Baghdad blasts may rock Washington too

Stay the course!!!...insert bruce media attack...the surge is working...end trasmission

"The Iraqi insurgency exploded its way back to the top of the news with two audacious acts—the bombing within the heavily fortified Iraqi Green Zone of the Iraqi parliament and another explosion which destroyed much of a historic bridge over the Tigris River that connected sections of Baghdad."

I can never understand how the Iraq War gets pushed off the headlines by anything else, be it Brittany, campaign money grubbing, Idol, ho's, whatever.

I know all these subjects are destroying America , but none quite as fast as the war in Iraq. (And more so every day Afg. due to neglect.)

Way to go, TeamBush!!

It's hard work to create liberty. Sacrifice. Resolve. Determination. Tax breaks for the wealthy.

I can never understand how the Iraq War gets pushed off the headlines by anything else, be it Brittany, campaign money grubbing, Idol, ho's, whatever.

---

C. Mo:

You need to brush up on current popular culture. "Brittany" is the former name of an actual place. "Britney" Spears is the name given to a newborn by two illiterate mopes who thought they were naming their kid after a subdivision or a Pontiac or something.

Blink,

No, I actually meant old Brittany is a threat!

Believe me, I am not up on pop culture any longer.

I do know Brittany is in N. France. Thought they may have named her after that place.

Rush & Fox can blather about the surge working.
Democrats can call for an immedeate pull-out all they want.

Guess what?

The US military isn't going anywhere. They can't leave, & as unpopular as the idea may be, they
will have to stay in Iraq, which will cost thousands of more soldiers' lives & another trillion or so dollars.

The military's capacity to defend this country is diminishing because of Iraq.

Feel better with Bush's war on terror now?

You need to understand that the individuals perpetrating these acts are masters of media and psychological manipulation. They know that if they stage a few attacks in sensitive areas, it will degrade the resolve of the population to support the war effort. These are not "cave dwelling camel jockies" as some might suggest. They are highly sophisticated individuals who know how to win a guerilla war far better than the vast majority of the world knows how to defeat one. Without understanding this, our civilian populations are doomed to lose this war for the war fighters.

I think everyone should read up on their history. Especially right after World War 2 in Germany. I was not there, but i have read enough to know that in a world like today, much of what happened then is similiar to what is going on today in Iraq.
Bare in mind it is not identical and i'm sure some of who read this can easily turn this around to some more anti Bush propaganda.
I'd say 4 more years for Bush and buy your warbonds!!!!!!!!

Stay the course! Seems to me that this opens the notion that one * never attack's leaders * to the world. Perhaps our eyes will open and we will retaliate ten fold. Let's hope so. I don't really understand why we don't spank the bad boys and be done with it. Humanitarian notions have killed just as many civilians as and all out *real war * would.
JC

When will they ever learn....the answer my friend is blowin' in the wind.

"I don't think anybody expected there would not be counter-efforts."

this sounds familiar...
you got to give the surge time to work
say maybe until nov 4 2008
am sure they will work it out
and if they dont blame clinton(bill)
i cant wait for another Repub. president

Amazing how quiet the Republican Swamp Chorus is about Iraq this morning. They sure wanted to talk about Iraq yesterday. Today they only want to talk about Imus.

Where are you Jeff, Johnny D, Paulo, Heartburn?

Do we have to wait for Rush to come on and give you the spin before we hear from you today?

The spin effect of Sen Mc Cain's visit to boost the surge seems to have not lasted even a week.The decider will soon have to decide what next !

The spin effect of Sen Mc Cain's visit to boost the surge seems to have not lasted even a week.The decider will soon have to decide what next !

The fastest way to get the U.S. out of Iraq would be for the insurgency to go silent and lay low. Instead, the insurgents do the opposite and cause a situation that prompts the U.S. to stay in Iraq.

Perhaps, the insurgents do not want the U.S. to leave. Thus, the U.S. must examine its position and future from two viewpoints: What is to be gained by leaving; and what is to be gained by staying? Project the reciprocal effects of both outcomes. Then the damned situation will begin to make sense.

Yes but at least we can with confidence walk through the open air market in Baghdad, so long as we are wearing body armor and being escorted by a large security force as well as a bunch of black hawk attack helicopters overhead.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

> The US military isn't going anywhere. They
> can't leave, and as unpopular as the idea may be,
> they will have to stay in Iraq

RomanB, wake up. No additional soldier's lives need be wasted. It is your slow-changing attitude and those like yours that allow the idiot-in-command to continue killing our troops.

Remember September 12 when it seemed the entire world walked out into their city streets with candles and American flags and hearts filled with both sorrow and respect for this great nation? Can you imagine where we'd be if we'd parlayed those feelings into something positive rather than shove it back into their faces with this (mostly) unilateral, unprompted war on an essentially third world nation? We wouldn't have this whacked out bees nest of insurgents, terrorists and civil warriors - I know that much. And I agree with RomanB, we can't leave, we made a huge mess and we have to clean it up.

Meanwhile the real central front in the war on terror literally goes a begging.

"NATO allies with forces in Afghanistan's volatile southern region will meet on Thursday to grapple with lingering shortfalls in troops and equipment as casualties mount amid spring fighting with the Taliban.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will press the group to scour their inventories for supplies that can be sent to the war zone. But he will not offer any more troops or equipment, according to a senior defense official traveling with the secretary."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/04/11/nato.afghanistan.reut/index.html

Didn't take long for "Kill 'em all and let god sort 'em out" JC to show up. I'm sure nuking the Middle East wouldn't upset the millions of innocent Muslims that live outside of the Middle East.

You need to understand that the individuals perpetrating these acts are masters of media and psychological manipulation.

Posted by: Patience | Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 10:35 AM

So are all of the President's men. Wait! That sounds familiar.

You need to understand that the individuals perpetrating these acts are masters of media and psychological manipulation.
Posted by: Patience | Apr 12, 2007 10:35:23 AM

So you're saying these things don't really count?
They really don't have the ability to do what they just did?

The reality is ... Iraq is not a War. In war, a government uses military force to attack another government's military force. What we have in Iraq is a policing issue.

The US is certainly obligated to assist Iraq in rebuilding its internal and governmental infrastructures much the way we helped Japan, Germany, Vietnam, etc since we were instramental in removing their old regime.

The only real question is, "how best to perform that function?" We certainly don't have enough policemen *who are willing and able to work in Iraq* to provide policing and security forces. The only real adequate force we have to assist the country to rebuild is the military. Like it or not, the job falls to them and we owe each and every one of them a huge debt of gratitude.

I wish a few of you Americans could go over to Iraq and interview Iraqis like I did. The problem with the Middle East is too many Arabs in the Middle East have been marrying their first cousins for several thousands years. Its true. There is not enough separation in the gene pool. Look at the entire Middle East, the people in that region of the world are just plain angry. Thats a side effect of breeding too close to your family. Another issue is Americans just can't grasp other places in the world don't subscribe to our morals and ideology. Look at the Muslims. They don't even have the same calendar. They are inherently different culturally than our Western based society. One more thing, we have US bases with 100 year leases in Iraq. That never makes the news. Why not? We ain't never pulling out. However, don't believe for a second that our economy doesn't rely heavily on Middle Eastern oil. It does...and that doesn't mean the government is not heavily protecting multi national oil companies. It is. However, when we go in the Middle East talking about peace, it sort of ridulous. It ain't going to happen. For example, why are we spending so much foreign aid on Israel and Egypt. We have to match funds to Egypt to make them happy because we give so much to Israel. Why give money to either one? America should look at taking care of Americans first. We have a large national debt. How many Americans borrow from a bank to help give money to their neighbors? Its stupid. Yes, we're a global power. However, we could have done a lot more with that money spent on angry Iraqis, to help Americans. We could have a built a national fiber optic communication system to every home. We could have given every poor family in the US a computer. We could have used feeder government money to start Plasma/LCD tv production. We spend so much money on TVs. We don't even produce 'em anymore. WHERE IS OUR LOGIC? Its stupid. Why waste American lives when the Sunnis and Shias just plain hate each other? You know I just don't know why we didn't send in Iraq pre-Saddam a Special Forces hit team to take out Saddam, Uday, and Qusay. We could have saved billions of dollars and American soldiers lives. Why create a facade that we need to give everybody freedom in the world just because we need oil so bad? Hey, if we truly wanted to help everybody out for freedom what about North Korea and the Sudan? These places just don't have anything we want i guess! We want a permanent presence in the Middle East and this is how we get it!

Don McKay,

"Thus, the U.S. must examine its position and future from two viewpoints"

When has the Bush Administration ever done such a thing? They're "viewpoints" seem to be rosy and rosier. They even discarded the Iraq Study Group as if it had come from, gasp, a Democrat.

"What is to be gained by leaving; and what is to be gained by staying? Project the reciprocal effects of both outcomes."

Wise thoughts, my friend. Unfortunately, neither has good options, which is why we are in the quandary we are currently in.

The problem with this administration is that they consistently either find the wrong problem (we're not "supporting the troops" enough, its America's "resolve" that's the issue, the "liberal media" just isn't showing all the good news that John McCain discovered while over there...) or find the wrong solution to the right problem (Iraq needs a new government, so let's purge all the bureaucrats and the army and send them onto the streets with guns and no work; we're trying to win hearts and minds so let's just round up every one we can find and throw them in one of Sadam's notorious prisons which will operate basically as it did under Sadam but this time under American management...)

I'll admit I am not a Bush supporter, but it appears that there is no individual less capable of switching gears and adjusting to reality than George Bush. He's been bailed out of every failed endeavor, and unfortunately its going to take another president to bail us out of this one. Hopefully he's not stupid enough to actually escalate confrontation with Iran, or we could have an even bigger mess on our hands.

Americans need to wakup and make a quick action to rebuild Iraq and apologize for the huge destruction they have made to Iraqi people, infrastructure, and government agencies. Unfortunately, USA is hijaced by extremisim and people who are destroying the american values. I wish my commnet will be posted. Sept 11 is a terrors act, and Iraq invasion by USA is ALSO a terror act.

It would be well for all the posters here to learn the FACTS behind the bombing.

Recently, an insurgent group allied with AQ broke ties with AQ to discuss reconciliation with the Iraqi Gov't.

Naturally, AQ didn't like this, and sent a bomber after them to prevent this. That is what this bombing was, an attempt by AQ to prevent an insurgent group from laying down their arms.

And of course the US media portrays just the "Bomb" and faulty reporting (blaming this on "insurgents". Nope. Blame goes to AQ, not to the "insurgent" group that was TALKING TO THE IRAQI'S ABOUT LAYING DOWN THEIR ARMS!!!!!, and not WHY the bomb was sent.

If the media reported the facts, people's take on it would be much different. (I know, I know, I'm dreaming that we have a press that isn't heavily biased in favor of the DemocRats)

John McCain:

Load up on guns
Bring your friends
It's fun to lose
And to pretend

I wish a few of you Americans could go over to Iraq and interview Iraqis like I did. The problem with the Middle East is people in the Middle East have been marrying their first cousins for several thousands years. Its true. There is not enough separation in the gene pool. Look at the entire Middle East, the people in that region of the world are just plain angry. Thats a side effect of breeding too close to your family. Another issue is Americans just can't grasp other places in the world don't subscribe to our morals and ideology. Look at the Muslims. They don't even have the same calendar. They are inherently different culturally than our Western based society. One more thing, we have US bases with 100 year leases in Iraq. That never makes the news. Why not? We ain't never pulling out. Look at the lease in Guantanamo. However, don't believe for a second that our economy doesn't rely heavily on Middle Eastern oil. It does...and that doesn't mean the government is not heavily protecting multi national oil companies. It is. However, when we go in the Middle East talking about peace, it sort of ridulous. It ain't going to happen. For example, why are we spending so much foreign aid on Israel and Egypt. We have to match funds to Egypt to make them happy because we give so much to Israel. Why give money to either one? America should look at taking care of Americans first. We have a large national debt. How many Americans borrow from a bank to help give money to their neighbors? Its stupid. Yes, we're a global power. However, we could have done a lot more with that money spent on angry Iraqis, to help Americans. We could have a built a national fiber optic communication system to every home. We could have given every poor family in the US a computer. We could have used feeder government money to start Plasma/LCD tv production. We spend so much money on TVs. We don't even produce 'em anymore. WHERE IS OUR LOGIC? Its stupid. Why waste American lives when the Sunnis and Shias just plain hate each other? You know I just don't know why we didn't send in Iraq pre-Saddam a Special Forces hit team to take out Saddam, Uday, and Qusay. We could have saved billions of dollars and American soldiers lives. Why create a facade that we need to give everybody freedom in the world just because we need oil so bad? Hey, if we truly wanted to help everybody out for freedom what about North Korea and the Sudan? These places just don't have anything we want i guess! We want a permanent presence in the Middle East and this is how we get it!

Everything that B says is irrelavant. Killing is his thing! He has authorized killing and destruction for 4 years now. In case he is not aware of it, the over 3000 killings, and who knows how mainy lifetime injuries, were done to INNOCENT AMERICANS. Enough GET RID OF BUSH. IMPEACH THE CRIMINALS WHO ARE SO OFF TARGET that all their interests are for money and greed

Correct if I'm wrong, but isn't one of Sun Tzu's more important points that you never go into battle in a place that you cannot get out? Seems like Osama, remember him, might have read Art of War while W was reading My Pet Goat. I think he's laughing in that cave of his.

So much for Senator McCain's "safe Baghdad" when even in the green zone and in the Iraqi parliament, bombs are going off.
We fought our civil war and it was not pretty. But see what came out of it, a prosperous nation. Let's let them have it and at some point they will figure out their solution. The Russians were in Afghanistan for years and ended up leaving with their tale between their legs. We are staring at that option in the face.

$416.5 Billion and ticking. Extended tours of duty. Paying $150,000 to some troops to re-up!

1,861 civilians were killed in March - a rise of 13 per cent compared to the February total. But of course John McCain, who is on a visit to Iraq, says he has seen some signs that the security situation is improving. I guess the view is a lot different if you have Black Hawks circling overhead and a hundred or so security people in your group.

These incidents today just continue to demonstrate the hopelessness of this ill concieved military venture.

I totally agree that an American departure at this point will likely leave a chaotic mess. But can anyone honestly say for what we have spent in lives and dollars we have anything short of that now?

None of the $416+ billion is in any operating budget. This bill will come due at some point. Our children will already be paying for Bush's lie.

There are limits to our financial resources as well as manpower resources. It is irresponsible to continue to dump both into the exercise in frutility.

Sorry, but this is not going to end until everyone stiffens the resolve to prevail. Even this troop surge is not enough to win a decisive victory. Withdrawing means you'll only have to come back nad finish later. Waiting for second attack on America while Iran get's stronger is lunacy.

I say fight this war now with everthing we have while we can still win it. Once Iran is a nuclear power it will be too late.

This is not a war on terror, in fact it's not a war at all. There's no, country, army, no sides, no uniforms. Still militant Islam and these jihadists must be hunted down and killed no matter where they would take sanctuary. Only if we were doing that would there be a real war.

A lot of insurgents have died but obviously many more need to.

My hat will be off to Bush and Cheney only after we drop bunker busters to destroy Irans nuclear enrichment capabilities. An action like this will smoke out our real enemies and make this a real war. A war that when (the Democrats) inevitably bring back the draft we can actually gear up for and win.

Darryn-

If you want to try and link the negotiations to the bombing, fine, but tell the WHOLE story about the negotiations, OK?

"Al-Muttalibi said the insurgent groups insist they will lay down their arms and join the political process only if a timetable is announced for the withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign forces. "This is the biggest stumbling block to an agreement," he said."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/22/AR2007032201405.html

George W. Bush's refusal to discuss a timetable for withdrawal is what is keeping those groups from laying down their arms.

When U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters in Washington.

"I don't think anybody expected there would not be counter-efforts."

It suggests she is either flat out lying - or totally incompetent. Here is why. Everything we know of Ms. Rice, leads one to believe she is brilliant, hard working, and patriotic.

Therefore, one must have serious doubts that she does not understand that for every action, there is a re-action. She is not incompetent.

Her statement that any re-action to the troop build up is “unexpected” should be considered disingenuous - at best. At worst - there is an alarming pattern of deceit.

Why is America in Iraq?

they took a working nation .. and they reduced it to rubble ... the American tax payer is being bled but still more pork is thrown into the barrel.

Not a pretty sight ..

Off Topic:

She's hot!

Anytime a group of ideologues force an action, bad things happen. Here's the real scope. Bush attacked Iraq due to neocon tainted ideology and/or greed. The result is the draining of the national treasury, 100,000+ murders, millions of lives ruined, and the absolute alienation of America. The neocons have converted America’s might to ruins while destroying Iraq and destabilizing the Middle East. So, this bombing is a natural event and we shouldn’t be shocked at such destruction. Instead, tolerate these events for 2 more years until a new wh admin is in place. Then, America can spend the next 75 years attempting to rebuild what these incompetent republicans have destroyed. I personally doubt we’ll make it that far. The America I grew up with seems like a long lost memory.

It would be well for all the posters here to learn the FACTS behind the bombing.

Recently, an insurgent group allied with AQ broke ties with AQ to discuss reconciliation with the Iraqi Gov't.

Naturally, AQ didn't like this, and sent a bomber after them to prevent this. That is what this bombing was, an attempt by AQ to prevent an insurgent group from laying down their arms.

And of course the US media portrays just the "Bomb" and faulty reporting (blaming this on "insurgents". Nope. Blame goes to AQ, not to the "insurgent" group that was TALKING TO THE IRAQI'S ABOUT LAYING DOWN THEIR ARMS!!!!!, and not WHY the bomb was sent.

If the media reported the facts, people's take on it would be much different. (I know, I know, I'm dreaming that we have a press that isn't heavily biased in favor of the DemocRats)

Posted by: Darryn | Apr 12, 2007 11:26:54 AM

So if I've got this right, D, this was an attack by AQ terrorist infiltrators, rather than by Iraqi insurgents. You're right, that really is good news. I'm surprised Dear Leader isn't on the TV right now, crowing about this great sign of progress. Probably the liberal media is unwilling to give him air time, huh?

"It suggests she is either flat out lying - or totally incompetent. "

Don't underestimate Condi, Concerned citizen.

She's BOTH flat out lying AND totally incompetent!

It would be well for all the posters here to learn the FACTS behind the bombing.
Posted by: Darryn | Apr 12, 2007 11:26:54 AM

Anytime you want to show us some facts I'd be glad to read them. Really hoping you find some because I'd love to hear about Iraqi attempts at reconciliation.

Don't look now Darryn but its your bias thats showing.

The real reason behind us being there is simple: run up the national defecit so much we wont be able to afford implementing social programs to help those in need. This is republicanism at its best. Just watch continued assualt on reducing aid to those in need while whining that its up us to take care of all our problems. This is why we have no national healthcare, and a bankrupt social security, poisoned pets who die from eating pet food, crumbling roads and overworked armed forces. This was all drummed up in a high level think tank I bet. It will further divide the rich and poor.

Darryn, here’s two scenarios for you to consider that will help you understand news a bit better…

A) You rob a bank. You wrestle with a responding officer who dies of a heart attack. You are now guilty of robbery and man slaughter even though your intention was only bank robbery.

That evening CNN & Fox news reports a man is suspected of robbery and man slaughter.

B) Here’s another scenario. You invade a country and over 50,000 humans die. You are now not only a fool but also a mass murderer. So, in the court of law, it doesn’t matter “The FACTS behind the bombing”, the blood from this bomb is on Bush, his cronies, and the bomber. It’s simple, if Bush et al did not invade Iraq, this bomb would have never went off.

Now Darryn, try to understand the news and decide reality. I’ll give you a hint: a bomb went off and killed people. But don’t be surprised if you see this tonight … CNN reports a bomb went off in Iraq. Fox news echo’s Sen. McCain that things are going swimmingly well and there’s nothing like an evening stroll in Baghdad.

If only we had cut-and-run sooner; this wouldn't have happened and Iraqis would be living in total peace right now.

Deficit? Don't worry about that. Bush is planning to charge $10,000.00 per illegal immigrant for per his amnesty plan. That would generate $120,000,000,000.00 immediately; Problem solved!

This way, the borders remain broken, the rich keep their tax breaks and the War machine keeps going. Next stop: Iran.

My mental image of the Bush administration handling of the war:

Bush standing in front of a burning Parliament shouting, "There is nothing to see here, everybody go home, there is nothing to see here!"

My mental image of the Bush administration's handling of the war:

Bush standing in front of a burning Parliament shouting, "There is nothing to see here, everybody go home, there is nothing to see here!"

That right Stan. If we had "cut and run" before we started the war, Iraq might still be a pile of dung, but it wouldn't be our pile of dung. We could have brought our troops home from their brief deployment in Kuwait and things would have gone on pretty much as they had before.

Hey CC,

You got it backwards! Ms. Rice may be a Bush apologist, but she said,

"I don't think anybody expected there would NOT be counter-efforts." (i.e., counter-efforts WERE expected.)

At least she seems to have understood that "for every action, there is a re-action." I'll give her credit for that.

"Off Topic:

"She's hot!

Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 12, 2007 12:06:36 PM"

No no zee Anon big. Yoo muz larne from zee French mastairs how to voo zee veemale of dee speecee.

Dey hav zuch pent up bashions and dark deesirous dat only zee Frenchman can reeleez and zoothe zee ladies vants an neeedz.

You Amerrikann tuff guis mus larne from zee Frechman ho do bleeze zee layadies.

Vee are villing to deech eef you are villing do leeezen.

Zee layadie in dee peecture be een much need of special treeetament an reeleeze.

I aam juz zee guy doo doo eet.

Lets see...
We cut and ran in Viet Nam... They are now our trading partner.

We stayed the course in Cuba... 50 years... and Castro has outlived 9 presidents.

Zee booteeval laydayee in zee bleu jeert eez begining du deezdurb mee gratelay.

Zeece eez one Frenchman weeth leetal 'resistance' to dee wondervul braveheart laydee.

Who is this 'Trapper' fool.

Get over it, all of you! We all know that Clinton's sexual escapades were much more evil than the Current Occupant's war in Iraq!

I think this guy is trolling me.

YES, progress is being made in Baghdad. Peace in at hand. American must believe your President, Bush for he told no lies, believe Presidential Candidate Has-Been, McCain, he walked alone in Baghdad. Believe in GOP, because IF IRAQ IS NOT WON, WHITE HOUSE IS GONE. That why, the Republicans are still bull-shitting you American people that the "surge is working". YES, they ONLY WANT the White House, you are paying for them, WITH YOUR KIDS.

Then, "BOOOOOMMMMMMMMM". It is SAFE in Baghdad. Believe them???????????

I bet the insurgents would happily lay down their arms if we would only quit killing Iraqis and come home. Safe passage to the U.S.

RM,

Your being... whatchacallit?... sarcastical, right?

I sink zee frenchman sinks we are amoozed... mais non! Il est le Dorque grand!