OK, the big news from last night was that Bush is going to withdraw a bunch of troops, right?
20,000 US troops will be pulled from Iraq--that's good news, right? It sounds like Bush is finally caving to all of the pressure put on him by the people of the United States who want the US out of Iraq, right?
In a way, both assumptions are not accurate. Of course, it sure sounds like good news--and it's meant to sound that way. Sadly, the reality is that hardly any mainstream media source is covering the fact that the US has built bases in Iraq that they intend to keep forever. In fact, just earlier this week as reported by www.AFP.com in a September 14, 2007 article at News.Google.Com (here: http://urltea.com/1hpg) that the US is not only building a another military base, but this one is guaranteed to piss some people off on the other side of the border in Iran. Check out this cutting:
The US military said on Monday that it is to build a base on Iraq's border with Iran to stem what it charges is rampant smuggling of weapons and fighters.
The base, which the military describes as a "life support area", will be set up near the headquarters of the Department of Border Enforcement in Badrah, in the central province of Wasit.
The province, currently the theatre of a massive US-led military crackdown targeting Shiite militiamen allegedly involved in weapons smuggling, shares a 200 kilometre (125 mile) border with Iran.
It said the base is "not really permanent, although it will be manned 24/7 and will be used for as long as necessary."
Hmmm, sounds pretty permanent to me. But isn't that funny how just four days after the US Mil says one thing that suggests they are becoming more entrenched in Iraq, Bush says something that suggests the opposite. Answer: either Bush is lying or he doesn't know what his own military is doing. I'm one of those people that really doesn't believe Bush is an idiot so I'm going to assume he's intentionally misleading us again, into thinking that a draw down of 20,000 soldiers means we're pulling out while he's quietly building a base on the fricken' Iraq/Iran border.
This will incite further tension with Iran. As if we needed more, Joe Lieberman has made it disturbingly clear that he wants us to go to Iran. How did he do this? Well, I'll quote him: "I want to go to Iran." (source: http://urltea.com/1hph) It seems that during the testimony of US Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus, Lieberman, the general and the ambassador had the following exchange:
LIEBERMAN: I want to go to Iran. Both of you have focused on the very destructive role that Iran is playing through its Quds Force in Iraq, by most counts responsible for the murder of hundreds of American soldiers and thousands of Iraqi civilians and soldiers.
Ambassador Crocker, I know you've met twice with the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad. I know that some of my colleagues and others have called for a diplomatic surge with Iran to engage in negotiations with them.
In your view, based on those two meetings, are the Iranians responding to that diplomatic initiative that you commenced with them?
CROCKER: Sir, we have seen nothing on the ground that would suggest that the Iranians are altering what they're doing in support of extremist elements that are going after our forces as well as the Iraqis.
LIEBERMAN: General, do feel that you all the authorities you need from a military point of view to deter, disrupt and respond to the Iranian attacks on our troops and Iran's efforts to destabilize Iraq?
PETRAEUS: I do, Senator, again keeping in mind that that my area of responsibility is limited to Iraq. So it does not include going into Iran.
LIEBERMAN: Let me ask you about that, because I know your military spokespeople in Baghdad have made very clear that we have evidence that Iran is taking Iraqi extremists to three training camps outside of Tehran, training them in the use of explosives, sophisticated weapons, sending them back into Iraq, where they are responsible for the murder of American soldiers.
Is it time to give you authority in pursuit of your mission in Iraq to pursue those Iranian Quds Force operations in Iranian territory in order to protect America's troops in Iraq?
PETRAEUS: Sir, I think that really the Multi-National Force-Iraq should just focus on Iraq and that any kinds of operations outside the borders of Iraq would rightly be overseen by the Central Command, the regional combatant command.
LIEBERMAN: I want to just -- my time's up. I thank you both.
Jeez, dude! Crocker said the Iranians are changing anything and the general's all like "that's not my department, bitch!" so, why the mad-jones to go into Iran? Who knows? Maybe Lieberman's got mega-investments into the Military Industrial Complex or maybe he actually IS getting telepathic messages from the Israeli government. Either way, this is getting more dangerous the longer it goes on.
Oh and in case you find yourself wanting to believe the sentiment Bush expressed, that things are less bloody, don't forget my post from the other day (here: ) and then there's the story that http://Guardian.co.uk is reporting (here: http://urltea.com/1hpi) about one of America's chief Iraqi allies being killed. Have a read at this cutting from the September 13, 2007 Guardian article:
A key figure in the US-backed revolt of Iraqi Sunni leaders against al-Qaida was killed by a bomb today, hours before George Bush was due to defend his war strategy.
The White House suffered the setback when a roadside bomb killed Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha and two of his bodyguards near the tribal leader's home in Ramadi, Anbar's provincial capital.
Abu Risha was killed 10 days after meeting Mr Bush during his surprise visit to Iraq. He led the Anbar Salvation Council, an alliance of clans that turned against al-Qaida and went over to the Iraqi government and the US military.
So, this should pretty much establish that Bush has whatever the opposite of the Midas Touch would be. He's like the video tape in The Ring. Shake his hand and ten days later... YOU'RE DEAD! (Offer not valid outside of Iraq... we assume.)
Orignal From: BUSH TROOP DRAWDOWN BUT BASE BUILD-UP AND IRAN ATTACK?
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