index
- False Flag Op -- Basra
- Saving Private Lynch
- George W.'s State of Union address from 2006, intersperced with my commentary and finished off with a Mark Twain quote
- My refutation to a racist rant that's been passed around the web more then a few times....
Towards the middle of last month Iraqi Police in the city of Basra approched two arab appearing men at a checkpoint when they were opened fire upon. The suspects killed one cop and injured another before fleeing in there Toyota Cressida (popular car in Iraq) in hot pursuit by police. They were then surrounded and apprehended and from there they were tooken to jail. It was here that it was discovered that the two were British Special Forces disguised as arabs, wearing wigs and traditional arab garb. Now furthermore, when there car was searched impervised explosive devices (ied's) and remote detonators were found. This is all in the shadow of a mass Shiite pilgramage to the city of Basra, a city that has often been said by the main stream media to be the target of Sunni muslims trying to create a sectarian civil war. But by all appearences it's British Special forces, not Sunni terrorist, responsible for the devisive violence.
and don't you just wish that this was all?... sure you do... but nope, it's not. Not only does it seem that British Special Forces were trying to run a very deadly false-flag operation, but when the Iraqi police refused to hand over two real terrorist to the very ones who sent them on there mission; the British military sent 6 tanks with attack helicopters supporting them, to break into the prision and free the two SAS (Special Air Service, the specific branch of British Special Forces the two are currently believed to be part of) operatives, and for this is were the British were met with loving embrace as 100's of everyday people from the city of Basra converaged upon the prision to throw rocks and molitov cocktails at TANKS (BIG BALLS)...
... just to think, if it weren't for the incredible brutality of British Military (or more so US military, or even more specificly US hired mercenaries (such as BlackWater USA (the four "aid workers" dragged out of there car, shot, burnt then hung from a bridge during a traffic jam in Fallujah, were BlackWater USA operatives. There is always the chance that it was still just a random attack against white people, but the chances of this scenario are much less then the media would like you to believe.)) or even most specificly British Special Forces), those stupid sand *people* would be tearing each other to pieces.
and the lesson is pay attention to the alt. and foreign media.
Wow..... to ever think my cynacism is unfounded.
"Saving Private Lynch" is little more then "made for TV drama"; reality TV, with fake bullets (blanks if you will) and a complete lack of an occuping opposition party!
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corperation) reported in May 2003 that the hospital Jessica Lynch was being held at was evacuated of retreeting Iraqi Troops a few days before US SpecOps arrived to "rescue" her. She was found with no injurys not typical of a car crash!. US Troops entered the building with guns loaded not with Fe jacketed Cu coated Pb bullets, but with blanks. Big BANG! BANG!!, plenty of Bright s; but no high velocity projectiles wizzing too and fro.
Lynch Story a Fraud
now admittidly though this story is new to you, and to a lesser degree me (I sorta already knew about a few details of indiscrepenecys regarding this story, but hadn't suspected such outright fraud), it's old as dirt.
but more recent news indicates the following things:
more false flag op's!!! But who by?... the UK?, Isreale?, the U.S. of A?????
anyway, the "suicide bombs" in Jordan that were supposedly targeted at Isrealies, instead killed Palistian Leaders. And The susposed suicide bombs, by all appearences were planted in the ceiling. "Hmm.... I wondered why that brown guy wanted access to the heating system"
some guys blog
but that's not all, from the Independent:
British Troops killed in Iraq by bombs orginally designed and utilized by the Irish Republican Army
all the while Iran accuses Britian of supporting terrorism within Iran:
Linky Link
"Saving Private Lynch" is little more then "made for TV drama"; reality TV, with fake bullets (blanks if you will) and a complete lack of an occuping opposition party!
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corperation) reported in May 2003 that the hospital Jessica Lynch was being held at was evacuated of retreeting Iraqi Troops a few days before US SpecOps arrived to "rescue" her. She was found with no injurys not typical of a car crash!. US Troops entered the building with guns loaded not with Fe jacketed Cu coated Pb bullets, but with blanks. Big BANG! BANG!!, plenty of Bright s; but no high velocity projectiles wizzing too and fro.
Lynch Story a Fraud
now admittidly though this story is new to you, and to a lesser degree me (I sorta already knew about a few details of indiscrepenecys regarding this story, but hadn't suspected such outright fraud), it's old as dirt.
but more recent news indicates the following things:
more false flag op's!!! But who by?... the UK?, Isreale?, the U.S. of A?????
anyway, the "suicide bombs" in Jordan that were supposedly targeted at Isrealies, instead killed Palistian Leaders. And The susposed suicide bombs, by all appearences were planted in the ceiling. "Hmm.... I wondered why that brown guy wanted access to the heating system"
some guys blog
but that's not all, from the Independent:
British Troops killed in Iraq by bombs orginally designed and utilized by the Irish Republican Army
all the while Iran accuses Britian of supporting terrorism within Iran:
Linky Link
Good evening. Three days ago, in large numbers, Iraqis went to the polls to choose their own leaders -- a landmark day in the history of liberty. In coming weeks, the ballots will be counted, a new government formed and a people who suffered in tyranny for so long will become full members of the free world.
This election will not mean the end of violence. But it is the beginning of something new: constitutional democracy at the heart of the Middle East. And this vote -- 6,000 miles away, in a vital region of the world -- means that America has an ally of growing strength in the fight against terror.
All who had a part in this achievement -- Iraqis, Americans, and coalition partners -- can be proud. Yet our work is not done. There is more testing and sacrifice before us. I know many Americans have questions about the cost and direction of this war. So tonight I want to talk to you about how far we have come in Iraq, and the path that lies ahead.
From this office, nearly three years ago, I announced the start of military operations in Iraq. Our coalition confronted a regime that defied United Nations Security Council resolutions, violated a cease-fire agreement
what the are you talking about?... the US bombed Iraq for 11 years of the so called "cease-fire"
sponsored terrorism and possessed, we believed, weapons of mass destruction.
based on the most blantly falsefied evidence you could possibly find.
After the swift fall of Baghdad, we found mass graves filled by a dictator
filled mostly while an allie of the US, namely the Reagen and Bush Sr. admins.
we found some capacity to restart programs to produce weapons of mass destruction, but we did not find those weapons.
yes, like that one initial report talking about how a hospital had a high rate of patients exposed to anthrax. Not mentioning that most of the patients were farmers and that anthrax is a natrual occuring nitrogen fixing bacteria that's it's always has been found in higher contrations in Iraq back to Mespotanian times.
It is true that Saddam Hussein had a history of pursuing and using weapons of mass destruction.
yes, it's also true that everytime he's used chemical weapons it's been while a US puppet tyrant and with the aid and logistical support of the CIA
It is true that he systematically concealed those programs, and blocked the work of UN weapons inspectors. It is true that many nations believed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. But much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong.
No duh. that was known before you even went into Iraq!
And as your president, I am responsible for the decision to go into Iraq.
Yet it was right to remove Saddam Hussein from power. He was given an ultimatum
destroy the WMD's that you don't have, or get bombed into the stoneage.
-- and he made his choice for war. And the result of that war was to rid the world of a murderous dictator who menaced his people
once again, he was most brutal while a US puppet tyrant. Not to say he was a nice guy while a USSR puppet tyrant, or a self-empowered tyrant; but he was not nearly as brutal.
, invaded his neighbors,
wow.... the US has NEVER invaded another country....
and declared America to be his enemy. Saddam Hussein, captured and jailed, is still the same raging tyrant -- only now without a throne. His power to harm a single man, woman, or child is gone forever. And the world is better for it.
Since the removal of Saddam, this war -- like other wars in our history -- has been difficult. The mission of American troops in urban raids and desert patrols -- fighting Saddam loyalists and foreign terrorists
what are you talking about? Saddam loyalists compose only a small portion of the insurgency initially, and have been decreasing in signifigance ever since; and foreign fighters are less then 3% of the insurgency. Besides, what are US forces, if not foreign fighters, and what where the French during the US revolution?
-- has brought danger and suffering and loss. This loss has caused sorrow for our whole nation -- and it has led some to ask if we are creating more problems than we are solving.
That is an important question, and the answer depends on your view of the war on terror. If you think the terrorists would become peaceful if only America would stop provoking them, then it might make sense to leave them alone.
This is not the threat I see. I see a global terrorist movement that exploits Islam in the service of radical political aims -- a vision in which books are burned, and women are oppressed, and all dissent is crushed.
ya know... kinda like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuiwait, and Egypt... you know... the US's chief allies in the middle east that you will continue to over look the faults of while detesting Iran and Syria as having horriably tyrants.
Terrorist operatives conduct their campaign of murder with a set of declared and specific goals -- to demoralize free nations, to drive us out of the Middle East
yes... the "terrorist" do want the US out of the middle east. yes, "terrorist", including Bin Laden, have stated that US military presense is essential to the continued oppression perpetrated by US allies, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey, and that it is nessicary to force the US out of the region before such tyranal states can be felled. Now, it's true that there is some disagreement asto termology; Eastern philosphys, such as Buddhism, use freedom to mean free of material desires. Wereas Western Capitalist philosphy usally uses freedom to mean free to indulge in material desires. Bush and most Americans obviously believe in the Western Capitalist philosophy of freedom whereas some of the "terrorist" are most inclined to a more "Eastern" concept of freedom. Though not entirely contradictive, it's easy to see where they could bunt heads.
to spread an empire of fear across that region and to wage a perpetual war against America and our friends.
listen, no one wants to wage a perpetual war. Because a perpetual war is one that can not be won. Ever. Because if it were won it'd be ended and would pervent it from being perpetual. A few people fight just for the sake of fighting; but most people (terrorist and/or americans) fight to win, and occasionally to fight a lost battle just for the principal of taking a stand. The second group are called martyers.
These terrorists view the world as a giant battlefield -- and they seek to attack us wherever they can. This has attracted al Qaeda to Iraq, where they are attempting to frighten and intimidate America into a policy of retreat.
well, yes. The US is better equiped and better trained, so they aren't going to win a war of attrition or a war on the open feild. So they result to guerilla warfare to scare and demoralize. Muchas American revolutionarys resulted to guerilla warfare to route the better equiped and trained British Army.
The terrorists do not merely object to American actions in Iraq and elsewhere -- they object to our deepest values and our way of life. And if we were not fighting them in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Southeast Asia and in other places, the terrorists would not be peaceful citizens -- they would be on the offense, and headed our way.
September 11th, 2001 required us to take every emerging threat to our country seriously, and it shattered the illusion that terrorists attack us only after we provoke them. On that day, we were not in Iraq, we were not in Afghanistan, but the terrorists attacked us anyway -- and killed nearly 3,000 men, women, and children in our own country.
you weren't in Iraq with ground forces, but you were still dropping cluster bombs and depleted uranium weapons in the no-fly zone... along with the bombing of the only pharmacutical in to supply medice to africa south of the sahara in 98 and bombing Bagdad first in 99 to distract from Clinton getting head and then again in 2001 just so you could show that you have "balls" Right, no occupation forces, just bombing campaigns. We aren't trying to control you, just kill you. That's all.
My conviction comes down to this: we do not create terrorism by fighting the terrorists. We invite terrorism by ignoring them. And we will defeat the terrorists by capturing and killing them abroad, removing their safe havens and strengthening new allies like Iraq and Afghanistan in the fight we share.
This work has been especially difficult in Iraq -- more difficult than we expected. Reconstruction efforts and the training of Iraqi security forces started more slowly than we hoped. We continue to see violence and suffering, caused by an enemy that is determined and brutal -- unconstrained by conscience or the rules of war.
Some look at the challenges in Iraq, and conclude that the war is lost, and not worth another dime or another day. I don't believe that. Our military commanders do not believe that. Our troops in the field, who bear the burden and make the sacrifice, do not believe that America has lost. And not even the terrorists believe it. We know from their own communications that they feel a tightening noose -- and fear the rise of a democratic Iraq.
The terrorists will continue to have the coward's power to plant roadside bombs and recruit suicide bombers.
though suicide bombers rarely manage to properly discriminate targets and for that reason reprehensiable, how brave is it to drop a 2,000 lbs bomb from 50,000 feet?... I mean, unless you are scared of heights... it's pretty lame really.
And you will continue to see the grim results on the evening news. This proves that the war is difficult -- it does not mean that we are losing. Behind the images of chaos that terrorists create for the cameras, we are making steady gains with a clear objective in view.
America, our coalition, and Iraqi leaders are working toward the same goal -- a democratic Iraq that can defend itself, that will never again be a safe haven for terrorists, and that will serve as a model of freedom for the Middle East.
You know... like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Kuiwait.....
We have put in place a strategy to achieve this goal -- a strategy I have been discussing in detail over the last few weeks. This plan has three critical elements.
First, our coalition will remain on the offense -- finding and clearing out the enemy, transferring control of more territory to Iraqi units, and building up the Iraqi security forces so they can increasingly lead the fight. At this time last year, there were only a handful of Iraqi army and police battalions ready for combat. Now, there are more than 125 Iraqi combat battalions fighting the enemy, more than 50 are taking the lead and we have transferred more than a dozen military bases to Iraqi control.
Second, we are helping the Iraqi government establish the institutions of a unified and lasting democracy, in which all of Iraq's peoples are included and represented. Here also, the news is encouraging. Three days ago, more than 10 million Iraqis went to the polls -- including many Sunni Iraqis who had boycotted national elections last January.
Iraqis of every background are recognizing that democracy is the future of the country they love -- and they want their voices heard. One Iraqi, after dipping his finger in the purple ink as he cast his ballot, stuck his finger in the air and said: "This is a thorn in the eyes of the terrorists." Another voter was asked, "Are you Sunni or Shia?" He responded, "I am Iraqi."
Third, after a number of setbacks, our coalition is moving forward with a reconstruction plan to revive Iraq's economy and infrastructure -- and to give Iraqis confidence that a free life will be a better life. Today in Iraq, seven in 10 Iraqis say their lives are going well -- and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve even more in the year ahead. Despite the violence, Iraqis are optimistic -- and that optimism is justified.
In all three aspects of our strategy -- security, democracy, and reconstruction -- we have learned from our experiences, and fixed what has not worked. We will continue to listen to honest criticism, and make every change that will help us complete the mission.
Yet there is a difference between honest critics who recognize what is wrong, and defeatists who refuse to see that anything is right.
Defeatism may have its partisan uses, but it is not justified by the facts. For every scene of destruction in Iraq, there are more scenes of rebuilding and hope. For every life lost, there are countless more lives reclaimed. And for every terrorist working to stop freedom in Iraq, there are many more Iraqis and Americans working to defeat them. My fellow citizens: not only can we win the war in Iraq -- we are winning the war in Iraq.
It is also important for every American to understand the consequences of pulling out of Iraq before our work is done. We would abandon our Iraqi friends -- and signal to the world that America cannot be trusted to keep its word.
We would undermine the morale of our troops -- by betraying the cause for which they have sacrificed. We would cause tyrants in the Middle East to laugh at our failed resolve, and tighten their repressive grip.
you mean, like those tyrants in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Kuiwait?
We would hand Iraq over to enemies who have pledged to attack us -- and the global terrorist movement would be emboldened and more dangerous than ever before.
To retreat before victory would be an act of recklessness and dishonor and I will not allow it.
We are approaching a New Year, and there are certain things all Americans can expect to see. We will see more sacrifice -- from our military, their families, and the Iraqi people.
We will see a concerted effort to improve Iraqi police forces and fight corruption. We will see the Iraqi military gaining strength and confidence, and the democratic process moving forward.
As these achievements come, it should require fewer American troops to accomplish our mission. I will make decisions on troop levels based on the progress we see on the ground and the advice of our military leaders -- not based on artificial timetables set by politicians in Washington. Our forces in Iraq are on the road to victory -- and that is the road that will take them home.
In the months ahead, all Americans will have a part in the success of this war. Members of Congress will need to provide resources for our military. Our men and women in uniform, who have done so much already, will continue their brave and urgent work.
And tonight, I ask all of you listening to carefully consider the stakes of this war, to realize how far we have come and the good we are doing and to have patience in this difficult, noble, and necessary cause.
I also want to speak to those of you who did not support my decision to send troops to Iraq: I have heard your disagreement, and I know how deeply it is felt.
Yet now there are only two options before our country -- victory or defeat.
or relizing that a free Iraq is also possibly an Iraq that wants the US out.
And the need for victory is larger than any president or political party, because the security of our people is in the balance. I do not expect you to support everything I do, but tonight I have a request: do not give in to despair, and do not give up on this fight for freedom.
Americans can expect some things of me as well. My most solemn responsibility is to protect our nation, and that requires me to make some tough decisions.
I see the consequences of those decisions when I meet wounded servicemen and women who cannot leave their hospital beds, but summon the strength to look me in the eye and say they would do it all over again. I see the consequences when I talk to parents who miss a child so much -- but tell me he loved being a soldier, he believed in his mission and Mr. President, finish the job.
I know that some of my decisions have led to terrible loss -- and not one of those decisions has been taken lightly. I know this war is controversial -- yet being your president requires doing what I believe is right and accepting the consequences.
And I have never been more certain that America's actions in Iraq are essential to the security of our citizens, and will lay the foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren.
Next week, Americans will gather to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. Many families will be praying for loved ones spending this season far from home -- in Iraq, Afghanistan, or other dangerous places. Our nation joins in those prayers. We pray for the safety and strength of our troops. We trust, with them, in a love that conquers all fear, and a light that reaches the darkest corners of the Earth.
And we remember the words of the Christmas carol, written during the Civil War: "God is not dead, nor [does] He sleep; the Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on Earth, good-will to men."
Thank you, and good night.
"O Lord our God, help us tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for refuge of the grave and denied it-- for out sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."
-- Mark Twain
This election will not mean the end of violence. But it is the beginning of something new: constitutional democracy at the heart of the Middle East. And this vote -- 6,000 miles away, in a vital region of the world -- means that America has an ally of growing strength in the fight against terror.
All who had a part in this achievement -- Iraqis, Americans, and coalition partners -- can be proud. Yet our work is not done. There is more testing and sacrifice before us. I know many Americans have questions about the cost and direction of this war. So tonight I want to talk to you about how far we have come in Iraq, and the path that lies ahead.
From this office, nearly three years ago, I announced the start of military operations in Iraq. Our coalition confronted a regime that defied United Nations Security Council resolutions, violated a cease-fire agreement
what the are you talking about?... the US bombed Iraq for 11 years of the so called "cease-fire"
sponsored terrorism and possessed, we believed, weapons of mass destruction.
based on the most blantly falsefied evidence you could possibly find.
After the swift fall of Baghdad, we found mass graves filled by a dictator
filled mostly while an allie of the US, namely the Reagen and Bush Sr. admins.
we found some capacity to restart programs to produce weapons of mass destruction, but we did not find those weapons.
yes, like that one initial report talking about how a hospital had a high rate of patients exposed to anthrax. Not mentioning that most of the patients were farmers and that anthrax is a natrual occuring nitrogen fixing bacteria that's it's always has been found in higher contrations in Iraq back to Mespotanian times.
It is true that Saddam Hussein had a history of pursuing and using weapons of mass destruction.
yes, it's also true that everytime he's used chemical weapons it's been while a US puppet tyrant and with the aid and logistical support of the CIA
It is true that he systematically concealed those programs, and blocked the work of UN weapons inspectors. It is true that many nations believed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. But much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong.
No duh. that was known before you even went into Iraq!
And as your president, I am responsible for the decision to go into Iraq.
Yet it was right to remove Saddam Hussein from power. He was given an ultimatum
destroy the WMD's that you don't have, or get bombed into the stoneage.
-- and he made his choice for war. And the result of that war was to rid the world of a murderous dictator who menaced his people
once again, he was most brutal while a US puppet tyrant. Not to say he was a nice guy while a USSR puppet tyrant, or a self-empowered tyrant; but he was not nearly as brutal.
, invaded his neighbors,
wow.... the US has NEVER invaded another country....
and declared America to be his enemy. Saddam Hussein, captured and jailed, is still the same raging tyrant -- only now without a throne. His power to harm a single man, woman, or child is gone forever. And the world is better for it.
Since the removal of Saddam, this war -- like other wars in our history -- has been difficult. The mission of American troops in urban raids and desert patrols -- fighting Saddam loyalists and foreign terrorists
what are you talking about? Saddam loyalists compose only a small portion of the insurgency initially, and have been decreasing in signifigance ever since; and foreign fighters are less then 3% of the insurgency. Besides, what are US forces, if not foreign fighters, and what where the French during the US revolution?
-- has brought danger and suffering and loss. This loss has caused sorrow for our whole nation -- and it has led some to ask if we are creating more problems than we are solving.
That is an important question, and the answer depends on your view of the war on terror. If you think the terrorists would become peaceful if only America would stop provoking them, then it might make sense to leave them alone.
This is not the threat I see. I see a global terrorist movement that exploits Islam in the service of radical political aims -- a vision in which books are burned, and women are oppressed, and all dissent is crushed.
ya know... kinda like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuiwait, and Egypt... you know... the US's chief allies in the middle east that you will continue to over look the faults of while detesting Iran and Syria as having horriably tyrants.
Terrorist operatives conduct their campaign of murder with a set of declared and specific goals -- to demoralize free nations, to drive us out of the Middle East
yes... the "terrorist" do want the US out of the middle east. yes, "terrorist", including Bin Laden, have stated that US military presense is essential to the continued oppression perpetrated by US allies, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey, and that it is nessicary to force the US out of the region before such tyranal states can be felled. Now, it's true that there is some disagreement asto termology; Eastern philosphys, such as Buddhism, use freedom to mean free of material desires. Wereas Western Capitalist philosphy usally uses freedom to mean free to indulge in material desires. Bush and most Americans obviously believe in the Western Capitalist philosophy of freedom whereas some of the "terrorist" are most inclined to a more "Eastern" concept of freedom. Though not entirely contradictive, it's easy to see where they could bunt heads.
to spread an empire of fear across that region and to wage a perpetual war against America and our friends.
listen, no one wants to wage a perpetual war. Because a perpetual war is one that can not be won. Ever. Because if it were won it'd be ended and would pervent it from being perpetual. A few people fight just for the sake of fighting; but most people (terrorist and/or americans) fight to win, and occasionally to fight a lost battle just for the principal of taking a stand. The second group are called martyers.
These terrorists view the world as a giant battlefield -- and they seek to attack us wherever they can. This has attracted al Qaeda to Iraq, where they are attempting to frighten and intimidate America into a policy of retreat.
well, yes. The US is better equiped and better trained, so they aren't going to win a war of attrition or a war on the open feild. So they result to guerilla warfare to scare and demoralize. Muchas American revolutionarys resulted to guerilla warfare to route the better equiped and trained British Army.
The terrorists do not merely object to American actions in Iraq and elsewhere -- they object to our deepest values and our way of life. And if we were not fighting them in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Southeast Asia and in other places, the terrorists would not be peaceful citizens -- they would be on the offense, and headed our way.
September 11th, 2001 required us to take every emerging threat to our country seriously, and it shattered the illusion that terrorists attack us only after we provoke them. On that day, we were not in Iraq, we were not in Afghanistan, but the terrorists attacked us anyway -- and killed nearly 3,000 men, women, and children in our own country.
you weren't in Iraq with ground forces, but you were still dropping cluster bombs and depleted uranium weapons in the no-fly zone... along with the bombing of the only pharmacutical in to supply medice to africa south of the sahara in 98 and bombing Bagdad first in 99 to distract from Clinton getting head and then again in 2001 just so you could show that you have "balls" Right, no occupation forces, just bombing campaigns. We aren't trying to control you, just kill you. That's all.
My conviction comes down to this: we do not create terrorism by fighting the terrorists. We invite terrorism by ignoring them. And we will defeat the terrorists by capturing and killing them abroad, removing their safe havens and strengthening new allies like Iraq and Afghanistan in the fight we share.
This work has been especially difficult in Iraq -- more difficult than we expected. Reconstruction efforts and the training of Iraqi security forces started more slowly than we hoped. We continue to see violence and suffering, caused by an enemy that is determined and brutal -- unconstrained by conscience or the rules of war.
Some look at the challenges in Iraq, and conclude that the war is lost, and not worth another dime or another day. I don't believe that. Our military commanders do not believe that. Our troops in the field, who bear the burden and make the sacrifice, do not believe that America has lost. And not even the terrorists believe it. We know from their own communications that they feel a tightening noose -- and fear the rise of a democratic Iraq.
The terrorists will continue to have the coward's power to plant roadside bombs and recruit suicide bombers.
though suicide bombers rarely manage to properly discriminate targets and for that reason reprehensiable, how brave is it to drop a 2,000 lbs bomb from 50,000 feet?... I mean, unless you are scared of heights... it's pretty lame really.
And you will continue to see the grim results on the evening news. This proves that the war is difficult -- it does not mean that we are losing. Behind the images of chaos that terrorists create for the cameras, we are making steady gains with a clear objective in view.
America, our coalition, and Iraqi leaders are working toward the same goal -- a democratic Iraq that can defend itself, that will never again be a safe haven for terrorists, and that will serve as a model of freedom for the Middle East.
You know... like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Kuiwait.....
We have put in place a strategy to achieve this goal -- a strategy I have been discussing in detail over the last few weeks. This plan has three critical elements.
First, our coalition will remain on the offense -- finding and clearing out the enemy, transferring control of more territory to Iraqi units, and building up the Iraqi security forces so they can increasingly lead the fight. At this time last year, there were only a handful of Iraqi army and police battalions ready for combat. Now, there are more than 125 Iraqi combat battalions fighting the enemy, more than 50 are taking the lead and we have transferred more than a dozen military bases to Iraqi control.
Second, we are helping the Iraqi government establish the institutions of a unified and lasting democracy, in which all of Iraq's peoples are included and represented. Here also, the news is encouraging. Three days ago, more than 10 million Iraqis went to the polls -- including many Sunni Iraqis who had boycotted national elections last January.
Iraqis of every background are recognizing that democracy is the future of the country they love -- and they want their voices heard. One Iraqi, after dipping his finger in the purple ink as he cast his ballot, stuck his finger in the air and said: "This is a thorn in the eyes of the terrorists." Another voter was asked, "Are you Sunni or Shia?" He responded, "I am Iraqi."
Third, after a number of setbacks, our coalition is moving forward with a reconstruction plan to revive Iraq's economy and infrastructure -- and to give Iraqis confidence that a free life will be a better life. Today in Iraq, seven in 10 Iraqis say their lives are going well -- and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve even more in the year ahead. Despite the violence, Iraqis are optimistic -- and that optimism is justified.
In all three aspects of our strategy -- security, democracy, and reconstruction -- we have learned from our experiences, and fixed what has not worked. We will continue to listen to honest criticism, and make every change that will help us complete the mission.
Yet there is a difference between honest critics who recognize what is wrong, and defeatists who refuse to see that anything is right.
Defeatism may have its partisan uses, but it is not justified by the facts. For every scene of destruction in Iraq, there are more scenes of rebuilding and hope. For every life lost, there are countless more lives reclaimed. And for every terrorist working to stop freedom in Iraq, there are many more Iraqis and Americans working to defeat them. My fellow citizens: not only can we win the war in Iraq -- we are winning the war in Iraq.
It is also important for every American to understand the consequences of pulling out of Iraq before our work is done. We would abandon our Iraqi friends -- and signal to the world that America cannot be trusted to keep its word.
We would undermine the morale of our troops -- by betraying the cause for which they have sacrificed. We would cause tyrants in the Middle East to laugh at our failed resolve, and tighten their repressive grip.
you mean, like those tyrants in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Kuiwait?
We would hand Iraq over to enemies who have pledged to attack us -- and the global terrorist movement would be emboldened and more dangerous than ever before.
To retreat before victory would be an act of recklessness and dishonor and I will not allow it.
We are approaching a New Year, and there are certain things all Americans can expect to see. We will see more sacrifice -- from our military, their families, and the Iraqi people.
We will see a concerted effort to improve Iraqi police forces and fight corruption. We will see the Iraqi military gaining strength and confidence, and the democratic process moving forward.
As these achievements come, it should require fewer American troops to accomplish our mission. I will make decisions on troop levels based on the progress we see on the ground and the advice of our military leaders -- not based on artificial timetables set by politicians in Washington. Our forces in Iraq are on the road to victory -- and that is the road that will take them home.
In the months ahead, all Americans will have a part in the success of this war. Members of Congress will need to provide resources for our military. Our men and women in uniform, who have done so much already, will continue their brave and urgent work.
And tonight, I ask all of you listening to carefully consider the stakes of this war, to realize how far we have come and the good we are doing and to have patience in this difficult, noble, and necessary cause.
I also want to speak to those of you who did not support my decision to send troops to Iraq: I have heard your disagreement, and I know how deeply it is felt.
Yet now there are only two options before our country -- victory or defeat.
or relizing that a free Iraq is also possibly an Iraq that wants the US out.
And the need for victory is larger than any president or political party, because the security of our people is in the balance. I do not expect you to support everything I do, but tonight I have a request: do not give in to despair, and do not give up on this fight for freedom.
Americans can expect some things of me as well. My most solemn responsibility is to protect our nation, and that requires me to make some tough decisions.
I see the consequences of those decisions when I meet wounded servicemen and women who cannot leave their hospital beds, but summon the strength to look me in the eye and say they would do it all over again. I see the consequences when I talk to parents who miss a child so much -- but tell me he loved being a soldier, he believed in his mission and Mr. President, finish the job.
I know that some of my decisions have led to terrible loss -- and not one of those decisions has been taken lightly. I know this war is controversial -- yet being your president requires doing what I believe is right and accepting the consequences.
And I have never been more certain that America's actions in Iraq are essential to the security of our citizens, and will lay the foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren.
Next week, Americans will gather to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. Many families will be praying for loved ones spending this season far from home -- in Iraq, Afghanistan, or other dangerous places. Our nation joins in those prayers. We pray for the safety and strength of our troops. We trust, with them, in a love that conquers all fear, and a light that reaches the darkest corners of the Earth.
And we remember the words of the Christmas carol, written during the Civil War: "God is not dead, nor [does] He sleep; the Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on Earth, good-will to men."
Thank you, and good night.
"O Lord our God, help us tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for refuge of the grave and denied it-- for out sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."
-- Mark Twain
Refutation to a racist, nationalistic zenophobic apathy appologist (I may push the envelope further later on, but for now this content get's linked rather then posted) NSFW; NSFS; and though I wouldn't label it such personally I'll save myself the flack, NSFC
Re: the grand finally, some stuff I actually wrote myself.....
Wow I am starting to think of that Mel Gibson movie where he sees conspiracies everywhere.
The Blackwater employees were guarding aid workers, but you fail to decry the treatment of their bodies for some reason. It seems from this blog the offense is that they were masquerading as aid workers not that they were killed and mutilated and publicly displayed.
**small point yes a lot of "white" people are snatched in Iraq, then the peace loving "freedon fighters" chop their heads off and make haste to get the video to Al jazeera
I am all for anti war blogs if they are done with intelligence and proof of point. They should also not come out like propaganda which is what this totally lopsided post comes off as.