March 24, 2008
Media Complaints About Iraq War
Just over a week ago there were stories about the lack of stories coming out of Iraq. Well, now that the 4000 US soldier has been killed they now have a story they want to report. The media, in general, has decided that good news from Iraq is boring but that US casualties are newsworthy. Of course, any American casualty is newsworthy but so is all the success. The media knows that if they report good news it only helps John McCain and hurts the Democratic candidate. If we had a media that served us well they'd report all the news from Iraq, not just the tragic.
September 10, 2007
McCain & Lieberman - Listening to Petraeus
Tip from InstaPundit.
Please read: OpinionJournal - Featured Article
July 18, 2007
Koch Says It's Time To Get Out Of Iraq
I'm bailing out.
I will no longer defend the policy of keeping U.S. troops in Iraq to assist the Iraqi central government in the ongoing civil war. While our men and women in the military suffer casualties daily, the Iraqi government refuses to take the major political actions required to end the civil war.
The U.S. government told the Iraqi leaders that it needed to achieve 18 goals. Our administration's recent report to the U.S. Congress on how close the Iraqis have come to achieving those goals states that eight have been achieved, no progress has been made on eight others, and two have had mixed results.
So Ed Koch does make some very good points. I know that there needs to be a way to fix Iraq or we need to get out. I'm not ready to give up yet but understand the desire. I know very few people who don't think invading Iraq was a mistake. We went in and got rid of Saddam. That was "Mission Accomplished". Now what is the end game? The American people just want out. Maybe Koch is right.
March 11, 2007
Robert Kagan - The 'Surge' Is Succeeding
Tip from Hugh Hewitt:
Robert Kagan - The 'Surge' Is Succeeding - washingtonpost.com
This is very encouraging. It seems the hope for the bad guys is that we set up time tables for withdrawal so that they can wait us out. Our will to win must be stronger than theirs.
February 04, 2007
Time To Follow McCain's Lead
McCain blasts anti-'surge' measure - Politics - MSNBC.com
On the eve of a possible congressional showdown on Iraq strategy, McCain contended the bipartisan proposal amounted to a demoralizing “vote of no confidence” in the U.S. military.
The measure criticizes Bush's plan to add 21,500 troops in Iraq yet offers no concrete alternatives, he said.
It doesn't matter how we got into Iraq or whether we should have gone there or not; we are there and we must win.
January 25, 2007
Support the Troops - Take The Pledge
Let's let the Senate (especially Republicans) know we want to win the war in Iraq. Go here to sign.
January 17, 2007
Hot Air - Assessing Iraq From The Ground
Hot Air » Blog Archive » Assessing Iraq
This entry from Bryan at Hot Air about his assessment of Iraq is well worth reading. It is both depressing and encouraging.
December 16, 2006
VDH - Things Are Coming To A Head
Works and Days: Things are coming to a head
Victor Davis Hanson writes about Iraq and how now is the time for some key decisions. Basically do we go and win or do we go Vietnam on it.
December 13, 2006
Danger Signal From Saudi Arabia
Report: Saudis may back Sunnis - CNN.com
Saudi Arabia has told the Bush administration that it might provide financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in a war against Iraqi Shiites if the United States withdraws from Iraq, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing American and Arab diplomats.
This is gonna get ugly.
December 11, 2006
If Syria and Iran Like It....
Since it looks like Iran and Syria are in favor of the Iraq Study Group (ISG) then you really need to think about how 'great' this report really is. One way I judge things is to see who is for it and who is against it. Let's hope President Bush takes this report for what it truly is and tread with caution.
November 12, 2006
Democrats to Push for Iraq Witdrawal
Democrats to push for Iraq withdrawal - Conflict in Iraq - MSNBC.com
Fortunately, we've got some Republicans who've go a clue about defense.
Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican considering another run for president, said setting a date for withdrawal "will lead to chaos in the region" and that more troops might be required for stability.
"I believe that there are a lot of things that we can do to salvage this but they all require the presence of additional troops," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten said any change in policy must ensure Iraq can succeed as a democracy and that would be difficult on a fixed timetable.
We've got a tough situation in Iraq and change is needed. The ideas that the Democrats are proposing are truly just cut and run. I believe we have a bigger responsibility than that. We need to make sure we are letting the military run this operation without detailed interference from our civilian leadership.
July 04, 2006
Anti-Iraq War Hunger Strike
BREITBART.COM - US stars align in anti-Iraq war hunger strike
Star Hollywood actor-activists including Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon and anti-war campaigners led by bereaved mother Cindy Sheehan plan to launch a hunger strike, demanding the immediate return of US troops from Iraq.
If these hunger strikers get their way and their was an immediate withdrawal of US troops, what happens to Iraq? This point of view is not thought out at all and will only make the problem worse. I want our troops home as quick as possible but it will take a complete victory to get them home. Let's unite to led our troops complete their mission and quit trying to make political points.
June 27, 2006
An Amazing Group of Volunteers
SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Military -- Group of volunteer Guardsmen leaves for combat in Iraq
The men come from all over the state, including San Diego County. They signed up for an especially dangerous mission in Iraq: providing security for U.S. military convoys, which are often targets of roadside bombs and other attacks. Roadside bombs are the single biggest killer of U.S. troops in Iraq.
I first heard about this story yesterday on the way home from work. I'm just amazed at these people and proud that they are Americans. Many of them are going back a second or third time for this extremely dangerous duty.
Check this out:
“There is no easy way to say it: I absolutely hate leaving for 18 months,” Quinn said as Kalani rested her head on his shoulder, her arms around his neck.
“But I can't let these (Guardsmen) go without me.”
May God bless and protect these men.
June 22, 2006
WMD Update in Iraq
Michelle Malkin: CHEMICAL MUNITIONS IN IRAQ
I think these reports on WMD in Iraq are pretty interesting. Something to follow, that's for sure.
June 20, 2006
What Is Peace?
Today I saw a "Veterans for Peace" sticker and it made me think. What is peace? Is peace achieved when our military is at home yet the people of Iraq are tortured under Saddam? Is peace achieved when our troops are withdrawn from Vietnam yet a violent overthrough of a government is achieved and many people are purged? Is it peace when our military isn't used in Rwanda yet millions are killed in a genocide? Just askin'.
It seems that too many folks believe peace is only achieved if our military isn't being used. I believe that if the same principals were used in World War II then many would say that we shouldn't have intervened in Europe to stop Hitler. I see nothing on the left that indicates that there is any will to fight for a cause. The action in Yugoslovia was fought as one our government knew we could win with little or zero loss to Americans. It did seem to work so that's good but what about the hard ones? What about when it means our soldiers are put at risk and will have some serious losses? Are there any causes worth putting our soldiers at real risk? I still think so.
What would happen in Iraq if our troops were removed as many on the left would like to see? Our troops would be safe but what about the carnage in Iraq? Thousands upon thousands would die and the place would be a total mess.
I just want to ask what is peace? It surely isn't an outcome that would come from withdrawal from Iraq right now.
I'm not questioning motives. We all want peace. The question is what is peace and from whose perspective?
April 24, 2006
Glen in Iraq
Some of you might remember The Babylon Blog. Glen keeps posting regularly so go check out his service in Iraq.
February 23, 2006
Surrounded By Heroes
The Babylon Blog: I'm Surrounded... - Just read it!
December 22, 2005
Saddam Being Tortured?
CNN.com - Hussein says he was beaten in custody - Dec 21, 2005
Hussein also alleged that his co-defendants also had been beaten and "tortured" by Americans.
Of course I doubt anything Saddam says or has ever said but why don't we just let the families of his victims have him in custody?
November 21, 2005
Barone on Iraq
USNews.com: Michael Barone: The very big lie (11/28/05)
Please take a look at the above article as it explains, clearly and quickly, about the myths we are hearing about the intelligence and reasoning for the war in Iraq. Last night I also heard a ton of quotes from prominent Democrats, especially Bill Clinton, about their beliefs about Iraq and the weapons they believed they had and the need for regime change. Yes, many are re-writing history for political purposes. History and truth is on the side of President Bush.
October 04, 2005
Welcome Home, Soldier
New Song Welcomes Home Our Soldiers
Bill Stewart, a friend of mine at ShareTruth.com launched a project to express our deep appreciation for the military men and women who have served our country in Iraq and honor them as they return home from abroad. (Of course, we hold in the same esteem those who continue to serve overseas and those who have served our nation so faithfully in the past.)
One of the ways Bill has chosen to recognize our Servicemen and Servicewomen is by making available to them - at no charge - a CD recording of two wonderful songs, Welcome Home Soldier and America, You're Still Beautiful To Me - written by noted Lubbock, Texas songwriter Russ Murphy, and performed by Christian Country Music Association (CCMA) 2004 Male Vocalist Of The Year, Mike Hammock.
For an audio clip, and for more information about getting these CDs in the hands of our returning soldiers, visit Welcome Home Soldier. Then request that your local radio station visit the site and start playing the song! Also, note that Mike will be in Nashville, Oct. 10th, to begin production of the video for this newest single which made it's debut at #67 on October's Christian County Charts.
Reflecting on Proverbs 21:31
GT
May 11, 2005
Patriot Detail
Iraq -- Somewhere in America a family member is waiting for their relative to return home. He is returning early, having served his profession with pride and excellence.
We won’t be there to honor his arrival, but we were there when more than 100 of his fellow professionals saw him off with respect and dignity. His title, and the title of thousands of his like-minded brothers and sisters, is specialist. For their profession is to defend the United States of America.
The Soldiers of his unit and the Airmen of our 332nd Expeditionary Wing stood at attention, in a cordon of desert camouflage uniforms, as six of his unit’s young men stood ready to carry their brother to his place on the start of his journey home. Just before they begin their solemn march, we are ordered to present arms, and for three seconds our right arms were slowly raised to touch the corner of our eyes. As the detail passed we held our salute, honoring our comrade in arms and the Stars and Stripes as they pass by. We held our salute until he was secured in his place of honor, then after the first sergeant’s command, we slowly brought our arms to our side.
Still at attention, with eyes strait ahead, I could observe several faces with trails of tears, men and women alike, young and old. For we have lost one of our own. One who put service before self.
Next the Army chaplain marched between our columns to join his troop on the plane. Only then were we released from formation, but told we may march onto the plane for the Chaplain’s comments. No one walked away. Every member of the formation joined together, side by side, until there was no room to stand inside the plane. But the others stood respectfully just outside the plane’s rear entrance, as the chaplain recited the 23rd Psalm before he said a prayer for our departing brother and his family.
Slowly we left the plane so the specialist could begin the journey home. As I looked back into the cargo bay, I saw something I will never forget. Members of his unit saluted the flag on their own; some touched it respectfully. One soldier leaned over and put his forehead briefly next to the stars, as if putting his forehead on his brother’s forehead.
As our Air Force members slowly left the area, the Army again fell into formation. They stood at attention as the plane rolled away.
Yes, somewhere someone is waiting for their loved one’s final journey home. We wish he hadn’t left early. We gave him a final salute with heartfelt pride and professional excellence. His sacrifice to duty, honor, and country demanded we offer no less. We are the profession of arms. All of us made a commitment to serve. Most of us made some sacrifice while in service. Some made the ultimate sacrifice.
UPDATE: Found the original link to the story here.
March 16, 2005
Malkin on the Moonbats
Michelle Malkin: MOONBATS ON PARADE - Looks like it's time for the cut and runners to come out again. Do they understand what could happen in Iraq if we "end the occupation"? Remember Vietnam from 73-75 and the aftermath.
January 30, 2005
Iraq Votes
In a great victory for the future of Iraq there was an election. While not perfect (see our own Washington state for perspective) it is a major step in the people of Iraq truly owning their country again. The price has been extremely high and I'm hopeful that the people of Iraq will honor all the sacrifices. May freedom and democracy spread in the Middle East!
January 28, 2005
Iraqi Picture Worth A 1000 Words
CNN reports that this is a picture of Iraqi women voting in Iran.
Ted Kennedy Lies The Next Time He Supports The Troops
Tip to Neophyte Pundit.
FOXNews.com - Politics - Kennedy Wants Pullout Timeline
"The U.S. military presence has become part of the problem, not part of the solution,"
How wrong is it for Ted Kennedy to say this type of trash. It seems part of the Democratic strategy for regaining power is to make sure we pull out of Iraq without victory. The same strategy did not work in Vietnam. How many Vietnamize suffered because of our pull-out in 1973? That did not make the NVA or VC content. Instead they overran the rest of the country. Does Kennedy want to see the same thing in Iraq? I'm sure he doesn't care, as long as he can gain politically.
January 26, 2005
MSNBC - 31 Marines Killed in Helicopter Crash
MSNBC - 31 Marines killed in helicopter crash in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Thirty-one U.S. Marines were killed Wednesday after their helicopter crashed in the western desert area of Iraq, U.S. military officials told NBC News.
Pray for our soldiers!
December 29, 2004
Portrait of a Traitor
From Drudge.
Aljazeera.Net - Ramsey Clarke to defend Saddam
The one on the right is the traitor and a first class USA hater.
November 30, 2004
Spirit of America - Time To Donate
Please consider clicking on the above picture and donating a few bucks. They take credit cards and PayPal.
November 28, 2004
Spirit of America
Thanks to Adrian Warnock's post on helping to rebuild Iraq has pointed me to Spirit of America. This is an organization dedicated to helping Iraq and Afghanistan. Here's from there own web site on what they are about:
Our objectives are to:
• Increase the reach, scale and impact of the informal humanitarian activities that take place on the front lines in troubled regions.
• Contribute charitable goods that can have a positive, practical and timely impact in the local communities where American personnel are involved.
• Improve foreign perceptions of the American people and our presence abroad.
Sounds good to me. I urge you to consider making a donation to this worthy cause.
Join now!
October 29, 2004
Major Austin Pearson on al Qaqaa
I'm now watching the Pentagon press conference with Major Austin Pearson. Watching the press ask questions about weapons is just funny as they have ZERO idea what they are talking about. It's also sad to watch them try and trick Major Pearson. They clearly have an agenda to help Senator Kerry and make this a bigger issue than it really is. My take is that do you trust the IAEA or our folks in the military. It looks like our guys took many of the weapons out and destroyed them (that's good policy). Our military guys did there job. Is it the fault of the Bush administration if weapons were removed before the war? Is it possible that looters were able to remove tons of explosives?
Kerry has staked the last week of the election on the premise that the Bush administration is at fault for losing 377 tons of high level explosives to looters. Now, it looks like that did not happen. Looters may have gotten a small portion of the material but that's about it. What will Kerry do now? I'm predicting they are digging into the life of Major Austin Peason right now and will do what they can to discredit him.
October 28, 2004
PowerLine on Al Qaqaa
Power Line: The Latest Word on Al Qaqaa
PowerLineBlog just kicks butt on their reporting. Is there a better blog?
Why Aren't The Orders To Destroy These Things On Site
ABC News: Video Suggests Explosives Disappeared After U.S. Took Control
This whole weapons cache issue, whether a big or small cache, makes me wonder why those weapons aren't immediately destroyed. I just don't get it.
October 26, 2004
Why Did The IAEA Leave Such Dangerous Weapons In Iraq
Listening to Lou Dobbs on CNN he's making some good points on why were such dangerous weapons left in Iraq all these years. More proof the IAEA are just a bunch of stooges for dictators around the world. They are currently siding with the mullahs in Iran. Just another international organization that started with good intentions isn't worth spit anymore. Do they need to pass us on the "global test"?
More Evidence The Media Fix Is In
CNN.com - Report: Explosives already gone when U.S. troops arrived - Oct 26, 2004
Why isn't the above story on the front page? The only reason I saw it was an email from the RNC. This is one of those examples of the media taking the anti-Bush points of view but then, when more evidence appears, buries the rest of the story. Shameful, again.
October 25, 2004
Tons of Missing Explosives in Iraq
"The immediate danger" of the lost stockpile, said an expert who recently led a team that searched Iraq for deadly arms, "is its potential use with insurgents in very small and powerful explosive devices. The other danger is that it can easily move into the terrorist web across the Middle East."
Nothing goes perfect in something as large as the invasion of Iraq but this one is bad. I don't understand why some of these things happen but I'd have thought that bunkers like these would have been blown back into the Stone Age.
UPDATE: Where is the reporting that Jim Miklaszewski of NBC news in the MSM? Maybe we should have gone to Iraq earlier.
September 28, 2004
Brooks - Lessons from El Salvador
Thanks to Real Clear Politics
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: The Insurgency Buster
It's simply astounding that in the United States, the home of the greatest and most effective democratic revolution, so many people have come to regard democracy as a luxury-brand vehicle, suited only for the culturally upscale, when it's really a sturdy truck, effective in conditions both rough and smooth.
September 20, 2004
Kerry on Iraq - 9/20/04
In his remarks, Kerry laid out the steps we must now take. First, the president must secure international support. Second, we must commit to a serious effort to train Iraqi security forces. Third, we must carry out a reconstruction plan that brings benefits to the Iraqi people, and fourth, we must take the necessary steps to hold elections next year.
I honestly was hoping Kerry had some real solutions. Instead, he would probably repeat his post-Vietnam behavior and cut and run. Kerry keeps trying to have it both ways by trying to explain his vote in 2002 to authorize the Iraq policies in force today. We all know his only reason for his vote in 2002 was to try and be on the right side of history. Then Dean came, and the switch occurred. I still wonder what view of the Iraqi war Kerry will have on November 2?
CNN - Iraqi PM: 'Terrorists pouring in'
CNN.com - Iraqi PM: 'Terrorists pouring in' - Sep 20, 2004
"Terrorists are coming and pouring in from various countries into Iraq to try and undermine the situation in Iraq. They're coming from Afghanistan, Pakistan, from Europe, from Morocco, from Syria and so on.
In some ways this is bad news but in other ways it is good news. If they come to Iraq then we at least have them going against our military and not our civilians. I am hopeful that we decide to quit fighting a "sensitive" war and go hard after these guys. As of this moment, I do not have faith in the Iraqi military to take care of business. I trust the US military and our allies to win the peace. The only way to win the peace is to crush the terrorists.
August 26, 2004
I Just Don't Believe This
MSNBC - Al-Sistani delivers Najaf deal, government says
I hope this one works out but I'm very doubtful. If this doesn't work then what?
July 26, 2004
New Book By General Franks
FOXNews.com - The Big Story w/ John Gibson - My Word - Gen. Tommy Franks Tells the Truth About Iraq
This sounds like it will be worth reading.
July 19, 2004
Sounds Like Cleland Hasn't Been Following the News Much
FOXNews.com - You Decide 2004 - Cleland: Bush's Pitch on Iraq a 'Pack of Lies'
This guy needs to really chill out. Get over losing in 2002.
July 18, 2004
How a serial liar suckered Dems and the media
From RealClearPolitics.
How a serial liar suckered Dems and the media
But Wilson does know; he went there, he talked to officials, and he lied about America's national security in order to be the anti-Bush crowd's Playmate of the Month. Either he's profoundly wicked or he's as deranged as that woman on the Paris Metro last week who falsely claimed to have been the victim of an anti-Semitic attack. The Paris crazy was unmasked within a few days, but the Niger crazy was lionized for a full year.
So this Wilson guy has done some pretty good damage to Bush and now that he's been found out to be a fraud will the media apologize? Of course not. The truth doesn't matter only that Kerry wins. How sick is that?
July 11, 2004
Where's the Media on Wilson
Tip to InstaPundit.
Pejmanesque: DESPERATELY SEEKING JOE WILSON'S CREDIBILITY
So last year we had this Joe Wilson guy as a credible person on the Niger question. Now that he's circling the drain where is the major media outlets? No bias here, right?
July 04, 2004
Time to Take Al-Sadr Out
MSNBC - Firebrand Iraqi cleric returns to old form
“We pledge to the Iraqi people and the world to continue resisting oppression and occupation to our last drop of blood,” al-Sadr said. “Resistance is a legitimate right and not a crime to be punished.”
Time to take care of this problem now.
May 26, 2004
O'Reilly - Why Won't the Bush Administration Tell Us the Truth About Terrorism?
Why won't the Bush administration tell us the truth about terrorism? That is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo."
President Bush continues to believe that the fight in Iraq will eventually make Americans safer. And I think he's right, but I also think he doesn't make a strong enough case. Let's keep it real simple so even the far left fanatics can understand it.
Does any clear thinking person believe that Usama bin Laden would not use a nuclear weapon to kill millions of Americans if he could? Does anyone say he would not do that? If you know someone who doesn't believe that, get away from them fast. Bin Laden would use anything he could to kill as many American civilians as possible.
Here's another question for you. How much do you know about Salman Pak (search)? Today on NPR Radio (search), the host of a New York morning program didn't seem to know much about it. Do you?
Salman Pak is located 15 miles southwest of Baghdad. It was here that Saddam Hussein trained terrorists. Both Iraqi and non-Iraqi Arabs learned how to hijack airlines, make and plant bombs, and stage assassinations, among other things. According to Saba Khodada (ph), a terrorist instructor at Salman Pak who worked for Saddam, the camp was run by an international terrorist called "the ghost", who has yet to be identified. When the Marines raided the camp last spring, they found vats of industrial chemicals, manuals on how to fool U.N. weapons inspectors, and mass graves. They also found a passenger jet.
Here's another question for you. How much do you know about Abu Musab al-Zarqawi? He's a 37-year-old Jordanian terrorist who was wounded in Afghanistan while fighting for the Taliban. He was shipped to Baghdad, where his leg was amputated. He has direct ties to al Qaeda and is believed to have executed American Nicholas Berg.
So let's connect some dots here. Bin Laden will murder any way he can. That's a given. Saddam was training terrorists and helped top Al Qaeda-linked guy Zarqawi, who continues to kill Americans. That's what President Bush should have told the nation last night because those facts are solid and have a direct meaning to us all.
We are now fighting terrorism as a divided nation. That's not going to cut it. Bin Laden actually predicted America would falter in the face of his violence and sees us as decadent and cowardly.
While it is true that Iraq has been somewhat mishandled by the Bush administration, it's also true that this battlefield is necessary and vital. All Americans should wake up and wise up. Terror is terror. We must defeat it totally. Retreat is not an option.
O'Reilly nails it. Note to Bush, just read this to the public.
May 25, 2004
moveon Has Information That Nobody Else Has
I just saw a commercial from moveon that says something like this (from their web site):
We now know Rumsfeld personally approved a policy that "encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners," violating their fundamental human rights under the Geneva convention.
Where is the proof?
Ralph Peters - BRAVERY, BLOOD & LIES
Tip to RealClearPolitics.
New York Post Online Edition: BRAVERY, BLOOD & LIES
This is not an argument for censorship. America needs a free media. But we also need a responsible media. Abu Ghraib was an ugly little story that big media exaggerated into a strategic disaster - with no thought for the consequences for our troops, our country or the people of Iraq.
Time for Bush to kick it up a notch. Let justice be done against the soldiers that blew it in Abu Ghraib and don't bring it up anymore. I'm sick of the hearings on everything that goes wrong over in Iraq. Let the soldiers get the job done.
May 18, 2004
Update on "Armoring" Our Troops
OpinionJournal - What's Needed in Iraq
Come on Congress, get moving and make sure our soldiers can get what they need.
May 17, 2004
No Story Here, Move Along
Yahoo! News - U.S. Army Says It Finds Shell with Sarin Agent in Iraq
While FoxNews was reporting this story this morning, CNN was broadcasting a John F-bomb Kerry speech.
May 14, 2004
KMC Attacks Kennedy's Patriotism - GOOD!
WorldNetDaily: Kennedy: The un-patriot
Kevin Mac does a great job expressing my feelings about Manslaughter Kennedy. He just wasn't harsh enough on this reprobate.
May 02, 2004
Monday Morning Quarterbacks
Watching Senator Biden this morning he claims to say that he was against dismantling the Iraqi army last year. I don't remember one person being against this last year. Now all these critics claim to have been against this dismantling. I still think it was a good idea to dismantle it and in the long run I think it was the correct choice.
Anyone who thinks that these terrorists that are fighting against the coalition would not be fighting if the army wasn't disbanded or the Baathists weren't tossed are just wrong. Bad guys don't go to terrorism because the US disbanded the army. This is the same mentality that says that 9/11 happened because of poverty. It's because of a fundamental belief. Now, some things can push them over the edge (I'm thinking of the current prisoner abuse) but there is a belief system in place that allows this to heppen.
April 30, 2004
Applying a Lesson Learned
International News Article | Reuters.com - Vietnam's Hero Still Grateful to Anti-War Americans
"I would like to thank them," the 93-year-old veteran said on Friday of those Americans who opposed the war.
Look, no matter how anyone feels about whether we should have or shouldn't have gone to Iraq, let's get behind our soldiers to achieve victory in Iraq. This is one battle in the war on terror. If we lose our will in Iraq then where do we fail next?
Prisoner Abuse
MSNBC - Arab TV shows GIs humiliating Iraqi detainees
This is just maddening to me. The people who performed these attrocities will have on their list of responsibilities countless future terrorist attacks against innocent people. How the heck did this happen? It's things like this that can lose the war on terrorism for us. These people are lucky I'm not the judge because I'd make them really pay.
UPDATE:
Thinking further, what will this mean for our future POWs. Dang it!
April 22, 2004
Worse Case Scenario
Massive credit to my co-worker Glenn for bringing this topic to my attention.
Given that WMDs have not been found in Iraq it actually leaves us in a worse state than if we found them. It's been documented that Iraq had WMDs and many of those weapons are unaccounted for. The question is, where are they? Are they still hidden waiting to be found by us or American hating terrorists? Are they in the hands of our enemies now? Were they destroyed by Saddam and not documented? Will they be sprung upon innocents in the future?
My belief (just belief) is that they are in the hands of either groups or countries that hate freedom and will use them at some point.
April 13, 2004
The Goes One International Organization Senator Kerry
MSNBC - Annan rules out U.N. troops for Iraq
What good is the UN if they won't step up and try to help bring stability to Iraq. How much do we pay them?
April 06, 2004
WFB - Leadership, Front and Center
Yahoo! News - LEADERSHIP, FRONT AND CENTER
The temptation mounts among Americans to feel: The hell with those b-st-rds. Let them go back to killing their own people! That sentiment is unquestionably abroad, and it will build with every success of the Iraqi resisters, and with every failure of Iraqi security forces to stand up to their countrymen's protests against the occupation.
This is something I fight against myself and have even heard this from some other folks. We cannot mess this one up. We need to get the bad guys now!
Marine killed in Iraq believed in cause, says his dad
Tip to Rantburg.
Marine killed in Iraq believed in cause, says his dad
It just hurts reading this as I have 2 sons and cannot imagine the pain this father has. God bless him and his son.
February 05, 2004
CNN - McCain May Be On Intel Panel
CNN.com - Official: McCain to serve on prewar intelligence panel - Feb. 5, 2004
This is good news. McCain will be an honest broker.
February 04, 2004
WaPo - Tenet to Give Speech
Tenet to Defend CIA's Role In Prewar Iraq Intelligence (washingtonpost.com)
I think this will be a worthwhile speech. Although this blog has called for Tenet to be fired I will say the question should be is Tenet the person to guilde the CIA through some needed changes? I don't know. I'll admit a bias against him because he's a Clinton appointee. It could be he was hamstrung by the bureaucracy. I remember in the Woodward book, Bush at War, that Tenet was instrumental in getting CIA on the ground in Afghanistan quickly and was on the ball.
I'm going to try and open my mind about Tenet and see what happens.
January 31, 2004
Newsmax - Weyrich Says Investigate and Fire
Weyrich: Investigate Intelligence and Fire Tenet
Mr. Weyrich is right on the money. Loyalty to Tenet is admirable but this Clinton hiring should be fired NOW.
January 30, 2004
Newsmax - Look Whose Life Bush Destroyed
NewsMax.com: Look Whose Life Bush Destroyed
A man's true story of loss during the Bush administration. We must consider how different life would be with a President Kerry.
January 29, 2004
Iraqi Foreign Minister on WMDs
Hat tip to Drudge.
Reuters: Iraq Minister Says Saddam's WMD Carefully Hidden
We shall find out someday.
January 28, 2004
David Key - No WMDs
MSNBC - Arms inspector urges probe of prewar intelligence
"We were almost all wrong,” said the inspector, David Kay, noting that intelligence services in France and Germany, both of which opposed the war, also were convinced that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction before the U.S. invasion.
Well, now at least we know. If we hadn't gone in there we'd still think they had stockpiles. Still, fire George Tenet.
“I had innumerable analysts came to me in apology … but not in a single case was the explanation, ‘I was pressured to do this,’” he said.
Good. Sorry Teddy.
“The administration did cook the books,” former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean told reporters Tuesday. “I think that’s pretty serious.”
Whatever Howard. Back to Vermont for you.
Of course this article doesn't mention other things Kay said. Typical MSNBC. Gotta go to Fox News for more.
"I think the world is far safer with the disappearance and the removal of Saddam Hussein," he said under questioning from Chairman John Warner, R-Va.
Of course MSNBC would not include this statement.
Kay said U.S. intelligence agencies became so dependent on information from U.N. inspectors, they didn't develop their own sources. He also said he would favor an independent investigation into the intelligence failures.
Why would rely on the UN? I don't trust 3/4's of them. Yes, we need an major investigation.
Kay also said the United States has learned more about Saddam's weapons programs than U.N. inspectors could have because of Saddam's ability to terrorize his people.
But the inspector, David Kay, did not underestimate the threat posed by deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and said there was evidence that Iraq was participating in a weapons program that went against U.N. rules.
January 12, 2004
It's a Good Start
Hat tip to Drudge.
USATODAY.com - Attacks down 22% since Saddam's capture
January 07, 2004
35 Wounded in Iraq Attack
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Thirty-Five U.S. Soldiers Wounded in Mortar Attack
Let's keep remembering to pray for the brave members of the military over in harm's way.
January 06, 2004
Syria Hiding WMDs?
Check out the info the Neophyte Pundit dug up on Syria possibly hiding WMDs.
Neophyte Pundit on Syria Hiding WMDs
December 26, 2003
Iraqi Minister Slams Kofi
I was just doing a search of my entries and found I'd not published it. I wrote it about 10 days ago and now the article I reference is archived. Oh well.
Here's some nuggets:
"Settling scores with the United States-led coalition should not be at the cost of helping to bring stability to the Iraqi people," Mr. Zebari said in language unusually scolding for an occupant of the guest seat at the end of the curving Security Council table.
"Squabbling over political differences takes a back seat to the daily struggle for security, jobs, basic freedoms and all the rights the U.N. is chartered to uphold," he said.
"One year ago, the Security Council was divided between those who wanted to appease Saddam Hussein and those who wanted to hold him accountable.
"The United Nations as an organization failed to help rescue the Iraqi people from a murderous tyranny that lasted over 35 years, and today we are unearthing thousands of victims in horrifying testament to that failure."
Kofi Annan responds with:
"Now is not the time to pin blame and point fingers," he told reporters. Saying that Mr. Zebari was "obviously entitled to his opinion," Mr. Annan said that the United Nations had done as much for Iraq as it could under the circumstances and was prepared to do more.
"Quite honestly," he said, "now is not the time to hurl accusations and counter-accusations."
Bottom line, I really like the straight talking Mr. Zebari. Now, this UN that has let down Iraq time and time again (and continues to do so) is the organization that many Democrats want to turn Iraq over to? The UN must first prove itself. Maybe if the Iraqi council would be loudly anti-Israel then the UN would help them.
December 21, 2003
Saddam Punched?
If this story was true I must say, GREAT! Yes, that's not the most Christ-like response by me but it's great to see Saddam seeing that his world has changed. I don't blame the soldier one bit and would like to buy him a Diet Dr. Pepper.
December 19, 2003
But There Aren't Any WMDs
NewsMax.com: U.S. to 'Retrain' Iraqi WMD Scientists
We can't train WMD scientists because there can't be any, right Howie?
Support for Iraq War Pretty Strong
Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | AP Poll Finds Majority Back War in Iraq
Looks like that, despite constant media and liberal carping, the public supports the action taken in Iraq. Now let's just hope and pray for a faster and complete victory. "Never give up, never surrender", unless you're the UN, Wesley Clark or Howard Dean.
December 17, 2003
Albright Backtracking
FOXNews.com - Politics - Albright: Bin Laden Comments Were 'Tongue-in-Cheek'
Leaking Classified Information?
OK, this is a direct leak of classified information, if true. Senator Bill Nelson should be questioned and possibly arrested.
December 16, 2003
Traitor Says Bush Waited to get Saddam
The treasonous Congressman, Jim McDermott, says that President Bush waited to capture Saddam at the right political moment. Here's what the traitor said:
"I've been surprised they waited, but then I thought, well, politically, it probably doesn't make much sense to find him just yet"
You may ask why I call him a traitor? Here's your answer:
Taken in the fall of 2002 as we were gearing up to attack Iraq. Why do the people of Washington elect this guy?
December 15, 2003
Weasel Watch
I totally ignored all the negative statements from the Democrats and others (including other countries) trying to make political hay of the capture of Saddam. Now, the gloves are off.
For all the folks who thinks this is all a political game, well I'm glad to post this picture:
Anyone who's not joyous at the above picture of Saddam in custody really needs to remember what he's done to so many people and maybe re-examine their hearts.
At the end of the day the Democrats are going to nominate Howard Dean and the words of his opponents will clearly used against them in the general. Why couldn't they have at least waited another day. Sunday, December 14, when we all heard the news was not a day for Democrats or Republicans but joyous time for all Americans and freedom loving people.
December 14, 2003
Reflecting on Saddam's Capture
After watching a lot of the coverage of the capture of Saddam, I'm just feeling good. No matter some of the snide questions from dissappointed journalists this is a great day for Iraq, America and the rest of the freedom loving world. Again, major kudos to our military and the intelligence agents who helped to solve this puzzle.
UPDATE: Check out Peggy Noonan's take.
Also, I think my favorite scene was the Iraqi journalists reacting to Paul Bremer. The absolute joy was amazing to witness.
What A Great Way To Wake Up
After a long night and a long sleep (my whole family didn't wake up until about 9:30 this morning) I turn on the TV to see that Saddam was captured. Praise GOD! Merry Christmas. I'm so happy. Congratulations to our incredible military. You folks ROCK! Thank you to the relative who tipped us off.
December 13, 2003
Iraqi Recruits Quitting
In the not-so-good-news regarding Iraq, we've got about half of our recruits training for the first unit of the new Iraqi quitting. I don't know how big of a setback this is but it probably means more work for the US-led coalition.
December 10, 2003
Iraq Too Dangerous For UN
Please see this article in CNN.
What good is the UN for if not to help rebuild Iraq, even in a minor role. Now let's get this straight Hillary and Co., you want a bigger role for the UN? If the media even had a clue, they'd be asking these pro-UN running Iraq folks how that squares with Kofi Annan's statements.
December 09, 2003
No Contracts for Non-Coalition Countries
You don't sacrifice, you are out! This is exactly the way it should be. No more Iraqi gravy train for France. I'm sure they'll find another terrorist nation to do business with, though.
December 07, 2003
Healing Iraq
Check out this latest entry from Power Line Blog.
Al Qaeda Shifts To Iraq
So now we've got a definite shift in Al Qaeda's plans. Check out this Newsweek article. Making Iraq a center of terror for Al Qaeda will be their undoing. I'm taking the US and our allies on this one. Anyone wanna bet against me?
Newt On Iraq
“We are not the enforcers. We are the reinforcers,” says Gingrich. “The distinction between these two words is central to the next year in Iraq.”
Interesting read.
December 06, 2003
Why Isn't This Man Running For President
Hat tip to the mighty InstaPundit.
For our country's sake I wish Evan Bayh was running for the Democratic Party nomination for President. Check out why. It saddens me that a man like this would have no chance of getting the nomination, still keeping Hugh Hewitt's statement alive that "it's just not safe to vote Democrat".
A Source on WMDs Speaks
Please check this Power Line Blog entry about one the sources of information about WMDs in Iraq.
December 05, 2003
December 04, 2003
Body Armor Shortage?
If this MSNBC article about a shortage of body armor for our soldiers in Iraq is true then something needs to be done now. Due to make lack of trust in the mainstream press I'd like to know if this is a true problem. Somebody let me know and I'll also try and do some digging.
UPDATE: I've been given some more information that this really is a big problem. I know it's been around the news a bit but I want to do more blogging on this topic. I will need to wait until the weekend as I've got a lot on the plate tonight.
November 30, 2003
Why Do We Want The UN's Help With Iraq
Please see this entry from the mighty Power Line Blog about the voting records of our great "friends" in the UN.
November 28, 2003
Hillary's Iraq Solution
Senator Clinton is proposing more internationalization in the bringing the peace to Iraq (see MSNBC article). On the surface that sounds great and makes a great soundbite, but the reality isn't so easy. Well, we already have some internationalization and those are the allies we can trust. Shall we trust the governments of France, Germany and Russia? All they did was make it impossible to enforce the UN resolutions through the Security Council. I don't trust them as they seem to have violated the sanctions for their own profit. I like the allies we have (especially the old Eastern Europeans) and would welcome more of the willing. Ceding power to the UN would be a disaster. Their first instinct would be to cut and run, just like they did recently in Iraq. Nope, when so many of the countries in the UN are against the basic human rights the the US espouses they cannot and should not lead in the rebuilding of Iraq. They can join us on the current alliance's terms or they can continue whining.
November 27, 2003
Bush Goes To Iraq
Fox News is reporting that President Bush has made a surprise Thanksgiving visit to the troops in Iraq.
UPDATE: Here's the MSNBC story.
November 18, 2003
Getting Aggressive in Iraq
It looks like the military is getting tougher as they deal with the insurgents in Iraq. I do have a problem with the second paragraph:
Pentagon officials rejected any comparison to the tactics employed by the Israeli military in the West bank and Gaza, saying the U.S. actions are not aimed at punishing sympathizers, but rather are aimed at eliminating legitimate military targets.
My question, why aren't we going after the sympathizers? What ever happened to "you're either for us or against us (paraphrase of Bush)"? Those sympathizers could be the ones hiding the bad guys or aiding them in targeting the good guys. This is war.
November 15, 2003
Hitchins - Restating the Case for War
A good bit of a history lesson from one of my favorite liberals. It's not complimentary of Bush 41, but in the view of history, HW just looks like he did about one quarter of the job.
November 11, 2003
New Iraqi Constitution
InstaPundit has this info about a Gallup Poll taken in Iraq. Here's the bottom line, Iraqi's favor freedom to "express their opinion on the political, social, and economic issues of the day" by 98% to 1%, "allowing all Iraqi citizens to observe any religion of their choice and to practice its teachings and beliefs" 86% in favor and freedom to freely assemble by 68%.
Sounds like a great start, now let's get it done.
Meet Capt. Harry Hornbuckle
Heard this on Hugh Hewitt and found it on Power Line Blog, please read.
A Different Strategy In Iraq?
This article in The American Spectator talks of tipping points. The big question, how much can the terrorists get away with before our military is allowed to clean house.
Takes Your Breath Away
Tip to Citizen Smash.
This link contains final letters from soldiers who were killed in Iraq. On this Veteran's Day let's vow to never forget what our soldiers sacrifice for us.
November 07, 2003
Hunting Saddam
Tip to Drudge about this story about the group hunting Saddam. It's great to see the military thinking outside the box.
November 04, 2003
Politicizing The War
The whole flap about how the Democrats are looking at launching an investigation before the election should not suprise anyone. This is the same attitude that was caught on tape a few months ago by some California Demcratic Assembly members. Winning is the only thing that matters (there are some on our side also) to these people. They don't care if the economy goes bust or soldiers are killed in Iraq. For them, that's a victory.
I do not recall Republicans rooting for the economy to tank when Clinton ran for office. I don't recall wanting us to lose any of the military actions that Clinton had. We may have had disagreements but, for the most part, once Clinton gave the orders we supported the military. We weren't rooting for soldiers to be killed so we could defeat Al Gore later. This is the wrong attitude and I won't support or respect any candidate who has these characteristics. That means you General Clark and Howard Dean.
November 03, 2003
Saddam's Files
The mighty Power Line Blog has a great entry about the newly discovered files discovered in Iraq. Take a look here.
October 30, 2003
Yeah, Let's Get Out Of Iraq....
... and let these guys back in power. Justify not going in now Howie and Wesley.
October 29, 2003
Newsmax - Media Have Blood on Their Hands, Iraq GI Tells Rep. King
Just read this story from Newsmax about a colonel in Iraq nailing the media. I concur. Iraq is not a place where politics and personal agendas are needed. This is a place where unity really does matter. This is just sickening. Here's just one quote:
"He's lost men because of the terrible reporting and it's just creating a terrible atmosphere," King said the Army colonel told him.
October 23, 2003
Fire Tenet NOW!
According to this Washington Post article much blame is being laid on the CIA for pre-war intelligence failures. DUH!!!!! This is the agency let that Wilson hack go to Niger and check out the yellowcake threat. Time to clean house at CIA.
What's Rudy Giuliani doing these days? We need someone with a passion for getting the bad guys.
Chief Wiggles Toy Drive Update
I'm a bit late to the game but this update about Chief Wiggles toy drive for Iraqi children is great.
Iraq Will Have A Long Memory
Seems the new Iraqi government won't be too happy with the Germans or France. Maybe they should check out Pave France.
October 22, 2003
October 17, 2003
The "Bug Out" Stance
Morton Kondracke totally nails it in this article about the damage of voting against the $87 billion dollar package for fighting terrorissm and rebuilding Iraq. As Hugh Hewitt keeps saying, "it's just not safe to vote Democrat". Of course, I applaud Lieberman and Gephardt for being on the right side of history. Bravo to them. This is not the issue to get political with. At the same time, those voting against this are playing politics and should be smacked down appropriately.
October 14, 2003
Not Signing Up For $87 Billion?
I was watching the Fox roundtable discussion with the topic being that John Edwards will not support the current plan to spend the $87 billion dollars on the war on terror and the rebuilding of Iraq. His sticking point is the $20 billion earmarked for the rebuilding of Iraq. Dean and some of the other Democratic candidates agree with this position. The Fox panel (especially Morton Kondrake - non-conservative) was then reaching the logical conclusion that the Democrats are for the status quo in Iraq and that gives our military no hope of ever scaling back. All we'd do is be a police force while the country never gets rebuilt. Yep, great idea guys!
Let's just support the rebuilding of Iraq. If not, it will be used against you in 2004. It's time for some Democrats to get on the right side of history.
October 13, 2003
Why War On Iraq?
Kevin from http://bushcheney2004.blogspot.com has pointed to a great article in The Weekly Standard, about why we went to war. Check out Kevin's entry.
October 10, 2003
Accomplishment in Iraq - Summary
With a tip of the hat to Real Clear Politics, Andrew Sullivan has a great summary of some of the accomplishments in Iraq. Here's a quick list of the main accomplishments directly from Andrew's site:
Six months ago there were no police on duty in Iraq.
· Today there are over 40,000 police on duty, nearly 7,000 here in Baghdad alone.
· Last night Coalition Forces and Iraqi police conducted 1,731 joint patrols.
· Today nearly all of Iraq’s 400 courts are functioning.
· Today, for the first time in over a generation, the Iraqi judiciary is fully independent.
· On Monday, October 6 power generation hit 4,518 megawatts—exceeding the pre-war average.
· Today all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools.
· Many of you know that we announced our plan to rehabilitate one thousand schools by the time school started—well, by October 1 we had actually rehabbed over 1,500.
Six months ago teachers were paid as little as $5.33 per month.
· Today teachers earn from 12 to 25 times their former salaries.
· Today we have increased public health spending to over 26 times what it was under Saddam.
· Today all 240 hospitals and more than 1200 clinics are open.
· Today doctors’ salaries are at least eight times what they were under Saddam.
· Pharmaceutical distribution has gone from essentially nothing to 700 tons in May to a current total of 12,000 tons.
· Since liberation we have administered over 22 million vaccination doses to Iraq’s many children.
This is all great news and instead of a haven for terrorists we may get to have the spreading of democracy in the Middle East. How much is that worth? IMO, way more than $87 billion.
October 03, 2003
Bush to Baghdad
Frank Gaffney has the most brilliant idea in National Review. He says President Bush should go to Baghdad and check everything out for himself. I completely agree.
September 26, 2003
More Great Reading - Charles Krauthammer on Teddy
Charles Krauthammer has a great article in Townhall discussing Teddy Kennedy's disgusting remarks. Great articles to read today and I haven't even checked Real Clear Politics yet.
Another National Review Must Read
This article by Stephen Moore and Tom Feeney, in National Review, deals with how to finance the reconstruction of Iraq. Drop everything and read it.
September 25, 2003
Seeing the Facts Converts a Critic
Kudos to Real Clear Politics for the link:
Please see this New York Post Opinion article by Donald E. Walter. He is a federal judge who was asked to go to Iraq to help evaluate and provide input to the Iraqi justice system.
The Iraq -- Al Qaeda Connections
Kudos to Real Clear Politics for the link:
Please read this article by Richard Miniter at Tech Central Station....
September 24, 2003
More Reserves?
The Financial Times is reporting that more reserves may be called up. I just don't like this. The reservists are being misused. I thought they were supposed to fill in gaps when the regulars are sent out. It does seem we are short of military personnel, in general. Look, it's a post 9/11 world so lets get more people signed up and take care of the ones we have.
Maybe someone can enlighten me... isn't there some policy that a certain percentage of reservists and National Guard must be deployed when other troops are deployed. A little help here?
September 23, 2003
The Truth Is Emerging
Kudos to Neophyte Pundit:
This article from The Hill gives the observations of some congressional Democrats on the status of the current Iraq situation. The US media is doing a big disservice to this country. All the Democratic candidates for president who continue to bash this effort will have history frown on them, probably sooner than later. This is the time for unity in insuring that Iraq is rebuilt correctly and can be the starting point for more democracies in the Middle East.
September 17, 2003
Why Did We Fight In Iraq?
Boy, people sure like jumping off of the bandwagon. They expect everything to be nice and easy. Of course, I want it that way also but sometimes it's not. In Iraq that's the reality. It's not easy and the cost has been high. But the question is, why did we go there in the first place?
There were many reasons given but the reasons I supported (and still support) the effort is that Iraq was a terrorist state that was a haven for bad guys. They could get training there and funding. Iraq was a major source of arms for the Islamic government in The Sudan that has been terrorising Christians. Saddam also used to give money to families of Palestinian homicide bombers. On this basis alone, that's reason enough for me. I do believe there were WMDs and some of them are probably in Syria. As time passes more WMD evidence will be found.
Now, the left didn't make a big deal out of Kosovo and actually supported it on a humanitarian basis, yet Iraq was a far worse place but they can't even support this effort on that basis.
Now, more than ever, we must continue to win the peace in Iraq. There are some areas that are not won over yet. Terrorists are coming across the borders to fight against the allies. If we fail in Iraq then any hope of bringing freedom and democracy will pass. The way to a more lasting peace in some of the Middle East is through freedom and democracy. I do think even that is a far-fetched dream but it is wrong to just accept the status quo.
The fight for freedom and democracy cannot end at our borders. We must continue to be proactive.
August 27, 2003
Would The UN Help Bring Peace To Iraq?
I'm seeing more calls to ask the UN to come to Iraq and help restore peace. I guess the only question I have is what kind of track record does the UN have in stabilizing areas and bringing peace? I just don't see that as a legitimate solution. What needs to happen (and I'm sure we are trying) is to prevent the bad guys from coming into Iraq and eliminate the ones that are already there. How can we expect Iraq to be a thriving democracy in such a short time? How long did it take for Japan to change after World War II? These events are measured in years not weeks or months.
August 21, 2003
August 19, 2003
The Gathering
CNN is reporting that al Qaeda are flowing to Iraq to target Americans. Anyone surprised? I actually see this as a good thing and could be a very bad move, strategically by the terrorists. I'll take the US military in a heart beat over these terrorists.
August 08, 2003
More From David Kay - WMDs
From Instapundit and Rantburg, more information from David Kay.
August 06, 2003
No wonder it's taking so long to find WMDs
If it takes this long (4-5 months) to find these jets how long will it take to find much smaller pieces of WMDs (components, barrel drums, etc.) in the desert? It's gonna take a while, folks.
No wonder it's taking so long to find WMDs
If it takes this long (4-5 months) to find these jets how long will it take to find much smaller pieces of WMDs (components, barrel drums, etc.) in the desert? It's gonna take a while, folks.
July 22, 2003
Qusay and Uday Meet God
Guess what Qusay and Uday, you met the real God today and He's not happy with you.
It's good to get this news as it can be easily discouraging listening to what the news has been lately. I do hope the troop rotations can really get rolling. Hopefully this news will boost morale a bit and, more importantly, help reduce the shooting. I do fear Saddam more than ever now. What will he do for revenge?
July 17, 2003
Tony Blair's Speech
I've only had a chance to here excerpts but here is the transcript. It just shows that the war on terrorism is not a conservative or liberal cause. It's time for people to quit using this as a political tool and to unite behind the cause. The rebuilding of Iraq is only hurt by all the sniping. Let's get it done and get our soldiers home.
July 16, 2003
Interview with David Kay
Found this post from InstaPundit. It's an interview with David Kay, former UN inspector who is helping to track down the WMDs in Iraq.
July 13, 2003
Taking Responsibility
One of the many traits I didn't like about President Clinton is he never took responsibility for anything. Now I see President Bush doing the same thing about this 16 word "mistake". I am not a big fan of current CIA Director George Tenet but he should not be taking the blame. If those words are incorrect (and the British believes they are correct) then President must take responsibility. I even recommend taking 15 minutes to address the nation and explain. Most Americans will understand that mistakes can and will be made but would appreciate taking the responsibility. Didn't a past President once say "The buck stops here"? I'm all for that.
From National Review about 16 word "mistake"
Chuck has sent me a very important article about the "Scandal" about the 16 words in the SOTU speech. Here's the link.
Click below for the full text as well.
National Review Online, July 11, 2003, 11:00 a.m.
Scandal!: Bush's enemies aren't telling the truth about what he said. The president's critics are lying. Mr. Bush never claimed that Saddam Hussein had purchased uranium from Niger. It is not true - as USA Today reported on page one Friday morning - that "tainted evidence made it into the President's State of the Union address." For the record, here's what President Bush actually said in his SOTU: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." Precisely which part of that statement isn't true? The British government did say that it believed Saddam had sought African uranium. Is it possible that the British government was mistaken? Sure. Is it possible that Her Majesty's government came by that belief based on an erroneous American intelligence report about a transaction between Iraq and Niger? Yes - but British Prime Minister Tony Blair and members of his Cabinet say that's not what happened. They say, according to Britain's liberal Guardian newspaper, that their claim was based on "extra material, separate and independent from that of the US." I suppose you can make the case that a British-government claim should not have made its way into the president's SOTU without further verification. But why is that the top of the TV news day after day? Why would even the most dyspeptic Bush-basher see in those 16 accurate words of President's Bush's 5,492-word SOTU an opportunity to persuade Americans that there's a scandal in the White House, another Watergate, grounds for impeachment? Surely, everyone does know by now that Saddam Hussein did have a nuclear-weapons-development program. That program was set back twice: Once by Israeli bombers in 1981, and then a decade later, at the end of the Gulf War when we learned that Saddam's nuclear program was much further along than our intelligence analysts had believed. As President Bush also said in the SOTU: The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in the 1990s that Saddam Hussein had an advanced nuclear weapons development program, had a design for a nuclear weapon and was working on five different methods of enriching uranium for a bomb. Since Saddam never demonstrated - to the U.S., the U.N., or even to Jacques Chirac - that he had abandoned his nuclear ambitions, one has to conclude that he was still in the market for nuclear materials. And, indeed, many intelligence analysts long believed that he was trying to acquire such material from wherever he could - not just from Niger but also from Gabon, Namibia, Russia, Serbia, and other sources. Maybe there was no reliable evidence to support the particular intelligence report saying that Saddam had acquired yellowcake (lightly processed uranium ore) from Niger. But the British claim was only that Saddam had sought yellowcake - not that he succeeded in getting a five-pound box Fedexed to his palace on the Tigris. And is there even one member of the U.S. Congress who would say that it was on the basis of this claim alone that he voted to authorize the president to use military force against Saddam? Is there one such individual anywhere in America? A big part of the reason this has grown into such a brouhaha is that Joseph C. Wilson IV wrote an op-ed about it in last Sunday's New York Times in which he said: "I have little choice but to conclude that some of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat." Actually, Wilson has plenty of choices - but no basis for his slanderous allegation. A little background: Mr. Wilson was sent to Niger by the CIA to verify a U.S. intelligence report about the sale of yellowcake - because Vice President Dick Cheney requested it, because Cheney had doubts about the validity of the intelligence report. Wilson says he spent eight days in Niger "drinking sweet mint tea and meeting with dozens of people" - hardly what a competent spy, detective, or even reporter would call an in-depth investigation. Nevertheless, let's give Wilson the benefit of the doubt and stipulate that he was correct when he reported back to the CIA that he believed it was "highly doubtful that any such transaction ever took place. " But, again, because it was "doubtful" that Saddam actually acquired yellowcake from Niger, it does not follow that he never sought it there or elsewhere in Africa, which is all the president suggested based on what the British said - and still say. And how does Wilson leap from there to the conclusion that Vice President Cheney and his boss "twisted" intelligence to "exaggerate the Iraqi threat"? Wilson hasn't the foggiest idea what other intelligence the president and vice president had access to. It also would have been useful for the New York Times and others seeking Wilson's words of wisdom to have provided a little background on him. For example:
* He was an outspoken opponent of U.S. military intervention in Iraq.
* He's an "adjunct scholar" at the Middle East Institute - which advocates for Saudi interests. The March 1, 2002 issue of the Saudi government-weekly Ain-Al Yaqeen lists the MEI as an "Islamic research institutes supported by the Kingdom."
* He's a vehement opponent of the Bush administration which, he wrote in the March 3, 2003 edition of the left-wing Nation magazine, has "imperial ambitions." Under President Bush, he added, the world worries that "America has entered one of it periods of historical madness."
* He also wrote that "neoconservatives" have "a stranglehold on the foreign policy of the Republican Party." He said that "the new imperialists will not rest until governments that ape our world view are implanted throughout the region, a breathtakingly ambitious undertaking, smacking of hubris in the extreme."
* He was recently the keynote speaker for the Education for Peace in Iraq Center, a far-left group that opposed not only the U.S. military intervention in Iraq but also the sanctions - and even the no-fly zones that protected hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Kurds and Shias from being slaughtered by Saddam.
* And consider this: Prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Wilson did believe that Saddam had biological weapons of mass destruction. But he raised that possibility only to argue against toppling Saddam, warning ABC's Dave Marash that if American troops were sent into Iraq, Saddam might "use a biological weapon in a battle that we might have. For example, if we're taking Baghdad or we're trying to take, in ground-to-ground, hand-to-hand combat." He added that Saddam also might attempt to take revenge by unleashing "some sort of a biological assault on an American city, not unlike the anthrax, attacks that we had last year." In other words, Wilson is no disinterested career diplomat - he's a pro-Saudi, leftist partisan with an ax to grind. And too many in the media are helping him and allies grind it.
- Clifford D. May, a former New York Times foreign correspondent, is president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a policy institute focusing on terrorism.
July 03, 2003
Reward For Saddam's Head
It's about time we did this. Hopefully this will help. We really need to get Saddam and his sons in order to remove a "fear factor" out of Iraq.
June 25, 2003
Fun, Sun and WMDs
Finding WMDs just sounds like a blast. Seems like they'll have to be digging up some rose gardens. What a thankless and pressure filled job. Let's remember the folks over in Iraq with a bit of extra prayer.
June 22, 2003
A Perspective From A Sudanese Christan About The War With Iraq
I had posted this on another internet board a couple of months ago. I was reminded about it today. The original date I wrote it was April 7, 2003:
A different perspective but very relevant to the topic at hand... a man named Pastor James Lagos Alexander from The Sudan spoke for a few minutes from our church. Pastor James could not understand the war protestors. It made him sad because he considers this war to oust Saddam an answer to prayer. Since 1989 the Sudanese government has been trying to rid the country of Christians. Saddam has been a primary source of weapons for the government of Sudan. Pastor James and many in Sudan have been praying for Saddam's removal. They consider the current action to be a blessing. This from a man who's seen 2 million Christians killed, raped, tortured and displaced.
June 21, 2003
Got WMD Documents?
Let's hope that this is true. I also read on Rantburg that they are testing the DNA of some leftovers from a raid on an Iraqi convoy to see if Saddam and/or his sons where there.
June 20, 2003
New leads on Saddam?
I sure hope this is true. The sooner we get that guy then the sooner things may settle down in Iraq. Maybe we should just leave, flush him out, then come back and crush him.
June 03, 2003
WMDs
It took 5 years to capture Eric Rudolph. After less than 3 months some folks are saying there aren't any. Sorry, that just sounds silly. Everyone was admitting that Iraq had them (see this). Heck, even the UN thought they had them. If the UN didn't think they had them then why did they have sanctions? They are somewhere but they will be hard to find. That is one big desert and I think Syria probably received some of them (remember they have a Baath party also). We have found 2 mobile labs. Nobody can convince me those were just for pesticides.
April 11, 2003
OUTRAGES
Outrage 1
From an article in Time Magazine in an interview with Scott Ritter, former UN Inspector:
"The prison in question was inspected by my team in Jan. 1998. It appeared to be a prison for children - toddlers up to pre-adolescents - whose only crime was to be the offspring of those who have spoken out politically against the regime of Saddam Hussein. It was a horrific scene. Actually I'm not going to describe what I saw there because what I saw was so horrible that it can be used by those who would want to promote war with Iraq, and right now I'm waging peace."
What kind of twisted morality is this?
Outrage 2
From the NY Timesby the chief news executive of CNN:
April 11, 2003
The News We Kept to Ourselves
By EASON JORDAN
ATLANTA — Over the last dozen years I made 13 trips to Baghdad to lobby the government to keep CNN's Baghdad bureau open and to arrange interviews with Iraqi leaders. Each time I visited, I became more distressed by what I saw and heard — awful things that could not be reported because doing so would have jeopardized the lives of Iraqis, particularly those on our Baghdad staff.
For example, in the mid-1990's one of our Iraqi cameramen was abducted. For weeks he was beaten and subjected to electroshock torture in the basement of a secret police headquarters because he refused to confirm the government's ludicrous suspicion that I was the Central Intelligence Agency's Iraq station chief. CNN had been in Baghdad long enough to know that telling the world about the torture of one of its employees would almost certainly have gotten him killed and put his family and co-workers at grave risk.
Working for a foreign news organization provided Iraqi citizens no protection. The secret police terrorized Iraqis working for international press services who were courageous enough to try to provide accurate reporting. Some vanished, never to be heard from again. Others disappeared and then surfaced later with whispered tales of being hauled off and tortured in unimaginable ways. Obviously, other news organizations were in the same bind we were when it came to reporting on their own workers.
We also had to worry that our reporting might endanger Iraqis not on our payroll. I knew that CNN could not report that Saddam Hussein's eldest son, Uday, told me in 1995 that he intended to assassinate two of his brothers-in-law who had defected and also the man giving them asylum, King Hussein of Jordan. If we had gone with the story, I was sure he would have responded by killing the Iraqi translator who was the only other participant in the meeting. After all, secret police thugs brutalized even senior officials of the Information Ministry, just to keep them in line (one such official has long been missing all his fingernails).
Still, I felt I had a moral obligation to warn Jordan's monarch, and I did so the next day. King Hussein dismissed the threat as a madman's rant. A few months later Uday lured the brothers-in-law back to Baghdad; they were soon killed.
I came to know several Iraqi officials well enough that they confided in me that Saddam Hussein was a maniac who had to be removed. One Foreign Ministry officer told me of a colleague who, finding out his brother had been executed by the regime, was forced, as a test of loyalty, to write a letter of congratulations on the act to Saddam Hussein. An aide to Uday once told me why he had no front teeth: henchmen had ripped them out with pliers and told him never to wear dentures, so he would always remember the price to be paid for upsetting his boss. Again, we could not broadcast anything these men said to us.
Last December, when I told Information Minister Muhammad Said al-Sahhaf that we intended to send reporters to Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq, he warned me they would "suffer the severest possible consequences." CNN went ahead, and in March, Kurdish officials presented us with evidence that they had thwarted an armed attack on our quarters in Erbil. This included videotaped confessions of two men identifying themselves as Iraqi intelligence agents who said their bosses in Baghdad told them the hotel actually housed C.I.A. and Israeli agents. The Kurds offered to let us interview the suspects on camera, but we refused, for fear of endangering our staff in Baghdad.
Then there were the events that were not unreported but that nonetheless still haunt me. A 31-year-old Kuwaiti woman, Asrar Qabandi, was captured by Iraqi secret police occupying her country in 1990 for "crimes," one of which included speaking with CNN on the phone. They beat her daily for two months, forcing her father to watch. In January 1991, on the eve of the American-led offensive, they smashed her skull and tore her body apart limb by limb. A plastic bag containing her body parts was left on the doorstep of her family's home.
I felt awful having these stories bottled up inside me. Now that Saddam Hussein's regime is gone, I suspect we will hear many, many more gut-wrenching tales from Iraqis about the decades of torment. At last, these stories can be told freely.
Eason Jordan is chief news executive at CNN.
Again, what kind of morality is this? It's more important to have a phoney bologna news service in Iraq than to alert people about dreaded human rights abuses.
Just a little off
Hey Peter Arnett, you were just a little wrong, eh? Hope it was worth getting fired.
An ebay opportunity
I wish all the stuff they are finding in the palaces could be auctioned off on ebay. All the money could go back to rebuilding Iraq or distributed to the people. The Saddamites totally looted the country. It's the Iraqi people's money. Let's give it back to them.
April 10, 2003
Tikrit
Praying for our troops as they head for Tikrit. This seems to be the last stand for the Saddamites. Hopefully they won't use WMD's against the Allies.
