Alternate title: Afghanistan - What Was It For, Again?

Recent developments with regards to the Afghanistan quagmire illustrate the sheer inanity of this "mission" while at the same time exposing the so-called Global War on Terror(TM) for the duplicitous scam that it has been from the very beginning.

In essence, the core-reasons for going into Afghanistan are now being disavowed in order to embark on a political salvage operation of appearances - with the price continuing to be exacted with the lives of N.A.T.O. soldiers and Afghan civilians.

After seeing Wes Clark speak twice in NYC yesterday, once on his own at a book signing, and later with Hillary Clinton at a fund raiser for her, it is becoming clearer to me how Clark's concern over stopping a war with Iran factors into his decision to endorse Hillary Clinton for President.

The collective power of the peace movement helped the Democrats take control of Congress and turn Nancy Pelosi from Minority leader into Madam Speaker. But in May the new Congress turned its back on the peace movement, granting Bush another $95 billion for war with no timetable for withdrawal. While the Speaker of the House herself voted against the war funding, she failed to put pressure on the conservative Democrats to form a united front against another blank check for war. She also failed to effectively use her power to decide what bills would come up for a vote. In the case of both the unrestricted war funding and the expanded FISA wiretapping, Pelosi had the ability to keep the bills off the floor but refused to do so.

"Mushroom cloud as the smoking gun", anyone?

President Bush, not to be outdone, has one better: "The shadow of a nuclear holocaust".

In the first case, it was about Iraq, WMDs and regime change.

In the second case, this is about Iran, WMDs ... and regime change.

(Updated below)

Alternate title: More war with those wars, Mr. President?

Operation Enduring Propaganda still rolls on, slowly but surely raising tempers to a frenzy against Iran - exactly as in the case of Afghanistan and, of course Iraq. All things considered, an Iran War is no more a question of "if", but now a question of "when" - regardless of how much the Afghan and Iraq War have become quagmires.

Because all that truly matters here is waging more war - whether with troops or without them.

On an ABC News report, one I have not seen anywhere else, there is this report of a gathering of women and men, children and adults; Muslims, Christians, Jews, Druze, Bedouin and Palestinians, both secular and religious.
This takes place in Israel each year, last years was canceled because of the War, and was started in 2001.

(Updated below)

Pakistan has often been praised by the Bush administration, among others, for its role in the Global War on Terror(TM). President Bush even once proclaimed a broad and lasting strategic partnership with Pakistan to this effect.

Despite evidence to the contrary.

(Updated below)

Operation Enduring Propaganda with regards to Iraq and the surge keeps in full swing, despite the rise of discordant voices rising louder and louder - voices largely ignored by the MSM, of course. This in turn begs the question: why must there be at least an appearance of success with regards to the surge in Iraq?

Short answer: Iran.

It has become cliché to say that this Iraq war cannot be won militarily. Equally comfortable with this admission are hawks who would turn on a dime if they thought the insurgency was capable of collapsing, and doves whose primary objection to the war is its "mismanagement".

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing


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U.S. Voices Frustration With Saudi Role in Iraq, set to offer them huge arms deal to counter Iran anyway to further destabilize the middle east!

Those of you that follow my posts know that I believe unequivocally that Bush diverted from the so called war on terror to attack Iraq not to free them of Saddam but in order to get the American military back in the middle east and nothing is going to get in his way as you bear witness. Going after Iran was only one of the original plans.

With the Iraq and Afghanistan wars causing much chaos while encouraging increased insurgency and terrorism, with a confrontation against Iran looming, and with Pakistan now being likewise targeted by the rattling of American sabers, the rest of the Middle East is in turn gradually destabilizing, hopelessly caught in a sinking vortex that will lead ultimately to more war and chaos.

Let's cut through the mustard and all that jazz, here. We all know that in the fevered minds of the Bushies, their neocon supporters and their far-right fundamentalist Christian allies, this is all about two things, and two things only: hegemony of Christian fundamentalism and complete control of oil productivity.

In other words: defeat of Islam + fall of the Middle East = Holy American Empire.

I didn't know until yesterday that DePaul Promotion and Tenure Board and Depaul president Holtschneider didn't just deny tenure to Norman Finkelstein a few weeks ago. They also denied Mehrene Laurdee, who also, it appears, has dissident views on the Middle East.