http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/11/opinion/11thu1.html?th&emc=th
The Real Disaster NY Times Lead Editorial: January 11, 2007 President Bush told Americans last night that failure in Iraq would be a disaster. The disaster is Mr. Bush's war, and he has already failed. Last night was his chance to stop offering more fog and be honest with the nation, and he did not take it. Americans needed to hear a clear plan to extricate United States troops from the disaster that Mr. Bush created. What they got was more gauzy talk of victory in the war on terrorism and of creating a "young democracy" in Iraq. In other words, a way for this president to run out the clock and leave his mess for the next one. Mr. Bush did acknowledge that some of his previous tactics had failed. But even then, the president sounded as if he were an accidental tourist in Iraq. He described the failure of last year's effort to pacify Baghdad as if the White House and the Pentagon bore no responsibility. In any case, Mr. Bush's excuses were tragically inadequate. The nation needs an eyes-wide-open recognition that the only goal left is to get the U.S. military out of this civil war in a way that could minimize the slaughter of Iraqis and reduce the chances that the chaos Mr. Bush unleashed will engulf Iraq's neighbors. What it certainly did not need were more of Mr. Bush's open-ended threats to Iran and Syria. Before Mr. Bush spoke, Americans knew he planned to send more troops to pacify lawless Baghdad. Mr. Bush's task was to justify that escalation by acknowledging that there was no military solution to this war and outlining the political mission that the military would be serving. We were waiting for him to detail the specific milestones that he would set for the Iraqis, set clear timelines for when they would be expected to meet them, and explain what he intended to do if they again failed. Instead, he said he had warned the Iraqis that if they didn't come through, they would lose the faith of the American people. Has Mr. Bush really not noticed that the American people long ago lost faith in the Iraqi government - and in him as well? Americans know that this Iraqi government is captive to Shiite militias, with no interest in the unity, reconciliation and democracy that Mr. Bush says he wants. Mr. Bush said yet again that he wanted the Iraqi government to step up to the task of providing its security, and that Iraq needed a law on the fair distribution of oil money. Iraq's government needs to do a lot more than that, starting with disarming the sectarian militias that are feeding the civil war and purging the police forces that too often are really death squads. It needs to offer amnesty to insurgents and militia fighters willing to put down their weapons. It needs to do those things immediately. Iraq's Shiite-dominated government has heard this list before. But so long as Mr. Bush is willing to back that failed government indefinitely - enabling is the psychological term - Iraq's leaders will have no reason to move against the militias and more fairly share power with the Sunni minority. Mr. Bush did announce his plan for 20,000 more troops, and the White House trumpeted a $1 billion contribution to reconstruction efforts. Congress will debate these as if they are the real issues. But they are not. Talk of a "surge" ignores the other 132,000 American troops trapped by a failed strategy. We have argued that the United States has a moral obligation to stay in Iraq as long as there is a chance to mitigate the damage that a quick withdrawal might cause. We have called for an effort to secure Baghdad, but as part of the sort of comprehensive political solution utterly lacking in Mr. Bush's speech. This war has reached the point that merely prolonging it could make a bad ending even worse. Without a real plan to bring it to a close, there is no point in talking about jobs programs and military offensives. There is nothing ahead but even greater disaster in Iraq. *** From: "Joseph Maizlish" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Ed Pearl" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 7:15 AM Subject: Re: Buchanan: Planning Our Next War? Ed, Buchanan's reads believably -- unfortunately. I have figured out the major item in Bush's war aims: Exercise and protect his personal habit of AVOIDING SELF-REFLECTION. Thus "stay the course" is a replication of his internal life. And when in trouble, there can be no greater affirmation of his habit than to defyingly escalate. His personal habits and those of his advisers who identify with and dedicate themselves to power to support their personal weaknesses all fit well with the Israeli overworking of their survival instinct and a bunch of other interests we know of. Joe *** ...from Michael Moore Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:39:54 -0500 Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Mr. President: Send Even MORE Troops (and you go, too!) ...from Michael Moore 1/10/07 Dear Mr. President, Thanks for your address to the nation. It's good to know you still want to talk to us after how we behaved in November. Listen, can I be frank? Sending in 20,000 more troops just ain't gonna do the job. That will only bring the troop level back up to what it was last year. And we were losing the war last year! We've already had over a million troops serve some time in Iraq since 2003. Another few thousand is simply not enough to find those weapons of mass destruction! Er, I mean... bringing those responsible for 9/11 to justice! Um, scratch that. Try this -- BRING DEMOCRACY TO THE MIDDLE EAST! YES!!! You've got to show some courage, dude! You've got to win this one! C'mon, you got Saddam! You hung 'im high! I loved watching the video of that -- just like the old wild west! The bad guy wore black! The hangmen were as crazy as the hangee! Lynch mobs rule!!! Look, I have to admit I feel very sorry for the predicament you're in. As Ricky Bobby said, "If you're not first, you're last." And you being humiliated in front of the whole world does NONE of us Americans any good. Sir, listen to me. You have to send in MILLIONS of troops to Iraq, not thousands! The only way to lick this thing now is to flood Iraq with millions of us! I know that you're out of combat-ready soldiers -- so you have to look elsewhere! The only way you are going to beat a nation of 27 million -- Iraq -- is to send in at least 28 million! Here's how it would work: The first 27 million Americans go in and kill one Iraqi each. That will quickly take care of any insurgency. The other one million of us will stay and rebuild the country. Simple. Now, I know you're saying, where will I find 28 million Americans to go to Iraq? Here are some suggestions: 1. More than 62,000,000 Americans voted for you in the last election (the one that took place a year and half into a war we already knew we were losing). I am confident that at least a third of them would want to put their body where there vote was and sign up to volunteer. I know many of these people and, while we may disagree politically, I know that they don't believe someone else should have to go and fight their fight for them -- while they hide here in America. 2. Start a "Kill an Iraqi" Meet-Up group in cities across the country. I know this idea is so early-21st century, but I once went to a Lou Dobbs Meet-Up and, I swear, some of the best ideas happen after the third mojito. I'm sure you'll get another five million or so enlistees from this effort. 3. Send over all members of the mainstream media. After all, they were your collaborators in bringing us this war -- and many of them are already trained from having been "embedded!" If that doesn't bring the total to 28 million, then draft all viewers of the FOX News channel. Mr. Bush, do not give up! Now is not the time to pull your punch! Don't be a weenie by sending in a few over-tired troops. Get your people behind you and YOU lead them in like a true commander in chief! Leave no conservative behind! Full speed ahead! We promise to write. Go get 'em W! Yours, Michael Moore [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.michaelmoore.com *** <http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=nation_world&id=4924540> ABC News: Iraq Troop Surge Begins "Leading Edge" Already In Baghdad ABCNews By JONATHAN KARL Jan. 10 - President Bush's speech may be scheduled for tonight, but the troop surge in Iraq is already under way. ABC has learned that the "surge" Bush is expected to announce in a prime time speech tonight has already begun. Ninety advance troops from the 82nd Airborne Division arrived in Baghdad today. An additional battalion of roughly 800 troops from the same division are expected to arrive in Baghdad Thursday. It is the first small wave of troops in a new White House strategy that is expected to put more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq and likely require new call-ups of the National Guard. ==== Thursday, January 9 Peace Demonstrations Peace Matthew Gerbasi 323.482.2587 Progressive Democrats of America Impeachment Working Group National Coordinator [read foreign press] Say: "NO more troops in IRAQ" Vigil, bring your signs and candles for when the sun begins to set. De-escalate! This is also the day we say No to Torture and Close GTMO. Add a dash of pink! Bring friends, it is time for us all to be in the streets. Thursday, January 11, 2007 From: 05:00 PM until 07:00 PM Address: NW corner of Veteran and Wilshire Blvd across from the Federal Building, in front of the Veteran's Cemetery. Directions: East of the 405 and Sepulveda, west of Westwood, parking in the lot on the east side of the street. ---------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL VIGILS Studio City (Surge The Twins/Troops Home Now) Laurel Canyon & Ventura Blvds 6PM to 7:30PM Hosting for Win Without War and MoveOn (It doesn't matter which one you sign up with, the locations and time of the vigils are the same.) SIGN UP 2 options: Win Without War - America Says NO! http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/truemajority/ event/distributedEvent.jsp?event_KEY=20537> MoveOn - Emergency Rally to Stop Iraq Escalation! http://political.moveon.org/event/escalation/31268 Sherman Oaks (No To Escalation) Van Nuys & Ventura Blvd 6PM to 7PM ---------------------------------------------------------- EMERGENCY PROTEST Of Bush's Plan to Escalate Iraq War Stop the War on Iraq! Bring the Troops Home Now! WHEN: This Thursday, January 11, 5 pm WHERE: Corner of Wilshire Blvd. & Western Ave., Los Angeles (Wilshire & Western is a Metro Red Line and Bus stop) For more info call 323-464-1636 or email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Join the ANSWER Coalition at an emergency protest this Thursday night to demonstrate against President George Bush's announcement of an escalation of the Iraq war. The night before the protest, Bush will set out his administration's new strategy to "win" in Iraq. It will be Bush's first major policy speech since the Nov. 7 midterm elections. His plan will include a troop increase and a massive escalation of violence against the Iraqi people, who have been suffering under U.S. occupation for nearly four years. People in the U.S. overwhelmingly oppose the war. A troop increase will only cause more death and destruction. Already 655,000 Iraqis and over 3,000 U.S. troops have died as a result of the war. The number of dead and injured is mounting each day. Come out this Thursday to protest this outrageous escalation of a deadly war based on lies. Bring signs, banners and express your opposition to the Iraq war. The people are the only force that can stop the war and bring the troops home now! ==== ***Please Post Widely*** What: Rally & March: Demands: Bring The Troops Home Now! Stop Funding the War! When: Saturday, January 27th, Noon Where: Downtown Los Angeles Sponsor: January 27 Action Coalition We will Rally in front of the Democratic Party office at 9th & Figueroa (888 S. Figueroa St, LA, CA 90017) and March past City Hall to the Federal Building (300 N. Los Angeles, LA, CA 90012). For more information or to get involved email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Placards, signs and bumperstickers: * That's OK, I Wasn't Using My Civil Liberties Anyway * Let's Fix Democracy in this Country First * If You Want a Nation Ruled By Religion, Move to Iran * Bush. Like a Rock. Only Dumber * If You Can Read This, You're Not Our President * Of Course It Hurts: You're Getting Screwed by an Elephant * Hey, Bush Supporters: Embarrassed Yet? * George Bush: Creating the Terrorists Our Kids Will Have to Fight * America: One Nation, Under Surveillance * They Call Him "W" So He Can Spell It * Cheney/Satan '08 * Jail to the Chief * No, Seriously, Why Did We Invade Iraq? * Bush: God's Way of Proving Intelligent Design is Full Of Shit * Bad President! No Banana. * We Need a President Who's Fluent In At Least One Language * We're Making Enemies Faster Than We Can Kill Them * Is It Vietnam Yet? * Bush Doesn't Care About White People, Either * Where Are We Going? And Why Are We In This Handbasket? * You Elected Him. You Deserve Him. * Impeach Cheney First * When Bush Took Office, Gas Was $1.46 * Pray For Impeachment * The Republican Party: Our Bridge to the 11th Century * What Part of "Bush Lied" Don't You Understand? * One Nation Under Clod * Bush Never Exhaled * At Least Nixon Resigned 2004: Embarrassed 2005: Horrified 2006: Terrified -S. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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