Patrick Cockburn: White House strategy is to help McCain win in November
Big HAT TIP to Kel from The Osterly Times This time, I copied and pasted the whole post. Do follow the title link AND Kel as he has a number of very insightful posts with naturally links that only can be found in a non-American newspaper;
"I spoke yesterday about how, in the past, the Republicans have used military campaigns abroad to win elections, even if it meant undermining peace in Vietnam or freeing American hostages in Iran.
And how Vladimir Putin is convinced that the US was behind Saakashvili's decision to invade South Ossetia was, in part, to help John McCain win the November election.
Well, today Patrick Cockburn, one of the few journalists who remains on the ground in Iraq, claims that the handing back of Anbar province is being done for the exact same cynical reasons."
The hand- over by the US military of control of Anbar province, once the heartland of the Sunni rebellion, to Iraqi forces is a case in point. The US will keep 25,000 American soldiers in Anbar, so the extent to which the Iraqi government will really take over is debatable.
[...]
Much of what the White House is now doing is done to help the Republicans in the presidential election. The aim is to give the impression that Iraq has finally come right for the US and victory is finally in its grasp. The surge is promoted as the strategy by which the tide was turned and it is true that the Sunni uprising against the US occupation has largely ended.
But it has done so for reasons that have little to do with the surge or American actions of any kind. Crucial to the success of the government against the Mahdi Army has been the support of Iran. It is they who arranged for the Shia militiamen to go home.
It takes real cheek for Mr Bush to claim yesterday that "Anbar is no longer lost to al-Qa'ida" since during the last presidential election in 2004, he was claiming that the media was exaggerating the success of the insurgents.
"There is an astonishing amount of gall to Bush now claiming that Anbar has been saved when he has previously insisted that the media were exaggerating what was happening there.
But, by claiming to hand it back to the Iraqis - whilst retaining 25,000 troops there and doing no such thing - Bush can only have one aim. To help McCain claim that the surge is working and advise against moving out too quickly."
So says Kel. He's one of my favourite bloggers and a relentless blogger at that.
You are dead right! I saved some stories about this for tomorrow because Iraq is going to explode now. The Kurds are pissed. This is going to Blow and so isn't Pakistan. Along with Russia, Iran, and everything else you have to wonder which one is going to provide the excuse to get this going?
ReplyDeleteDid you by any chance see Helen's post and the picture of Palin yesterday! I am friggen speechless!
ReplyDeleteI so appreciate the perspective from outside the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI would put nothing past the Bush regime.
ReplyDeleteListening to the spew that came out last night all those speeches had to be coached or written by Rove!
ReplyDeleteJim, I think you'd really like Kel's blog so pls check it out and say hi in the process. I know he gets a lot of visitors but not many comment. He truly is relentless and you gotta admire someone just for that alone!
ReplyDeleteAs for 'helen', I'm not sure which blog you're referring to..
as for the RNC convention, I'm sorry, I just cannot stomach that bile..they are just such a bunch of followers, they'll change their 'morals'/values based on whomever they have to follow..
Border Explorer..isn't it nice? thank god for outside perspectives although I hear that mainstream journalists are getting bullied and given a hard time because they actually want to.. practice journalism and the republicans are so used to NOT being questioned..McCain is having more hissy fits so let's hope for an all visible blowout so no one can sweep that under the rug..
Robert, the Bush regime..any republican 'regime' by the sounds of it..check out Kel's prior post..
Jim.. Karl Rove? I think by now that it's hard to tell because they're just on this 'tack' of negativity, self righteousness and oh..did I mention 'bile'??
now it's time for lunch..I'll have to put on some nice music to get those images out of my head..[g]
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ReplyDeleteYou know Helenwheels
Oh I forgot who is kel? I will check it out. Funny you mention relentless! I saw Maria there but have you ever seen the relentless liberal? I am good friends with him and his 65 year old son Danny! We met and became instant friends at one of his lectures!
ReplyDeleteJim, Kel is from the Osterly Times, whose post I copied here.I think you'd like his writings. I remember you mentioning that gentleman and his son Danny..never seen Helen's blog but I'll be right over there when I'm done 'with you' [s]
ReplyDelete(you seem to be on a first name basis with a lot of people, that's good though, a handle is nice but it 'feels' nice to be able to address an actual 'person', hence I just use my first name-all real)
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ReplyDeleteOh okay I will check it out thanks!
This makes a LOT of sense. Thanks for posting this!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, they'll do anything to keep in power. All the buttons will be pushed. Bush has zero integrity (is there less than zero?).
ReplyDeleteSo I hope people work hard to put the Democratic ticket in. Not perfect, but Jeez, soooo much better than the wingnuts now.
Maria, don't you think it's a 'wee' disturbing when stuff like this makes sense? You should read Kel's previous post where there is a list of times/incidences of Republican attempts in the past to undermine domestic politics by instigating something outside the US.
ReplyDeleteGary..we are such a cynical lot aren't we? The moral right has no integrity, I guess 'integrity' doesn't hold enough of a buzz for them..
the democratic ticket isn't perfect as I am not a Democrat and believe there should not be a two party system but more parties. That, and the Dems have their own history of foreign wars/aggression,they just call it 'humanitary intervention' (thank you Bill Clinton)..still, it is, like you said, waaaay better than the mindset we would have to endure if the rightwing keeps their stronghold..
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