This is the Begining
The uniformed military, however, is ardently opposed to sending American soldiers to the region,
according to my source. “They are saying 'What the fuck?'” he told me. “Most of our combat-ready divisions are in Iraq or Afghanistan, or on their way, or coming back. The generals don't like it because we're already way overstretched.”
The scenario of an American deployment appears to come straight out of the neoconservative playbook: send U.S. forces into the Middle East, regardless of what our own military leaders suggest, in order to “stabilize” the region. The chances of success, as we have seen in Iraq, are remote. So what should be done? My source said the situation is so volatile at the moment that the only smart policy is to get an immediate ceasefire and worry about the terms of a lasting truce afterwards.
Iran: The Next War
Even before the bombs fell on Baghdad, a group of senior Pentagon officials were plotting to invade another country. Their covert campaign once again relied on false intelligence and shady allies. But this time, the target was Iran. BY JAMES BAMFORD
I. The Israeli Connection
A few blocks off Pennsylvania Avenue, the FBI's eight-story Washington field office exudes all the charm of a maximum-security prison. Its curved roof is made of thick stainless steel, the bottom three floors are wrapped in granite and limestone, hydraulic bollards protect the ramp to the four-floor garage, and bulletproof security booths guard the entrance to the narrow lobby. On the fourth floor, like a tomb within a tomb, lies the most secret room in the $100 million concrete fortress—out-of-bounds even for special agents without an escort. Here, in the Language Services Section, hundreds of linguists in padded earphones sit elbow-to-elbow in long rows, tapping computer keyboards as they eavesdrop on the phone lines of foreign embassies and other high-priority targets in the nation's capital.
At the far end of that room, on the morning of February 12th, 2003, a small group of eavesdroppers were listening intently for evidence of a treacherous crime. At the very moment that American forces were massing for an invasion of Iraq, there were indications that a rogue group of senior Pentagon officials were already conspiring to push the United States into another war—this time with Iran. more
Analysis- I can't help but think that within one year we will be at war with Iran and the public will support it. They will support it like they supported Iraq in the beginning. The only thing that will stop the coming war with Iran is if the public is smarter this time. Irrational fear will drive "good" people to do bad things. Just to make a prediction it will take over a year after the war starts before public support wanes and we find out our intelligence was not very good.Morality is not on our side
By Ze'ev Maoz
There's practically a holy consensus right now that the war in the North is a just war and that morality is on our side. The bitter truth must be said: this holy consensus is based on short-range selective memory, an introverted worldview, and double standards.
posted by Russ at 6:46 PM
6 Comments:
PS I truly hope you are right. While his bravado may be gone because reality is setting in so he will be sold on the idea as a way to save his legacy, fighting WW III.
WW III is the new buzz word.
I still can not get over the fact that there is more to this than politics.
"God will destroy this earth that is so marred and cursed by satan's evil."
Tim LaHaye
It may sound far-fetched that so outlandish an ideology could be exercising real power over our country and our future. The reality is anything but far-fetched – not when proponents of Dispensationalism hold sway over some of the nation's most powerful politicians,
The Christian Paradox
This Christian nation also tends to make personal, as opposed to political, choices that the Bible would seem to frown upon. Despite the Sixth Commandment, we are, of course, the most violent rich nation on earth, with a murder rate four or five times that of our European peers. We have prison populations greater by a factor of six or seven than other rich nations (which at least should give us plenty of opportunity for visiting the prisoners). Having been told to turn the other cheek, we’re the only Western democracy left that executes its citizens, mostly in those states where Christianity is theoretically strongest.
A rich man came to Jesus one day and asked what he should do to get into heaven. Jesus did not say he should invest, spend, and let the benefits trickle down; he said sell what you have, give the money to the poor, and follow me. Few plainer words have been spoken. And yet, for some reason, the Christian Coalition of America—founded in 1989 in order to “preserve, protect and defend the Judeo-Christian values that made this the greatest country in history”—proclaimed last year that its top legislative priority would be “making permanent President Bush’s 2001 federal tax cuts.”
Welcome to Doomsday
By Bill Moyers
There Is No Tomorrow
By Bill Moyers
LN the anti Semitic crap is old and ridiculous. When a friend screws up you tell them you don't enable them to screw up more. Yet this is what we are doing which leads me to think there's more to it.
Read this
There's practically a holy consensus right now that the war in the North is a just war and that morality is on our side. The bitter truth must be said:
This war is not a just war. Israel is using excessive force without distinguishing between civilian population and enemy, whose sole purpose is extortion. That is not to say that morality and justice are on Hezbollah's side. Most certainly not. But the fact that Hezbollah "started it" when it kidnapped soldiers from across an international border does not even begin to tilt the scales of justice toward our side.
Let's start with a few facts. We invaded a sovereign state, and occupied its capital in 1982. In the process of this occupation, we dropped several tons of bombs from the air, ground and sea, while wounding and killing thousands of civilians. Approximately 14,000 civilians were killed between June and September of 1982, according to a conservative estimate. The majority of these civilians had nothing to do with the PLO, which provided the official pretext for the war
On July 28, 1989, we kidnapped Sheikh Obeid, and on May 12, 1994, we kidnapped Mustafa Dirani, who had captured Ron Arad. Israel held these two people and another 20-odd Lebanese detainees without trial, as "negotiating chips." That which is permissible to us is, of course, forbidden to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah crossed a border that is recognized by the international community. That is true. What we are forgetting is that ever since our withdrawal from Lebanon, the Israel Air Force has conducted photo-surveillance sorties on a daily basis in Lebanese airspace. While these flights caused no casualties, border violations are border violations. Here too, morality is not on our side.
So much for the history of morality. Now, let's consider current affairs. What exactly is the difference between launching Katyushas into civilian population centers in Israel and the Israel Air Force bombing population centers in south Beirut, Tyre, Sidon and Tripoli? The IDF has fired thousands of shells into south Lebanon villages, alleging that Hezbollah men are concealed among the civilian population. Approximately 25 Israeli civilians have been killed as a result of Katyusha missiles to date. The number of dead in Lebanon, the vast majority comprised of civilians who have nothing to do with Hezbollah, is more than 300.
There is a propaganda aspect to this war, and it involves a competition as to who is more miserable. Each side tries to persuade the world that it is more miserable. As in every propaganda campaign, the use of information is selective, distorted and self-righteous. If we want to base our information (or shall we call it propaganda?) policy on the assumption that the international environment is going to buy the dubious merchandise that we are selling, be it out of ignorance or hypocrisy, then fine. But in terms of our own national soul searching, we owe ourselves to confront the bitter truth - maybe we will win this conflict on the military field, maybe we will make some diplomatic gains, but on the moral plane, we have no advantage, and we have no special status.
The writer is a professor of political science at Tel Aviv university.
LN your seemingly self superior almost incoherent rantings are amusing in a infantile sort of way.
Terrorist are bad? Wow that is news. So you use the they do bad things so we can be bad too theory. They kill civilians then so can we. No need to be any better than the terrorist in your book. That is a grade school mentality at it's best with name calling to boot, nicely done.
Israel is not fighting a war that can not be won militarily (like Iraq). You would think that as decade after decade after decade go by some might come to realize it.
LN wow you made me cry.
My rant in response to your rant was infantile and certainly not needed.
Now that I am over it.
Suppose some bank robber robs a bank and take hostages. You don't blow up the bank. That's what Israel is doing. So you think fine the bank is gone and the bad guys to. Well we are not dealing with a small number of bad guys also we are creating more everyday.
I agree with Pat Buchanan simple as that -
Pat BUCHANAN: But here‘s the problem. Israel, if they continue this and they continue in Gaza and continue the economic blockade of the West Bank, is going to wind up with two failed states cheek by jaw with them. How that advances Israeli security or American interests, I don‘t know. Chris, Lebanon is a complete disaster. It‘s a catastrophe, says Blair. You have 600,000 to 750,000 refugees, they could turn over night into one of these Palestinian Diasporas, which produces endless numbers of terrorists, right on the northern border, the same on the West Bank and Gaza. Israel has got to realize that they‘re headed down a road at the end of which leaves them with basically two Somalia‘s on their border.
He sees it, this is not in the U.S. interest but since Bush came in Israel has had a free hand. As a super power and friend of Israel we need to tell them when they go to far and be an honest broker for peace. The peace process may seem never ending but the alternative is never ending war.
Unless some moron turns this into WW III and uses Nukes to turn the mid east into a piece of glass. You can win if you kill everyone short of that not gonna happen.
Lib NO. The Dems are useless and the Reps to concerned with holding power to do thier job. (As a whole,we have had that useless conversation before)
LN-So you think I am an idiot for agreeing with Pat Buchanan? You as always avoid the issue and with your last comment show the true depth of your intellect.
Quoting Buchanon??
Boy......I'm afraid now.
Idiot.
You think I am trying to scare you? I guess truth can be scary for some. HAHA
Post a Comment
<< Home