This Year

Seven years have passed, grief and anger have subsided in the nether regions of the mind, but this date always reminds me that no one has yet to pay for committing this crime. Over five thousand dead, the victims, our casualties and untold tens of thousands civilians dead; in our government's pursuit of its agenda. I do not say War on Terrorism, because the Al Queda we were told that were responsible; still alludes us. The second in command in Iraq and the chauffeur is all we had? It seems that Osama Bin Laden will die a natural death, because our war has become a War on Civilization, not a war to bring Justice for all the dead.

Say What?

Iraqi defense minister dubious on independent security soon

by Thom Shanker

FORT MONROE, Virginia: The Iraqi defense minister said that his nation would not be able to take full responsibility for its internal security until 2012, nor be able on to defend Iraq's borders from external threat until at least 2018.

Here's the story from the International Herald Tribune

It takes an American soldier 16 weeks; 8 weeks of basic training and 8 weeks of combat or specialized training. 16 weeks from taking an oath to deployment for many soldiers during our previous wars. We have been supposedly training soldiers and police officers for 5 years. I realize that this was in extraordinary circumstances, but 5 years and the defense minister wants 4 to 8 more? Now the US is working out a deal that might keep us there, even if the Iraqis get it together.

Shanker goes on to describe Iraq's defense minister Abdul Qadir al-Obaidi reason for his visit here; discussion of an agreement of the military responsibilities between the US and Iraq. The defense minister has a wish list too.

Qadir sketched out a shopping list that included ground vehicles and helicopters, as well as tanks, artillery and armored personnel carriers.

Those, he said, are needed as Iraq moves toward taking full responsibility for its security.

In the years after that, as his nation assumes full control over its defense against foreign threats, Iraq will need additional aircraft, including warplanes and reconnaissance vehicles, he said.

Did the US destroy all the equipment Iraq had and didn't they have a chance to rebuild its military after our first war? They managed to do it after the war with Iran. I'm puzzled. I am beginning to think that the present Iraqi government intends to play at democracy, so that it can suck at the teat of America's Military Industrial Complex.

Fear is in the Head of the Beholder

Six years ago, a few days after the 11^th, many coworkers were discussing the fear. I said, “I am not any more fearful now than before.” One person got angry with me that I had not reacted the same as they did. I explained that I was always in a state of anxiety, when my son was out, because I never knew if he would be in a situation that could get him killed or injured. For the past few years this city has been one of the cities having a high murder rate. Much of it random, that is, without any premeditation; with many bystanders and too, too many children, being the victims. A post, 911 Six Years Later by Jonathan Adams at Racewire brought this to mind.

On that terrible day, I felt anger and like I was living in a surreal world. I felt grief as if I were part of all the families. I did not feel fear.

I don’t watch the reruns of the destruction or look at pictures. I don’t need to dwell on the images. I have in my life time seen other horrors, most not on the scale of 911. I had heard of and seen the images of the Holocaust. Others were not visually seen, but told of or read about, in the news. Learning one’s own history gives one a stoic response to violence.

The gangs that terrorize neighborhoods are not thought of when debating border security with Mexico. No thought in the national mind what these people go though day to day, just what if one Al Qaeda gets though? There are gang members that are recruited and brought in from Mexico. Their methods of enforcement of their activities in the neighborhoods are as violent as or worst than the Islamist.

Fear is now in all communities. Now their response is irrational. So new is the fear, that a war just anywhere, bringing freedom to anyone is sufficient, because “They hate our freedoms…” A slam dunk, that’ll ease the fear and as a side effect the US will have brought freedom and democracy to the Islamic world, stabilized the Middle East and enshrined the name of George W. Bush.

What I consider to be the first terrorist act in my memory was the bombing of the 16^th Street Baptist Church. Actually, it was not the first, but one that stood out in national infamy. Terrorism is not new on this soil and for the slave, the native and then the free black; it has been a way of life. There was no justice then, and the 911 victims have not seen justice either. I have written of this before. The War in Iraq is not Justice.

How Come?

• How come Ayaan Hirsi Ali was not noticed until after the Iraq War was going bad?
• How come Female Genital Mutilation became a white conservative male issue after 9/11 and they became a feminist voice for all Muslim women?
• How come Rap becomes a viable medium when Muslims use it to criticize Islam?
• How come the right was quick to note Africans enslave other Africans in the 16th century, but was very slow to see slavery in the 20th and 21th century until it was attached to Islam?
  

Is Bush saying, "See, I toldja!"

White House: Bin Laden wanted Iraq as a new base.

If bin Laden had been caught, Bush wouldn't have had to look into a looking glass to help him decide to make war..

My thoughts on The War: Not that it matters

Recently the intelligence community has reported on the situation and conditions as they saw it after 9/11. The latest we’ve found out was that links between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein were exaggerated. Some who were against the war now feel vindicated by the new reports. My question has been, even if these events were true, why would we go to war with Iraq?

My thoughts on WMD’s at the time; the Russians or the old Soviet satellites were a better source; Al Qaeda could get them intact. Perhaps a case of Vodka would be able to get enough radioactive material just for a dirty bomb. It didn’t matter if Al Qaeda had links to Iraq; 2002 we should have been after Osama bin Laden and his fellow henchmen. As I have said before we should have been looking for justice for the victims of September 11, 2001.

Fighting a Jihad has nothing to do with political philosophy; it has to do with killing to rid the earth of infidels. We infidels should only be concerned with killing the Jihadist. Before the Jihadist could get themselves together in Iraq, we didn’t have a terrorist enemy. The violation of UN Resolution 1441 could have been resolved by the UN. The US was already participating in the No Fly Zone and sanctions against Iraq. The US may not have liked what was going on in the UN, but at that time, it was not the issue.

I felt that the US should have left Afghanistan a sink hole, the mountains even into Pakistan should have been craters. This is where the war should have been, solely. The billions our government has spent in Iraq have created the Viet Nam scenario no one wanted. (There were very few that had been personally impacted by Viet Nam in the Bush administration. Chaney’s reference for Iraq’s reaction was WWII.) I believe the money would have been better spent as an incentive in finding Bin Laden. However, we are five years into this mess; I can’t agree with leaving this mess. I just wish I had sent my views to my congressmen, maybe personally picketed their house (I live close to two), and bombarded all the congress’ offices with emails. I expressed my views to a few, and hoped most of congress would see the light. Two few saw the light. I think fear had taken over; not of terrorism, but as being seen as a traitors. It’s too bad that to appear great, expressions of conscience are trashed to compel patriotism.

Foxes Guarding the Hen House

I am not sure this is an appropriate saying to apply to the recommendation that Syria and Iran become involved and help the Iraqi government; but it was the first thing I thought while reading this washingtonpost.com article.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Syria and Iran are willing to help stabilize Iraq, as the Iraq Study Group recommended Wednesday, but both countries will want something in return and neither has a magic solution to the chaos, Mideast officials and analysts said.

They really want this in return and more.

Syria's ambassador to Washington, Imad Moustapha, said his country is willing to encourage Iraq's Sunni Arabs to support the political process. But Damascus wants assurances that the United States will prevent Iraq from breaking apart.

Iran, meanwhile, has demanded that American forces leave Iraq, a step that could push the Shiite-led government even closer to Tehran.

Our government has said the sectarian violence has not become a civil war. I guess maybe civil war is defined as brother against brother; not citizen against citizen.

Iran and Syria have influence with both of the major groups involved in Iraq's sectarian violence. Tehran is close to Shiite parties that dominate the government, while Damascus has ties to Sunni Arabs, their main rivals for power.

Iran is also believed to sponsor Shiite militias blamed for widespread killings of Sunnis. The U.S., meanwhile, accuses Syria of providing refuge for Sunni Arab fighters, including former Iraqi Baath Party leaders thought to have a role in directing the insurgency.

Now if we have the Iranians backing the Shia and the Syrians supporting the Sunnis, just what will evolve? They are all going to get along in Iraq.

Ev'rybody get together
Try and love one another right now

The Youngbloods, Lets Get Together

It’s interesting that now we can’t really figure out how to win; we want the Syrians involved, at the same time we want them out of Lebanon.

Syria and Iran are likely to want something for themselves as well. Damascus may ask the United States to accept Syria's influence in Lebanon, where Washington supports the anti-Syrian government.

Read in its entirety

Our government has multiple personalities.