What Jon Stewart Said

A primer for the uninitiated, the ill-informed, or those with their heads so far up their ass they can measure their heart rate with their tongue.

Meet Me In September....

It looks like the issue of Iraq, the surge, and the funding of a fiasco has officially been placed on the Congressional back burner until September. Its prominence in the news and the American psyche will only grow. Each death from now till Congress takes up the issue will be the price of being reasonable.

I hate it.

If I wanted to be uncivil, I would call this recent vote the steaming pile of rancid wombat shit it is, but we must be civil. We don't want the Times or WaPo to think of us as unwashed, rude, and not in the Washington loop. Frack'em!

How much more does American opinion have to turn on this war or its criminally minded ideologues that forced it? The Bush infestation has shot its load, spent its 5 cents of political capital. It is time to bring our soldiers home!

There are no more excuses.

This is the quandary Congressional Democrats have found themselves in. We are no longer the minority party, that excuse is gone. The whole concept of supporting the troops by keeping them in a crumbling corner of hell was bullshit to begin with. If we approve funding with timetables and benchmarks, and Dimwit McFrackstick doesn't like it, then too bad. That's life baby cakes. Congress holds the purse strings swifty live with it. Thanks for nothing. Waiting till a vote is pointless, when you COULD HAVE led by example is not something to put on your presidential resumes. I don't know if Edwards, if he was still in the senate, would have done something differently, but at least he has been beating the peace drum the most consistently, at least amongst the major candidates.

Okay, with the settling in phase at my new job over, I hope to be posting at my usual rate.

Piç!

Oh a map can tell you a lot. The lighter area represents the furthest extent of Kurdish territorial claims. Hence the following story should be no surprise.

According to a Turkish language website I found this post's title translates as "son of a bitch". I was afraid this was going to happen back before we invaded Iraq. The Turks are pissed with the de-facto independence of "Kurdistan" and really peeved with the aforementioned pseudo-country's harboring of Turkish-Kurd separatists.

This could get really nasty really quick. The first problem is Turkey is a NATO member, an ally, so we cannot hit them. Then you have the Iraqi Kurds, who are the only ally we have in Iraq, we can't hit them. However, a lack of action on our part, or any perceived favoritism could blow the Iraqi kettle straight past bubbling over into "Old Faithful" territory.

Lose the Kurds and ANY real or perceived control that we have over events in Iraq are over, done, and finished.

Turkish Army Seeks OK for Iraq Raids
Thursday April 12, 2007 7:01 PM
By SELCAN HACAOGLU
Associated Press Writer

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's military asked the government Thursday to approve attacks on Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, signaling growing frustration over a lack of action against the guerrillas by Iraqi and U.S. forces.

Such action could put an overstretched U.S. military in the middle of a fight between two crucial partners, the Turks and the Iraqi Kurds. A recent surge in Kurdish attacks in southeastern Turkey has increased the pressure on Turkey's military to act. ``

An operation into Iraq is necessary,'' Gen. Yasar Buyukanit told reporters. Buyukanit said the military already has launched operations against separatists in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeastern region bordering Iraq.

Understanding Turkish politics means understanding the constitutional and historical power it has wielded in the modern state. The countries first president, after the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa Kemal "Attaturk", established these mechanisms in the Turkish constitution. Since then the military has toppled civilian governments by either supplanting them as they did in 1980. More recently they have exerted more subtle power by driving PM's from office, through the army's influence in Parliament.

PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a chameleon in Turkish politics, he has extended the dove of peace to traditional enemy Greece, by becoming the first Turkish PM to make an official state visit. In the process he helped remove the largest barrier to Turkey's admission into the EU, Greece's opposition. However, he has shown that he will not tolerate the Kurdish separatists within or outside of the Turkish Republic.

As recently as April 9, 2007 MSNBC via the Financial Time Reported:

Turkey warned Iraqi Kurdish leaders on Monday they would be "crushed" if they carried out a threat to stir up trouble among Turkish Kurds, as clashes with separatists in south-eastern Turkey claimed at least 20 lives.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, reacted angrily to weekend comments by Massoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq. Mr Barzani has set off a political and media storm in Ankara with his threat to "interfere" in Turkey's restive Kurdish provinces if Ankara did not stop "interfering" in his region.

Further complicating the plot is the upcoming Turkish election and NO Turkish politician wants to be perceived as weak on an issue that has cost so much blood and treasure.

Bridge Over The River Quagmire.

Mohammed Jalil / EPA

Associated Press via MSNBC

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide truck bomb exploded on a major bridge in Baghdad early Thursday, collapsing the steel structure and sending cars toppling into the Tigris River below, police and witnesses said. At least 10 people were killed.

Hospital officials said another 26 were injured, and police were trying to rescue as many as 20 people whose cars plummeted off the al-Sarafiya bridge.

Across the U.S. wingnuts are repeating this to themselves: "The Surge is working, The Surge is working. "

Sad really.

"Baghdad Safe" --St. John Mc Cain

McCain to hold press conference claiming that even though Parliament was bombed, Funkadelic is still safe.

Penguin- From Eschaton

Blast rocks Iraq parliament building in Green Zone
Updated Thu. Apr. 12 2007 10:09 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

At least two lawmakers are dead after a bomb exploded within the confines of Baghdad's heavily fortified, U.S. protected Green Zone Thursday.

Ten other people were also wounded by the bomb, which was set off inside the Iraqi parliament's cafeteria.

The incident occurred just hours after a suicide truck bomb blew up a major bridge in Baghdad -- plummeting cars into the Tigris River.

At least 10 people were killed in that incident.

Somebody Wake Up The Guy

Who Is Supposed To Update This Page At Fox!

February 7th is the last time they updated it.

Dor-sho-gha! bIHnuch ghobe' hoghobe'r!!!

Okay so many of you may not have a working knowledge of Klingon so a transaltion of the title above,
Translation: "(Expletive deleted) Cowards without honor!"

"This president has listened to some people, the so-called Vulcans in the White House, the ideologues. But you know, unlike the Vulcans of Star Trek who made the decisions based on logic and fact, these guys make it on ideology. These aren't Vulcans. There are Klingons in the White House. But unlike the real Klingons of Star Trek, these Klingons have never fought a battle of their own. Don't let faux Klingons send real Americans to war."

(Rep David Wu-OR

DAMN!!! A geek in Congress ROCK ON!!! Fellow geeks our time has come!

It Was Only A Matter Of Time

Watch as two forces of evil converge in comedic symmetry.

Cognitive Dissonance or WTF?

I was having a nice day. Having been sent uptown I escaped the psychotic wonders of this pittance of a job. I mean seriously what kid of law firm forgets that they are going on trial the next day. Christ.

Upon my return to this legal wasteland I am informed of this.

Despite Recent Suicide Bombs, Violence Appears Calmer in Baghdad
U.S. Troop Surge Met With Little Resistance From Militias
by TERRY MCCARTHY

That's comforting, calmer violence. It really shows progress when the violence becomes calme..... What the hell? Roll that sentence over in your mind a bit. Go ahead, don't be afraid. It took me one or two reads.

Besides the oxymoronic nature of the two clauses I am still flabbergasted by the absolute audacity to use the phrase "Violence Appears Calmer". The next paragraph, however lets everyone know that the author of the article either:
A) has a really different idea of what calm is or
B) Is Full of Shit.

BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 6, 2007 — Two suicide bombers killed at least 149 Shiite pilgrims today in the town of Hillah south of Baghdad.

The pilgrims were making their way toward the town of Karbala, 60 miles south of Baghdad, for a religious festival due to start Friday. The bombers had mingled with the crowd when it stopped at a roadside tent, where they detonated the explosive vests hidden under their clothes.

From my understanding though the car bombs went off quieter and really did feel bad about splintering the bones and charring the flesh of their victims. Its gives me hope. We can use this calmer violence. Now as to the A&B options above, if you picked B you are certainly on target.

This is in stark contrast to the last big U.S. push into Sadr City in 2004, which led to fierce street fighting with heavy casualties on both sides.

The main reason appears to be that for now the militias have melted away rather than confront the well-armed Americans. Despite recent deadly attacks outside Baghdad, many people who spoke to ABC News inside the city say they sense things have started to change since the U.S. surge began.

Herein lies the sad tale of limited power projection. Sun Tzu writes about striking where your enemy is weakest, so we can expect to see a rise in violence in all the usual place Baquba etal. Why because if we flood troops into Baghdad they MUST come from other parts of Iraq. We simply do not have the manpower or logistics to project our power into multiple regions. So "surge" into Baghdad and you will see a corresponding rise in violence outside of Iraq.

Limited Power Projection also leads to our second lesson from Sun-Tzu, goad your enemy into concentrating his forces by feigning weakness. The last time we entered Sadr City a blood bath ensued. The insurgents took it firmly on the chin. One key fact remains, much like the shatteres remains of Al-Quada after the attack on Afghanistan, no matter how far they may have bent, they did not break. Recent history has borne out this assertion.

If, as even the author of the article concedes that, the insurgents have "melted away rather than confront the well-armed Americans." We still have a zero sum gain on the ground. If we relax our presence, shorten patrols because Baghdad APPEARS calm then we may feel compelled to move troops into areas where the insurgency is highly active. Leaving a smaller and more vulnerable force within the capital, and, guess what? The insurgents, that melted away, will reappear; rested, rearmed, and reinforced.

Unless we are prepared to inflict and sustain massive casualties this will just be a circular system leading to a drawn out failure. This also calls into question what is our purpose in Iraq, what is this vague platitude that is cast about willy-nilly by the President and his crew. If we are occupiers extending an American Empire then sustained massive application of force is needed to, I hate using this term, pacify iraq. If we are there to create a stable Iraq then game over. Our ability and time to do so, by military force, has long since past.

We have no reason or purpose to try the first, and we blew our chance at the latter.

Amoral

Laura Bush on Larry King Live:

Many parts of Iraq are stable now. But, uh, of course, what we see on television is the one bombing a day that discourages everyone.

Apparently Laura doesn't follow what's going on in Iraq. Just like her husband.

The Price of War and The Power of Love

Click Photo to enlarge

Thanks to Nancy Willing from over at Delaware Way.

This is not a post about politics, I would not cheapen their joy nor their sorrow in that way. No words can express the confluence of paradoxical emotions that they inspire. I would love to comment on the war that caused his injuries or the hope that their wedding inspires, but I am, for once at a lost for words. What I can express is my deep admiration for this young couple and my hopes for their future. Below is Ty and Rene in a simpler time.

View more photos here.

No Escalation! Petition Pimping!

Ok. Love him or hate 'em Senate MAJORITY LeaderHarry Reid (NV-D) is never boring. Over at his site "Give 'Em Hell Harry" he has a petition up. If you want to convince members of the upper chamber, Democrat or Republican, you gotta be heard.

Soooooo get moving dammit!!!

Click here.

Greenwald Says It Best.

The following is a snippet from Glenn Greenwald's New Years Day post. It amazes me how Glenn can consistently hit the nails smack on the head.

So this is the grand and noble achievement which the President and his band of bloodthirsty followers are reduced to celebrating -- a lawless, thuggish hanging, carried out in clear and deliberate violation of the law, by a bunch of homicidal street thugs and militia foot soldiers who themselves will be included among our next kill targets once our glorious "sustained surge" begins.

No matter what we touch in Iraq, no matter what we do, it only makes things worse -- never better -- because the root of what we are doing is itself so rotted and incoherent and corrupt. It's beyond doubt that we're going to be treated to much more "freedom" and "justice" like this over the next two years in Iraq, at least.

The very thought of al-Sadr's thugs hanging the thug, formerly known as Saddam, shows just how far down this filthy and disgusting road Shrub and his cohorts have dragged us. Like most occupiers, our forces are not truly in control of anything they are subject to the whims of the three headed beast that is the "new" Iraq.

The Shia are in control, not just because of numbers, but because of our guns. They will be forced time and again to the more radical members of their sect. The key will be if the radicals like al-Sadr will stay on the political sidelines or fully exercise their power and create Iran-west. The fact that they were given the role of hangman for the Saddam fiasco is proof positive of their growing influence.

The Sunni's will be the eternal opposition, with overt and covert aid, from their Sunni brethren in neighboring nations. The Kurds are the wild card. With their de-facto independence they are a breath away from provoking a multi-nation war should the Kurds decide to exercise their autonomy in a meaningful way.

Three thousand U.S. dead, tens of thousands wounded, Lord knows how many Iraqis and the best these nimrods can come up with is McCain's "Surge" Doctrine. While this will make Bill Kristol giddy, we will be forced to watch. as this pigheaded administration plays out the last of its schoolyard dreams, of being the toughest kid on the block.

And So It Goes

The Current Casualties in Iraq (From Antiwar.com)
U.S. Killed since war began (3/19/03): 2957
U.S. Killed since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 2820
U.S. Wounded: 22,235
U.S.EstimatedWounded: 23000 - 100,000
Coalition Killed: 239

Afghanistan (From Icasulaties.org)
U.S. Killed: 357
U.S. Wounded: 1062
Total Wounded All Causes: 5,994
Coalition Killed: 158

Iraqi Killed (From Iraqi Body Count)
Min/Max: 51331/56869

Ways You Can Help The Survivors:
Share The Sacrifice (also helps Vietnam Vets- Thanks Samurai Sam)
Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America (Formerly Operation Truth)
Fisher House (Vets of All Wars)
Wounded Warrior Project
Any Soldier
The USO
United Spinal Association (aka Eastern Paralyzed Veterans)
Walter Reed Medical Center

Casualty Lists and numbers from: The US DOD via Antiwar.com, & Iraq Body Count, & ICasualities.org

Yes, My Master.

Firedoglake correctly points out:

"This might be amusing if I didn't know this was the White House Press Secretary talking about the mess that is Iraq and President"

Now what could Tony Snow have said that could get this reaction from that fine blog's writer and apparently Froomkin. This from the daily White House Press Gaggle. The issue at hand was the Presidents clear and definite indication that he had no clear, definite, nor immediate plans on making a decision at this juncture on Iraq, all things being considered, at this critical time.......:

" Q Did the military leaders encourage him to just take a little bit more time?

" MR. SNOW: No, no, no. The President is the Commander-in-Chief; he issues orders. He decided, frankly, that it's not ready yet. . . .

" Q So some might infer that the delay means he doesn't know what to do.

" MR. SNOW: No, well, that would be the wrong inference to draw. . . .

" Q So just to get this clear, the reason for the delay is, number one, the complexity of the Iraq issue, and not because the President learned something in the last week that changed his mind?

" MR. SNOW: That is correct. . . .

Very cautious, careful, and is almost true, a rare event so "rock da houze" Tony. Well it is true that the President hadn't " the President learned something in the last week that changed his mind". He learned it TWO WEEKS AGO. What happened to keep the in-decider from deciding:

December 13, 2006
Saudis Say They Might Back Sunnis if U.S. Leaves Iraq
By HELENE COOPER

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 — Saudi Arabia has told the Bush administration that it might provide financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in any war against Iraq’s Shiites if the United States pulls its troops out of Iraq, according to American and Arab diplomats.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia conveyed that message to Vice President Dick Cheney two weeks ago during Mr. Cheney’s whirlwind visit to Riyadh, the officials said. During the visit, King Abdullah also expressed strong opposition to diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran, and pushed for Washington to encourage the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, senior Bush administration officials said.

So now we have at least a partial answer as to why the Saudi ambassador resigned abruptly. We now know why the Saudi's have been dumping dollars for Euro's. Next step in slapping Shrub into line will be to start pumping oil like a teenager with hyper-acne. Lower the price, screw Big Oil where it hurt$, and watch Shrub and Cheney fall back in line with its master's (Saudi) voice.

We have acquired a photo, secretly taken of Cheney as he entered the King's presence: