambushed in Ramadi and Fallujah. Two American soldiers wounded by RPG fire in Ramadi. Undetermined gas leak kills 14 in Baghdad. More sabotage? Iraqi cleric in Najaf calls for “peaceful resistance” to US occupation but warns ''once we find that this road has come to a dead end, we will adopt other means.'' Gunmen attack Baghdad mosque during Friday prayers. Three Iraqis wounded. Rummy tours Iraq but ducks pissed-off troops. Powell says American policy in Iraq is on track. Canada "unlikely" to commit troops to Iraq. Australia refuses to commit troops to Iraq. Spaniards going wobbly. “Spanish Defense Minister Federico Trillo said Thursday that the duration of the deployment of the Spanish forces in Iraq will depend on the evolution of the situation there.” GCC members rule out sending troops to Iraq. Wolfowitz of Arabia says US has sought UN resolution “since fall of Baghdad.” Cites bombing of UN headquarters as a “breakthrough.” Retired USMC general blasts Lt. AWOL’s Iraq policy. "There is no strategy or mechanism for putting the pieces together," said retired Marine Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, and so, he said, "we're in danger of failing." General Zinni commanded CENTCOM for three years, and served a DCINC for two years. Previously, General Zinni commanded Operation Provide Comfort, the US relief mission in Northern Iraq, and Operation Provide Hope in Somalia. He served as US Special Envoy to the Middle East last year. This guy knows more about the region than the entire herd of Heritage Foundation buffoons and American Enterprise Institute amateur field marshals who are currently running American policy in the region. When a professional like General Zinni says our Iraq policy is tits up in a ditch, he ain’t bullshitting, folks, and he isn’t playing politics. Democrats attack Bush's Iraq policy during debate. Department of Duct Tape issues new terror advisory. “The advisory includes a laundry list of possible attack scenarios, and says al Qaeda may be researching how to disseminate diseases and toxins by contaminating water and food, or aerosolizing an agent in an enclosed space…But the advisory says there is no specific information on individual targets or dates that would warrant raising the nation's threat alert level from the current yellow (elevated) to orange (high).” What a co-inky dink! Actually, this is getting old. There has been a pattern to Tom Ridge’s terror alerts that has become too familiar: every time there is bad political news for Bush al Qaeda rears its ugly head. Bush stubbornly resisted creating a unified department responsible for homeland security until forced to so. Then, rather than create a well-funded coherent organization with a clearly defined mission, Bush exploited the opportunity to breach civil service regulations and launch a stealth attack on Federal unions. The curious pattern of false terror alerts, always based on “non-specific intelligence” and always coinciding with bad political news, makes it clear that Bush is using the Department of Homeland Security as a heat shield to manipulate the news media. As we saw when Tom Delay illegally used Department of Homeland Security intelligence assets to track down Texas Democrats, the GOP loyalists in the Department are more partisan than patriot. Bush issues Patriot Day proclamation.

War News for September 4, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Two US soldiers wounded by Iraqi suicide bomber in Ramadi. Bring ‘em on: After US troops repelled an attack at a US base near Tikrit yesterday, the attackers returned this morning and fired an RPG at the base. No US casualties reported in either incident. Bring ‘em on: US convoy ambushed in central Fallujah. Bring ‘em on: US troops kill three Iraqi insurgents planting roadside explosives near Baquba. Great Moments in Bush Diplomacy No. 36012 in the series: US presses Turkey for troop contingent in Iraq despite Kurdish dispute. US-approved Iraqi foreign minister says no Turkish troops for Iraq duty or all hell will break loose. More News: Egyptian attempts to kidnap American tourist to force Bush to leave Iraq. Rummy arrives in Iraq on unannounced visit. Blames Syria and Iran for allowing “foreign fighters” into Iraq. “’We are unhappy about the fact that people come across the Syrian and Iranian border…’ Rumfeld told reporters...Rumsfeld said the U.S. forces did not know exactly where the threat to American forces was coming from.” Rummy says no more US troops needed in Iraq. Here’s a bit of fatuous optimism in this article: “In Baghdad itself, it seems that the electricity is a bit better than, say, in June when we were going sometimes 18 to 20 hours without electricity. Now it's about 12 hours with electricity and 12 without.“ I suppose those ungrateful Iraqis ought to be rolling out the red carpet for Rummy. Rummy thinks so: ''’It is getting better every day. I can see a change since I was here,’ Rumsfeld said. ‘For a city that's not supposed to have power, there's lights all over the place. It's like Chicago,’ Rumsfeld said.” Somebody tell Mayor Daley to turn off the juice for 12 hours every day and see how long it takes for the shit to hit the fan. General Sanchez tells reporters he needs more troops, but he doesn’t need more US troops: “Sanchez said the coalition lacks sufficient troops to protect Iraq's porous borders or its thousands of miles of highways…’if a militia or an internal conflict of some nature were to erupt ... that would be a challenge out there that I do not have sufficient forces for…’'' Let’s look at this objectively. Either you have a security problem or you don’t. If you do, the immediate solution is to increase force levels. Saying you need more troops but not US troops is saying you don’t have a security problem if you can't get foreign troops. Former Army secretary says “administration policy threatens to turn the U.S.-led war against Iraq into a “’potential humanitarian, political and economic disaster.’” Iraq is not a quagmire. It’s a black hole. “The significance of passing the astronomical event horizon is that whatever crosses it, even light, cannot recover or be recovered. It is a one-way trip down a ‘tunnel’ at whose end there is no light, only crushing gravity.” Great Moments in Bush Diplomacy No. 36013 in the series: France, Germany refuse to support US proposals for Security Council resolution. "’We are ready to examine the proposals, but they seem quite far from what appears to us the primary objective, namely the transfer of political responsibility to an Iraqi government as soon as possible,’" Mr. Chirac said in a joint news conference.” It’s amazing how the US media is playing this story. Headlines say France and Germany are “cool” to US proposals, or “skeptical” or “fault US proposals. Actually, they told Bush to piss up a rope. Home Front: Bush signs Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003. More legislation favorable to Enron, no doubt. Bush will remember 9/11 with a “dinner and screening of "Twin Towers," which is the Academy Award winning documentary about the September 11th attacks in New York,” according to Scott McClellan. Support group for wounded soldiers. Bush promises to send a T-shirt. “Top White House officials personally approved the evacuation of dozens of influential Saudis, including relatives of Osama bin Laden, from the United States in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when most flights were still grounded, a former White House adviser said today.” You mean Bush would cuts special favors for the rich and powerful Saudis, even Osama bin Laden's family, at a time when Americans were grounded, the transportation grid was on lockdown and the American economy was collapsing? Nothing new here. Great Moments in Bush Diplomacy Coming Attraction! Russia may provide troops for Iraq. Veterans of the wildly successful Chechnya peacekeeping campaign, no doubt.

War News for September 3, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Casualties reach ten US soldiers wounded in action every day. “The number of those wounded in action, which totals 1,124 since the war began in March, has grown so large, and attacks have become so commonplace, that U.S. Central Command usually issues news releases listing injuries only when the attacks kill one or more troops… The result is that many injuries go unreported…Fifty-five Americans were wounded in action last week alone” Bring ‘em on: US troops under mortar fire near Tikrit. Bring ‘em on: Four US troops wounded by IED near Tikrit. US soldier killed, ten injured in helicopter accident. Abel-Aziz al-Hakim, hand-picked member of Bremer’s Iraqi Governing Council who yesterday condemned US occupation, promises not to fight against the occupation but defies US order to disarm Badr Brigade. Report from Baghdad: Murder and mayhem on the streets. “We’re making great progress.” Lebanese cleric warns Iraqi Shi’ites will join resistance if occupation continues. Attempted assassination of Shi’ite cleric near Baghdad shrine. Bush approved Iraqi war plan in August 2002. A secret Joint Chiefs of Staff after-action review, leaked to the Moonie Times, says the part of the plan to search for weapons of mass destruction received the worst possible evaluation: “Division of responsibility for planning and execution was not clear. As a result planning occurred on an ad hoc basis and late in the process. Additionally, there were insufficient assets available to accomplish the mission. Existing assets were tasked to perform multiple, competing missions.” So let me see if I understand this: the administration failed to adequately develop a plan to execute the mission that they said justified war in the first place. Great Moments in Bush Diplomacy No. 35882 in the series: Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg propose an extra-NATO military command. “The idea was born amid great European opposition to the US-led war against Iraq particularly from the four nations who proposed it.” Richard Boucher throws a Bush-class tissy-fit and contemptously calls all four countries “chocolate-makers.” Other than a snarky mention by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times, US media fails to report the story. This occurs on the same day Bush demands money, troops and mandate from the UN but insists on exclusive US control. And on the same day the Congressional Budget Office reports that current US troop strength in Iraq is unsustainable. US must reduce troops levels by half, activate more Guardsmen or extend current tours past one year. Nice going, Whistle-ass! Your State Department is almost as entertaining as the Ren and Stimpy Show. Other news: US troops in Iraq want UN help. Even French help: “We were here the first time, side-by-side with the French," said Evans, also from Texas, recalling the 1991 Gulf War. "They were great to work with, and as funny as hell. Some of their tactics were like 'wow, I would never have done it that way' but we learned from each other." Hey Boucher! Those chocolate-making box-heads in Berlin read Maureen Dowd.

Late Entry John Kerry impressed me today when he announced his candidacy from the deck of a carrier. He had some crew members from his Navy patrol boat with him. Let there be no mistake. Kerry's choice of location administered a richly-deserved and well-aimed kick in the nuts to the phony, posturing Shrub, after his silly photo-op on the USS Lincoln. And Shrubby doesn't dare produce any of his service friends for fear they might reveal the truth about his own military vanishing act or talk about all the cocaine that went up his nose during his time in uniform. "Being flown to an aircraft carrier and saying 'mission accomplished' doesn't end a war," Kerry said. "The swagger of a president saying 'bring 'em on' will never bring peace." I'm not endorsing Kerry; I'm still pretty steamed about that war vote. But I'm impressed.

War News for Spetember 2, 2003 Bring ‘em on: Car bomb destroys main police station in central Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: Two US soldiers killed, one wounded in Baghdad mine ambush. Bring ‘em on: Two US soldiers wounded in Fallujah mine ambush. A total of fourteen more US soldiers were wounded in six separate attacks over the weekend, which the miserable, limp-dick, incompetent, lickspittle toadies in the American media failed to bother reporting. Bring ‘em on: Grenade thrown at home of US-appointed Iraqi police general in Baghdad. Bring ‘em on: RPG attack on US troops in Baghdad. No casualties reported. Shootout in Najaf. Shi’ite Badr Brigade attacks home of Hussein loyalists. Bush’s “Coalition of the Willing” starting to go wobbly. Bremer's hand-picked councilman denounces US occupation to 300,000 cheering Iraqis. Time for another regime change! Op/Ed piece: The war in Iraq is lost, and the incompetent, bumbling Bushies lost it. Op/Ed piece: L. Paul is still “on vacation” at an undisclosed location. Where ever you are, stay there. Please. Personally, I'd rather see him back in Iraq mounted on the forward glacis of a Bradley like a fucking hood ornament. Support for Bush’s War is eroding faster than he spent the budget surplus. Bush headed for Indiana fundraiser. $2000 per plate.