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The Way For War

I hope you'll pardon me for saying this, but this administration has serious past-form when it comes to timing:

The U.S. tried to delay Saddam's hanging. Of course, this was to ensure that the execution (like the trial process) was an above-board and dignified affair, with an added awareness of certain religious sensitivities (which is widespread on both sides of the pond).

It was not - repeat NOT - designed to ensure that the execution took place on the eve of Bush's 3-year 'surge' announcement.

*cough*

Meanwhile: Somalia

Meanwhile: Guantanamo (and all the little baby-Guantanamos)

Meanwhile: Whoops, sorry folks... we have to pull up short here for a few words from The Scum:

The Scum - Suicide girls will target troops: Fifteen women suicide bombers have been sent to murder British troops in Afghanistan. Taliban chiefs have ordered them to dress as beggars or teachers and hide devices under burkas, a secret intelligence report has warned.

Scroll down for comments and gaze in wonder at the high-caps numb-nuts who responds with; NOW TELL ME ,WHY THERE IS A DEBATE ABOUT WEARING THESE VEILS IN THIS COUNTRY...

*sigh*...

I'm tempted to see what does get moderated in the MyScum threads, but I already have a bad taste in my mouth from probing Guido these past few weeks (more on that later).

[Related late addition: Obsolete - Scum-watch: Bring on the suicide girls!]

Anyway, let's get back to that 'surge':

Doesn't it strike you as odd that what George W. Bush has cherry-picked out of the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group basically involves more troops and more money?

That's a big, steaming pile of cash for more hardware and military infrastructure (that will end up in the usual pockets) and construction, reconstruction and re-reconstruction (ditto).

Bush isn't going to have many friends at the end of his presidency, but fuck me, the ones he'll be left with will be rolling in it.

See also:
Related Fark.com thread (the core of which was posted in 'real time')
Blair Watch - Iraq Strategy: More Yanks, Fewer Brits
TruthOut - Soldiers Doubt an Influx of American Troops Will Benefit Iraqi Army
The Independent - Robert Fisk: Bush's new strategy - the march of folly
The Guardian - Defiance and delusion
Newsweek - Fineman on Bush's Speech: A Crisis of Confidence

And finally:
New York Times - The Real Disaster: President Bush told Americans last night that failure in Iraq would be a disaster. The disaster is Mr. Bush's war, and he has already failed. Last night was his chance to stop offering more fog and be honest with the nation, and he did not take it. Americans needed to hear a clear plan to extricate United States troops from the disaster that Mr. Bush created. What they got was more gauzy talk of victory in the war on terrorism and of creating a "young democracy" in Iraq. In other words, a way for this president to run out the clock and leave his mess for the next one. Mr. Bush did acknowledge that some of his previous tactics had failed. But even then, the president sounded as if he were an accidental tourist in Iraq. He described the failure of last year's effort to pacify Baghdad as if the White House and the Pentagon bore no responsibility. In any case, Mr. Bush's excuses were tragically inadequate. The nation needs an eyes-wide-open recognition that the only goal left is to get the U.S. military out of this civil war in a way that could minimize the slaughter of Iraqis and reduce the chances that the chaos Mr. Bush unleashed will engulf Iraq's neighbors. What it certainly did not need were more of Mr. Bush's open-ended threats to Iran and Syria.

Posted by Manic on January 11, 2007 10:17 AM in the category It's War! It's Legal! It's Lovely!