"Today, these cities [Fallujah, Najaf, and Samara] are under Iraqi government control, and the political process is taking hold."

-- OUR NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR VICTORY IN IRAQ:
Helping the Iraqi People Defeat the Terrorists and Build an Inclusive Democratic State, released by the White House November 30, 2005

We are on track to reach a fateful number of killed soldiers. Sometime in June, if we "stay the course," we will exceed in military deaths the number killed on 9/11. Of, course, the casualties are way beyond, and we easily forget these are usually not a "simple" gunshot wound, bad enough for major internal damage, but often horrifying disfigurement and permanent disability.

It hurts a lot to have to tell our men and women in uniform "Thanks for trying, anyway". This is why we have to keep a tight leash on our leaders, including Democrats, of course, so they are not tempted into the Great Game, so entertaining at a distance.

Congress should never again vote a resolution like the one "authorizing" the Iraq invasion. 

As a result our troops are in the field and left essentially blind and deaf because they do not have enough qualified Arab-speaking translators.

Well, we had some.

Ooops. They're gay.

while we grieve over more needless deaths in iraq, try and choke bill bennett's latest wisdom down - if you can...

"On Dec. 12, when elections begin in Iraq," Bennett told Neil Cavuto in a Fox News Channel interview, "let's see many Americans color their right index finger purple in solidarity for the people voting in free elections in Iraq."

"Many people in America are more distressed about it (the war in Iraq) than the people who are living through the crisis," Bennett said. "Staying the course is a prudent policy and one that will ensure that the 2000 or so soldiers we have lost will not have died in vain."

"Many people in America are more distressed about it (the war in Iraq) than the people who are living through the crisis," Bennett said. "Staying the course is a prudent policy and one that will ensure that the 2000 or so soldiers we have lost will not have died in vain."

"On Dec. 12, when elections begin in Iraq," Bennett told Neil Cavuto in a Fox News Channel interview, "let's see many Americans color their right index finger purple in solidarity for the people voting in free elections in Iraq."

"On Dec. 12, when elections begin in Iraq," Bennett told Neil Cavuto in a Fox News Channel interview, "let's see many Americans color their right index finger purple in solidarity for the people voting in free elections in Iraq."

And, yes, I DO take it personally 

Larry -
Do the military and/or CIA ever recruit for foreign languages amongst Mormons (LDS)?
 
To carry out their 2 year missions they have to learn the language of the locals.  Maybe some have learned Arabic. [Having lived in LDS territory, Idaho, I met returning  missionaries who had learned a second language at the LDS language school around Salt Lake and then used that language almost exclusively while abroad.]

I am nearly overcome with anger at the incompetents running this war and our country.  These are real people being killed and maimed, while our president talks about the "progress" that is being made in Iraq in his "Plan for Victory" speech.  One wonders when his "clear strategy for victory" will begin to show results.  One doesn't have to wonder too long to come to the conclusion that it won't be soon.

This pack of neoincompetents running our country along with their baying dogs in the media rightwing should all spend a week, a day, an hour...at veterans' hospitals changing wound vacs and cleaning beds and face the reality of what they've wrought.

Meanwhile, the Israelis are apparently trying to talk this crowd out of repeating themselves in Syria.

The Nexis of Evil is the White House.  Where is the honor?

Daughter of a WW II Marine, sickened.

The questions that keep coming to my mind these last several weeks regarding the people running this country are -- how many times must these jokers be dead wrong, how many times must they screw up, how many times must they lie before they lose all credibility? At this point, why does the media and the thinking public take what they say and do seriously anymore? Except for the fact that they are in power, what they say should be totally discounted and what they do be totally opposed.

It is like scientists having to argue with creationist over the fact of evolution. It is a tremendous waste of breath because, scientifically, there is no basis for an argument.

It is like watching college educated adults expending enormous amounts of time and energy writing papers and debating 3 year olds regarding the toddler's ill-informed and random utterances regarding the nature of the world. 

I could go on, well until you get to Republicans of and soldiers, who happen to think we can win the war on terror.

If there is a "war on terror" it isn't being fought in Iraq. What is happening in Iraq is an occupation, by an invading army, of a country that doesn't want them there. That occupation cannot possibly end in anything resembling a victory for our side. At best we can leave following a sort of election, which sort of installs a sort of government, most probably headed and dominated by Shiites, who will then proceed to slaughter those they consider Baathists. There is a slight possibilitiy that that sort of government will agree to allow US corporations to steal the oil from Iraq, but not a big enough probability to bet anything on.

I think the neoincompetents can go to Iraq and replace our troops so they can come home safely. You know that ain't gonna happen.

Meanwhile Bill will be safe in the casinos gambling and planning a large scale abortion campaign aimed at African-Americans, and giving the occasional lecture on how immoral the rest of us underlings are.

This post should be used in Logic 101 course as an example of illogic.

That's because psychologically it is so difficult to see the big picture when you're actually fighting. You're fighting to protect your buddies. They may have to come home before the reality sinks in. I heard one 27 year vet speak Tuesday night. He realized before he left Iraq that he had been conned. By the way the military is trying avoid paying his promised college tuition.

-- how many times must these jokers be dead wrong, how many times must they screw up, how many times must they lie before they lose all credibility? At this point, why does the media and the thinking public take what they say and do seriously anymore? Except for the fact that they are in power, what they say should be totally discounted and what they do be totally opposed.

They only have to be wrong once (see 9/11 2001)

- 27 year vet? I imagine that if he had joined at age 18 then that would make him 45 years old. All of the E-8, E-9 troops I know are college educated- at least a B.S. or B.A. if not  M.A. or M.B.A.- It is very difficult to attain senior NCO status without a college degree in today's military by the way-and the GI bill is not open to negotiation - except in the place of separation for other than honorable sevice.  Even then it is hard to get that benefit taken away. Protect my buddies? name another war where American men and women fought for any other root reason?  We all see the same news/blogs/press conferences that those stateside do.  To infer that those of us serving are unable to realize the reality we face is to belittle our intelligence.  I have and will knowingly place myself in harms way for an idea that some choose not to agree with- but please put forth an alternative to our current situation that does not involve pulling out of Iraq and further destabilizing the middle east.

He is 27 years old. Vets for Peace gave a local presentation with Vets in a video making the point I made. I don't think it's belittling anyone to say the 'fog of war" makes dispassionate analysis difficult.

<span>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Tonkin_Resolution</span&gt

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2261 

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB132/

Because of the advances in medicine and our delivery of medical care to the battlefield, we're getting a lot less KIAs.  But we are getting a lot more amputees and other severely injured than we ever had before.  And we're not prepared to deal with the badly wounded.  Rep. Murtha spoke of a letter he got from a blind veteran with part of one of his legs missing who was getting dunning notices for the medical expenses he was unable to pay.

The last I heard the majority of citizens here isn't far from agreeing with me. And, as the trend is heading, by election time 2006, two thirds of the voters will recognize that I am right.

I garuntee the majority of citizens are no where near to agreeing with:
If there is a "war on terror" it isn't being fought in Iraq. What is happening in Iraq is an occupation, by an invading army, of a country that doesn't want them there. That occupation cannot possibly end in anything resembling a victory for our side...most probably headed and dominated by Shiites, who will then proceed to slaughter those they consider Baathists...sort of government will agree to allow US corporations to steal the oil from Iraq...

The only place you could compile anything close to a plurality on those questions is in SanFrancisco or on this site. Both of which would have been anti-Republican and anti-Bush if he had cured cancer, discovered how to create energy from water, or anything else... For all the problems Bush has in the polls, the Democrats seem to be following him down the ladder. It will be interesting this next election cycle, when everyones approval ratings are around 20%, maybe it's time for Richard Prior's "None of the above" candidate in "Brewster's Million's."