David Guilbault

THE OBAMA DOCTRINE

This speech, by President Obama, the "Obama Doctrine" if you will, makes complete sense to me,

Text:  President Obama on Libya

Video: President Obama on Libya

Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times

JOURNALISTS KILLED IN IRAQ

The Iraq War- A Heavy Death Toll for the Media

"Close to 230 media professionals, of whom 172 were journalists, died in Iraq as a result of the conflict stemming from the American intervention between 20 March 2003 and 19 August 2010, the date on which the U.S. Army’s last combat brigades withdrew from Iraq.

In the two months following the American intervention, 12 journalists were killed. After that, the number of victims declined slightly until early 2004, when Iraq experienced a resurgence of bomb attacks and actions carried out by armed groups. From 2004 to 2007, media professionals were constantly targeted : nearly every month one or more journalists were killed. From that date on, it was noted that fewer journalists were killed while doing their jobs. None have been killed as a result of the conflict since the beginning of 2010." - Reports Without Borders Report

Photo Credit: Patrick Baz/AFP

A DIFFERENT NOTION

Once again, President Barack Obama, in his speech today to the graduating Corps of Cadets at West Point, shows himself to be a leader of extraordinary character and vision. As the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2010 gave him tepid applause (perhaps missing the cowboy bravado of President Bush), Obama outlined a cogent, honorable and realistic strategy for the military and diplomatic challenges of today. No calls for a military "crusade." No bluster or threats. No "go it alone" or "kill them all" arrogance. Just a strong fundamental world view that understands and commands our place in the global community. He knows that in order for us to remain a military power, we need to remain economically strong, morally courageous, just in our actions and true to our rights and freedoms.

"The burdens of this century cannot fall on our soldiers alone. It also cannot fall on American shoulders alone. Our adversaries would like to see America sap its strength by overextending our power. And in the past, we've always had the foresight to avoid acting alone. We were part of the most powerful wartime coalition in human history through World War II. We stitched together a community of free nations and institutions to endure and ultimately prevail during a Cold War.

Yes, we are clear-eyed about the shortfalls of our international system. But America has not succeeded by stepping out of the currents of cooperation -- we have succeeded by steering those currents in the direction of liberty and justice, so nations thrive by meeting their responsibilities and face consequences when they don't.

So we have to shape an international order that can meet the challenges of our generation. We will be steadfast in strengthening those old alliances that have served us so well, including those who will serve by your side in Afghanistan and around the globe. As influence extends to more countries and capitals, we also have to build new partnerships, and shape stronger international standards and institutions.

This engagement is not an end in itself. The international order we seek is one that can resolve the challenges of our times -- countering violent extremism and insurgency; stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and securing nuclear materials; combating a changing climate and sustaining global growth; helping countries feed themselves and care for their sick; preventing conflict and healing wounds. If we are successful in these tasks, that will lessen conflicts around the world. It will be supportive of our efforts by our military to secure our country.

More than anything else, though, our success will be claimed by who we are as a country. This is more important than ever, given the nature of the challenges that we face. Our campaign to disrupt, dismantle, and to defeat al Qaeda is part of an international effort that is necessary and just.

But this is a different kind of war. There will be no simple moment of surrender to mark the journey's end -- no armistice, no banner headline. Though we have had more success in eliminating al Qaeda leaders in recent months than in recent years, they will continue to recruit, and plot, and exploit our open society. We see that in bombs that go off in Kabul and Karachi. We see it in attempts to blow up an airliner over Detroit or an SUV in Times Square, even as these failed attacks show that pressure on networks like al Qaeda is forcing them to rely on terrorists with less time and space to train. We see the potential duration of this struggle in al Qaeda's gross distortions of Islam, their disrespect for human life, and their attempt to prey upon fear and hatred and prejudice.

So the threat will not go away soon, but let's be clear: Al Qaeda and its affiliates are small men on the wrong side of history. They lead no nation. They lead no religion. We need not give in to fear every time a terrorist tries to scare us. We should not discard our freedoms because extremists try to exploit them. We cannot succumb to division because others try to drive us apart. We are the United States of America. (Applause.) We are the United States of America, and we have repaired our union, and faced down fascism, and outlasted communism. We've gone through turmoil, we've gone through Civil War, and we have come out stronger -- and we will do so once more. (Applause.)

And I know this to be true because I see the strength and resilience of the American people. Terrorists want to scare us. New Yorkers just go about their lives unafraid. (Applause.) Extremists want a war between America and Islam, but Muslims are part of our national life, including those who serve in our United States Army. (Applause.) Adversaries want to divide us, but we are united by our support for you -- soldiers who send a clear message that this country is both the land of the free and the home of the brave. (Applause.)

You know, in an age of instant access to information, a lot of cynicism in the news, it's easy to lose perspective in a flood of pictures and the swirl of political debate. Power and influence can seem to ebb and flow. Wars and grand plans can be deemed won or lost day to day, even hour to hour. As we experience the immediacy of the image of a suffering child or the boasts of a prideful dictator, it's easy to give in to the belief sometimes that human progress has stalled -- that events are beyond our control, that change is not possible.

But this nation was founded upon a different notion. We believe, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." (Applause.) And that truth has bound us together, a nation populated by people from around the globe, enduring hardship and achieving greatness as one people. And that belief is as true today as it was 200 years ago. It is a belief that has been claimed by people of every race and religion in every region of the world. Can anybody doubt that this belief will be any less true -- any less powerful -- two years, two decades, or even two centuries from now?

And so a fundamental part of our strategy for our security has to be America's support for those universal rights that formed the creed of our founding. And we will promote these values above all by living them -- through our fidelity to the rule of law and our Constitution, even when it's hard; even when we're being attacked; even when we're in the midst of war.

And we will commit ourselves to forever pursuing a more perfect union. Together with our friends and allies, America will always seek a world that extends these rights so that when an individual is being silenced, we aim to be her voice. Where ideas are suppressed, we provide space for open debate. Where democratic institutions take hold, we add a wind at their back. When humanitarian disaster strikes, we extend a hand. Where human dignity is denied, America opposes poverty and is a source of opportunity. That is who we are. That is what we do.

We do so with no illusions. We understand change doesn't come quick. We understand that neither America nor any nation can dictate every outcome beyond its borders. We know that a world of mortal men and women will never be rid of oppression or evil. What we can do, what we must do, is work and reach and fight for the world that we seek -- all of us, those in uniform and those who are not."

- President Barack Obama

LIKE IT IS

The Same Old Washington Blame Game

Posted by Dan Pfeiffer on December 30, 2009 at 03:34 PM EST

There has been a lot of discussion online and in the mainstream media about our response to various critics of the President, specifically former Vice President Cheney, who have been coming out of the woodwork since the incident on Christmas Day.  I think we all agree that there should be honest debate about these issues, but it is telling that Vice President Cheney and others seem to be more focused on criticizing the Administration than condemning the attackers. Unfortunately too many are engaged in the typical Washington game of pointing fingers and making political hay, instead of working together to find solutions to make our country safer.

First, it’s important that the substantive context be clear: for seven years after 9/11, while our national security was overwhelmingly focused on Iraq – a country that had no al Qaeda presence before our invasion – Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda's leadership was able to set up camp in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan, where they continued to plot attacks against the United States. Meanwhile, al Qaeda also regenerated in places like Yemen and Somalia, establishing new safe-havens that have grown over a period of years.  It was President Obama who finally implemented a strategy of winding down the war in Iraq, and actually focusing our resources on the war against al Qaeda – more than doubling our troops in Afghanistan, and building partnerships to target al Qaeda’s safe-havens in Yemen and Somalia.  And in less than one year, we have already seen many al Qaeda leaders taken out, our alliances strengthened, and the pressure on al Qaeda increased worldwide.

To put it simply: this President is not interested in bellicose rhetoric, he is focused on action. Seven years of bellicose rhetoric failed to reduce the threat from al Qaeda and succeeded in dividing this country. And it seems strangely off-key now, at a time when our country is under attack, for the architect of those policies to be attacking the President.

Second, the former Vice President makes the clearly untrue claim that the President – who is this nation’s Commander-in-Chief – needs to realize we are at War. I don’t think anyone realizes this very hard reality more than President Obama. In his inaugural, the President said “our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.” In a recent speech, Assistant to the President for Terrorism and Homeland Security John Brennan said “Instead, as the president has made clear, we are at war with al-Qaida, which attacked us on 9/11 and killed 3,000 people. We are at war with its violent extremist allies who seek to carry on al-Qaida’s murderous agenda. These are the terrorists we will destroy; these are the extremists we will defeat.” At West Point, the President told the nation why it was “in our vital national interest” to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to fight the war in Afghanistan, adding that as Commander in Chief, “I see firsthand the terrible wages of war.” And at Oslo, in accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, the President said, “We are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land.”

There are numerous other such public statements that explicitly state we are at war. The difference is this: President Obama doesn’t need to beat his chest to prove it, and – unlike the last Administration – we are not at war with a tactic (“terrorism”), we at war with something that is tangible: al Qaeda and its violent extremist allies. And we will prosecute that war as long as the American people are endangered.

Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director

A WORLD LEADER

A humble, bold, thoughtful world leader addresses the U.N. General Assembly.

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LOWERING FEAR

Today, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano gave an honest assessment of the current threat of terrorism in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations.  It is worth a read.

Homeland Chief Offers Shift in Tone

"Homeland Security Secretary Janet A. Napolitano on Wednesday called for closer collaboration with foreign partners, more intensive cooperation with local law-enforcement officials, and greater involvement by citizens in watching for and responding to terrorist threats.

For too long, we’ve treated the public as a liability to be protected rather than as an asset in our nation’s collective security,” Ms. Napolitano said during a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. “This approach, unfortunately, has allowed confusion, anxiety and fear to linger.”

“The consequences of living in a state of fear rather than a state of preparedness are enormous,” she said. ...

“The terror threat is even more decentralized, networked and adaptive than on 9/11,” she said. “The United States needed an approach that was “more layered, networked and resilient.”

In her speech, Ms. Napolitano seemed intent on a shift of tone, a recasting of the way Americans view the terror threat. Implicitly, she seemed to rebuke the approach taken by the Bush administration, which critics said too often seemed to exaggerate threats and sow a sense of fear.

- Brain Knowlton, The New York Times

PHOTO: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

EXHUME CHENEY-BUSH DEEDS

The secretive dirty deeds of the Cheney-Bush administration need to be investigated.  Let's see if the mainstream media spend anywhere near the time and resources on this story as they have on investigating the death, familial dramas and peculiarities of Michael Jackson.

"Cheney is Linked to Concealment of C.I.A. Project"
Scott Shane, The New York Times

"Cheney Linked to Secrecy of CIA Program"
Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times

"CIA Had Secret Al Qaeda Plan"
Siobhan Gorman, The Wall Street Journal

"Bush Anti-Terror Policies Get Reluctant Revisit"
Carrie Johnson & Joby Warrick, Washington Post

PEACE BE UPON YOU

President Barack Obama delivered an honest and brilliant speech today in Cairo about peace and religion.  Take an hour out of your day to watch and listen.

"When President Bush spoke in the months and years after Sept. 11, 2001, we often — chillingly — felt as if we didn’t recognize the United States. His vision was of a country racked with fear and bent on vengeance, one that imposed invidious choices on the world and on itself. When we listened to President Obama speak in Cairo on Thursday, we recognized the United States.

Mr. Obama spoke, unwaveringly, of the need to defend the country’s security and values. He left no doubt that he would do what must be done to defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban, while making it clear that Americans have no desire to permanently occupy Afghanistan or Iraq.

He spoke, unequivocally, of the United States’ “unbreakable” commitment to Israel and of why Iran must not have a nuclear weapon. He was also clear that all of those listening — in the Muslim world and in Israel — must do more to defeat extremism and to respect the rights of their neighbors and their people.

Words are important. Mr. Obama was right when he urged leaders who privately speak of moderation and compromise to dare to say those words in public. But words are not enough. Mr. Obama, who, after all, has been in office for less than six months, has a lot to do to fulfill this vision. So do others. ...

Before Thursday’s speech, and after, Mr. Obama’s critics complained that he has spent too much time apologizing and accused him of weakening the country. That is a gross misreading of what he has been saying — and of what needs to be said. After eight years of arrogance and bullying that has turned even close friends against the United States, it takes a strong president to acknowledge the mistakes of the past. And it takes a strong president to press himself and the world to do better."

- Editorial, The New York Times

PHOTO CREDIT: Stephen Crowley, The New York Times

MORAL AUTHORITY

Remarks by the President on National Security

"From Europe to the Pacific, we've been the nation that has shut down torture chambers and replaced tyranny with the rule of law. That is who we are. And where terrorists offer only the injustice of disorder and destruction, America must demonstrate that our values and our institutions are more resilient than a hateful ideology. ...

Now this generation faces a great test in the specter of terrorism. And unlike the Civil War or World War II, we can't count on a surrender ceremony to bring this journey to an end. Right now, in distant training camps and in crowded cities, there are people plotting to take American lives. That will be the case a year from now, five years from now, and -- in all probability -- 10 years from now. Neither I nor anyone can stand here today and say that there will not be another terrorist attack that takes American lives.

But I can say with certainty that my administration -- along with our extraordinary troops and the patriotic men and women who defend our national security -- will do everything in our power to keep the American people safe. And I do know with certainty that we can defeat al Qaeda. Because the terrorists can only succeed if they swell their ranks and alienate America from our allies, and they will never be able to do that if we stay true to who we are, if we forge tough and durable approaches to fighting terrorism that are anchored in our timeless ideals. This must be our common purpose."

- President Barack Obama

PHOTO CREDIT: Official White House photo by Pete Souza

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE

Thomas Friedman, writing in The New York Times, warns about getting "stuck in the middle' with Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea.

The only thing that could change this is a greater exercise of U.S. and allied power. In the case of Afghanistan and Pakistan, that power would have to be used to actually rebuild these states from the inside into modern nations. We would literally have to build the institutions — the pulleys and wheels — so that when the leaders of these states pulled a lever something actually happened, and the lever wouldn’t just break off in their hands.

And in the case of the strong states — Iran and North Korea — we would have to generate much more effective leverage from the outside to get them to change their behavior along the lines we seek. In both cases, though, success surely would require a bigger and longer U.S. investment of money and power, not to mention allies.

Instead, I fear that we are adopting a middle-ground strategy — doing just enough to avoid collapse but not enough to solve the problems. If our goal in Afghanistan and Pakistan is nation-building, so they will have self-sustaining moderate governments, we surely don’t have enough troops or resources inside devoted to either. If our goal is changing regime behavior in Iran and North Korea, we surely have not generated enough leverage from outside. North Korea’s defiant missile launch and Iran’s continued development of its nuclear capability testify to that.

GRAVE BREACHES

The Geneva Conventions, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, are "international treaties that contain the most important rules limiting the barbarity of war. They protect people who do not take part in the fighting (civilians, medics, aid workers) and those who can no longer fight (wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, prisoners of war)."

The 3rd Convention, on prisoners of war, was revised and expanded in 1949.  The Geneva Conventions has been acceded to by 194 states and enjoy universal acceptance.

However, the Bush Administration, as noted in an editorial in The New York Times, issued "a presidential order saying that the Geneva Conventions did not apply to prisoners of the “war on terror” — the first time any democratic nation had unilaterally reinterpreted the conventions."

The Torture Report - Editorial, The New York Times

"Now, a bipartisan report by the Senate Armed Services Committee has made what amounts to a strong case for bringing criminal charges against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld; his legal counsel, William J. Haynes; and potentially other top officials, including the former White House counsel Alberto Gonzales and David Addington, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff.

The report shows how actions by these men “led directly” to what happened at Abu Ghraib, in Afghanistan, in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and in secret C.I.A. prisons.

It said these top officials, charged with defending the Constitution and America’s standing in the world, methodically introduced interrogation practices based on illegal tortures devised by Chinese agents during the Korean War. Until the Bush administration, their only use in the United States was to train soldiers to resist what might be done to them if they were captured by a lawless enemy.

The officials then issued legally and morally bankrupt documents to justify their actions, starting with a presidential order saying that the Geneva Conventions did not apply to prisoners of the "war on terror", the first time any democratic nations had unilaterally reinterpreted the conventions.

That order set the stage for the infamous redefinition of torture at the Justice Department, and then Mr. Rumsfeld’s authorization of “aggressive” interrogation methods. Some of those methods were torture by any rational definition and many of them violate laws and treaties against abusive and degrading treatment.

These top officials ignored warnings from lawyers in every branch of the armed forces that they were breaking the law, subjecting uniformed soldiers to possible criminal charges and authorizing abuses that were not only considered by experts to be ineffective, but were actually counterproductive."

A TORTURED INTERROGATOR

Matthew Alexander led an interrogations team assigned to a Special Operations task force in Iraq in 2006. He is the author of "How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq." He has an excellent piece on the Washington Post website, called "I'm Still Tortured by What I Saw in Iraq."

ITCHING FOR A FIGHT

I am uncomfortable every time I see a group of Americans chanting USA, USA, USA!  It mostly embarrasses me.  That's because it usually isn't a show of humble pride, but, too often, a rabid display of ignorant  jingoistic overwrought blind nationalism.

It especially pains me when I see crowds burst into the chant when a political leader rails against our enemies - real and perceived.  The instantaneous, hateful response frightens and worries me.

Gone are the peacemakers of the world, those who can stand up to and disarm potential threatening despots with tough strategic diplomacy, an understanding of how to influence world power structures, a grasp on the levers of economic sanctions and the moral high ground.  In their place are the bullying Neo-con belligerents who shoot first, ask questions later and know how to incite the patriotic mob.

The most powerful audience reactions at this week's Republican convention were when they heard calls to kill - when an enemy was simplified and demonized.  That's when they leapt to their feet and raised their voices in anger and false, prideful patriotism.  Their voices shouted, 'USA, USA, USA!'.  Their faces read 'Kill, Kill, Kill!'.

The right-wing rulers of this country have become too quick to war.  And the electorate has become too quick to comply.

The Republican delegates and their candidates all looked and sounded like they were itching for a fight - any fight - every fight.  In fact, calls to fight was the crescendo to the McCain acceptance speech.

McCain Acceptance Speech

'Fight for what's right for our country.  Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.  Fight for our children's future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all.  Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.  Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.  Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.  Thank you, and God bless you.'

Beware the so-called 'strong' fighting leaders who provoke potential adversaries and antagonize peaceful allies. They claim to be defending freedom.  But, too often, they are practicing preemptive aggression.

They know how to push all the right patriotic buttons to get the masses to support overbuilding the military-industrial war machine to wield its might around the world at the cost of our nation's blood and treasure.  To do that, they have to make the voters 'proud' to be mighty.  Pride comes before the fall.

They will keep us in war and lead us into more.  They cloak themselves in the flag, under the guise of protecting our national security.  In fact, they are belligerent and dangerous.  Thy are not peacemakers.

Speaker after speaker at the Republican convention rattled their sabres.

'There's one purpose that John McCain understands, Republicans understand, that overrides everything else.  John McCain will keep us on offense against terrorism at home and abroad.' - Rudy Giuliani

'Did you hear any Democrats talk last week about the threat from radical, violent Jihad? Republicans believe that there is good and evil in the world. Ronald Reagan called-out the Evil Empire. George Bush labeled the terror-sponsor states the Axis of Evil. And at Saddleback, after Barak Obama dodged and ducked every direct question, John McCain hit the nail on the head: radical violent Islam is evil, and he will defeat it' - Mitt Romney

'Maybe the most dangerous threat of an Obama presidency is that he would continue to give madmen the benefit of the doubt. If he's wrong just once, we will pay a heavy price. John McCain will follow the fanatics to their caves in Pakistan or to the gates of hell. What Obama wants to do is give them a place setting at the table.' - Mike Huckabee

'I know John McCain.   I have seen him with our wounded veterans, far away from the cameras.  I have seen his eyes fill with tears of gratitude for their service. He knows the cost of war in a deeply personal way, and as both a son and a father of warriors. He knows that our liberties and our freedoms only come with the sacrifice of brave men and women. John McCain will bring our troops home with victory and with honor. He will not negotiate with brutality and he will never shrink from calling evil and aggression by their names' - Carly Fiorina

'What we need most is not more party unity in America but more national unity! Especially at a time of war, we need a President we can count on to fight for what’s right for our country -- not only when it is easy, but when it is hard.  When others were silent, John McCain had the judgment to sound the alarm about the mistakes we were making in Iraq. When others wanted to retreat in defeat from the field of battle, when Barack Obama was voting to cut off funding for our troops on the ground,  John McCain had the courage to stand against the tide of public opinion and support the surge, and because of that, today, our troops are at last beginning to come home, not in failure, but in honor!' - Joe Lieberman

'This man, John McCain is not intimidated by what the polls say or by what is politically safe or popular. At a point when the war in Iraq was going badly and the public lost confidence, John stood up and called for more troops.  And now we are winning' - Fred Thompson

'Our nominee for president is a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by. He's a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years, and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight.  And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief. I'm just one of many moms who'll say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm's way.' - Sarah Palin

Photo Credit: Ron Edmonds/Associated Press

MAVERICKS

Here's some straight talk for those so-called Western mavericks McCain and Palin.  John McCain crows that he has bucked his party over and over again.  That's because his party is wrong over and over again.  They excoriate Barack Obama for hardly ever bucking his party.  That's because his party is usually right.

And let's not forget that when it mattered to go against the inertia of war, nearly alone, standing up to both parties, Barack Obama spoke out strongly and wisely against launching a destructive and foolhardy invasion of Iraq.

While I'm at it, a tip of the hat to my two favorite Western Mavericks, Brett and Bart, who used every wile they had not to have to draw their guns.

NOTIONAL TIMETABLE

George Bush and Nuri Kamal al-Maliki have now agreed to a 'general time horizon' for withdrawing American troops from Iraq.  This is the same George Bush who has adamantly resisted any setting of timetables for ending the war.  Again, politicians are adept at twisting words to mean something other than what they really mean.  The President can't bring himself to say he has changed his mind, and has accepted the common-sense reality of the situation, so he invents a new term for timetable.

Bush, in a Shift, Accepts Concept of Iraq Timeline

'President Bush agreed to “a general time horizon” for withdrawing American troops in Iraq, the White House announced Friday, in a concession that reflected both progress in stabilizing Iraq and the depth of political opposition to an open-ended military presence in Iraq and at home.

Mr. Bush, who has long derided timetables for troop withdrawals as dangerous, agreed to at least a notional one as part of the administration’s efforts to negotiate the terms for an American military presence in Iraq after a United Nations mandate expires at the end of the year.

The agreement, announced in coordinated statements released Friday by the White House and Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s government, reflected a significant shift in the war in Iraq. More than five years after the conflict began with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the American military presence now depends significantly, if not completely, on Iraqi acquiescence.

The White House offered no specifics about how far off any “time horizon” would be, with officials saying details remained to be negotiated. Any dates cited in an agreement would be cast as goals for handing responsibility to Iraqis, and not specifically for reducing American troops, said a White House spokesman, Gordon D. Johndroe.

But the White House statement said that the two leaders “agreed that improving conditions should allow for the agreements now under negotiation to include a general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals such as the resumption of Iraqi security control in their cities and provinces and the further reduction of U.S. combat forces from Iraq.”

The announcement could alter the American political debate over the war in Iraq and how best to end it now that even Mr. Bush is willing to speak of an end to the American presence. It came on the eve of a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan by the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama, who has vowed to pursue a strict phased timetable for withdrawing most combat troops from Iraq over 16 months beginning next year. He has cited Iraq’s eagerness for a timetable as support for his strategy.'

Steven Lee Myers, The New York Times, July 19, 2008

WAR CORRESPONDENTS

Lest we forget the loss of life and limb from Bush's Iraq War, icasualties.org has been tracking the casualty count from the onset of the war - over 4,100 U.S. military deaths and at least 46,600 Iraqi deaths.

They also keep a chilling list of journalists who died covering the war in Iraq with links to stories on their deaths.

The Committe to Protect Journalists keeps a summary of journalists killed on duty worldwide.  Since 1992, their toll is 693 deaths, with 129 of those in Iraq, the country with the highest count.  There were also 50 media support workers killed. The website says that CPJ considers a journalist to be killed on duty if the person died as a result of a hostile action—such as reprisal for his or her work, or crossfire while carrying out a dangerous assignment

'It is far easier to make war than to make peace.' - Georges Clemenceau

OBL OR OIL?

Remember, Osama bin Laden?  Remember that Bush was gonna get him 'dead or alive'?  Well, of course you do.  And, yet, bin Laden and Al Qaeda are alive and well.  Seems the Bush administration is less interested in getting OBL than they are in getting OIL.

Amid U.S. Policy Disputes, Qadea Grows in Pakistan

'Late last year, top Bush administration officials decided to take a step they had long resisted. They drafted a secret plan to make it easier for the Pentagon’s Special Operations forces to launch missions into the snow-capped mountains of Pakistan to capture or kill top leaders of Al Qaeda. Intelligence reports for more than a year had been streaming in about Osama bin Laden’s terrorism network rebuilding in the Pakistani tribal areas, a problem that had been exacerbated by years of missteps in Washington and the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, sharp policy disagreements, and turf battles between American counterterrorism agencies. ...

After the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush committed the nation to a “war on terrorism” and made the destruction of Mr. bin Laden’s network the top priority of his presidency. But it is increasingly clear that the Bush administration will leave office with Al Qaeda having successfully relocated its base from Afghanistan to Pakistan’s tribal areas, where it has rebuilt much of its ability to attack from the region and broadcast its messages to militants across the world. ...

But while Mr. Bush vowed early on that Mr. bin Laden would be captured “dead or alive,” the moment in late 2001 when Mr. bin Laden and his followers escaped at Tora Bora was almost certainly the last time the Qaeda leader was in American sights, current and former intelligence officials say. Leading terrorism experts have warned that it is only a matter of time before a major terrorist attack planned in the mountains of Pakistan is carried out on American soil.'

Mark Mazetti and David Rohde, New York Times, June 30, 2008

Barack Obama is committed to bringing bin Laden and al Qaeda to justice.

Blueprint for Change: Terrorism

'Obama will fight terrorism and protect America with a comprehensive strategy that finishes the fight in Afghanistan, cracks down on the al Qaeda safe-haven in Pakistan, develops new capabilities and international partnerships, engages the world to dry up support for extremism, and reaffirms American values.'

Barack Obama Website

MOYERS ON BIG OIL & IRAQ

As always, you can count on Bill Moyers to see through the lies and report on the underlying motives of the powers that be.  Watch and/or read his essay on Big Oil and Iraq.

Excerpts from Bill Moyers Journal

'Oh no, they told us, Iraq isn't a war about oil. That's cynical and simplistic, they said. It's about terror and al Qaeda and toppling a dictator and spreading democracy and protecting ourselves from weapons of mass destruction. But one by one, these concocted rationales went up in smoke, fire, and ashes. And now the bottom turns out to be the bottom line. It is about oil. ...

Take a look at this headline the other day in The New York Times: "deals with Iraq are set to bring oil giants back." Read on: "Four western oil companies are in the final stages of negotiations this month on contracts that will return them to Iraq, 36 years after losing their oil concession to nationalization as Saddam Hussein rose to power. ...

There you have it. After a long exile Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP are back in Iraq. And on the wings of no-bid contracts - that's right, sweetheart deals like those granted Halliburton, KBR, Blackwater. The kind of deals you get only if you have friends in high places. And these war profiteers have friends in very high places.'

Bill Moyers, Bill Moyers Journal, June 27, 2008

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE OIL

This article in today's New York Times speaks for itself.  Iraq was all about the oil.

Deals With Iraq Are Set to Bring Oil Giants Back

'Four Western oil companies are in the final stages of negotiations this month on contracts that will return them to Iraq, 36 years after losing their oil concession to nationalization as Saddam Hussein rose to power.

Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP — the original partners in the Iraq Petroleum Company — along with Chevron and a number of smaller oil companies, are in talks with Iraq’s Oil Ministry for no-bid contracts to service Iraq’s largest fields, according to ministry officials, oil company officials and an American diplomat.

The deals, expected to be announced on June 30, will lay the foundation for the first commercial work for the major companies in Iraq since the American invasion, and open a new and potentially lucrative country for their operations.

The no-bid contracts are unusual for the industry, and the offers prevailed over others by more than 40 companies, including companies in Russia, China and India. The contracts, which would run for one to two years and are relatively small by industry standards, would nonetheless give the companies an advantage in bidding on future contracts in a country that many experts consider to be the best hope for a large-scale increase in oil production.

There was suspicion among many in the Arab world and among parts of the American public that the United States had gone to war in Iraq precisely to secure the oil wealth these contracts seek to extract. The Bush administration has said that the war was necessary to combat terrorism. It is not clear what role the United States played in awarding the contracts; there are still American advisers to Iraq’s Oil Ministry.'

Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, June 19, 2008

THE WEAPON OF RAPE

This column, 'The Weapon of Rape' by Nicolas Kristof in the New York Times, is hard to read, but necessary to know.

NEED TO KNOW

Missive One
To My Darling Children:

You live in a dangerous time.  It is not hyperbole when I say that I have not seen a more treacherous period in my life.  It is an era of deceit.  Powerful forces are skilled at manipulating and distorting information for their own greedy and malevolent ends.  Those people are in positions of control, around the globe, in the government, business and the media.  Their unchecked ability to initiate and control world events is frightening.  Their threat to your safety and liberty is real.

Your generation is being lulled with a flood of lies, masked by a deluge of misinformation.  It is very difficult, even for me, a professional observer, to filter through the obfuscation in order to find the truth.  There are battalions of liars skilled in herding the public to accept and embrace their selfish actions, unwittingly many times, by persuading listeners with purposely misleading arguments.

You two occupy the highest tiers of my love and concern.  I worry that you are not hearing or discerning the truths of your world.  There are things you ‘need to know’.   To that end, I am going to begin sending you missives that I feel will help you navigate your days and protect your futures.

I hope you will respect and embrace my wisdom.  I have lived an enlightening and adventurous life.  I have travelled extensively.  I have talked with people from all walks.  I have always listened with an open and analytical mind, a skeptical ear, an empathetic heart and with nuanced understanding of actions and motives.

As a journalist and adventurer, I have been blessed with extraordinary opportunities to satisfy my unending curiosity.  I have seen things and been places.  I have climbed on glaciers, watched whales breach the surface of seas,  witnessed the thundering launch of space shuttles, gazed awestruck at herds of elephants crossing the savannah, been at the site of a nuclear power plant accident, travelled on political campaigns with presidential candidates, walked down streets of poverty and decay, been moved by emotionally charged religious services, dined with a Vice President and a black-separatist minister, confronted a dangerous white separatist, helped start nascent cable and Internet news organizations.  I have heard and told the stories of countless characters from incredibly diverse backgrounds, who have revealed volumes about life – the good, the bad, the evil, the beautiful and the sublime.

All that is to say, that you would disregard my insights at your peril.  I expect the both of you to make your own judgments in life.  But to do so without knowing the truth behind your decisions would also be at your peril.  Please listen to all that is around you.  Ask questions, question authority.  But, most importantly, seek out the truth.  It will not come to you on its own, especially in the current climate of deception.  You are responsible for what you truly know to be true.

Know where you stand and why you stand there.  And when you take a stand, I expect you to be kind, understanding, generous and loving in your criticisms.  Don’t ever hold your ground for its own sake.  Know when to compromise, when to hold fast, when to relent and when to accept defeat.  And certainly, know how to be right graciously, not triumphantly.

I love you both more than you might ever know.  I will do everything in my power not to misguide you, knowingly by personal motive, or unknowingly by flawed personality.  But, do know that my insights have been powerfully accurate through my life.  Digest them, ponder them, reject or accept them.  I implore you, seriously consider them.

Life is spectacular.  Live it fully.  Love courageously.  Fight righteously.  Listen with compassion.  Be passionate.  Use your talents.  Travel curiously.  Embrace foreign ideas and cultures open-mindedly.  Be just.  Be kind.  Be you.

So, having said all that, you need to know that the implications of the Iraq War are having a tragic effect on your future and freedom.  The invasion of Iraq was an opportunistic outrage, unjustly launched by the neo-cons in the Bush administration who are beholding to powerful corporate interests.  It is not about freedom and democracy, it is about the wielding of political power over a region rich in oil resources.  The tax treasure and military might of the United States have been stolen by a cabal of determined power-holders to remake the world in their own interests.

To enlighten that point, please watch the Frontline documentary called “Bush’s War”.  Frontline is a stellar series of PBS programs produced by credible, conscientious journalists seeking the truth.  They have been reporting on the war for five years, conducting hundreds of candid interviews with the actual players in the government and other reporters with unique access and insight.  They have compiled it all into an enlightening report.  You can watch it online, in short chapters.

This war is far from over.  Forces are at work to keep it going and to expand it across the region.  True motives are still being masked with intentionally misleading phrases from the Bush government and the McCain campaign that it is about “freedom and democracy”.  It is not.  It is about greed and power.  Please, please, arm yourself with the information in “Bush’s War”.

This election is the most critical in my lifetime.  I will write more about it in subsequent missives.  But, for now, don’t be deluded that this war is not profoundly driving the geopolitical world in which you live.  You must take an interest.  Your lives are at stake.

I love you,
Dad