Buck Naked Politics

Iraqis Protest U.S. Deal

by Deb Cupples |   Apparently, many Iraqis are not happy about the prospect of having U.S. military presence in their homeland for years to come.  This makes sense, given that the Iraqi people no longer have good infrastructure or utilities -- that and thousands of civilians have been wounded or killed since the U.S. invaded their nation. 

But then, when have the Iraqi people's opinions mattered to the Bush Administration?  Agence France Presse reports:

"Thousands of supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr demonstrated in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq after Friday prayers to denounce a government deal with Washington on US troop levels. Followers of the anti-US cleric brandished placards outside mosques in their Sadr City Shiite stronghold in the capital as security forces stepped up their presence there."

Network Execs Pushed Pro-Bush Stories before Iraq War

by Deb Cupples |  The critical book by former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan is causing trouble for the media, as well as the Bush Administration.

Yesterday, CNN correspondent Jessica Yellin added evidence to the cases against the media, which McClellan (and many Americans who paid attention) believed had helped the Bush Administration sell the Iraq war to the public based on questionable grounds.

Yellin had covered the White House for ABC and MSNBC in 2002 and 2003.  Below is a piece of an interview of Yellin by Anderson Cooper:

Ex-Aide Says Bush Misled America re: Iraq War

by Deb Cupples |  There's a certain comfort in getting still more confirmation for what many of us ordinary Americans have -- for years now -- merely accepted as true.  The Washington Post reports:

"Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that the Iraq war was sold to the American people with a sophisticated "political propaganda campaign" led by President Bush and aimed at 'manipulating sources of public opinion' and 'downplaying the major reason for going to war."

Iraq: More Air Strikes, More Civilian Causualties

I can't imagine the horror that civilians in a war zone face.  Today's Washington Post reports:

"Since late March, the military has fired more than 200 Hellfire missiles in the capital, compared with just six missiles fired in the previous three months.

"The military says the tactic has saved the lives of ground troops and prevented attacks, but the strikes have also killed and wounded civilians, provoking criticism from Iraqis."

Is Iran the New Iraq: i.e., Does Bush Plan to Attack?

by Deb Cupples |   By now, we Americans know what it looks like when a president makes a case (however questionable) for war.  It's been obvious for at least the last year that the Bush Administration has been interested in taking some sort of military action against Iran. 

The interest has been there for years.  In 2002, President Bush used the embarrassingly comic-book-ish phrase "Axis of Evil" when talking about Iran. (White House)  It doesn't get much clearer than that.  Last year, Bush Administration officials and allies (e.g., Sen. Joe Lieberman) publicly talked of an attack against Iran.  And yet, yesterday, the Bush Administration publicly denied any interest in attacking that nation.  The Jerusalem Post reports:

Pentagon's Manipulation of Media & Public Opinion

Salon's Glenn Greenwald is doing a fine job of battling Pentagon spokesperson Larry Di Rita, who continues to deny that the Pentagon had used military "analysts" to manipulate the media (and public opinion) during the Iraq war lead-up.

There's too much to quote, so I'll just give you the link instead.  Memeorandum has commentary.

Bush Administration Ignored Corruption

by Deb Cupples |   No, it's not surprising -- given that last year we learned that State Department and Justice Department officials may have turned a blind eye to corruption or illegal acts on the part of Iraq war contractors.  'Anything to reduce bad press about how the Bush Administration has conducted the war(s).

Yesterday, the Associated Press reported on the Bush Administration's ignoring of corruption at high levels in the Iraqi government:

Al Sadr to Allow Iraqi Troops in

McClatchy reports:

"Followers of rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr agreed late Friday to allow Iraqi security forces to enter all of Baghdad's Sadr City and to arrest anyone found with heavy weapons in a surprising capitulation that seemed likely to be hailed as a major victory for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki."

Hezbollah Militias Seize Control of Beirut, 'Worst Sectarian Violence Since the Early Nineties'

Posted by Damozel | Hezbollah militias have seized control of West Beirut, unleashing the worst sectarian violence since the end of Lebanon's 15 year-long civil war in the early Nineties. (CNN) 

Walid Jumblatt, a Druze leader and part of the pro-government coalition, described it as a "coup."... 

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called that conflict "a strategic and historic victory" but acknowledged underestimating the cost in lives and destruction. .....

Looking for a High-End Real Estate Investment? Try the Green Zone!

Posted by Damozel | One of the Pentagon's current projects is development of a high-end area around the Green Zone---luxury hotels!  high-end shopping! condos! --- where the $1 billion embassy we've built ourselves is located.  Sound improbable?  Never underestimate the determination of developers.  A $5 billion plan, backed by the Pentagon, is already in place.

For the moment...it's mortars and rockets — not investment money — pouring into the Green Zone, which includes the U.S. and British embassies, key Iraqi government offices and other international compounds. Militants have escalated their shelling of the enclave since Iraqi forces began a crackdown on Shiite militias in late March.

Shoddy Work by Military Contractors Killing US Troops?

Posted by Damozel | D Cupples has typed her little fingers to the bone on the subject of the government's use of contractors, but I don't think we will ever be able to repeat too many times exactly how detrimental to the interests of taxpayers has been the Bush Administration's use of military contractors in Iraq.  I'm always glad to see the mainstream press on the case.  How long before the outrage begins?  How long before it reaches critical mass so something is done?   

We can but try:

In October 2004, the United States Army issued an urgent bulletin to commanders across Iraq, warning them of a deadly new threat to American soldiers. Because of flawed electrical work by contractors, the bulletin stated, soldiers at American bases in Iraq had received severe electrical shocks, and some had even been electrocuted.

Is the Bush Administration Planning an Attack Inside Iran's Borders?

Posted by Damozel | Did you know that George W. Bush a/k/a 'Richard Cheney' is still commander-in-chief of the US Armed Forces?  It's true.  Will it surprise you to learn that he -- or rather 'they' --- are gearing up for a military strike in Iraq?

The US military is drawing up plans for a “surgical strike” against an insurgent training camp inside Iran if Republican Guards continue with attempts to destabilise Iraq, western intelligence sources said last week. One source said the Americans were growing increasingly angry at the involvement of the Guards’ special-operations Quds force inside Iraq, training Shi’ite militias and smuggling weapons into the country.  (ToL)

By 'the Americans', the aforementioned 'source' meant 'the Bush Administration,' of course, and by 'the Bush Administration,' specifically --- or, rather, especially --- frustrated puppet-master-in-chief Richard Cheney.

Post-Surge Iraq Sees Surge in Violence

by D. Cupples |  Two suicide bombers detonated explosive vests in a market in Baghdad yesterday, killing 30 people and wounding 65 others.  According to Reuters (via New York Times), "Police said the second bomber struck as crowds rushed to evacuate the wounded from the first attack, a common tactic used by bombers to maximise casualties."

Iraqi government data show that April has been the most deadly month for civilians since August 2007.

Joint Chiefs Tell Iran to Knock it Off...or Else

Posted by Damozel | Did you know that George W. Bush is still president?  It's true.  And yesterday, 'a second American aircraft carrier steamed into the Persian Gulf on Tuesday as the Pentagon ordered military commanders to develop new options for attacking Iran.' (CBS News)

One concern is the Iranians' participation in the Iraq war.  '"What the Iranians are doing is killing American servicemen and -women inside Iraq," said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.'   They are certainly smuggling weapons into Iraq. (CBS News)   Current reports state that they are increasing aid to Iraqi militias.(CBS News)  The military claims to have evidence of this:

Four U.S. Soldiers Died in Iraq, April the Highest Death Toll Since September

Today's Washington Post reports:

"Four US soldiers were killed in two rocket attacks in Baghdad on Monday as clashes between US-backed Iraqi forces and Shiite militiamen intensified, the military said.

"Three soldiers were killed about 1 pm in eastern Baghdad, where fighters loyal to anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have battled US and Iraqi troops. The fourth American soldier was killed at 4:15 p.m. in the western part of the capital, a US military spokesman said. The military provided few other details about the attacks."

Pentagon to Investigate Military Analysts

by D. Cupples |   Last week, the New York Times ran a story based on newly released documents indicating that the Pentagon might have fed pro-war propaganda to so-called "military analysts" who had monetary interests in our nation's invasion of Iraq.

In response to the Times story, the Pentagon is reportedly taking some sort of action.  Stars and Stripes reports:

Petraeus Picked to Lead CentCom -- but What About the 190,000 Missing Weapons?

The New York Times reports:
 

"David Petraeus, the four-star general who led troops in Iraq for the past year, will be nominated by President Bush to be the next commander of U.S. Central Command, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday.

"Gates said he expected Petraeus to make the shift in late summer or early fall. The Pentagon chief also announced that Bush will nominate Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno to replace Petraeus in Baghdad. Central Command oversees the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan."

Sunnis to End Boycott and Join Maliki Government

Today's New York Times reports:

"Iraq’s largest Sunni bloc has agreed to return to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s cabinet after a nine-month boycott, several Sunni leaders said on Thursday, citing a recently passed amnesty law and the Maliki government’s crackdown on Shiite militias as reasons for the move."

Iran vs. Israel: Criticism from Al-Qaeda and Some Preemptive Bellicosity from Clinton

Posted by Damozel | Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, is upset with Iran for propagating the rumor that Israel was behind 9-11.  Al-Qaeda wants full credit for it. 

In an audio tape posted on the internet, Zawahiri insisted al-Qaeda had carried out the attacks on the US.

He accused Iran, and its Hezbollah allies, of trying to discredit Osama Bin Laden's network.

Correspondents say the comments underline al-Qaeda's increasing public hostility towards Iran.  "The purpose of this lie is clear - [to suggest] that there are no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America as no-one else did in history, he said.  "Iranian media snapped up this lie and repeated it." (BBC News)

Rumors of War: Iraq

Posted by Damozel | Meanwhile, in Iraq, the surge is still working as well as ever.  On Thursday, a suicide bomber killed 49 mourners at a funeral in Iraq and wounded 50. (The Independent)   The funeral was for "two members of a US-backed  neighbourhood security unit who were killed recently." (The Independent)   The bombing was most likely the work of the Sunni Islamist al-Qaeda  (The Independent).