Deviations From the Mean

The sad truth about the Iraq war is reason enough to explain why the American people have grown weary of even hearing of news from Iraq.

The war has taken on a sad destructive life of its on for almost five years now with all of the reasons given by the Bush neocons for going to war having long ago been found to be fabrications and outright lies.

But still the American troops suffer in Iraq. With no end in sight. The sad history of how the United States got into the Iraq mess is set forth in this video.

Ron Paul is a Republican Congressmen from Texas who is an old fashioned kind of guy. He is realistic in his assessment of the unintended consequences of the war in Iraq and to the cost to American of staying the course with a failed policy.

Rep. Ron Paul still believes in honesty, integrity, the preservation of constitutional rights, and the right and duty of concerned citizens to speak out when they think that the government has gotten off course with its policies.

Chuck Hagel, Nebraska’s senior U.S. Senator, is serving his second term in the United States Senate. Senator Hagel’s duties include membership on four Senate committees: Foreign Relations; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Intelligence and Rules.

Senator Hagel knows a thing or two about military affairs. Hagel served in Vietnam with his brother Tom in 1968. They served side by side as infantry squad leaders with the U.S. Army’s 9th Infantry Division. Hagel earned many military decorations and honors, including two Purple Hearts.

Hagel is one member of the Republican Party who is willing to stick up for the military. This is from last Friday’s Real Time TV appearance with Bill Maher.

The following excerpt is from The Tenuous Case for Strategic Patience in Iraq, A Trip Report, by Anthony H. Cordesman, Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Mr Cordesman made a trip to Iraq prior to publishing his report. To see the full report in PFD format go here.

“The US intervention in Iraq has driven more than two million Iraqis out of the country, including much of its most educated and professional citizens. It has displaced over two million more Iraqis inside Iraq, many of which have lost their homes and their businesses and jobs. Estimates of the total percent of underemployment and unemployment exceed 50% in virtually all of the country.

Balad Air Force Base is a large, about 25 kilometers square, area located about 68 kilometers north of Baghdad.

Balad is the air hub for US forces serving in Iraq. From its strategic position Balad can serve as an air hub for the entire Mid East region.

There are about 25,000 American military personal stationed at Balad. Judging from the high degree of permanent type structures constructed at Balad the US military doesn’t plan to give Balad Air Force Base up soon if ever.

The following video is a chilling indictment of the way that the United States has conducted the occupation in Iraq.

Former members of the administration and former military brass express their amazement at the arrogance and ignorance of the George W. Bush administration and the way that they have conducted operations.

It seems impossible that so many things could have been planned so badly or just plain ignored. Watch the video and come to your own conclusion about the competence of the Bush administration.

I recommend reading the TomDispatch for its excellent coverage of non main stream news of the situation in Iraq. This would be conditions in Iraq that by and large the Bush administration doesn’t want you to know about.

An excerpt from an article by Peter Grabraith follows:

“The Iraq war is lost. Of course, neither the President nor the war’s intellectual architects are prepared to admit this. Nonetheless, the specter of defeat shapes their thinking in telling ways.

I stumbled across the following posting today which compares the British military approach taken in Iraq with the American.

While the post is nearly three years old it is well worth reading as it sheds light as to why the war in Iraq was lost long ago.

The heavy handed tactics used by American forces have made far more enemies than friends, not only in Iraq, but throughout the world.

For every insurgent killed there are probably ten or more ready to seek revenge and to take their place.