THE US, THE UN AND IRAQ VI

only once/day!!?

Muslims each get in touch with Allah 5 times every day. No wonder they're winning. They're God spamming.

I sincerely doubt that, at least for Christians outsite the USA.

Besides: prayers are generally an act of communication by humans with the sacred or holy - God, the gods, the transcendent realm, or supernatural powers - and not just for Christians. (E.g. the Muslims have to pray daily, like other cults as well.)

Turn your radio on
Listen to the music in the air
Get in touch with God
Turn your radio on . . .

Bush said: 'God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and I will have to focus on them.'"

Walter, Good link; it explains why most people has a mis-perception of reality. THEY'RE WRONG, but will not admit it to themselves. Perception is everything; that's the reason why those prisoner pictures are so powerful to Arabs. They will perceive that as the ultimate evil of America, and no matter what good we are trying to do will not dispel those beliefs, because it doesn't matter.

Speaking of Perception, whatever happened to him?

Playing chess with italgato?

We're caught between two groups of sick religious fanatics who actually look forward to hastening the end of the world.

They're gonna get a lot more of us killed, and each death fuels more deaths as each side seeks retribution, believing that their violence is somehow different from the other group's, and believing that the other group's violence justifies ours.

If force isn't working, use more of it, right?

If any of us here in the US were to be killed in this war tomorrow, both Rove and bin Laden would see it as an opportunity, and as a vindication. al-Qaeda calls us "white meat." The conservatives would use it to justify continuing the war. We'd be dead and the war and the killing would continue. No difference.

Bush cannot keep saying that "you're either with us or you're against us" (correct punctuation graciously supplied), because both sides are sadistic and self-defeating, feeding on blood to justify spilling more blood. Neither side is better or safer for us.

It's like the whole world is the Middle East now.

It didn't have to be this way.

in a nutshell pd

Great summation PD.

Hi Bill, Where have you been hiding yourself? Haven't seen you in a fortnight or longer.

PD

Religion is on the surface, and also at a very deep level.

But at the intermediate level and the immediate level America is doing what it is doing, not just in Iraq but world wide, because it needs oil.

I'm amazed that so many people are still side tracked by religion terrorism bin Laden wmd Saddam evil good democracy liberation

ITS OIL

another GWB distraction - (make that Rove)

I think we can forget about the hearts and minds .............

Baghdad Burning

... I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend...
Friday, May 07, 2004

Just Go...
People are seething with anger- the pictures of Abu Ghraib and the Brits in Basrah are everywhere. Every newspaper you pick up in Baghdad has pictures of some American or British atrocity or another. It's like a nightmare that has come to life.

Everyone knew this was happening in Abu Ghraib and other places… seeing the pictures simply made it all more real and tangible somehow. American and British politicians have the audacity to come on television with words like, "True the people in Abu Ghraib are criminals, but…" Everyone here in Iraq knows that there are thousands of innocent people detained. Some were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, while others were detained 'under suspicion'. In the New Iraq, it's "guilty until proven innocent by some miracle of God".

People are so angry. There's no way to explain the reactions- even pro-occupation Iraqis find themselves silenced by this latest horror. I can't explain how people feel- or even how I personally feel. Somehow, pictures of dead Iraqis are easier to bear than this grotesque show of American military technique. People would rather be dead than sexually abused and degraded by the animals running Abu Ghraib prison.

There was a time when people here felt sorry for the troops. No matter what one's attitude was towards the occupation, there were moments of pity towards the troops, regardless of their nationality. We would see them suffering the Iraqi sun, obviously wishing they were somewhere else and somehow, that vulnerability made them seem less monstrous and more human. That time has passed. People look at troops now and see the pictures of Abu Ghraib… and we burn with shame and anger and frustration at not being able to do something. Now that the world knows that the torture has been going on since the very beginning, do people finally understand what happened in Falloojeh?

I'm avoiding the internet because it feels like the pictures are somehow available on every site I visit. I'm torn between wishing they weren't there and feeling, somehow, that it's important that the whole world sees them. The thing, I guess, that bothers me most is that the children can see it all. How do you explain the face of the American soldier, leering over the faceless, naked bodies to a child? How do you explain the sick, twisted minds? How do you explain what is happening to a seven-year-old?

There have been demonstrations in Baghdad and other places. There was a large demonstration outside of the Abu Ghraib prison itself. The families of some of the inmates of the prison were out there protesting the detentions and the atrocities… faces streaked with tears of rage and brows furrowed with anxiety. Each and every one of those people was wondering what their loved ones had suffered inside the walls of the hell that makes Guantanamo look like a health spa.

And through all this, Bush gives his repulsive speeches. He makes an appearance on Arabic tv channels looking sheepish and attempting to look sincere, babbling on about how this 'incident' wasn't representative of the American people or even the army, regardless of the fact that it's been going on for so long. He asks Iraqis to not let these pictures reflect on their attitude towards the American people… and yet when the bodies were dragged through the streets of Falloojeh, the American troops took it upon themselves to punish the whole city.

He's claiming it's a "stain on our country's honor"... I think not. The stain on your country's honor, Bush dear, was the one on the infamous blue dress that made headlines while Clinton was in the White House... this isn't a 'stain' this is a catastrophe. Your credibility was gone the moment you stepped into Iraq and couldn't find the WMD... your reputation never existed.

So are the atrocities being committed in Abu Ghraib really not characteristic of the American army? What about the atrocities committed by Americans in Guantanamo? And Afghanistan? I won't bother bringing up the sordid past, let's just focus on the present. It seems that torture and humiliation are common techniques used in countries blessed with the American presence. The most pathetic excuse I heard so far was that the American troops weren't taught the fundamentals of human rights mentioned in the Geneva Convention… Right- morals, values and compassion have to be taught.

All I can think about is the universal outrage when the former government showed pictures of American POWs on television, looking frightened and unsure about their fate. I remember the outcries from American citizens, claiming that Iraqis were animals for showing 'America's finest' fully clothed and unharmed. So what does this make Americans now?

We heard about it all… we heard stories since the very beginning of the occupation about prisoners being made to sit for several hours on their knees… being deprived of sleep for days at a time by being splashed with cold water or kicked or slapped… about the infamous 'red rooms' where prisoners are kept for prolonged periods of time… about the rape, the degradations, the emotional and physical torture… and there were moments when I actually wanted to believe that what we heard was exaggerated. I realize now that it was only a small fragment of the truth. There is nothing that is going to make this 'better'. Nothing.

Through all of this, where is the Governing Council? Under what rock are the Puppets hiding? Why is no one condemning this? What does Bremer have to say for himself and for the Americans? Why this unbearable silence?

I don't understand the 'shock' Americans claim to feel at the lurid pictures. You've seen the troops break down doors and terrify women and children… curse, scream, push, pull and throw people to the ground with a boot over their head. You've seen troops shoot civilians in cold blood. You've seen them bomb cities and towns. You've seen them burn cars and humans using tanks and helicopters. Is this latest debacle so very shocking or appalling?

The number of killings in the south has also risen. The Americans and British are saying that they are 'insurgents' and people who are a part of Al-Sadir's militia, but people from Najaf are claiming that innocent civilians are being killed on a daily basis. Today the troops entered Najaf and there was fighting in the streets. This is going to cause a commotion because Najaf is considered a holy city and is especially valuable to Shi'a all over the world. The current situation in the south makes one wonder who, now, is going to implement a no-fly zone over areas like Falloojeh and Najaf to 'protect' the people this time around?

I sometimes get emails asking me to propose solutions or make suggestions. Fine. Today's lesson: don't rape, don't torture, don't kill and get out while you can- while it still looks like you have a choice... Chaos? Civil war? Bloodshed? We'll take our chances- just take your Puppets, your tanks, your smart weapons, your dumb politicians, your lies, your empty promises, your rapists, your sadistic torturers and go.


- posted by river @ 1:49 PM

In September 2003, because of the dangers from Hurricane Isabel approaching Washington DC, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment.

They refused.

Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they believed that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded a serviceperson.

The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.



Rest here.

I once met a Marine guard in a bar in Indonesia. He had been a captive in Iran in 1979-80. The person who told me the story told me he does not care to talk about the incident, I understand fully. His name is coincidently "Bill" - I walked up to him and simply said, "Thank you! I was in Viet Nam" He got a momentary questioned look on his face followed by a smile. 'Nough said, I walked off.

Do not blame the soldier, they do what they are asked to do..........

Bush approval ratings dip to new lows
Iraq, economy, overall ratings all at lows of his presidency
By Corbett B. Daly, CBS Marketwatch
Last Update: 7:09 PM ET May 12, 2004


WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- As news of the abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody in Iraq continues to dominate the airwaves, Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with the way President Bush is doing his job, according to a new CBS News poll released Wedn

The president's approval rating for the way he has handled the war in Iraq and its aftermath, his rating on his stewardship of the economy and his overall rating are all at new lows.

Thirty-nine percent of Americans approve of Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq, the lowest rating on that question of any CBS poll, while 58 percent disapprove of his leadership, according the telephone poll, conducted Tuesday and released Wednesday. Read more about the poll.

The Iraq approval rating fell from 41 percent two weeks ago and 57 percent last August, while his disapproval rating rose from 52 percent in April and 36 percent in August. The poll of 448 adults nationwide has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent.

On the economy, 34 percent of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing, the lowest rating on that question in any CBS poll during his presidency, while 60 percent disapprove.

Bush's overall approval rating fell to 44 percent in the latest poll, while his disapproval rating rose to 49 percent.

The poll also showed that that 29 percent of respondents now say the war in Iraq was "worth it," the lowest number of any CBS poll and down from 38 percent two weeks ago and 46 percent last August.

Sixty-four percent of respondents say the war was "not worth it," up from 58 percent in April and 45 percent in August, 2003.

And a growing number of Americans think the United States should leave Iraq as quickly as possible, even if that nation is not stable. Fifty-five percent of respondents believe the United States should get out of Iraq, up from 46 percent in April and 35 percent last December. Thirty-eight percent of respondents believe the United States should stay in Iraq until it is stable, down from 46 percent in April and 56 percent in December.

On the prisoner abuse scandal specifically, 60 percent of Americans believe the behavior of U.S. prison guards is causing "a very serious" problem for U.S. progress in Iraq, while 23 percent say it is "somewhat serious" and 14 percent believe it is "not serious."

An overwhelming majority of Americans believe the actions of the guards were not justified, 77 percent versus 13 percent who said the actions were justified, but respondents were divided on whom to blame for the actions.

Forty percent of respondents said higher military officers should be held responsible, while 46 percent would limit blame to the soldiers directly involved in the abuse.

A majority of Americans believes Donald Rumsfeld should remain at the helm of the Pentagon. Fifty-three percent of respondents said he should not resign as secretary of defense in the wake of the scandal, while 37 percent say he should step down.

Corbett B. Daly covers the White House and the Treasury Department for CBS MarketWatch in Washington.

Why, my dear, dear, dear, Mr. Pitt do you not tell us what you believe we should we have done for us, in your eyes, to become more "better, greater, more righteous than those who brought death to us?"

Could it be Mr. Pitt, that you haven't a clue how in your eyes we could have become more "better, greater, more righteous than those who brought death to us" than has already been accomplished multiple times by "those who brought death to us?"

It's really very simple Mr. Pitt. Many of us do not want "those who brought death to us" to do it again. We do not want those we love who have survived the previous atrocity to also be murdered by "those who brought death to us." Despite your frequent essays and those of like mind to the contrary, we think the evidence is persuasive that Saddam Hussein was one of several sponsors (i.e., infection agents) of "those who brought death to us." We think the terrorist evil thriving in the Middle East must be exterminated in one state (e.g., organ) after another, just like any other kind of cancer. If we fail in this, the survival of the human race is itself doomed.

We think that cancerous cells are not intimidated or motivated to become non-cancerous by observing the health of neighboring cells -- we think such cells view the non-cancerous ones as dinner. Likewise, morally and ethically cancerous humans will not be motivated to become non-morally and non-ethically cancerous humans by observing the moral and ethical health of their neighbors. They will instead kill such neighbors at every opportunity wherever they may be found.

We agree with what

Are you such a man, Mr. Pitt? Can you be awakened before its too late? Can you be awakened before you and/or yours join the rest of the victims of terrorists?

Naaaah! IT'S SURVIVAL

Absent a candidate competent enough to convince the voter she/he can do better, Bush will win in November.

To beat Bush, the Democrats have only to select one of those Democrats who have shown rationality and self-control, instead of irrationality and hysteria, in the face of fear, error and difficulty. John Kerry is not one of them. Duh!