We have a saying here in America: Same S***, Diffferent Day.
I'm sure the Iraqis know just what we mean.
Oh, yeah, if we are drawing down why are we sending MORE TROOPS?
"For kin, the Iraq mission isn’t over; As troops depart, work remains" by Brian MacQuarrie, Globe Staff | August 22, 2010
The withdrawal is tangible proof of a job well done....
Yeah, if shattering a nation and murdering millions over lies was the goal.
However, that much work remains to be done....
But for families who have opposed the war, the violence and sectarian quarrels that still plague Iraq do not alter their view that the conflict has harmed US interests.
Oh, absolutely!
The war has claimed the lives of 4,416 US service members, including 76 from Massachusetts.
“I’m certainly still opposed,’’ said Anne Chay, an Andover resident whose son, Jon, served with the Army in Iraq. “It certainly isn’t helping our country, and it doesn’t seem to be helping other people in other countries.’’
To Chay’s thinking, the remaining US troops are a large, ominous, lingering footprint. President Obama has set a deadline of late 2011 to withdraw them, but the many challenges ahead could delay that schedule if the transition to complete Iraq autonomy is not successful.
“Fifty thousand troops doesn’t sound like much of a milestone to me,’’ Chay said. “That’s still a huge presence. Do we have to be there forever to achieve the level of calm that there is now?’’
What level of calm?
To Maura Kilbride, a Newton native whose husband, Bryan, recently deployed to Iraq for a fourth tour, the war has been measured in sleepless nights, the births of three children, and questions about whether the United States will ever be at peace....
Not as long as we are servants of Israel.
“It seems like this has gone by so quickly, but I’m also wondering, ‘How many of these do we have to go through?’ Are we getting to a point where no one will ever have to be over there?’’
Well, wherever we go we never seem to leave.
Bryan Kilbride will work on the complex task of transferring American responsibilities in Iraq to local control. The success of that effort, which will be measured in ways much subtler and nuanced than a clinical tally of troop numbers, will help determine whether the Iraqi government can stand on its own.
Occasionally, Kilbride said, people are surprised to hear that her husband has returned to Iraq. They will ask, “Aren’t we done over there?’’ she said.
The MSM propaganda does work!
“Yes, the combat troops are gone, but my husband is over there,’’ Kilbride said. “I don’t want people to take their eye off the war. The war is not over. There are still troops over there who are still in harm’s way, and families here whose brothers, husbands, and sons are there.’’
The combat is not gone no matter what the government and MSM say.
Related: One US soldier killed in southern Iraq
We shall see if that is reported by the Globe.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, a total of 8,300 Army and Air National Guard members from Massachusetts have been deployed overseas, with the bulk of them dispatched to Iraq. Currently, 594 Massachusetts National Guard members are serving there....
That is NOT what a NATIONAL GUARD is supposed to be used for!
Brian VanRiper, a former Marine and Pembroke native who appeared in a nationally televised ad against the war, now says he was wrong when he assailed the troop surge as a mistake:
“The surge worked, and things did calm down,’’ said VanRiper, who served in Iraq in 2003....
Except it DID NOT WORK!
The alleged cessation of violence (another MSM lie; they have been lying from the start on Iraq and never stopped) does not mean it worked. The surge was supposed to SET the CONDITIONS for POLITICAL PROGRESS!
You SEE who is IN CHARGE of IRAQ these days?
Sorry, but the SURGE FAILED, as well as killing -- a whole bunch of people!!
VanRiper, who lives in Los Angeles, said he is proud of his service but that the legacy of the war remains murky.
Not for me, not with 1.2 million Iraqis dead since the invasion (must be nearly TWO MILLION by now).
Related: Story Iraq: MSM Lied About Death Tolls
Memory Hole: 600,000 DEAD!
Occupation Iraq: One Million Dead Iraqis
And those that managed to survive?
"Five million Iraqis were displaced. Living conditions are deplorable."
Some surge success, huh?
“For all that we lost versus all that we gained,’’ VanRiper said, “I think we have paid an awfully big price. Was it worth saving Iraq? I don’t know.
Answer: No.
And he thinks we saved them?
“So many guys died, and the US expended billions, if not trillions, of dollars on the effort. What did we get out of it? I don’t see very much . . . it’s shades of gray.’’
Actually, I see it as a huge black stain on America's history -- and we already had a lot of stains!
--more--"
And like I said, SSDD:
"Al Qaeda says it killed 61 army recruits" by Associated Press | August 21, 2010
BAGHDAD — An Al Qaeda in Iraq front group yesterday claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing this week that killed 61 Iraqi Army recruits in the deadliest single act of violence in Baghdad in months.
The Islamic State of Iraq, which includes Al Qaeda in Iraq and other allied Sunni insurgent factions, boasted that its operative easily passed through checkpoints before detonating his explosives belt in a crowd of officers and recruits outside army headquarters Tuesday.
The bomber was able to “break all barriers’’ and strike “Shi’ite infidels and other apostates who were selling their religion,’’ the group said in a statement posted on a militant website.
Okay, so which "Al-CIA-Duh" would that be, huh?
The made-up "Al-CIA-Duh?"
Related:
Prop 101: Al-CIA-Duh and the OSI
Prop 101: Al-CIA-Duh's Greatest Hits
Prop 101: The "Terrorism" Business
New York Times Admits War on Terror is U.S. Creation
Oh, the MSM KNOWS ALL ABOUT the fraud and yet STILL PUSHES the CHARADE, huh?The Iraqi Army’s recruitment drive aimed to hire soldiers from the country’s poorest Shi’ite areas. The Islamic State of Iraq is a Sunni extremist group that considers Shi’ites heretics.
I've stopped believing my propaganda pres on these sectarian issues.
The bombing, which also wounded at least 125 people, again raised concerns about the Iraqi security forces’ readiness to protect their country when all but 50,000 US troops are heading home.
A senior adviser to Iraq’s top Shi’ite cleric blasted the country’s police and military leadership yesterday for failing to protect military recruits despite repeated attacks in the past.
“Several attacks have occurred against gatherings of recruits, yet security forces failed to take precautionary measures to protect them,’’ said Sheik Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalaie during yesterday’s sermon in the holy city of Karbala.
Karbalaie is a top representative of the revered cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, whose views carry great weight with Iraq’s Shi’ite majority.
--more--"
Please explain the dead soldier in Basra, general.
"Gunmen kill 5 Iraqi oil workers, steal payroll" by Associated Press | August 24, 2010
BAGHDAD — Gunmen ambushed a car with five Iraqi oil refinery employees carrying the company payroll, killing them and fleeing with $300,000 in cash yesterday, Iraqi officials said.
The brazen attack near Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit hit the employees right after they had picked up the payroll for the Haditha refinery in western Iraq from the main refining headquarters in Beiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad, police said.
Three accountants, an engineer, and a driver were killed in the afternoon attack, said an official with the main refinery in Beiji.
The attack was the latest in a rising trend that many believe is part of insurgent efforts to raise funds.
On Sunday, gunmen in western Baghdad held up a car with five employees of the Veterinary College outside a bank until they handed over the $600,000 payroll, police officials said. There were no casualties.
Something really stinks about these stories.
Why are they carrying such large amounts of cash around in-country?
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
A series of bank robberies and attacks on gold jewelers and money changers have occurred over the past several weeks across Iraq, raising suspicions that Al Qaeda-linked insurgents could be replenishing their coffers for future attacks.
What bull-oney!
The strikes came a week before the deadline for all but 50,000 US troops to be out of Iraq — a military drawdown that has raised fears that the country’s shaky security situation will worsen.
Also yesterday, a bomb attached to a civilian car of an Iraqi army officer exploded in Baghdad’s northern neighborhood of Kazimiyah, killing the officer and seriously wounding his brother who was in the car with him.
Police and hospital officials said the victim, Ali Jawad, was an officer with Iraq’s military intelligence.
--more--"
Still a success, readers:
"US troop level in Iraq under 50,000; Drawdown beats Obama deadline" by Rebecca Santana, Associated Press | August 25, 2010
BAGHDAD — The number of US troops in Iraq has fallen below 50,000 for the first time since the 2003 US-led invasion and ahead of the end-of-the-month deadline President Obama mandated, the American military said in a statement yesterday.
Until there is NO BOOT -- soldier or contractor -- on the ground I'm not happy.
The number is a watershed in the more than seven years that the United States has been at war in Iraq. Under Obama’s plan, American forces will no longer conduct combat operations but are instead to focus on training Iraqi troops.
Yup, nothing about the dead troop as they shovel more s***.
“We’ve met our goal,’’ General Ray Odierno, the commanding general in Iraq, told reporters yesterday. “But the story is not about 50,000. The story is that we are continuing to be committed to Iraq. But our commitment is going to change.’’
Must be the first one met in seven years.
And judging by that last statement we are not leaving.
In fact, with the false flag bombs going off all over the place the Iraqis may ask us to stay, cui bono?
Odierno said that going forward, the focus will be on economic, political, cultural, and technological developments as opposed to just the military relationship.
There are currently 49,700 troops in Iraq, and that number will remain level through next summer, Odierno said.
John Brennan, White House counterterrorism chief, hailed the troop drawdown as a “truly remarkable achievement.’’ He acknowledged persistent terrorist attacks in Iraq but said the violence is at a reduced level. Vice President Joe Biden called the troop reduction a “remarkable milestone.’’
Tell it to the Iraqis living it -- if they are lucky!
The drawdown is occurring at a fragile moment in Iraq’s history, when many are wondering whether the country’s tenuous security and democracy gains will backslide....
Underscoring the threat to Iraq’s stability amid the political vacuum, a car bomber last night killed three people and injured seven at a police checkpoint in Baqouba, a former insurgency stronghold 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, said Major Ghalib al-Karkhi, Diyala police command spokesman. Two of those killed were police officers.
Additionally, an Al Qaeda in Iraq front group announced it has targeted Iraqi judges in its campaign to reignite sectarian strife. The judges are on Al Qaeda’s hit list because of handing death sentences to Sunnis imprisoned in Shi’ite prisons, the group said....
Did you now they are also high on Mossad hit squad lists since it decimates the professional skills a society needs to sustain itself?
I think the eyes say it better than I ever could.
The series of attacks killed at least 56 people and injured scores, including a girl in Karbala. (Ahmed Al Husseini/Associated Press)
Ooooh.
What did that innocent little dear ever do to deserve such a thing?
"Blasts sweep across Iraq; Series of attacks kills dozens, sows doubts" by Anthony Shadid, New York Times | August 26, 2010
BAGHDAD — Insurgents unleashed a wave of coordinated attacks across Iraq yesterday in a demonstration of their ability to strike at will and their zeal to provide a jagged counterpoint to American aspirations of bringing the war in Iraq “to a responsible end.’’
In attacks in 13 towns and cities, from southernmost Basra to restive Mosul in the north, insurgents deployed their full arsenal: hit-and-run shootings, roadside mines, and more than a dozen car bombs. The toll was in the dozens, but the symbolism underscored a theme of America’s experience here: Its deadlines, including the Aug. 31 date to end combat operations, have rarely reflected the tumultuous reality on the ground and have often been accompanied by insurgent attacks....
I'm tired of symbolic themes because my propaganda paper is full of 'em.
Beginning with the car bombing of a police station in the northern Baghdad neighborhood of Qahira, the attacks sowed chaos and confusion among the Iraqi police and soldiers who responded. Twice, police officers brawled with soldiers at the scene, where the blast sheared the top floors off six houses and bent streetlights like paper clips. In each confrontation, a shot was fired into the air before officers broke up the fight.
First of all, that is one hell of a car bomb, and secondly, the POLICE BRAWLING with the ARMY?
A BAD, BAD, SIGN, America!!
The police kept angry residents away, but the residents, in turn, heckled them for their impotence in stopping the blast.
“You get millions of dinars in salaries and you won’t let us help our families?’’ one youth shouted. Another cried, “You just take money and don’t care about us!’’
An Iraqi investigator walked by. “This is the state?’’ he muttered. “This is the government?’’
Yeah, the surge succeeded!
For weeks, there had been a sense of inevitability to the assaults, and US military officials had warned that the insurgents would seek to show their prowess during the holy month of Ramadan.
Almost as if they knew!
And WHAT PIOUS "Al-Qaeda" MUSLIM (allegedly) does this during Ramadan?!
Ones that want to be damned to hell, I guess.
But the anticipation seemed to do little to prepare security forces for the breadth of the strikes, which followed what has become a daily campaign of bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and assassinations against security forces and officials in Baghdad and elsewhere.
Those AmeriKan assassination squads and sniper special forces must be twiddling their thumbs.
The names of the places where police were attacked read like a history of the war: Fallujah, Ramadi, Tikrit, Kirkuk, Basra, Karbala, and Mosul.
In one of the worst assaults, in the southern city of Kut, Iraqi officials said a car bomb detonated by its driver killed 19 people and wounded 87, most of them police officers. The attack destroyed the police station near the provincial headquarters.
In Diyala Province, five roadside bombs were detonated in the morning in Buhriz. The first was against a police patrol, the second against reinforcements who were heading to the scene, and three others targeting houses belonging to policemen, officials said. They were followed by a car bomb that struck the provincial headquarters in Baquba, northeast of Baghdad, killing three people.
Isn't Iraq so much better?
"Insurgents ambush US-backed militia; Attack kills six, follows series of strikes in Iraq" by Sinan Salaheddin, Associated Press | August 27, 2010
BAGHDAD — Insurgents killed six members of a government-allied Sunni militia in an ambush northeast of Baghdad yesterday, police said, offering no respite to a nation reeling from a spate of attacks on police and soldiers a day earlier that left at least 56 dead....
The attacks made August the deadliest month for Iraqi security forces in two years....
At least 265 security personnel — Iraqi military, police and police recruits, and bodyguards — have been killed from June through August, compared with 180 killed in the previous five months, according to an Associated Press count.
On Wednesday, as in earlier attacks, insurgents took aim at security forces where they are supposed to be the safest, turning police stations into rubble and bringing down concrete walls erected to protect them.
Iraq’s foreign minister said insurgents are attempting to sow as much chaos as possible, as lawmakers struggle to form a new government and Americans withdraw troops....
In August, about five Iraqi security personnel on average have been killed every day.
Rarely makes the papers on a consistent basis back here.
Of course, that would spoil the show, wouldn't it?
These numbers are considered a minimum. The actual number is probably higher, as many killings go unreported or uncounted.
It has been that way since we invaded!
A senior Iraqi intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to the media, said it was possible some of the attackers had inside help....
You mean an INSIDE JOB, huh?
Looks like the sun is starting to go down again, readers.
