"Our commitment in Iraq," Barack insisted, "is changing from a military effort led by our troops to a civilian effort led by our diplomats." By diplomats and contractors, the militarization of the State Department (see the 20th snapshot and the 21st snapshot, "Senate Foreign Relations Committee," "Kaufman and Casey," and "Kerry, Lugar and Feingold" for the Congressional hearing discussing what happens after 'drawdown.')
Unable to work themselves into an orgasm, the Cult of St. Barack elected to go silent. Were we not supposed to notice that a speech on Iraq by the president of the United States was suddenly ignored by the Socialist Worker (US), The Nation, The Progressive, In These Times, The KPFA Morning Show, Flashpoints, KPFA's Living Room, and oh, so many more?
How pathetic and how telling.
It was an occupant of the US White House who started the illegal war -- a war that saw global protests before it ever started. And it is the illegal war that they all used to fundraise on, to sell their books off of, to gas bag endlessly. But when a new Liar-in-Chief comes along to tell the "new told lies" (nod to Hair), they suddenly go speechless. Poor little rabbits.
BBC News reports yesterday's Basra bombings have now resulted in 43 deaths. Appearing this morning on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour, the top US commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno declared that the bombings were most likely bombs (not a generator exploding as some tried to spin yesterday). He also gave another honest answer . . . if you think about it.
AMANPOUR: Well, General Odierno, in fact, it seems that the political parties in Iraq are not moving forward with the democracy as you describe it. Five months or more after the election, there is still no government. How much does that worry you, and what kind of vacuum is that creating there?
ODIERNO: Well, again, first off, we've seen during this time, this governmental formation timeframe, the Iraqi security forces have acted neutral; they've continued to conduct operations across the broad spectrum of operations that are necessary. In fact, I have found them to be very professional in continuing to execute the security profile. So we have seen no degradation in their ability to execute the security profile. And I think that's actually an extremely positive step forward for them, that they've continued to operate, even though -- or during this time of governmental formation.
They have "acted neutral." Certainly while the Sahwa have been targeted, the police have acted neutral if the opposite is "on the job" or even "helpful." They've been "neutral" to the whole thing. They've also been "neutral" as Iraqiya members have been targeted and killed.
Meanwhile Atul Aneja (The Hindu) refers to the country's "weekend of violence" and observes that "Saturday's carnage" has been following by continued violence including a Ramadi bombing today which has claimed at least 6 lives. It's a "surge" of violence, Aneja explains. And CNN reports a US soldier died in Babil yesterday. Good thing he's not a "combat" soldier, right? Good thing Barack "change"d the terminology. He is the third service member to die in Iraq in the last seven days. Is anyone paying attention?
Tom Hayden? Tom-Tom, remember, was a wasted, used up hack before the Iraq War started. He had the millions he basically extorted and that's all he had. His name was such that he couldn't even get elected mayor of Los Angeles. Tom-Tom had seen the best days long ago pass him by. But he rode the Iraq War to renewed 'fame,' didn't he? Got himself an NYT column during the 2004 conventions. Got himself booked on everything and interviewed as though he were an expert on something. Having read his latest attack on Angelina Jolie (disclosure, C.I. knows Angelina and loves her and does not tolerate attacks on Angelina), we realize Tom-Tom is an expert on one thing: How to be a sexist pig.
He's always been an expert on that.
But Tom-Tom didn't have time to write about Barry O's big speech. He could write that lousy book on the 'pillars' and how you topple them and end the Iraq War. (Of course it would be 'pillars' with Tom-Tom, he's always denied his lust for the male body and the denials have never been convincing.) He just couldn't maintain a focus.
As usual when Tom-Tom fell silent, it was left to a woman to say what he was too cowardly to. Enter Peace Mom Cindy Sheehan:
Now, Obama has taken back a promise to have "Combat Troops" out of Iraq by September 1st of this year and now has pledged to have them out by the end of 2011—but of course, he has again redefined the mission and the troops are now on a “support and train” mission instead of a combat mission, so the Bots will believe that there is a new “Mission Accomplished.” There will be some troops movement and more empty rhetoric about this as the next presidential season is rapidly coming to assault us with more Madison Avenue Trickery. And people on the so-called left and so-called antiwar movement were upset with John McCain when he said that troops would be in Iraq for “100 years?” Well, that is upsetting to me, also, but troops will be in Iraq for 100 years because WE only come out to fight when a Republican is in office and it is apparent that The Empire can tenaciously hang in there until the next cycle when a Democrat takes the “con” of The Empire and neutralizes the “Left” for another four to eight years.
If there's anyone who's taken more s**t for the Iraq War than Cindy Sheehan, we can think of him or her. In fact, despite not being the one who started the Iraq War (George W. Bush) or the one who continues it (Barack Obama), Cindy's certainly been the target of a special kind of hatred.
In the early days, it was from the right-wing. By 2007, it was the left and 'left' joining in. That really wasn't surprising. If Cindy wouldn't be the wind-up puppet who said "War is bad" whenever a Republican was getting media attention, if she'd also call out Democrats for their desires and blood lusts, then Cindy couldn't be trusted to be a good, little soldier in the propaganda that we call "party politics."
You will be controlled, you understand. There is no bottom-up approach allowed by the left and 'left' leaders. (Did you miss the attack on Pacifica listeners that Matthew LazyR and Doug Henwood launched not all that long ago?)
And apparently the 'leaders' have decided Iraq isn't an issue.
Funny thing though. Iraq's always been Happy Talked. Operation Happy Talk has always failed. And everytime some lying whore came along to insist things were going well, reality came along to pimp-slap the liar in the face.
It's Iraq, stupid. It's still Iraq.
