Dan Lyons

“TALIBAN CAN CARRY ON FOR YEARS” says US NATO honcho,”if Pakistan allows them sanctuary.”
Internatl.HeraldTribune/31May

Petraeus’ counterinsurgency doctrine calls for half-a-million Aghan/NATO troops to counter Taliban. This honcho admits that number
Is ‘absurdly high.”
INT.HERALD/TRIBUNE/31MAY

He notes that all 3 Pres. Candidates endorse the Afghan effort. But that, of course, is because the dem candidates are shocking Americans enough by advocating Iraq pullout; they don’t dare add the truth that we should also pull out of Afghanistan !

Loony McCain wants to throw GIs into these volcanoes
for as long as it takes to calm the volcanoes.

“29 of 31 returned Iraq vets examined
had bronchitis, were unable to exercise strenuously.”
CBSNEWS/31MAY

STAKEHOLDERS RE: IRAN ATTACK
Oil-producers would love to have Iran oil
cut off, More spike on oil prices.

But Oil-consumers (e.g., China) would hate that.
Perhaps China will pressure US to pressure Israel Not to attack?

Chinese pressure might take form of threat to sell Off US bonds, wreck US economy.

‘60-year Afghan war’ predicts US officer
”I expect to have my grandchildren fighting here.”
GLOBE&MAIL/31mAY

Wanna bet?

McCain goofs again: he said our troops had gone to ‘pre-surge’ levels.
Not only is that not true now; there are no present plans to go down
To presurge levels.

His spokesman said, “Suppose he misspoke. So what?”

Some president he’d make. McBush: speak falsely on an important issue,
Then insist you’ve spoken correctly.
NYTIMES/31May

MOST SADRITE LEADERS,WEAPONS
NOT CAPTURED,
PULLED OUT OF SADR CITY—
Meaning that the Sadrite threat is not removed.
ABC/29MAY

BIG PROTEST OVER PERMANENT US PRESENCE IN IRAQ:
Tens of thousands of Shia marched against Malikite agreement in process
For US to stay on in Iraq
after its UN mandate runs out.
Sadr’s spokesmen talked of
‘humiliation of Iraq people.’
SEATTLEPI/30MAY

McCAIN FOLLY BEARS REPEATING:

McCain trying to contrast himself with Bush—
But he agrees with Bush VS. NEW GI BILL:
Bush would veto this bill,
BECAUSE IT MIGHT PERSUADE
WAR-WEARY GIs TO LEAVE MILITARY
AND GO TO COLLEGE !

A sign of the terrible stress these winless wars are inflicting on our military,
that they would have to take
this RUTHLESS, ABSURD position.

LEAD PREDICTS LATER CRIMES
A high level in blood of fetuses, newborns, and 6-yr-olds
Predicts higher likelihood of violent crime.

This after adjusting for all other influences.
USATODAY/28MAY, P.1
This means that many violent criminals should be seen
as VICTIMS Of corporate ruthlessness, NOT so much as wicked.
(Just as AUTISM has been found to vary with levels of MERCURY
in immediate vicinity.)

This means that if we care about JUST punishment, we should lock up
Violent criminals (as we do the criminally insane) to keep them off the street—
but we should not act as if we’re sure they deserve to suffer.

WE CAN NEVER WIN IN AFGH Says analyst in LondonTimes
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/simon_jenkins/article3295340.ece
‘Every independent analysis says that disaster beckons.”

Army admits GI shell-shock cases surged during '07.
RAND think-tank says 300,000 cases altogether.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24842653/

UNDERSTANDING ‘POPE’ SISTANI:
Sistani is cautious to the point of timidity.
Some aides said he now calls for armed resistance vs.US; others say
only peaceful resistance.

All agree that he loathes US presence in Iraq;
Also, he has never given up his IRANIAN CITIZENSHIP !
UNITED PRESS/28MAY

DIPLOMATS WILL BE FORCED TO IRAQ:
If 300 don’t volunteer, then applicants will be forced
To serve in Iraq (in embassy rocketed regularly).
YAHOO NEWS/28MAY

SIX GI CASUALTIES MONDAY/
2 DEAD, 4 WOUJNDED
SIX GI CASUALTIES MONDAY/
2 DEAD, 4 WOUJNDED
LATIMES/28MAY

For once, Pentagon told how many wounded;
Usually silence/Americans seem not to want to hear about wounded—

But recent Memorial Day shows how quickly the dead are forgotten,
In the rush to holiday sales !

Whereas wounded veterans will haunt us for decades.

A long analysis of Afghan war in ECONOMIST (MAY24-30) is entitled
HOW THE GOOD WAR COULD FAIL.
The analysis notes some patches of good news, but blames stalemate on
Karzai, our puppet President there.
The article says that stalemate is the best we can hope for;
And this stalemate could easily turn into plain failure.

We went into Afgh. To deprive Quaeda of a safe haven.
They have a very safe haven now in Pakistan,
which seems to beSeeking a separate peace with them.

Not only that, the allies are losing faith in the enterprise.
Canada has threatened to pull out; Italy will pull out 1/8th of its troops.

The number of Shell-shocked veterans
has risen significantly.
ABCNEWS/27May
(RAND estimated that the number was 300,000.)

US MUST COMPROMISE WITH IRAN OVER IRAQ
Says prominent US expert(SeligHarrison)..
He suggests that Bush DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT
SUNNI / SHIA Schism !
And his underlings didn’t realize
friendliness of Iraq Shia leaders with Iran.

Iran will demand withdrawal of most US forces within 2 yrs, stopping the attacks on Sadrites, and stopping rearming of Sunnis (in ‘divide/conquer’move.)Else Iran will continue arming Sadrites.

If US attacks Iran (the only alternative to compromise) he says,
Iran will make US presence in Iraq ‘untenable’
By wholesale rocket attacks on our embassy.

USATODAY/27MAY

I’d add that Iran could slaughter Iraq GIs, using the ‘molten-metal’ mortars
That can destroy even tanks, let alone
the vehicles in which GIs must move.

ONE PLAN OF INCREDIBLE RUTHLESSNESS:
attack Iran conventionally,
wait for Iran to slaughter GIs,
then NUKE IRAN,with approval of Americans.

No doubt Iran has prepared super-retaliations vs. our Homeland
in case of NUKE attack.

IRAQ WAR SPIKED OIL PRICES
To THREE TIMES their price otherwise,
Says expert.
LONDON INDEPENDENT/27MAY
(Bushie attack on Iran will spike them
much higher.)

Why BAD NEWS Lyons?
Bushies spend MILLIONS to tell of
(meager) good news
From Iraq, Afghanistan.

Some bloggers should tell of BAD news
From these winless wars.

PORTS NOT SAFE: Bushies claim
that they have enrolled foreign importers,etc.,
To vet goods coming to US (in thousands of huge containers each day) to prevent
terrorists from smuggling in their wares.

But in practice, says a watchdog agency, there are significant gaps in these screens.

Abc/news/27may

Homeland Security is grossly underfunded;
Small wonder, with $700,000 millions going each year to the Pentagon
(useless for protecting our Homeland from individual terrorists.)

INCREDIBLE MCCAIN OPPOSES GI BILL !
Why? Because it might persuade war-stressed GIs
To quit military and go to college !!!!
CNN/27MAY

AFGHANS FEAR ACCEPTING US AID:
Marines drove Taliban back six miles; but then they’ll move on, hoping Karzai’s army
Can hold on.
Natives TELL AMERICANS
they hate the Taliban;
They say Tal. Forces include locals,
plus Arabs & Pakistanis.

Natives refuse humanitarian help from marines, since Taliban have warned that
when they return, they’ll punish recipients.
NYTIMES/27MAY

Afghans warn of Pak. Talks w/Taliban
AFP/27may
Fear that Tal. Will be strengthened,
More able to attack in Afgh.

HUNDREDS of Afghans PROTEST
FOREIGN TROOPS’ KILLING OF CLERIC:
Voice of America/27may

This is NOT the way to win hearts,minds
Of natives !

ATTACK ON NIGERIAN OIL raises oil price,
BBC/26may
Makes it more obviously nutty to attack Iran.

McCain WON’T BE MCBUSH ?
Thus says Romney, panting for role as VP.
HoustonChron/25May

He’d have to say that. Bush could not now
Be elected as dogcatcher.

SADRITES WAIT in SadrCity.
Malikite army is all over; they’re providing food,etc.To win over the people.

But Sadrite militia are also everywhere (anonymous), waiting.
“They’ll come out again.
Only force will rule here.”
LATIMES/25MAY

MIRACLE Marine?
He returned with burns over 97% of his body.
He finally died.
USATODAY/25MAY
Perhaps the reason Americans don’t care much about # of wounded
Is because they don’t realize
there are FATES WORSE THAN DEATH.

BLOODIEST AFGHAN TIME EVER,
since 2006.
Suicide bomb hits allied convoy.
NYTIMES/25MAY

SISTANI’S PRIVATE FATWAS VS.GIs:
may be aimed at US plans for permanent presence in Iraq.

He refused to call for disbanding of Sadrite militia.

Also, he wants to compete with Sadr for Shia support.

Observers expect a PUBLIC fatwa that Oks attacks on GIs.
SEATTLEPI/25MAY

‘SEPARATE PEACE TALKS (PAK/TALIBAN)) HAVE ALREADY LED
TO INCREASED TALIBAN ATTACKS
IN AFGH.”
REUTERS/25MAY

AIRSTRIKE SURGE-->MORE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
Generals say they try to hit only guerillas.
RAWSTORY,citing WASHINGTON POST

What counts is not generals’ good intentions,
but Iraqi reaction:
Airstrikes vs. neighborhoods Generate more guerillas than they kill.

GIs Causing Trouble in MidEast
One used Quran as Target !

Ordinary Christians can’t understand
HYPER-REVERENCE for Quran.

News of this type of SACRILEGE spreads quickly
Among 1000 millions of Muslims throughout world.
(1 GI already killed in Afgh.)

They would be satisfied only by death of this 'sacrilegious' GI.

‘Muslims already hostile. Who cares?”

3 levels of hostility:
--outer circle: talk vs. US, don’t act.
--inner circle: hard men willing to DIE and kill vs. US.
--middle circle: help hard men by money and hiding, but won’t fight themselves.

Such sacrileges move some outer circle to middle, some middle circle to inner.

Ordinary GIs shouldn't be in Mideast at all !

AFGHAN OFFICIALS PROTEST
‘NO CHARGE’ VS. 'MURDERING' MARINES
After a US vehicle was attacked,
it’s said that marines just shot civilians at random.
LATIMES/24MAY

SADRITE POLS DENOUNCE GOVT. ATTACKS ON PRAYERS:
They claim that govt is attacking
Friday prayers of Sadrites,
Warn of ‘black cloud’ over prevailing truce.
News Yahoo/24May

AFGHAN ATTACKS WILL GO ON:
Taliban leader says he’ll keep cease-fire with Pakistan,
But will continue attacking in Afgh.
Nytimes/24may

VA sees PR problem:
1000 suicide tries per month
Among veterans under their care.
USATODAY/24MAY

Delayed costs of these needless, pointless, winless wars.

POWER SHIFT:
World vs. Bushies’ America: 50% of world pop.
think US influence is ‘negative’;
Only 30% think it’s positive.
Lehrer TV report/23May

Russia & China will unite to control world security
‘even if other nations don’t like it’.,
Says new Russ President.

Bloomberg/24May

McCain was very honored to have crazy preacher’s backing.
He denounced Catholic Church as antichrist,
And called to destroy Islam.

But when he denounced Israel & Jews, McCain turned against him.

TOP CLERIC Oks ATTACKS ON AMERICANS
Sistani has for 1st time issued fatwas condemning
Foreign occupation of Iraq.

AP says Sistani more powerful than elected pols.

SEATTLEPI/23MAY

TOP CLERIC Oks ATTACKS
ON AMERICANS
Sistani has for 1st time
issued fatwas condemning Foreign occupation of Iraq.
SEATTLEPI/23MAY

MORE AFGHAN BAD NEWS:
Natuves say situation is getting worse.
NYTIMES/22MAY

BUSHIES VS. CLUSTER BAN
Bushies warn that any nation signing the proposed cluster-bomb ban (favored by the right-wing Pope!)—any such nation will lose US cooperation in humanitarian projects !
Assoc.Press/google/22may

Cluster bombs contain many little bomblets
that are spread over a wide area.
The bomblets often don’t go off right away; they are cute, are picked up by kids, who are then blown to bits—perhaps after the war is over!

MAIN AFGHAN SUPPLY ROUTE THREATENED:
KyberPass is main route for moving allied supplies from Pakistan to Afgh.
Attacks on allied supply vehicles increasing.
MSNBC/21MAY

BUSHIES PLAN IRAN ATTACK ?
(ONLY RICE & GATES SAY NO)
JERUSALEM POST(cited by NYTIMES) /21MAY

Oil over $130 a barrel. Is this spike from speculators already predicting
Iran attack?
If not, espect a huge spike when Bush attacks.

ALLIES OR MAFIA DONS?
We pay $300 per month for local gunmen (perhaps formerly insurgents) to protect
Their neighborhoods. Sometimes they grab rivals, pretending they’re Qaeda;
Sometimes they extort money from local businesses.

In the long run, an Iraq run by local warlords will be as chaotic as Somalia today.
But in the short run (which is all Bushies care about) at least the attacks have goen from one a day to one a week.
LATIMES/20MAY
What will count for US voters is Iraq situation in OCTOBER.

HONORING IRAQ DEAD,
BUSH QUIT GOLF !
ABC/19MAY

No comment: I’m left speechless.

‘IRANIAN’WEAPONS NOT SHOWN
Bushie generals said that insurgent weapons would be displayed in Iraq that obviously
came from Iran.

But these have not been displayed, and some that were allegedlyIranian
have been said NOT to be Iranian.
LATIMES/19MAY

DOUBTS ABOUT SADRCITY TRUCE:
Both Americans & Malikites say they see no sign of Sadrite
Attacks ceasing.
UNITED PRESS/18MAY

MILLIONS OF MURDERESSES:
Fanatics in Colorado have got enough
signatures to put on the Nov. ballot,
As a CONSTITUTIONAL amendment,
the proposition that NEWLY-CONCEIVED embryos count as persons.
(We trust it will fail spectacularly—they know this, so why try?)

That means that anyone who kills a fertilized egg in a murderer.
The Roman bishops who talk that way have never dared to propose‘murderer’ status for women who use IUDs or Morning-after pills—
these devices risk flushing out an embryo before it nests itself in the uterus.

No sensible person (post-birth) would take such ‘murder’ talk seriously—the right-wing pols who push such laws just want to get votes and money from the yahoos
who would talk this way seriously.

This November they’ll have the ‘gay-marriage’ issue also to help con these suckers.

SAUDIS SNUB BUSH AGAIN:
He went to them hoping to ‘jawbone’ them into increasing oil-production
MARKEDLY, thus lowering gas prices.
He went there earlier also, but both times they simply refused.
SEATTTLEPI17MAY

Not only does nasty Bush have no influence over these supposed allies of US,
But America in general has little influence.

AFGHAN ATTACKS UP 50% over last year.
Suspicion is that Pak. Tolerance is empowering
The attackers.
BOSTON HERALD/16MAY

McCain says he’ll capture binLaden & end Iraq war
in his first term.

And pigs will fly by 2013.

Tal.warns of Pak.revenge for US attacks:
If US rockets Tal.area of Pak,
Then Tal will attack in Pak.
MSNBC/16may

PAK.bows out of war vs.Taliban; Pak.
Rulers say they want to stop Tal. Attacks
On Pak.

Afgh is not their worry.

Bushies are eager to attack within Pak.

Pak says no: wd. violate their sovereignty
AND WILL BACKFIRE by enraging Pak. Pashtuns.
NYTIMES/16MAY

DEMS REJECT IRAQ FUNDING
They’ll have to give in later—
but they wanted to emphasize
That this is a GOP war.
(GOP loss in right-wing Mississippi
was a shot across their bow.)
AssocPress/15May

HILLARY: ANY CARDS TO PLAY?
Edwards also has backing of white workers—
so he may be VP candidate.

She has little to offer, just pulling out now
instead of in a couple of weeks.

NEWSWEEK observer sees only Lebanon-like stalemate (bloody off-and-on)
in Iraq for next TWENTY-FIVE years.
(even if we 'stay the course'.)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/136788/page/1

So much for McCain’s dream of our ‘winning’ by 2013 !

So much for dreams of Iraqi oil mitigating world shortage.

This observer says we can’t leave..we must keep
throwing our troops Into this volcano.

MOST AMERICANS DISBELIEVE IN MCCAIN’S GAS-TAX HOLIDAY
(ONLY 41% believe it will help.)
REUTERS/15MAY

McCain SHORTENS GI STAY IN IRAQ from 100 years to 5 years.
LATIMES /15May

In his new scenario, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF GIs, NOW HEALTHY,
Will be killed, blinded, maimed, shell-shocked—all for nothing..
no expert thinks insurgents (now Sunni + Shia!) will be disarmed by 2013.

IRAN SCOLDS MALIKITES for attacks on Sadrites,
and for subjection to US;
‘US is empowering Sunnis.”
SEATTLEPI/15MAY

FAKE APOLOGY TO CATHOLICS:
McCain-backing preacher says he regrets that his calling Catholic Church THE ANTICHRIST has hurt Catholics,
But he didn’t deny the claim.
Globe&Mail/14May

BUSH: IRAQ PULLOUT-.>NEW 9/11
Guardian/14may

We are in danger of a new attack;
But staying in Iraq is irrelevant to that danger.

In fact, we'd be safer spending Iraq hundreds of billions
on Homeland Security.

1000 ROCKETS, MORTARS INTO
GREEN ZONE(US HQ)
LATIMES/14MAY

Combat GIs’ suicide rate over twice that
of US as a whole:
REUTERS/13MAY

MORE IRAN INFLUENCE after Iran brokered the peace-talks
Between Malikites & Sadrites.
UNITEd PRESS/13MAY

MORE SMALL AFGHAN ATTACKS
There is a lull now while the opium poppies
are harvested—but then, every year,
Taliban attacks increase.

Govt, /US SAID there was no SpringOffensive last year—but observers say there were more small attacks, instead of big attacks.
GLOBE&MAIL/13may

TruceNOT w/Americans
The temporary truce in SadrCity
is just w/Malikites, not w/US.

US says it will still kill ‘criminals’.

Missile misses US copter.

LATTIMES/13MAY

ADMISSION:weapons NOT Iranian:

Bushie generals had plans to show these weapons to press—
but then they realized The weapons were NOT IRANIAN !

In another swerve, Iraqi leaders back from Iran said
there’s no proof of Iranian meddling.

And US generals have toned down their
Tirades vs. Iran.

LATIMES

LIBERTARIAN BARR CD.SINK MCCAIN:
Just as Nader sunk Gore in Florida.

He opposes public spending
AND EXPENSIVE WARS AND BASES AROUND THE WORLD.
LATIMES/12MAY

CEASE-FIRE NOT WORKING?
3 Malikite vehicles bombed trying to enter Sadr City.

Sadr himself has stayed silent.

Some Sadrite militia say
(after Malikite double-cross in Basra)
that they won’t disarm till Sadr speaks out.

Civilians flooding out of S.C. indicate the fragility of the truce.

Nytimes/12may

US NOT IN CEASE-FIRE:
Some fighting Sun/Mon.
A rocket fired at GIs (over the walled street).
CNN.COM/12may

MRAPS EFFECTIVE BUT FEW:
The new vehicle cuts dead and wounded
from road-bombs; They’re more impervious than tanks !

But over 5 yrs into the war, there are only 4200 of them in use In Iraq (for 150,000 GIs!)
USATODAY/12MAY

MRAPS are NOT protected vs.Molten-MetalBombs/mortars.
So far, few of these have been in use,
but IF US attacks Iran, giving leaders nothing to lose, MMMs will flood into Iraq, slaughtering GIs.

PULLOUT: SUDDEN OR GRADUAL?
If we pulled out of Iraq gradually,
the soldiers remaining would be
in more peril than ever.
Any pullout would have to be sudden and complete—
Like our pullout from Vietnam.

I’d imagine that our generals could negotiate with insurgent leaders a safe pullout
(equipment and all) to Kuwait and/or Turkey---
there we could keep a small force, without casualties,
in case our embassy was attacked.

And of course we could keep our pilotless predators flying over Iraq
to see what’s going on.

COSTS OF DEFENDING EMBASSY:
Not only are GIS tied up semi-permanently--
also, supplies and replacements must be brought in
thru 2/3ds of SadrCity ceded to Sadrites,
vehicles vulnerable to road bombs and snipers.

US honcho says US interests closely tied to alliance with Pakistan.

But Pakistan seems to be making separate peace with Taliban.

If they didn’t have to fight off Pak. Army,
Tal. wd. have more resources for attacking NATO (US) in Afghan.

US strategy is to buy off Pak. Military.
But Pak.people are sick of Tal. attacks inside Pak.
AsiaTimes/11May/

$60 billion annually for disabled vets
in twenty-five years,says govt.
(Boston.com/11may

That’s why it’s so criminal for Pent.
To keep secret the number of GIs
Wounded or shell-shocked each month.
Dead GIs will soon be forgotten (except by family/friends. Wounded will haunt us for decades.)

(Total wounded Bushies admit stays stuck right around 29,000 for months!
But over 50,000 have been evacuated out of Iraq.)

RAND says 320,000 have been brain-injured.

GIs control SadrCity area near GreenZone,
forcing Sadrites to fire rockets at GreenZone from further away, less accurately..

But Sadrites control the rest of SadrCity (2/3ds).

Recently a tank was hit by a bomb.

GIs don’t go further North than the walled street separating the 2 zones,
regretting that they’re allowing ‘safe zone’ for Sadrites.
LATIMES/11MAY

Many GIs will be tied up permanently defending GreenZone (
where US embassy was stupidly placed).
And thousands of GIs will be pulled out this summer.

MAINSTREAM MEDIA FINALLY NOTICE THE TRUCE
Between Malikites & Sadrites. (Have the Bushies accepted it?)
Truce in Basra lasted for a while, but now violence is revving up again.

SadrCity civilians blame both sides for their suffering.
Election coming upIn October.
Int.HeraldTribune/11MAY

SHHH! SAYS VA HONCHO.
He told Congress there were only 970 veteran suicide attempts in ’07.

But in a hush-hush memo he said there are over 1000 attempts PER MONTH among the vets seen at VA facilities.

“Should we make this public before someone else does?” he asked.

RAND report said 320,000 brain-injured.

And many disturbed vets (from brain injuries or shell-shock) never apply for care !
NYTIMES/11MAY

Several thousand Afghan Honchos meet
for peace, agree to negotiate with Taliban.
BBC/10May

Both Dems pull ahead of McCain
(esp. on Economy, THE issue!)
LATIMES/10MAY

PROTESTS VS. INDISCRIMINATE
NATO ATTACKS;
POLICE FIRE ON PROTESTERS.
Afghans will believe protesters.

PENT. Has ingenious way to avoid telling
how many GIs Killed in Afgh:
announce that ‘coalition’ soldiers were killed.
SEATTLEPI/10MAY

MALIKITE/SADRITE TRUCE: for 4 days;
but Bushies say ‘not aware’ of any truce.
REUTERS/10May

It looks like US will fight Sadrites alone,
with no pretence of govt. backing.

MARINES IGNORE TALIBAN CASH CROP
($ used to buy Tal. Weapons).

Marines don’t want the peasants
(relying on opium money)
To turn against them.
MSNBC/9MAY

2GIs Killed by Molten Metal.
The humvees turned out to be very vulnerable
to road bombs.
So Gates ordered that less-vulnerable MRAPS be rushed to Iraq.
(They were not RUSHED;But some arrived.)

Now it turns out that the insurgents’ molten-metal-mortars
can wreckAn MRAP !
HoustonChronicle

If these mortars did come from Iran,
it’s probably a signal from Iran
Of the havoc they could wreak on GIs
if we bomb Iran—
which it seems Bushies are planning to do.

CNN STILL SABOTAGED
If you go to CNN.COMyou’ll find that
its reports are blocked.
This has gone on for weeks !

SADR HAS POPULAR SUPPORT that makes him
more dangerous thanQuaeda, say USofficers.
Latimes/8may

Indeed, millions of Iraqis support him;
His armed militia is said to number over 60,000.

If US ‘suppresses’ rocketing Green Zone,
they’ll have to tie up US troops permanently in SadrCity,
lest rocketers filter back in.
Big rocketing started when Malikites invaded Basra.

SADR CITY RESIDENTS warned
to leave their homes.
Heavier US/Malikite attacks expected.
GOOGLE.COM/8MAY

UNFIT DEPLOYED ANYWAY:
43,000 ‘UNFIT FOR DEPLOYMENT’ GIs
WERE SENT ANYWAY TO IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN..
USATODAY/8MAY, p.1

EIGHTEEN VET SUICIDES EACH DAY
says VA.

This confirms RAND report that 300,000 suffer
from shell-shock,
And 320,000 from brain injury
(the two groups overlap of course).

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_3204.shtml

Both candidates are rich; Obama earned his money; McCain married his money.
In childhood, McCain was super-privileged son of an admiral;
Obama was raised by a single mother.

It’s true that the well-educated favor Obama by a large number.
That should show people that his ability to raise the country
From Bush disaster is superior.

ROAD-BOMBS MULTIPLY in area supposedly controlled by our new Sunni allies.
They are furious that Shia govt. won’t accept them in the army.

(Some applications were rejected because they were written in WRONG COLOR INK !)

ProQaeda Graffiti multiply in this town.
MSNBC/7MAY

IRAQ URGES US/IRAN TALKS:
Iraqi leaders fear that US attack on Iran
will trigger destruction of Iraq
(during slaughter of Iraq GIs).
REUTERS/7MAY

SHIFTS IN US ATTITUDES TOWARD SADR:
After he offered the truce, they referred to him
with the honorific title SAYIDD (descendent of Mohammed).

Recently, after they broke the truce by attackingSadrites,
and Sadrites fought back, they dropped the honor-term.
LATIMES/7MAY

RICE dared to call Sadr a COWARD, for ‘hiding out in Iran’.

BIGOT ENDORSING MCCAIN: Everyone knows about scandalous Wright’s connection with Obama. But people haven’t heard (tho they should have) about the bigoted preacher who’s backing McCAIN,
The bigot who sees the Roman Catholic Church as the antichrist, thirsting for centuries for Jewish blood.
NYTIMES/4April

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/opinion/04rich.html?em&ex=1210132800&en=e5d5126f1b93ece3&ei=5087%0A

McCain should have known all this before he went on stage with this guy.

Oh, for days when Prot. bigots hated Jews & Catholics equally!

Now the leaders of all 3 groups have sold out to the wealthy,
lead their people to Right.

Sadrites accepting from Iran rockets and
molten-lead-mortars (that can pierce a tank !)
They don’t like Iran, but now will take weapons from anywhere
(even from Israel,they joke).

In other words, Sadr’s truce w/Americans is basically ended
(because of US/Badr attacks on Sadr City).

These US attacks now mean that GIs face 60,000 more guerillas
attacking them than before.
LATIMES/6MAY

McCain’s Dodge: “I OK 100 yrs in Iraq—but without US casualties,
as in Korea.”

5 GIs killed in last 2 days. How many wounded?

No evidence that we can stay in Iraq without casualties !

Even w/o casualties, McCain's 100 yrs in Iraq is nutty;
Think of the expense !

IRAN ARMING GUERILLAS?
NO FIRM PROOF.
Iraq govt honcho contradicts Bushie sabre-rattling.
MSNBC/5MAY

OBAMA REBOUNDS: leads McCain
by 11 points (Clinton leads McCain by
12 points);
OBAMA leads Dems who usually vote in primaries,
but there’s tie among all Dems.
CBSNEWS/5MAY

(USATODAY poll puts Clinton ahead of Obama among all Dems.)

‘TOTALLY OBLITERATE IRAN’?
Clinton threw out this awful threat, then backed downTo say
‘if they nuked Israel’.

What’s the point? To make nuking Iran thinkable.

EMBASSY BADLY LOCATED: It was predictably stupid to build new half-billion-dollar US embassy NEXT TO SADR CITY, center for ANTI- US Sadrites.
The guerillas could shell the embassy.
Then US had to tie down many GIs in area near embassy.

Rockets continue to rain on embassy.

2 MILLION Residents made furious by indiscriminate shelling and bombing by US.

AGAIN, STORY OF 4GisKilledFriday
was BURIED in story of Iraq/Iran talks.
LATIMES/4MAY

STORY HIDDEN ALSO IN UNITED PRESS !
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/05/04/iraqs_first_lady_escapes_bomb/4772/

REUTERS never mentioned the deaths !

Give CBS/&MSNBC credit--they HEADLINED GIs-Killed story.

KARZAI DEATH ATTEMPT

2 OFFICIALS ARRESTED for help in plot;

2 rifles used were govt.issued.

Foreigners from Pakistan still blamed.
SEATTLEPI/4MAY

4 Marines killed Friday
(in ‘now-peaceful’ Anbar province;
(
this news buried in story!)
President’s wife unharmed
when her convoy was bombed.
GOOGLE.COM/4May /

Because Bushies spend millions on optimistic news (little available),

I emphasize (plentiful) bad news for balance.

UNIVERSAL INFLATION CAN'T HAPPEN,
Gas prices are rising fast,
and so are prices of grains, milk,etc.
But in the long run, this can’t continue.
Ordinary people who have to pay more for SOME ordinary items
Have less to pay for OTHER items.
So the price can’t rise on EVERYTHING !

This could happen only if total $ in the hands of ordinary people also rose;
This is not happening
(the ‘stimulus’ $ is a trivial amount.)

Prices for luxuries will keep on rising, because the well-off and the wealthy
Have extra money to pay for them.
But not the price of ALL ordinary commodities.

For instance, one would expect that ordinary people would switch to dry milk
(so liquid milk couldn’t keep rising . )

Families will switch to cheap cereals, so the absurdly priced cereals must yield.

Ordinary people would eat out less (so restaurant prices couldn’t rise) and so on.

Ordinary people will have to switch to small cars, to car-pools, to bikes, to public transit, etc;
So the price of large cars will sink.

WORLDWIDE demand for gas might keep increasing for a while.
But it looks like a worldwide recession OR DEPRESSION lies ahead,
Which will prevent widespread inflation.

The rich keep warning of inflation, because they want interest rates to jump up—
sinceInterest money goes to THEM –
(actually some goes to frugal, saving me.).
Don’t believe their warnings.

‘100 years in Iraq OK”said McCain

McCain compares w/50 yrs in Korea.

But who says we can minimize casualties in Iraq for 100 years?

ALSO: What the hell are we doing with troops in Korea
For 56 years after I served there?
CBSNEWS/3MAY

KARZAI BACKS PAK.TALKS W/TALIBAN
PROVIDED they don’t get chance to train for AFGHAN attacks.
GLOBE & MAIL/3MAY

BUT THEY WILL !

FRUSTRATED GIs:
Risking their lives at checkpoint for little results.

SadrCity residents are pro-Sadrite—

Especially with air-strikes slaughtering people.
LATIMES/3MAY

US WILL SEND 7000 MORE GIs TO AFGH.
To make up for refusal of ‘allies’ to add troops;

GIs will go from half of Western troops to 2/3ds.

Some troops will have to be taken from Iraq.
NYTIMES/3MAY

US AIRSTRIKE HITS HOSPITAL
‘Precision’ airstrikes are fictional.

http://english.aljazeera.net/3MAY

story confirmed by CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/05/03/iraq.main/index.html

THE DUMB LEOPARD:
Bushie generals’ insistence of using backfiring bombing against guerillas
reminds me of the dumb leopard, very vain about his teeth & claws,
Who tried to use these awesome weapons
against a large hive of angry hornets.

WHAT IF A NEW DEPRESSION?

We can bet that right to the last minute, the government will talk of a shallow, short recession.

In 1928, US was prosperous, lots of children were born and spoiled. Then, by 1931,
Disasterous unemployment.

Many didn’t really survive: they turned to crime or begging, or committed suicide.
Those who did survive faced the facts:

--For a car, you can substitute a bike, a motorbike, living on a busline, walking miles each day to a busline (also for health). Bicycle-taxis could be used(making a few more jobs).

--there is no natural right to own a house on a quarter-acre. Millions all over the world do without this luxury. You can live in a crowded apartment. You can share a house with relatives or friends, sharing the rent and expenses, car, washing-machine and bathroom.

Or (at the worst) you can rent a room in a rooming-house for yourself and mate, sharing bathrooms, eating the austere meals offered by the landlord.

--You can live in a very chilly house, perhaps wearing coats to bed under the blankets.

--There are few vacant lots in Ft.Collins, and Farmers’Market food is more expensive than supermarket food. If food gets more expensive in winter, you could dig a root-cellar in your backyard.

--The cheapest home-grown meat is rabbits—easy to skin.

--Above all, you can cut back on the number of children you plan. Luckily, there are many preventatives nowadays—the most practicable being the morning-after pill (as a backup for broken or absent condoms).
My parents felt obliged to raise nine children in the Great Depression.

My family (harshly) survived the Great Depression (except for one girl who died from a doctor’s mistake in a charity ward..) The rest of us are all now quite prosperous.

It’s time that people today began thinking about the unthinkable.

Bombing SadrCity Backfires;
Shells still falling on GreenZone
ABC NEWS TV/1MAY

LessThan$1 billion for world food aid;
$700,000 millions for Pentagon.

ONE HUNDRED IRAQ CASUALTIES
FROM SUICIDER,
SEEMINGLY QUAEDA.

Incidents like this show Qaeda is still a power,
And that our attacks on Sadrites are
a distraction.
Jerusalem Post/1May

SADRITES NOT BEATABLE BY FORCE
Say many experts. Even Cordesman, the most optimistic,
Says that beating them in pitched battles
(which they may avoid)
is easier Than defeating a political movement with millions of followers.
REUTERS/1 may

HILLARY & AFGHANISTAN:
She points out correctly that the winless campaign in Iraq is distracting us
From the ‘more important’ war in Afgh.
That gives her cover for advocating a bugout from Iraq.

But the Afghan war is both less important than Iraq (no oil) and is also
MORE HOPELESS. Taliban has safe hiding place along the LONG border with Pakistan, where they can train and regroup
and buy more arms with the millions they get from The poppy trade.
Pak. Is making nice with them (faced with hopeless task of preventing slaughter of Pakistanis) and so is Canada.

We can't punish Pak,because they also have NUKES !

What nobody dares to say is that we must bugout of BOTH WINLESS WARS !