Monday, September 08, 2003
It's time to get the UN in and the US out. The Bush Administration's arrogant
occupation of Iraq has harmed the United States position in the world community,
caused the deaths of 289 American soldiers at last count, and diverted tens of billions
of dollars from domestic needs. Now the President is asking for another $87 billion.
Even with that, he will not be able to achieve his objectives. - Dennis Kucinich
What’s Happening, Iraq:
Military Snafu: Newsweek (John Barry) announces that “The Bush administration’s military predicament in Iraq has suddenly gotten worse.” Apparently slip-shod overseeing has resulted in the military
…confessing to a potential showstopper. The deploying unit’s new armored vehicles may have faulty armor which would leave them vulnerable to machine-gun fire and to the rocket-propelled grenades that are the Iraq insurgents’ favorite weapon.
The vehicle is the prized new Stryker wheeled troop carrier, advertised as the first fruit of the Army’s plan to transform itself into a lighter, go-anywhere-fast force.
Worse still: the Army has known it might have a problem since February, but has kept quiet about it.
The speech was a re-hash, intended for the domestic audience, seeking to continue the re-write of history, e.g. the U.S. is ‘enforcing UN policy’, we went there to combat terror, etc. Foreign folk were not impressed.
Police Head Departs Prematurely: Still another sign of the chaos at hand. Originally slated to be serving a six month term, Bernard Kerik, the former New York City Police Commissioner, left after little more than 3 months from his job as defacto police chief of Baghdad.
9/11: So, Who Was Behind the Attacks? The spin was al-Qaeda and bin Laden, and then Saddam was introduced as being responsible…somehow. Now, a report out of Germany suggests suspects who fit less well into the Administration’s spin.
A German investigation into the September 11 attacks, believed to have been devised and led by a group of Muslim students from Hamburg, has found that Ramzi bin al-Shibh, captured a year ago in Pakistan, was the leader, according to a report over the weekend Whereas US officials have generally stressed Osama bin Laden and his Qaeda network as the author of the attacks, German investigators have contended the original conspiracy took place in Hamburg and that al-Qaeda was then tapped for funds, training and additional men. http://www.expatica.com/germany.asp?pad=190,205,&item_id=34037
Hillary Steps Forward:
I’m no fan, but Clinton has at least sat on the issue of the EPA being told to mislead New Yorkers about the quality of air in post 9/11 Lower Manhattan. She’s holding up the new EPA Administrator nomination, as she urges a better look at the 2001 deception. "This is a very big issue. It not only has to do with the health and safety of the people I represent. It has to do with the credibility and trust of this entire government."
Polls: I’m sure I’m not alone in citing polls. But, relative to where things have been, I choose to note the following:
(1) The latest Zogby is perhaps a precipitating reason for the Administration’s re-evaluation of their Iraqi position. Those viewing Bush as doing a good job has declined to 45%, and those with a negative view has risen to 54%.This is the first time Zogby has tallied a majority of "negative" ratings since Bush took office. And, this apparently is the first poll to put Bush under the (psychologically) important 50 percent line
(2) CNN reports that "41% of all registered voters say they will definitely vote AGAINST Bush; just 29% say they will definitely vote FOR him. So Bush must woo about seven in ten swing voters -- not a difficult task for a popular incumbent, but far from a certainty."
Fascinating how the media struggle to let go of calling him “popular.” 29% hardly constitutes “popular”.
-R
occupation of Iraq has harmed the United States position in the world community,
caused the deaths of 289 American soldiers at last count, and diverted tens of billions
of dollars from domestic needs. Now the President is asking for another $87 billion.
Even with that, he will not be able to achieve his objectives. - Dennis Kucinich
What’s Happening, Iraq:
Military Snafu: Newsweek (John Barry) announces that “The Bush administration’s military predicament in Iraq has suddenly gotten worse.” Apparently slip-shod overseeing has resulted in the military
…confessing to a potential showstopper. The deploying unit’s new armored vehicles may have faulty armor which would leave them vulnerable to machine-gun fire and to the rocket-propelled grenades that are the Iraq insurgents’ favorite weapon.
The vehicle is the prized new Stryker wheeled troop carrier, advertised as the first fruit of the Army’s plan to transform itself into a lighter, go-anywhere-fast force.
Worse still: the Army has known it might have a problem since February, but has kept quiet about it.
The speech was a re-hash, intended for the domestic audience, seeking to continue the re-write of history, e.g. the U.S. is ‘enforcing UN policy’, we went there to combat terror, etc. Foreign folk were not impressed.
Police Head Departs Prematurely: Still another sign of the chaos at hand. Originally slated to be serving a six month term, Bernard Kerik, the former New York City Police Commissioner, left after little more than 3 months from his job as defacto police chief of Baghdad.
9/11: So, Who Was Behind the Attacks? The spin was al-Qaeda and bin Laden, and then Saddam was introduced as being responsible…somehow. Now, a report out of Germany suggests suspects who fit less well into the Administration’s spin.
A German investigation into the September 11 attacks, believed to have been devised and led by a group of Muslim students from Hamburg, has found that Ramzi bin al-Shibh, captured a year ago in Pakistan, was the leader, according to a report over the weekend Whereas US officials have generally stressed Osama bin Laden and his Qaeda network as the author of the attacks, German investigators have contended the original conspiracy took place in Hamburg and that al-Qaeda was then tapped for funds, training and additional men. http://www.expatica.com/germany.asp?pad=190,205,&item_id=34037
Hillary Steps Forward:
I’m no fan, but Clinton has at least sat on the issue of the EPA being told to mislead New Yorkers about the quality of air in post 9/11 Lower Manhattan. She’s holding up the new EPA Administrator nomination, as she urges a better look at the 2001 deception. "This is a very big issue. It not only has to do with the health and safety of the people I represent. It has to do with the credibility and trust of this entire government."
Polls: I’m sure I’m not alone in citing polls. But, relative to where things have been, I choose to note the following:
(1) The latest Zogby is perhaps a precipitating reason for the Administration’s re-evaluation of their Iraqi position. Those viewing Bush as doing a good job has declined to 45%, and those with a negative view has risen to 54%.This is the first time Zogby has tallied a majority of "negative" ratings since Bush took office. And, this apparently is the first poll to put Bush under the (psychologically) important 50 percent line
(2) CNN reports that "41% of all registered voters say they will definitely vote AGAINST Bush; just 29% say they will definitely vote FOR him. So Bush must woo about seven in ten swing voters -- not a difficult task for a popular incumbent, but far from a certainty."
Fascinating how the media struggle to let go of calling him “popular.” 29% hardly constitutes “popular”.
-R
