President Bush's "new and improved" plan for "prevailing" in the Iraq War he started almost four years ago--to send an additional 21,500 US troops into the chaos of Baghdad and Anbar Province--turns out to be nothing more than a coward's way of trying to avoid having to say the war has been lost.
Over 3000 Americans and several hundred thousand innocent Iraqis have died because Bush and his handlers decided early in his first disastrous administration that they needed a bully little war to solidify his position, win the Congress, and grab dictatorial powers by setting him up as a "war president."
The scheme worked at first. Bush got his war, he won control of Congress in 2002, and squeaked back into office in 2004, all by running as a commander in chief in time of war. He also managed to usurp powers from Congress and undermine the Constitution, again by playing commander in chief.
But his war didn't go as planned.
The Iraqi people didn't want to be invaded, much less occupied, and a home-grown insurgency in that ravaged nation of 24 million, armed with just RPGs and AK-47 rifles, has brought the world's most powerful military to its knees.
Rather than admit that his Iraq adventure has been an unmitigated disaster--one which has essentially handed the world's third largest oil-producing nation over to the control of its neighbor, Iran--Bush has decided to escalate the slaughter.
The 21,500 additional troops, 17,500 of whom will be in Baghdad, and 4000 of whom will be in Anbar, will be fighting the overwhelmingly popular Mahdi army of Moktada al Sadr in Baghdad, and the entrenched and battle-hardened Sunni fighters in Anbar. Casualties on the American side will predictably soar. The slaughter of innocent Iraqis in both places, but particularly in the slums of Baghdad, will also mount, because the way Americans fight is with heavy (and indiscriminate) weapons and aerial bombardment, not hand-to-hand.
This carnage will not produce peace and stability in Iraq, but will rather energize support for the resistance to US occupation, and in turn, the influence of Iran, which backs that resistance.
Bush, in his address to the nation, continued the fiction that the violence in Iraq is the work of Al Qaeda and "foreign fighters," though the military brass, and soldiers on the ground, know otherwise.
As Lt. Gen (ret.) William Odom, commenting after Bush's address in an interview on ABC News, put it, "I expected to hear a clearer view of the enemy we are fighting. What I heard was 'foreign fighters.' In fact, there are several wars going on: US against many forces, Sunnis against Shias, and Al Qaeda as allies of the Sunnis. So I don't think he (Bush) understands the nature of the war."
Odom may be correct as far as our inarticulate and famously uninquisitive president is concerned. You can't learn too much when your entire research effort consists of scanning one-page executive summaries each day. But Bush's advisers, and particularly his political advisers, are well aware of what they are up against, and know that the war is already a lost cause--and one which at least 70 percent of the American public have already decided should be ended.
Since they can't admit to that, they've decided to let some more young Americans (and a hell of a lot of innocent Iraqi men, women and children) take the bullets for them, in hopes that they can stretch out the day of reckoning past January 19, 2009, when it will be the next president's job to watch the helicopters departing from the US embassy roof of the Green Zone.
Or maybe ABC commentator Mark Shields was onto something when he suggested, following the Bush speech, that perhaps it was all a plan to "give everything" to the Iraqi government, say it's the Iraqi government's chance to get the country in order, and then blame the failure on the Iraqis.
If so, it's just another dirty trick on the Americans who are being sent into battle to kill and die as cover for Bush's debacle.
http://www.thiscantbehappening.net
Dave Lindorff, a columnist for Counterpunch, is author of several recent books ("This Can't Be Happening! Resisting the Disintegration of American Democracy" and "Killing Time: An Investigation into the Death Penalty Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal"). His latest book, coauthored with Barbara Olshanshky, is "The Case for Impeachment: The Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office (St. Martin's Press, May 2006). His writing is available at http://www.thiscantbehappening.net
Having been in the gentry all his life, Bush has nothing but contempt for regular Americans. It is no sweat for him to sacrifice any of us to avoid admitting failure. If Bush weren't born into privilege, he would be a complete zero suited only for clearing brush.
by
Dan Merica (21 articles, 72 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 47 comments)
on Thursday, January 11, 2007 at 12:45:23 PM
I disagree to clear brush would take more intelligent, he might be suited to clean sludge from cesspool's.
That might sound a bit childish except were talking about a candy ass neocon.
by
Fred F (1 articles, 1 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 361 comments)
on Thursday, January 11, 2007 at 2:50:46 PM
My best suggestion for that out of control phony lying
Drug Store Cowboy and Generalissmo George W Bush and his
Psycho Sidekick Draft Dodger Dick Cheney and former Sec
of Defense Field Marshal Donald von Rumsfeld and Attorney
General Alberto Psycho Gonzales and Sec of State Failure
Condoleezza Rice is try them for thier War Crimes and
Crimes Against Humanity and Hang Them From The Gallows!
by
Ralph (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 74 comments)
on Friday, January 12, 2007 at 12:09:20 PM
Can anyone tell me if there is anything serious being done on impeaching Bush and Cheney? I listened to Senator Chuck Hagle (R) on the Charlie Rose show last night and he articulated the situation better than any other pundit that I have heard. Bush is highly dangerous at the moment and should be stopped at all cost. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that we need to bring the troops home and call it a no win situation being a civil war at this point. The world wants Bush and Cheney charged as war criminals. Seriously if this does not happen, the USA will lose all respect and power that they once had before Bush's lies and the destruction of an innocent country. The entire middle east is at risk because of this criminal!!!
by
Patrinka (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 13 comments)
on Friday, January 12, 2007 at 3:14:04 PM
Bush is a mental case. truly. sssso anybody in yelling distance who knows what that involves.
I hear that a lot of entities are trying to get at impeachment first. New Mexico, State of seems to be a couple jumps in the lead. State Congressman there, by the name of y pino, I think. also understand they have found a way to impeach Cheney, too.
I hope my first paragraph doesn't cancel the second. Usually mental cases get special treatment and Bush is on the low, low side intellectually to begin. He can't converse very clearly:gets syllables mixed up, maybe the runoff from years of drugs.Wow!
by
emily horswill (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 68 comments)
on Sunday, January 14, 2007 at 4:58:27 AM
5 comments
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