Iraq today.....

[Tom]

Notice how all the dems where lining up to say we could not win in Iraq, how the surge would never work?

Now they are all focusing on the Iraqi parliment, since the surge is working. :lol:

Heard something today about finding chemical agents in a UN office - the stuff used in WMD - brought back unknowingly from Iraq. Hmmmmmm. Where did they find that over there? How much more is there? Hmmmmm.

[46zilzal]

There is always the fantasy world estimate and the real world one. "A draft of a progress report requested by Congress from the Government Accountability Office is “strikingly negative” and questions a more optimistic report by the administration in July"

This excerpt from the report from The Post explains the G.A.O.’s reasoning:

“While the Baghdad security plan was intended to reduce sectarian violence, U.S. agencies differ on whether such violence has been reduced,” it states. While there have been fewer attacks against U.S. forces, it notes, the number of attacks against Iraqi civilians remains unchanged. It also finds that “the capabilities of Iraqi security forces have not improved.”

“Overall,” the report concludes, “key legislation has not been passed, violence remains high, and it is unclear whether the Iraqi government will spend $10 billion in reconstruction funds,” as promised."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/08/30/GR2007083000168.html

[46zilzal]

Heard something today about finding chemical agents in a UN office - the stuff used in WMD - brought back unknowingly from Iraq. Hmmmmmm. Where did they find that over there? How much more is there? Hmmmmm.
Phosgene....as old as the hills. It was used in WWI.

and the quote from CNN:"Phosgene is an industrial chemical used to make plastics and pesticides, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At room temperature, it is a poisonous gas, but can be stored and shipped under cooling and pressure."

[Tom]

Well there ya go.
It is a sleeper WMD - as Global Warming takes over, this stuff will be waking up all over the place! :eek:

[Greyfox]

Iraq Today? You should have said Baghdad today.

The surge appears to be working in Baghdad.
They still don't get electricity or water 24/7.
*********
But Iraq is bigger than Baghdad.
Other than that, the place is a bloody mess.
Militia units from various sectarian groups do their own thing.
Iran is shelling Northern Iraq and laughing at U.S. warnings to it.
The question is why is Iran "bull baiting?"
Are China and the Russians encouraging them to sucker the U.S.
into something? Would an American move on Iran could leave open
a door for China to move on Taiwan? Then Palestine and Lebanon move
on Israel?

A U.S. pull out would leave a "power vacuum."
Iran would probably seize lots of area and civil wars (plural)
would break out. We could be looking at the very tip of the ice berg
here as we only know what we're fed by the media. Is World War III
not that far away? If so we'll need more than hcap's tin foil caps
if anyone starts throwing missiles.

[46zilzal]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6949623.stm
During the seven days from 9-15 August 540 people were killed in violent incidents across Iraq.

The number of civilian deaths rose by nearly a hundred on last week's total, up from 343 to 434. This represents the second highest number of civilian casualties recorded since this series monitoring the Iraq surge began.

The death toll of over 250 is still rising from Tuesday's bombing of two Yazidi villages near Mosul. The attack is one of the worst in more than four years of war in Iraq.
Deaths of Iraqi police and soldiers also rose this week, while the number of US soldiers killed fell slightly.

[46zilzal]

AP Count: Deaths in Iraq Nearly Double Pre-Surge Level

By Steve Hurst, The Associated Press

Published: August 25, 2007 11:20 PM ET

BAGHDAD This year's U.S. troop buildup has succeeded in bringing violence in Baghdad down from peak levels, but the death toll from sectarian attacks around the country is running nearly double the pace from a year ago.

Some of the recent bloodshed appears the result of militant fighters drifting into parts of northern Iraq, where they have fled after U.S.-led offensives. Baghdad, however, still accounts for slightly more than half of all war-related killings - the same percentage as a year ago, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press.

OR

Iraqi deaths spike five months into US troop surge

by Joseph Krauss Wed Aug 1, 5:19 AM ET

BAGHDAD (AFP) - The number of Iraqi civilians killed in the country's brutal civil conflict rose by more than a third in July despite a five-month-old surge in US troop levels, government figures showed Wednesday.

At least 1,652 civilians were killed in Iraq in July, 33 percent more than in the previous month, according to figures compiled by the Iraqi health, defence and interior ministries and made available to AFP.

Casualties continued to mount as a massive car bomb tore through a major Baghdad intersection -- the fifth such blast to strike the city centre in the past week -- killing at least 10 people.

[delayjf]

I'm sure it will all stop once the US pulls out, just like Vietnam, Cambodia, Lebenon, Somalia.

[Greyfox]

I'm sure it will all stop once the US pulls out, just like Vietnam, Cambodia, Lebenon, Somalia.
Good one. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Light]

This BS that the surge is working is PR for the upcoming Petraeus report in September. Bush wants another $50 Billion. What's the WH suppose to say to get another $50 B's.Should they quote the Government Accountabilty Office that says 15 of the 18 Iraqi benchmarks have not been met during the Surge.For $50 B's,you lie or you're no politician.

[46zilzal]

77 killed in August, 79 in July

[Maji]

This BS that the surge is working is PR for the upcoming Petraeus report in September. Bush wants another $50 Billion. What's the WH suppose to say to get another $50 B's.Should they quote the Government Accountabilty Office that says 15 of the 18 Iraqi benchmarks have not been met during the Surge.For $50 B's,you lie or you're no politician.

Compare $50B with the cost to rebuild the protection system for the greater New Orleans area -

"Rebuilding the city's levees to withstand a Category 5 storm could cost more than $30 billion -- 10 times the $3.1 billion in spending that the White House touted on Thursday, with $1.6 billion already committed and President Bush now seeking another $1.5 billion."
http://obama.senate.gov/news/051215-bush_seeking_an/

[46zilzal]

from the Jerusalem Post

Aug 28, 2007 19:52
Iraq: 35 dead in Karbala in two days, curfew imposed
By ASSOCIATED PRESS BAGHDAD
Gun battles raged between rival Shi'ite militias after nightfall Tuesday, despite a police-ordered curfew in the Shi'ite holy city of Karbala, where more than one million pilgrims have been ordered to leave after two days of violence claimed at least 35 lives during a Shi'ite religious festival.

[Tom]

46 would say that Normandy was a failure because casualties skyrocketed after we invaded. that is how he thinks. not very impressive in my opinioin.
the surge IS working. It is accomplishing what it was supposed to.

[Maji]

It is accomplishing what it was supposed to.

Sure it is... bleeding the American people of their money. :lol:

[ddog]

I'm sure it will all stop once the US pulls out, just like Vietnam, Cambodia, Lebenon, Somalia.

In any event the people THERE would have a chance to make of it what they want/can.

Which one on the list you provided would you want to liberate now and why would you volunteer to be in the first wave of that liberation at this point?

Can't surge religon out of that area.

[ddog]

46 would say that Normandy was a failure because casualties skyrocketed after we invaded. that is how he thinks. not very impressive in my opinioin.
the surge IS working. It is accomplishing what it was supposed to.


seems widly unrelated to this situation to me?

[46zilzal]

46 would say that Normandy was a failure because casualties skyrocketed after we invaded. that is how he thinks. not very impressive in my opinion.
the surge IS working. It is accomplishing what it was supposed to.
Letting the rutabaga try to tell us another pile of crap.
The data reported here is FROM the statistics during that period reported by people there, not some vague perception.

[PaceAdvantage]

Sure it is... bleeding the American people of their money. :lol:

Yet they keep buying SUVs and filling those gas tanks....I guess they're not hurting too badly, now are they?

[Tee]

I was out looking at a Prius yesterday & still thought I was being bled. :)

But, the above option is better than $50 a shot each time I fill up my Camry Solara.


Yet they keep buying SUVs and filling those gas tanks....I guess they're not hurting too badly, now are they?

[Greyfox]

Yet they keep buying SUVs and filling those gas tanks....I guess they're not hurting too badly, now are they?

A National Debt is building. Moving to 9 trillion.
Check out the National Debt Clock at
http://zfacts.com/p/461.html

Some day someone's gonna collect the mortgage.

[Tom]

Sure it is... bleeding the American people of their money. :lol:

At least there is a chance we will see a return on our investment.

[Greyfox]

Iraq Today?


1.
WASHINGTON - A military cargo plane carrying three senators and a House member was forced to take evasive maneuvers and dispatch flares to avoid ground fire after taking off from Baghdad on Thursday night.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070831/ap_on_go_co/lawmakers_iraq_2

2. Jack Cafferty has just compared President al- Maliki to being about as effective as Senator Craig at this time.

3. Only 3 of 18 U.S. bench marks set for Iraq have passed muster.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2159782,00.html

4. One militia is temporarily "freezing" its arms for 60 days. :)

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hgkCmu2CFcMJaMy0qOomT5OUX_kQ

5. What is left of the Iraqi government is on vacation.
The Sunni's say they're not coming back to parliament.

Other than that all is well. The sun comes up on the dust each day.

[Gibbon]

Iraq Today?

1. You say it as if it's a bad thing?

[Greyfox]

You say it as if it's a bad thing?

Re: # 1.

I never thought of it the way you are suggesting. Good quip. :lol:

[Secretariat]

2. Jack Cafferty has just compared President al- Maliki to being about as effective as Senator Craig at this time.


Effective at what? :lol: :lol: :lol:

[hcap]

Notice how all the dems where lining up to say we could not win in Iraq, how the surge would never work?

Now they are all focusing on the Iraqi parliment, since the surge is working. :lol:

Heard something today about finding chemical agents in a UN office - the stuff used in WMD - brought back unknowingly from Iraq. Hmmmmmm. Where did they find that over there? How much more is there? Hmmmmm.Working??

"There are always seasonal variations because in the summer it is 120 F. in the shade and guerrillas are too heat-exhausted to fight; but the summer 2007 numbers are much greater than those for summer 2006; that isn't progress.) And why does our corporate media keep repeating this Goebbels-like propaganda? Do we really live in an Orwellian state?"

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/blogphotos/Blog_Troop_Fatalities_2006_2007.gif

[hcap]

Youse guys jump on bush for immigration and mexican truckers, yet for some reason still believe the WH claims for what is passing for "truth".

http://www.nsnetwork.org/node/194

CLAIMS OF A DECREASE IN VIOLENCE CANNOT BE CONFIRMED BY THE MILITARY OR INDEPENDENT SOURCES

A draft copy of a GAO report concludes that there are differing opinions within the U.S. government on whether sectarian violence is down. “The draft provides a stark assessment of the tactical effects of the current U.S.-led counteroffensive to secure Baghdad. ‘While the Baghdad security plan was intended to reduce sectarian violence, U.S. agencies differ on whether such violence has been reduced,’ it states. While there have been fewer attacks against U.S. forces, it notes, the number of attacks against Iraqi civilians remains unchanged. It also finds that ‘the capabilities of Iraqi security forces have not improved.’ [Washington Post, 8/30/07 ]

There were significant revisions to the way the Pentagon’s reports measure sectarian violence between its March 2007 report and its June 2007 report. The original data for the five months before the surge began (September 2006 through January 2007) indicated approximately 5,500 sectarian killings. In the revised data in the June 2007 report, those numbers had been adjusted to roughly 7,400 killings – a 25% increase. These discrepancies have the impact of making the sectarian violence appear significantly worse during the fall and winter of 2006 before the President’s “surge” began. [DOD, 11/2006 . 3/2007 . 6/2007 ]

[Tom]

Jack Cafferty aspires to be as intellignet as Pecos Pete.
If you do not have cable and would like to listen to Jack Cafferrty, put a microphone into your toilet bowl and flush. Same thing.

[Greyfox]

Jack Cafferty aspires to be as intellignet as Pecos Pete.
If you do not have cable and would like to listen to Jack Cafferrty, put a microphone into your toilet bowl and flush. Same thing.

:lol: :lol: :lol: