archived: 25 Apr - 1 May, 2004 Back Next
JUNKIE EDITOR MICHAEL CARMICHAEL
(“If They Can’t Beat You ….”)
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Carmichael suggests reading this article as a prelude to his comments: Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad, “Former generals of Saddam's regime reinstated to new US-trained army.”
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If they can't beat you, let them join you. Former generals of
Saddam’s regime are being reinstated to new US-trained army.
After the dissolution of the Iraqi Army by the US-led coalition
last May, the new model Iraqi Army has been known to mutiny. Therefore, several
of Saddam's generals (those evildoers of the Axis of Evil) have been appointed
to new posts by American officials in Iraq. Apparently, 10% (or much more) of
the New Iraqi Army changed sides during the recent upsurge of fighting, and 40%
went AWOL - obviously in sympathy with the insurgents.
General Mark Dempsey has revealed that the "disintegration of the
security services went much further than previously admitted" by the Coalition
Provisional Authority and the US viceroy, Paul Bremer.
It does not end there.
Former officials of the Ba'Ath party will also be put on
the payrolls provided by the US taxpayers as they are not yet making enough
money in Bush's Iraq.
The dissolution of the Iraqi Army and the failed de-Ba'Athification
process ordered by Bremer have been monumental failures that have driven the
tides of insurgency.
There is another problem that is, perhaps, equally fundamental.
There is no support for the Iraq Governing Council. In fact, the IGC is vilified
by the vast majority of the citizens of Iraq.
And finally, the voluntary hand-over of weapons in Falluja is not
going well. American forces are seriously unhappy about the pitifully small and
insignificant stockpile of weapons that have been surrendered to date. Now, the
US is threatening to end the ceasefire unilaterally and to launch a new campaign
of the besieged city.
STEPHEN CROCKETT AND AL LAWRENCE
(“Ending The “War On Terror” Myth”)
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Stephen Crockett and Al Lawrence are hosts of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com. Mailing address: 7A Planville Drive, Tennessee 37334. Phone: 931-438-1500 or 443-421-0287.
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The so-called “War On Terror” is a dangerous myth that is undermining American national security. This myth is a deliberate creation of the Bush Administration and their political allies. It has been very useful in promoting the Corporate Agenda of the Bush Republicans. Their fellow travelers in the Corporate Media have helped promote this intellectually dishonest way of looking at the threat posed to America by the Bin Laden terrorist organization.
First of all, “terror” is an emotion and should not be confused with an actual organization of terrorists. This “terror” theme is useful if you want to promote unrelated goals but ineffective in actually responding to the real threat posed by the Bin Laden organization. The term first used by Bush operatives was the “War on Terrorism.” This was equally dishonest because terrorism is a tactic used by terrorist. It is as absurd to have a war against a “tactic” as it is to have a war against an “emotion”.
The deliberate distortion of language helped the Bush Administration take us to War in Iraq. These writers believe it was one of the main reasons the term was chosen by the Bush Administration. The climate of fear created by the 9-11 attacks was continued and heightened by the language chosen by the Bush Administration. Unrelated policies from tax breaks for the wealthy to the Invasion of Iraq have been promoted by the Bush Republicans under the guise of fighting the “War ON Terror.” American citizens were manipulated into supporting the Right-Wing Corporate political agenda of this White House although this agenda was in no way related to the 9-11 attacks.
The Bush-Cheney team spread the lesser myths about Iraq by falsely linking Saddam Hussein to the 9-11 attacks. We now know that Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden were mortal enemies. Both were anti-American but only the Bin Laden organization posed a threat to the American Homeland. We have diverted huge military and financial resources away from the threat posed by the Bin Laden organization by invading and occupying Iraq. The Bush Administration was not paying enough attention to this threat before 9-11 and is still not truly focused on the Bin Laden organization. Before 9-11, they were largely focused on missile defense, tax cuts for the wealthy and packing the courts with Right Wing judges. Currently, they are focusing too much attention on Iraq, tax cuts for the wealthy and packing the courts with Right Wing judges.
The first focus of the Bush Administration should be the threat posed by the Bin Laden organization. Those were the persons responsible for killing 3,000 Americans in the 9-11 attacks. We should continue to aggressively wage the military campaign in Afghanistan. The next greatest threat to America is the exporting of jobs by large American corporations because this trend undermines our long-term ability to fund the fight against the Bin Laden terrorist organization. We need to stop using the term “War On Terror” because it is worse than useless. It is clouding our judgment when we need to clearly see the reality of the threats we face. It is time for the Bush Republicans and their fellow travelers in the Corporate Media to stop playing politics with the language of national security!
Last Update: 03/23/2006