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Old 10-27-2004, 04:10 AM   #1
tw
Read? I only know how to write.
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 11,933
Do you FEEL safer?

Last night's Frontline aired "Rumsfeld's War" on PBS. When Rumsfeld could not get his invasion of Iraq with only 50,000 men, then he eliminated those who represented the Army's best interests including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Sec of the Army and the JAG Corp. Back then, was a need for at least 230,000 men for at least two years. Rumsfeld would not concede to even that minimal amount.

Important was that the US would have a 'honeymoon' to get the country working again. If not accomplished in that honeymoon period, then only bad things would happen in-country. The George Jr administration refused to plan for the peace - so the war never ended. But then even Sze Tzu taught that in 500 BC.

Rumsfeld somehow felt that 50,000 troops all put in Baghdad would be sufficient to create peace in a 6,500,000 city. Somehow, with less men than the NYPD, he would secure all of Iraq (his logic was that obviously flawed). Somehow if 50,000 US troops occupied only Baghdad, then peace and prosperity would break out all over Iraq. As for looting nationwide, Rumsfeld complains that one boy repeatedly shown looting a vase does not constitute nationwide looting. He was that much removed from reality because his political agenda was more important.

So out of touch were the neo-cons that they disbanded the Iraqi Army and Police even as nationwide disorder continued. Even in the Cellar, many outrightly denied it was that bad - the press must be liars. Extremist rhetoric remains despite reality. Did he really think 50,000 would maintain law and order?

Well understood: the military is overstretched, with 20 of 33 combat brigades deployed at any time. Not sustainable which is why troops are even under stop-loss orders. Even when their tour is up, they still must remain in the service (in part because recruitment is now at an all time low). Just like in Nam, an unjustified war without a smoking gun undermines the military.

Well understood was that miles of munition dumps and sophisticated equipment remained unguarded for a year+. Numerous buildings containing sophisticated equipment to make nuclear weapons were simply removed during this period. Where is that nuclear bomb making equipment? No one knows. The UN was not permitted back into Iraq after the US invasion - under orders of this administration. US military ignored UN warnings about that equipment. Now that equipment is in the hands of what new nuclear power? Do you feel safer knowing this is how the George Jr administration makes decisions? Could any other president be more incompetant? Not likely.

Another facility contained 380 tons of various high explosives for making nuclear bombs. Is this material in hands of a new nuclear power or are these materials killing Americans daily? Having not provided sufficient troops, the honeymoon is long over. Eighty insurgent attacks occur every day. And still many munition dumps remain unguarded.

But the US denies this material was there. George Jr administration claimed the material was not there when the 101st arrived. Today, the NY Times exposes another lie from this administration:
Quote:
No Check of Bunker, Unit Commander Says on 27 Oct 2004
White House officials reasserted yesterday that 380 tons of powerful explosives may have disappeared from a vast Iraqi military complex while Saddam Hussein controlled Iraq, saying a brigade of American soldiers did not find the explosives when they visited the complex on April 10, 2003, the day after Baghdad fell.

But the unit's commander said in an interview yesterday that his troops had not searched the site and had merely stopped there overnight.

The commander, Col. Joseph Anderson, of the Second Brigade of the Army's 101st Airborne Division, said he did not learn until this week that the site, Al Qaqaa, was considered sensitive, or that international inspectors had visited it before the war began in 2003 to inspect explosives that they had tagged during a decade of monitoring.
Even more appalling than the missing explosives and missing nuclear bomb making machines - this administration openly lies but again. They claimed the material was not there - ignoring that they would not even let the UN inspectors verify the site. Tonight, the Russians are again demanding the UN Inspectors be permitted back in Iraq because, obviously, the US cannot be trusted. The US is making the world easier for terrorists?

Let's see. Who in the world is promoting nuclear proliferation? Was it Iraq? Is it the Muslim Brotherhood? No. Those on the suspect list of promoting nuclear proliferation include Pakistan (no mystery there), India (probably has helped Iran build a bomb), and Brazil. Notice every one is suppose to be a US ally. Also on the list are North Korea and Iran because both expect unilateral invasion by the US. Can we blame them if George Jr is president? Why does the US turn a blind eye to real potential threats - which again begs the question what happened to that nuclear bomb making equipment?

Do you feel safer now that such equipment and 300+ tons of high explosives - once in secure facilities - is now distributed somewhere in a black market? Dangerous material out there because George Jr invades Iraq AND refused to provide sufficient troops to win the peace. All this directly traceable to a sitting president who says Kerry is a danger? How much more dangerous could George Jr have made the world?

As if that were not enough, the Frontline report repeats another major fact. On 13 September 2001 in a principles meeting in Camp David, George Jr asked for a vote to invade Iraq in retaliation. If anyone still believes George Jr is an honest man, then stand up to be counted as naive. Even back then, the administration was seeking an excuse to attack Iraq - facts and reality be damned.

Back then, Colin Powell still had enough influence to argue for attacking the real enemy - Afghanistan. However today, Colin Powell has been so marginalized by the neo-cons that he probably will be leaving in months. In an administration that makes decisions based upon ideology rather than facts; that uses lies to justify their agenda; that even tried to get us into a shooting war with China over a silly spy plane; obviously Powell has no future with the George Jr administration. If you thought Rumsfeld, Rove, and Cheney were extremists tempered by centrists, then worry. The centrists have been driven out. They even rewrote the rules so that torture would be justified - intentionally hiding that fact from both Powell and Rice until after the fact. Torture at Abu Ghraid is based upon procedures pioneered and in use for years in Guantanamo. But these are honest men who can be trusted to even protect our civil rights?

The George Jr administration is nothing but extremists with an agenda that calls for Pearl Harbor style attacks on Iran and North Korea. Who would even lie again about missing munitions so that we blame anyone but them. Who would even go to war with China over a silly spy plane. Do you really feel safe? See that Frontline report on the internet.

Last edited by tw; 10-27-2004 at 05:19 AM.
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