That’s the price tag — so far — of the Iraq War. The Boston Globe is running a slideshow of what that money — $456 billion — could have bought had it been spent elsewhere. Check it out. My faves: free gas for all Americans for 1.2 years, or a 52,615 year contract for Dice-K. Most sobering? The $456 billion … Read More
Where Are The Bulldozers And The National Guard?
A category F5 tornado virtually destroyed the town of Greenburg, Kansas this weekend. Now the rebuilding begins. Except, not so much: The rebuilding effort in tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kansas, likely will be hampered because some much-needed equipment is in Iraq, said that state’s governor. Governor Kathleen Sebelius said much of the National Guard equipment usually positioned around the state to respond … Read More
Sack Of Monkeys In My Pocket
That’s the name of a well-written and popular blog by a woman named Laura Linger. Back in October, when her younger brother was redeployed to iraq, she wrote: This is for you, my darling, wonderful, intelligent, hilarious, beautiful baby brother. You see, these are the only kinds of things that I can do for you now. Meaningless gestures commemorating a … Read More
Four Years Later
Bush, standing on the platform of an aircraft carrier, May 1, 2003. "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended" From Think Progress, a by-the-numbers look at the situation then, compared to the situation now: May 1, 2003 Today U.S. Troops Wounded 542 24,912 U.S. Troops Killed 139 3,351 Contractors Killed 69 916 Journalists and Media Assistants Killed 11 167 U.S. … Read More
Iraq Reconstruction: What Your Tax Dollars Bought
• Shoddy work found at seven of eight Iraq reconstruction projects, report says• Maintenance lags after projects are turned over to Iraqi control• Only 10 of 17 generators installed at airport remain operational (some are "missing")• Modular buildings built for $1.8 million were removed with no reason cited and, oh yeah — • 224 U.S. citizen deaths Full story.
True News or Onion Parody?
You decide: Extended overseas deployments affecting soldiers serving in Afghanistan and other locales overseen by U.S. Central Command should help to alleviate the stress on the Army, a senior U.S. officer in Afghanistan told Pentagon reporters today. *** The tour extensions will provide more predictability and stability for soldiers and their families, [Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno] said….. Answer … Read More
The Tillman Turnabout
It’s sad and pathetic. When pro-football player Pat Tillman left a lucrative sports career to serve his country fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, he was a darling of the right wing. When he lost his life, he was praised and lauded by the right as a hero, giving his life to protect our freedoms blah blah blah But when the … Read More
Dumb Quote Of The Day
Laura Bush On Iraq: "No one suffers more than their President and I do." I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that over 3,000 famlies who lost loved ones in Iraq are suffering more than President Bush and Laura. As well as the families of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. And the wounded soldiers getting shitty … Read More
Quote Of The Day
Jon Stewart last night: Basically, first-term president Bush, you invaded to remove the threat of Saddam Hussein. And you, current president Bush, are there to battle the threat created by the lack of Saddam Hussein. It’s funny because it’s true.
When They Stand Up, We’ll Stand Down?
Bush’s Iraq strategy, in his own words: Our strategy can be summed up this way: As Iraqis stand up, we will stand down, and when our commanders on the ground tell me that Iraqi forces can defend their freedom, our troops will come home with the honor they have earned. Turns out …uh …not so much: Military planners have abandoned … Read More
…And Five In Iraq, Too
Bloody, bloody Monday. EVENING UPDATE: Okay. Who’s to blame for what happened today at V Tech? Should we blame video games? A lack of guns? Not enough Jesus? Folks, the dead bodies are still warm. Let’s not exploit this for our own agendae. And by the way — the correct answer to "Who’s to blame"? The shooter. (But the lack … Read More
The Job Nobody Wants
So, according to the Washington Post, Bush wants somebody to act as "war czar", overseeing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And nobody wants the job. (Surprise, surprise): At least three retired four-star generals approached by the White House in recent weeks have declined to be considered for the position, the sources said, underscoring the administration’s difficulty in enlisting its … Read More
Even The Late Jeanne Kirkpatrick Was Against The War
Wow. Even the godmother of modern neo-conservativism disliked Bush’s policies: The Nation: It’s stunning criticism from a hawk who for over two decades has been a guiding light for the neocons who cheerleaded the nation to war in Iraq. In her book, she contends that the invasion has so far been counterproductive: On a personal note, I have dedicated much … Read More
Consequences Of The Surge
This is what happens when it’s more important to get U.S. soldiers in Iraq as opposed to getting appropriately-trained U.S. soldiers in Iraq: Two soldiers killed in Iraq in February may have died as a result of friendly fire, Army officials said Wednesday, not from enemy fire, as the press reported.The military suspected friendly fire later in February but did … Read More
U.S. Government Funding an al-Qaeda-Related Terrorist Group
This seems like a bad idea: In the years since 9/11, al-Qaeda as a centrally controlled organization has been largely crushed. Its core leadership has been reduced from several thousand to several hundred, its ability to mount large-scale attacks has been seriously degraded, and it has evolved into something closer to a franchise operation than a single coherent group. According … Read More