Ten years ago today, President Skippy McNumbskull announced that we were going to war with Iraq. They said Iraq had WMDs. I said the administration had no evidence of WMDs in Iraq. I said the UN inspectors who were, you know, there, hadn't found any evidence of WMDs, or even the precursors necessary to create WMDs. They said we would … Read More
Party of Delusion
This is amazing. Most Republicans really live in a bubble not connected to reality. A recent Dartmouth study polled Democrats, Republicans and Independents on various matters related to foreign policy. At the end were two questions which revealed astounding results: That's right — 63% of Republicans still think Iraq had WMDs, even though the Bush Administration (finally) admitted otherwise. And … Read More
How To Overthrow A Dictator
So with the (unconfirmed) news that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has been killed, sounding the end of his 35 year brutal regime in Libya, now would be a good time to pull some lessons on how to actually do dictator-toppling. Unilateral or coalition? Iraq, under Bush: The organized international community was against the War in Iraq, so Bush created what he called … Read More
The Guy Who Made Up Stories About WMDs Being In Iraq Admits He Made It All Up
So basically, thousands of Americans got killed for a lie. Of course, most people in the intelligence community knew this defector to be a liar anyway (his codename was "Curveball" for the simple reason that the CIA knew he couldn't be straight with them). So it's not like they cared. Anyway, his lies are part of the official historical record … Read More
Mission Accomplished
So with the last combat troops leaving Iraq, I guess now is a good time to reflect on the war itself. Did the War in Iraq accomplish its goals? Get Saddam? Check. Return Iraq to a stable region, thus stabilizing the Middle East? *Ahem* well, actually… uh…. Find those weapons of mass destruction? Uh, heh… *cough*… hey, is that a rainbow? At … Read More
War In Iraq Is Over
Final U.S. combat brigade pulls out of Iraq. By the end of this month, the United States will have six brigades in Iraq, by far its smallest footprint since the 2003 invasion. Those that remain are conventional combat brigades reconfigured slightly and rebranded "advise and assist brigades." The primary mission of those units and the roughly 4,500 U.S. special operations … Read More
Military Cover-up: Reuters Employees and Civilians Killed in Violation of Rules of Engagement
In 2007, two Reuters employees — photographer Namir Noor-Eldeen and driver Saeed Chmagh — were killed by a U.S. helicopter strike in Baghdad. The U.S. military’s official response to the killings argued that the attack occurred after security forces came under fire from men accompanying the reporters, and that the rules of engagement were followed in returning fire. Skeptical of … Read More
In Which I Get All Politically Incorrect And Puffed Up About Veteran’s Day
You know what? I'm not going to go up to a veteran and thank him for protecting my freedom. You know why? Because unless he is a hundred years old, chances are that that ex-soldier didn't do a damn thing to preserve and protect my freedom. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing but respect and admiration for those who choose … Read More
Death Toll In Iraq
Fortunately, the body count from Iraq has gone down in the past few years. No longer do we hear about multiple deaths per day. Today, sadly, was a notable and grim exception, made all the more grim by the fact that five dead U.S. soldiers were killed — intentionally, it would seem — by another U.S. soldier. Three were wounded. The shootings took … Read More
Six Years Ago Today…
…we started the Iraq War. We're not out yet. Today's just as good as any to remember the 4,261 dead U.S. soldiers.
Thoughts I Had Or Heard While Serving In Iraq
By Steven A. Devine: Wow, it's really hot here. Wow, those guys look really mad. Wow, I don't want to know where he was hiding that rocket. Now, that looks really painful. That is really painful. Wait, define "infection." Merry Christmas. Wow, it's really cold. Wow, that guy looks really angry. That spider was really fast. Wait, define "amputate." When I … Read More
Shoe-Throwing Fallout
The world is abuzz at the now-famous shoe-throwing incident, and everyone is looking for the perfect pun. ("The insurgency is in its last throws") Conservative pundits are quick to point out that the shoe-throwing would have never happened under Saddam. So, therefore, $800 billion in U.S. taxpayer money well-spent, I guess. Of course, shoe-throwing isn't really a very good sign … Read More
I Give The Secret Service A C-
But Bush himself, with his dodging abilities, an A: I thought when we liberated Iraq from Saddam, they were supposed to throw flowers at our feet. But I guess they misread the memo, and started throwing their feet at our Fuhrer.
The Cost Of Reconstruction In Iraq
It's here! It's here! The new quarterly report from the Special Inspector General for Iraqi Reconstruction (October 2008) has arrived! In the report, you'll find lots of PDFs and Excel spreadsheets explaining how your hard-earned tax dollars are being put to good use over there. For example, the 15th Finance Battalion spent $35.80 on "disguises". Because you know how those … Read More
That’s Got To Leave A Mark (GOP Response: “We’re Fucked”)
The Prime Minister of Iraq has endorsed U.S. plans for an withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Well, not Bush’s plan. And not McCain’s plan (McCain doesn’t really have one). Nope, the Bush-backed Iraqi PM supports Senator Obama’s plan: BERLIN (Reuters) – Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told a German magazine he supported prospective U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s … Read More