Success in Iraq depends more on Iraqis reaching political agreement than U.S. troops rooting out terrorists. So it was an important breakthrough Saturday when Iraq’s parliament approved a president and speaker, and charged the prime-minister designate, Jawad al-Maliki (in photo), with forming a cabinet. Al-Maliki has 30 days to complete the government, an enormous leadership challenge. But after months of stalemate, Iraq is finally moving forward.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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36 Comments
If Bush can sell this, he can proceed to murder perhaps a million Iranians, light-up the world with atomic bombs and won’t you be so ever proud of that.
Nothing has changed. Iraq is an Islamic State and Bush has suggested some billions in pay-offs to look like something for real is happening.
6 more American soldiers died today, so what the hell kind of progress is that?
For Karl Rove who engineered this sham it’s a slam-dunk in the outhouse.
Ed, kin yall be tellin usuns howst youse reely feel?
Ah, Tar Baby. The master of understatement.
When feeling rage, talk softly, Ed It carries louder.
TB say things with some sense, that crap is nonsense.
Being bent of shape what Bush is doing in the Middle East only can cause heartburn and headaches.
Today won’t solve the future of Iraq. When will that country with its cultural split find the common ground of understanding. Decades and many insurgencies from now.
A Constitution? Ours wasn’t followed for hundreds of years in our Democracy that is still young in allowing freedoms and reprensentation for all. The government forced separate and unequal laws, slow to stop states and still the arguments, all aren’t really equal in this country.
It’s us with the authority to tell how other governments should work? With the current crop of politicians who can’t balance a budget, fix hurricane damage, save its citizens from catastrophe. We can’t fight the insurance and gasoline mafia as consumers because they have political shield from our bought and owned politicians.
Who covers the Iraqi’s or will eventually with insurance coverage. Death and woundings around every corner and at any time.
Hospitals here take some patients and drop them off in the street. Its not profitable to keep non paying and sick patients around.
Hope that never happens in Iraq. The capitalism at expense of individuals for profit. Who are setting up hospitals in Iraq? HMO executives?
Iraqi’s are in gas lines so some corporation is making a killing already there that way. Their government won’t control the oil properly. Especially if America wants some of it.
Can’t forget that was a key reason for going into Iraq and getting Saddam too.
The Middle East is ancient land and today is just a play. Billions of dollars, soldiers lives,innocents in the way. The horror of insurgency, our political brains couldn’t see coming because of arrogance. This is Act what…4. Invaded, got Saddam, trial of Saddam, form government. More to this play decades from now, when we start to forget the Bush Presidency even happened. Act 5 should be a song describing outing the scoundrels who took America to war for political reasons.
How many times was there a “breakthrough” in Vietnam as that situation continued to deteriorate straight to hell?
Three years and they may have a cabinet pretty soon.
Another three years, and who knows, they may have drinking water . . .
Never forget what the Liar-in-Chief said in his first debate, Oct 2000:Question–when would you send in troops?
“[Only if there] was an exit strategy. I would take the use of force very seriously. I would be guarded in my approach. I don’t think we can be all things to all people in the world. I think we’ve got to be very careful when we commit our troops. The vice president [Gore] and I have a disagreement about the use of troops. He believes in nation building. I would be very careful about using our troops as nation builders. So I would take my responsibility seriously.
“And it starts with making sure we rebuild our military power. Morale in today’s military is too low. We’re having trouble meeting recruiting goals. We met the goals this year, but in the previous years we have not met recruiting goals. Some of our troops are not well-equipped. I believe we’re overextended in too many places.”
Bush thought we were “overextended in too many places” BEFORE IRAQ.
Oh my, it’s a good thing that hypocrisy does not create physical pressure say in the cranium, otherwise the boy-king and all the king’s men would have exploded by now.
And how’s that “exit strategy” coming along?
I will withhold judgment but have to agree with lefthook about the “breakthroughs” in VietNam. There are just FAR too many similarities as the US (under JFK and LBJ) tried to impose its will on that country.
Rumsfield even LOOKS like McNamara.
We have many people in the forefront now who were in the background during Nam. Eisenhower foresaw every bit of this, yet the American people didn’t listen and blithely went along with everything. The later years of Nam were the exception to that. If JFK had had his way, we would’ve been out of Nam. He didn’t. He was assasinated. And the war (and Brown & Root and the rest) grew bigger. Unless we, the people, change things by voting in new people who listen to us, not corporations, we can expect more of the same.
Re: The building going on in Iraq.
U.S. Building Massive Embassy in Baghdad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060414/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_new_embassy_2
Mrage
Talking softly is a great idea. As is taking the “bang” out of an Atomic Bomb and attack me seems more important than dealing with reality.Your { all of you } failure { fear } to even mention Zionist Israel carries the loudest.
Once the Atomic Bomb is let out of Pandora’s box it’s over. Then all my stridency won’t make a shit to your tender ears { those blacken burnt-off twigs }.
The seriousness of this Middle East situation somehow can’t reach you. You have more fear about critiquing Zionism than the reality of dangerousness of Atomic Warfare.
George just said the Chineese are driving-up the price of gasoline. { from 9 dollars to 73 dollars on crude? }
His job is safe.
George Will
The solution which will stop the violence today is to make peace with the Arabs.
Zionist Israel won’t like that, but who cares as they have nothing to offer except trouble and charge us billions to produce it.
America’s working class are losing their jobs, homes and cars as a result of the G-d Zionist-Jews trouble-making activities, with threats of using Atomic Bombs which they stole from us.
Zionist Israel has no value whatsoever. And has lost its right to exist as a nation.
Iran is coming closer to the truth when saying the world would be better off with Israel wiped-off the map, at least the Israel run by the Zionist-Jews.
The threat of using Atomic Bombs on Iran is what is driving-up the price of crude oil and then followed by the increased price of gasoline to 3 dollars a gallon.
That has put GM on the brink of bankruptcy and has cost working class America first 600,000 jobs then all the jobs associated with the suppliers.
Again Zionist Israel is not worth it. Zionist Israel has no constructive value and needs to be disbanded.
Now, see how that bit of reality does shuts you up.
For that you should hang your heads in shame.
LeftHook – the exit strategy is in the same trash can as the WMDs.
The PNAC president has a one tract mind. So do I. I want to get rid of him and the Zionist who pull his strings. G-d, he’s too stupid to be president.
The comedian who portrays Bush on Jay Leno is smarter.
We are in the grasp of PNAC.
Ed,
I have a friend who lives in Jordan. Point of view same as yours, its all about Israel.
Its not going to be solved by America. The Middle East has to live together without the countries shooting rockets at each other.
Arabs accept the country of Israel, they accept its stupid to force themselves into Palestinian cities. Stay out of Lebanon and Syria.I think many in Israel want the fighting to stop and the government is trying to pull back but not doing it fast enough.
The Middle East shouldn’t be fighting among themselves. Lessen the hatred, it starts with every individual. America won’t use nuclear weapons, but terrorists could use a crude one eventually somewhere.
Iran isn’t going to be bombed by Bush,that’s just something Cheney brought up to affect the oil prices and he gets paid by Haliburton stock going up.
Its terrible to read about suicide bombers anywhere. Its bad when soldiers are snipers kill innocents just because they were in the wrong place. Helicopters with rockets blowing property up and bulldozers.Missile strikes are hardly ever perfect, always collateral damage.
Someone said Israel considers every Hamas elected government person a potential target. That’s not neighborly. People voted, its their form of government, Israel and the world has to accept it.
I wonder how much more progress we can stand over there? the solution is to withdraw all American troops and to partition Iraq into three nations; Sunni, Shiia and Kurd with an agreement to share the oil revenue. Iraq is an artificial country drawn up by British imperial powers, diversity and democracy will never work together so let’s just end the charade, now!
V.L.R.B!!
Mrage,
The United States is the only one who can bring peace and can do that right now.
We are a superpower and can Kick Israel’s ass right back into the sea. All the Arab world wants is to put Israel back across the “green-Line” designate East Jerusalem as their Capitol and it’s a done deal.
The violence stops as there is no longer a reason for it.
We would have much more violence in New York City as an everyday occurrence than they would on their worse day.
We should also shut-down all of Israel’s criminal operations while we’re at it. And that will be a task, as it’s their GNP.
Once you’re pasted Zionist propaganda, Islam is a very peaceful religion, when you’re not busy murdering their children or bulldozing their homes.
Now is that quiet enough, sweet-lips?
Why believe in that Ed, its never going to happen.
There is no making Israel an enemy of America, no matter the labeling and name calling, suspicions and hatred of those people and their form of government. Hating our goverment for not doing enough.
I don’t like the ideals of some radical Christians who hope for end of Arabs and conversion of Jews so Jesus can return. That’s insane and some powerful folks believe it.
Same as Muslims wanting to dominate the world under rules of radical and restrictive Islam. Its not reasonable to wage war trying to attain that goal and everyway is legal, suicide bombings of innocents as example. Kidnappings and torture.
Those are murderers not soldiers of faith.
Israel knows the UN doesn’t like them over borders and they need to pull back. Its going to take time, a generation possibly.
If your really wanting change, begin some yourself. Find the path to a political office of power in any country, then try to direct policy in the Middle East. It may take your lifetime. Begin a process others could follow in your footsteps. Every government needs advisors expert in that culture.
America’s military has future problems in many places around the world and Israel isn’t the battle field of choice any time soon.
Because we’re in Iraq doesn’t mean our forces are nearby to dominate any other battlefield. We shouldn’t be in that part of world militarily forever.
Zionism is the mindset of brutality. You’ll not change your mind about that but rather change the subject. The undistorted history speaks loud and clear about their methods and ambitions.
Zionists are the personification of evil while good Jews are not. An increasing number of American Jews want nothing to do with Zionist Israel.
Like it or not.
” Its going to take time, a generation possibly.”
It’s a;ready been over 40 years.
Zionist arrogance will not allow itself to notice that it’s tied to its own RR tract and the “Death-Train” is rumbling down the track ever closer.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/708470.html
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/rosnerBlog.jhtml?itemNo=708013&contrassID=25&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=1&listSrc=Y&art=2#article708013
Zionism reminds me of Captain Ahab’s obsessive hunt for Moby-Dick.
A great lesson in greed.
And not listening to the clear thinking and sound advice of Starbuck.
Bush is so desperate that it doesn’t have to be a Government in Iraq, it just has to look like one.
“I wonder how much more progress we can stand over there?”
Funny Ian.
“Bush is so desperate that it doesn’t have to be a Government in Iraq, it just has to look like one”
Funny too Ed.
You guys are on a roll here. I dont always share your views, but I love it when you ’splain it to ‘em!
Ed,
You are correct, the jews have to be removed from power at all costs. We have to take America back!
by R.V. Lily
AS KARL ROVE goes into a lower-visibility mode, President Bush has placed two Jews in charge of White House daily policy planning — making the Jewish presence there more open than ever before, though heavy Jewish influence on Bush has long been known to be a fact.
Joshua Bolten was recently named as the White House chief of staff, and today Bush nominated Joel Kaplan (pictured), another Jew, to serve as Bolten’s deputy.
The Jerusalem Post reports on the reaction of Jewish leaders in the U.S.: ‘”He is simply appointing the best people for the job,” said Nathan Diament, who heads the Washington office of the Orthodox Union. Another Jewish activist added that he “wouldn’t read too much into it.”
‘Bolten (pictured, left, with Bush) and Kaplan will probably be the most prominent Jewish members of the Bush administration, but not the only ones. Apart from Bolten, there is another Jewish cabinet member, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, and there are other Jewish senior staff members, including Deputy National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams and White House staffer Jay Lefkowitz. In the past year, several Jews who were holding senior posts in the administration have left, among them deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz, undersecretary of defense Doug Feith, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff Lewis “Scooter” Libby and political adviser Ken Mehlman, who now heads the Republican National Committee.’
The Jerusalem Post wildly downplays the impact of Jews on the Bush adminstration, and completely fails to mention the hugely influential and ubiquitous neocons — almost entirely Jewish and all slavishly devoted to Israel’s interests — who have led the charge for war in the Middle East and even managed to create their own bogus “intelliegence agency” — the Office of Special Plans — to feed the White House cooked-up figures on Iraq’s WMDs, and other topics, when CIA data didn’t sufficiently jibe with their drive for war.
The Republican Jewish Coalition’s Executive Director, Matt Brooks, was ecstatic over Bolten’s accession to power, saying: “It gives us a special sense of pride to have Josh, a fellow Jewish Republican, in such a vitally important role, serving at the side of the President.” The Washington Jewish Week emphasized Bolten’s strong awareness of his identity as a Jew: “When Josh Bolten walked into his first meeting as a member of President George W. Bush’s Cabinet in the summer of 2003, he was asked to lead the president and the Cabinet in prayer. He chose to pray for the welfare of the American government, both in Hebrew and English, a sign of his strong Jewish identity.”
The Week added that, with Bolten’s help, Jewish leaders get special treatment not afforded to other Americans: “[Bolten has been] a quiet advocate for Jewish concerns, say Jewish organizational officials, sometimes bringing issues past the White House bureaucracy and straight to influential leaders….”
William Daroff, a vice president at United Jewish Communities, seemed to contradict the Jerusalem’s Post’s take on things when he said “Since the beginning of this administration, he [Bolten] has been a senior-level force for making sure the Jewish community had a voice at the very highest levels of the administration. Josh Bolten as chief of staff to the president will open up great opportunities for the Jewish community to make sure we are heard….”http://www.nationalvanguard.org/story.php?id=8737
V.L.R.B!!!
The Iraqi government is just a puppet government anyway. Come on! Let’s be honest with ourselves.
Ian
Zionist-Jews are the enemy to both us and the good Jews who wish only peace with the Arabs and are more than willing to follow international law.
When you cite “Jews” in one lump, it’s unfair as they are not the problem.
They need our help and support as well.
Israel says nuclear Iran threat to U.S., Bush would say “nuff said!”
Well, Ahmadinejad’s rhetoric concerning Israel and the West isn’t helping the situation. ;)
See this fascinating article that describes the difficulty in distinguishing our friends, insurgents and insurgent sympathizers in a hostile part of Iraq.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/28/AR2006042802244.html
Does that problem remind anyone else of a past U.S. conflict overseas? Does anyone else have problems with U.S. tax derived funds being used to arm and support insurgents and insurgent-sympathizers? What a brilliant war this has turned out to be.