Over the next few weeks the public and congress will be briefed on the situation in Iraq by a number of experts. Among them: Army General David Petraeus (commander of the US forces there - expect to see him on Jimmy Kimmel plugging a book by Christmas), Defense Secretary Robert Gates (appointed by the President so you know Kool-Aid is his beverage of choice), Marine General Peter Pace (the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, appointed by...guess), retired Marine General James L. Jones (with pension and full P.X. privileges), Ryan Crocker, the US Ambassador in Baghdad (still missing the good old days when he was assigned to Pakistan), even CBS journalist Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric (who reports at great personal risk that a street market was thriving), and something called the Government Accountability Office (which turns out isn't a joke but really exists).
Despite all of that expertise, I decided to conduct my own report, the findings I shall share here.
Last weekend I was in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport and encountered a whole group of soldiers returning from Iraq for R&R. They were wearing those green camouflage fatigues that allow them to move about undetected in the forests of the Middle East. Airport security made them all take off their combat boots, which lace almost up to their knees. It's the TSA's little way of saying thank you to our boys. "Dog tags in the bins, fellas."
So as we were all putting our shoes and boots back on I asked them what it was like over there. Answer: "bad!" And then I said, "When do you think you guys will all come home?" Almost in unison they said, "When a Democrat is elected."
What other data, reports, hearings, debates, presentations, photo ops from street fairs do we need?
You can read more from Ken at kenlevine.blogspot.com
What we have in the US is either apathy, or "analysis paralysis" -- but not nearly enough true activism on behalf of the American public.
While to some, it might sound naive or futile, I still believe that it is worth the time and effort to share my views and concerns with the political body that has the ability to bring our troops home, and to prevent Bush's planned attack on Iran. These are the folks who really need to hear your voices. And they need to hear it NOW, before it is too late.
by a war we chose to start. How is that not brutal any way you look at it? Not to mention tens of thoudands killed. Why? Why are they dead? So we can enforce our notion of freedom on them? Hah. It's not even our notion of freedom we're bankrupting our country for. Have you READ the Iraqi consitution? Seriously, have you read it? Is that what this is about?
Article 2:
First: Islam is the official religion of the State and it is a fundamental source of legislation:
A. No law that contradicts the established provisions of Islam may be established.
This is not about winning and losin and progressives should not be sucked into that conversation as it a sidetrack.
That ranks right up there with a 'quote' from future Senator Blutarsky - "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"
The truth is, no one knows. There is a liberal spin and there is a conservative spin.
But the explanation is quite simple: democrats and liberals ask E-5s and down how their fight is going. Rethugs and fascists ask generals and administration appointees whether they feel safe.
See? No spin, just a question of whose reality is the actual predictor of outcome. The Army has no shortage of generals, it's the guys working outside the green zone who are in short supply.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U623_GTYX-8
It's a quick trailer for a new documentary some fellow DC-ers made after spending a year in Baghdad.
This is where the revolution starts.
http://www.crookedinc.com