Dan Lyons

KOREA & IRAN: Why did Bushies let N.Korea finish developing nuke bombs?
Because the 35000 GIs in So.Korea were actually HOSTAGES/
US believed that N.Korea could wipe them out before we wiped out N.K.

ALSO: 140,000 GIs in Iraq are HOSTAGES who would be slaughtered
if Israel/Bushies Attacked Iran.

But we didn’t have Israeli pressure to attack N.Korea;We do re:Iran.

So Bushies may be nutty enough to pay the grisly price
to satisfy nutty zionists.

IRAN’S RETALIATION PLANS:
They have missiles (11,000 they say)
that put Israel’s nuke plant within range.
But US will let Israel use its devices that might destroy IranianMissiles during the booster stage. (That means that US ships and Iraq GIs will be targeted also.)

Iran also says it will destroy remains of the Temple. (Also the sacred mosque in Jerusalem; but Moslems have shown they don’t mind destroying mosques.)
TIMESONLINE/29JUNE

Iranians have dispersed their nuke facilities; they may be planning NOT A nuke attack, but a series of ‘dirty bombs’ with their huge supply of radioactive material.

You can bet they have also scattered and hidden their rockets in many tunnels.

It’s hard to imagine a ‘successful’ Israeli attack without open Bushie collaboration in attacking Iran’s second-strike facilities.
Hard to imagine a ‘successful’ attack—
Even with open Bushie collaboration.

Give away your car;
you’ll be reduced to bus or 2-wheeler.

US ATTACK A BARBARIC VIOLATION
OF IRAQ SOVEREIGNTY
Says gov. of Karbala province.
REUTERS/29JUNE

IRAQ GOVT. QUITS PRETENDING
that it will offer importanat jobs to Sunnis.
LATIMES29JUNE

IRAN WILL BLOCK STRAIT thru which
18 million barrels of oil come each day—
If Bushies/Israel attack.
SydneyMorningHerald/29june

And of course they’ll slaughter US GIs in next-door Iraq.
If Israel attacks alone, they’ll retaliate also vs. US.

ECONOMIST says there’s a real chance Israel WILL attack.
--Most likely between Nov.’08 and Jan’09, after US election,
before Obama is inaugurated.

It’s up to Obama to signal (privately perhaps) that he will cut off all $And arms to Israel if that happens.

Worst scenario: Israel attacks nuke plants in Iran;
Iran rockets Telaviv, and Israel’s nuke plant. Then Israel nukes Iran.

IF Israel leaders think Iran is goofy enough to nuke Israel (1st strike) with its new nukes,Provoking nuke retaliation—
then certainly Iran will retaliate fiercely vs. a smaller attack by Israel, even if this means destruction of Iran.

More on attack-danger
in GUARDIAN29JUNE

GIs TO BE REPLACED IN ‘09
CBSNEWS/28JUNE

Tens of thousands more GIs NOW HEALTHY
Will be killed, blinded, maimed, shell-shocked.

LOWER PERCENTAGE OF AWFUL BOMBS:

MOLTEN- METAL BOMBS
SAID TO DIMINISH (percentage-wise)
By Bushie generals.
It may that an attack on Iran now seems less attractive,
Even to nuts—so they cut down on asserted justifications.
REUTERS28JUNE

TALIBAN TO HIKE ATTACKS,
warns Pentagon.
GUARDIAN/28JUNE

OIL $200? GAS $7?

An ‘urban planning earthquake’.

And this may not factor in A NUTTY ATTACK ON IRAN.
LATIMES28JUNE

PAK.ARMY ATTACKS GUERILLAS:
But it’s because they threaten the local capital of Peshawar,
NOT because they attack Afgh.

Bushie honcho says that attacks on Afgh have increased 50%
Since Pak. Govt. started ‘separate peace’ talks with Taliban.
BLOOMBERG/28JUNE

IRAQI SLAUGHTER THIS WEEK:
Since Tuesday: 55 dead, 214 wounded, 7 GIs killed
NYTIMES/27JUNE

FAR MORE VOTERS STRESS ECONOMY (OBAMA) 56%
OVER TERRORISM (MCCAIN)39%
United press/27JUNE

McC honcho says another 9/11 wd/ help M a lot.

Will GOP be tempted to stage ‘OCT.SURPRISE’,
To get focus back to terrorism?

june ‘allied’ DEATH TOLL
HIGHEST IN 7 YEARS
(Pak.blamed)
UNITED PRESS/27JUNE

US AIRSTRIKES KILL MORE CIVILIANS
Rage over such incidents recruits more insurgents.
LATIMES/27JUNE

SEVEN FOREIGN TROOPS KILLED THURSDAY in Afgh & Iraq.
The 3 in Iraq were US GIs; Bushies won’t tell nationality of 4 Troops killed in Afgh—
but most ‘coalition’ troops are US GIs.
REUTERS/27JUNE

Bushies also won’t tell how many GIs WOUNDED each day.
Why not?

US IMPROVES IRAQ SECURITY,
to buy time until factions reconcile;
i.e., until pigs fly.

RIGHT TO A GUN? Who cares?
Gun fans have them already.
--Seldom used—when used, on family/friends, not intruders.
Improve gene-pool?
--‘Defend freedom” black humor
when handguns used vs. tyrant’s robots.

GAS TO $7
Is that with or without Iran attack?
ABCNEWS/26JUNE

$1OO MILLION FROM POPPIES TO TAL:
They use $ to persuade youths as suiciders
By paying off family.
CBSNEWS/26JUNE

MOOD WORSENS SINCE LAST JULY
100 MEANS IMPROVEMENT/ 90 NOW
reuters/26june

2GIs killed in AFGH=6 dead in Iraq

A given GI has more chance
Of killed/wounded than one in Iraq

TIMESONLINE/26JUNE

GETTING OFF TERROR LIST
N.Korea didn’t change their conduct,
Just developed nukes as 2d-strike-deterrents.
That weakened Bushie opposition.
GUARDIAN/26JUNE

PAK.GOVT. ACCUSES PAK INTEL SVC
Of trying to assassinate Afgh Kharzai
SydneyMorningHerald/26 JUNE

OBAMA CAN’T WIN CATH/PROT FUNDAMENTALIST VOTE—BUT
he might get a strong minority of those voters…
SEATTLEPI/26JUNE

122 IRAQI CASUALTIES
REUTERS/26JUNE

OIL WILL GO UP TO $170
Says OPEC chief.
Then, he says, it will go down.

Obviously he is NOT factoring in an Iran attack.

If that happened, it would spike over $200,
And would NOT go down !
REUTERS/26JUNE

TOO FEW TROOPS FOR AFGHAN NATION
LARGER,MORE POPULOUS THAN IRAQ—
W/ SAFE-HAVEN PAKISTAN NEXT DOOR!

GERMANY WILL SEND 1000 MORE
(TO FIGHT?)..NOT ENOUGH
ABC/25JUNE

TAL.KILL 22 PRO-GOVT NATIVES.
GLOBE&MAIL/25JUNE

GI AFGHAN DEATHS UP SHARPLY
IN MAY,JUNE.
Tal.attacks up 40% in East, some in once-stable areas.
LATIMES/25JUNE

NINE AMERICANS KILLED IN IRAQ THIS WEEK (27 SO FAR THIS MONTH)
AFP/25JUNE
HOW MANY WOUNDED?

Second poll puts Obama FAR AHEAD of McCain!

BLOOMBERG agrees with NEWSWEEK that
Obama is 15% ahead! \

(McCain is down to 33%..pretty near to the
unpopularity of his clone, George Bush ! )

36 allied oil tankers blown up by Taliban
back in March, with 100 people wounded.
(I read a dozen news sources each day; I never heard about this.)
16 Pak. Soldiers just kidnapped.
CS.MONITOR/24JUNE

What’s with ‘wounded’secrets?
After battle with Taliban,
Bushie generalSaid no allies killed,
but declined to say if any wounded.
What the hell?
ABCNEWS/24JUNE

Among women who know about
Obama’s abortion-position,
The issue works for him.
News.yahoo.com/24June

CONVENTIONAL ARMIES USELESS IN KANDAHAR
Vs. guerilla tactics. Endless stream of suicide recruits from Pak.
(Families of suiciders paid from opium profits).
Globe & Mail/24June

‘OCTOBER SURPRISE’?
A senior McCain adviser said to FORTUNE mag that an attack on
Our Homeland would help McC’s campaign.
No doubt it would—but now if there’s a real attack,
Many Americans will think it’s a fake ‘October surprise’.

Already, many doubt the Bushies’ version of the 9/11 attack.

Govt. lies can be more destructive than govt. murders, undermining trust in govt. statements.

PESSIMISM ABOUT IRAQ GOVERNING:
Security has increased, but US govt. agency ‘decidedly pessimistic’
About political, economic progress.
LATIMES/24JUNE

FIVE US CASUALTIES
AFP/24JUNE

How many Iraqis say US presence
is improving their security?
Only 27%.
Frank Rich in NYTIMES/22JUNE

Some people say Obama
should listen to Petraeus.
Perhaps Petraeus should listen to 3 in 4 Iraqis !

Consumer budget vs. Pent. Budget.

You might think the $146 billion for the stimulus pkg was a lot.($300 or $600 for each American).

But It’s chump change compared to the $750,000 MILLIONS we’re shoveling this year to the Pentagon.[natlPublicRadio,23June]

Even more pathetic is the annual budget for Homeland Defense : $38 billion .

GRAND AYATOLLAH OPPOSES CONTINED US PRESENCE/CONTROL
IN IRAQ

AUSSIE TROOPS ALL HOME FROM IRAQ.
CBS NEWS/23JUNE

(Our last supposed ally, Britain, has troops hiding out in Iraq,
getting shelled occasionally.)

FLOODS THREATEN GOP/
Just before Katrina disaster, GOP congress was ready
to cut levee-funds even more.
GOP has lost long-time control of South.
UNITED PRESS/23JUNE

3 Pak. Rockets vs. Afgh./
Pak. General says they may have come from Taliban,
But not from Pak. Army.
Globe&Mail

6 GI casualties in Iraq in 1 day;
for once, Bushies tell how many wounded (5).
This is probably typical: many more blinded, maimed, shell-shocked, than number killed.

SEATTLEPI/23JUNE

MCCAIN VS. TERRORISM?
The ONLY issue where McCain leads by far
is ‘terrorism’;
It’s hard to imagine what people are thinking
when they trust him on this issue.

Every thousand of millions of dollars spent on the pointless wars in Iraq/Afgh
Means less $ to spend on Homeland Defense.
McCain is enthusiasticOn war-spending
(Pentagon’s bombers, ships, missiles, etc.
are uselessVs. individual terrorists.)

McCain has said nothing about spending more on Homeland Defense :
(e.g. inspecting the thousands of
huge ship containers entering our ports each day).

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
McCain sided with Bush in opposing a strong GI bill
That would pay for college.
WHY? BECAUSE IT MIGHT LEAD MORE PRESENT SOLDIERS
TO QUIT THE ARMY AND GO TO COLLEGE !
ABC/TV/NEWS/22JUNE

FEEBLE AIRPOWER:
NEARLY 4 MILLION DIED I N VIET WAR
New estimate much higher than before.
ABCNEWS/22june
(In that war, we dropped more bombs than in WWII—
on a little country—but we still lost the war.)
\Israel dropped tons of bombs on Lebanon--
but they still lost that war.

It’s surprising that Americans still believe in
‘victory thru airpower’.

NEARLY 2 MILLION (OF 36 MILLION) IRAQIS
ARE LIVING OUTSIDE Iraq.
Int.Herald Tribune

AFGH DEADLIER THAN IRAQ
For outside troops.

Considering that there are only
1/3d as many invaders in Afgh,as in Iraq,
The casualty RATE is really upsetting.
CBSNEWS/22June

PENTAGON KEEPS CLUSTER-BOMBS:
They won’t sign world treaty to eliminate them.

Present cluster bombs scatter little bomblets which don’t go off right away;
They’re cute/ children pick them up, blow themselves up.

Israel dropped millions of these bomblets
On Lebanon.

FRONTIER CORPS INFILTRATION
US has spent millions training
Pak. ‘frontier corps’ to fight Taliban.

But in fact (acc. to leaked classified docs)
many units have been infiltrated by Tal. Sympathizers,
and are shooting at Americans !
GUARDIAN/22JUNE

NATO CASUALTIES
While Bushies won’t reveal # of
US GIs killed each day inAfgan, it’s said that
4 GIs have been killed this month. How many wounded?

Expert: “We’re not ready for
these guerilla attacks.”

This second war can no longer be ignored
In pol. Campaigns here !

Natives say that recent Tal. Attack featured mostly Pakistanis !
USATODAY/22JUNE

MANDATE EXPIRES: UN mandate for US presence/control in Iraq will soon expire.
US & many Iraqis want a new agreement to keep US GIs there.
But many Iraqi pols say they reject US terms
(e.g., immunity for GIs from Iraqi prosecution// 50 US bases preserved.)

If agreement can’t be reached, then US musst ask UN to extend the mandate—
Embarrassing, perhaps a no-go.
SEATTLEPI/22JUNE

Female suiicider: 56 casualties/
Common motivation: revenge
for US/Malikites killing husband.

3 rings of terrorist sympathizers:
inner ring of those willing to kill & die.

Middle ring of those willing to hide terrorists, etc.

Outside ring: talkers but not doers.

Killing husbands moves wives from middle to inner ring.
CNN/22JUNE

2 Taliban rocket attacks vs. Afghan Nato base—
one attack said to be from INSIDE PAKISTAN !
China News/ 22june

NATO honcho says they’ll need
6000 more NATO troops—quickly !

8 ‘coalition’ soldiers killed in Afgh. In 2 days.
ABCTVNEWS/21JUNE
Why won’t Bushies tell how many of these are American?

IRAQ SECURITY MUCH HIGHER..BUT…
The Sadrists have not been defeated; they just pulled back.
Sunni insurgents have been bought off (sensibly)
But they note that Malikites have fought off Sadrite militias,
Not the Shia Badr.

The recent big bomb killed 63, wounded many.
US says that SHIA Sadrites bombed SHIA market…implausibly.

Some say that the ‘taming’ of Basra was to make possible a separate autonomous oil-rich Regime of Shialand in the South (as autonomous as is now Kurdland in the North).

This regime would have Iraq’s only seaport, 70% of its oil, and it WOULD be friendly to Iran!

It might be argued that with increased strength of Iraq army,
GIs could safely be brought home !

So a united Iraq, agreeable to US plans,
is not at all assured.

NYTIMES/21JUNE

SECOND NIGERIAN OIL BLOWUP RECENTLY
MCNBC/21JUNE

MIDEAST A BALL OF FIRE?
UN honcho predicts that outcome if Israel/America attack Iran.
Cbsnews/21june

That would certainly raise price of gas.

OBAMA LEADS MCCAIN 51% TO 36%
NEWSWEEK POLL

BLOOD FOR OIL/
Canada govt.says it’s willing to protect projected pipeline
thru volcanic Kandahar region.

US wants this as alternative to Iran/Russ pipes to India.
Globe&Mail/21June

SOME IN OPEC MAY CUT OIL PRODUCTION
Says Libyan Honcho.
GUARDIAN/21JUNE

SADRITES ACCUSE MALIKITES OF ‘RANDOM’ KILLINGS
IN AMARRAH.
LATIMES/21JUNE

How long before Sadrites end truce?

5 ‘coalition’ GIs in Afgh killed by one bomb.
Bushes still won’t tell how many of the 100 killed this year
Have been Americans.
USATODAY.COM/21JUNE

STAGGERING CORRUPTION HAMPERS IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION
(so Congress has been informed).
SEATTLEPI/21JUNE

“Allies’ lukewarm commitment to Afghan battle has been matched only by incompetence of Bushies,” says a new book by a prestigious Pak. Journalist.
TIMES ONLINE/21JUNE

as usual,
BUSHIES WON’T TELL NATIONALITY
OF NATO MAN KILLED
ABCNEWS/20JUNE

US PESSIMISM WORST IN 30 YRS--GETTING WORSE.
ST.LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

2 of 105 AFGHAN ARMY UNITS TRAINED
in spite of 6 yrs and $16,000 millions spent.
Msnbc/20june

TAL. SUICIDER ATTACKS NATO CONVOY:
No info on # o f NATO troop-casualties
CBSNEWS/10JUNE

HOW IRAN WOULD RETALIATE
Vs. oil-ships in Strait of Hormuz, vs. GIs in Iraq, vs.US fleet nearby,

MISSILES VS. ISRAEL’S NUKE PLANT.

NEWS.YAHOO/20JUNE

500 CALIFORNIAN GIs KILLED in our 2 wars.
LATIMES/20JUNE

Such data may hurt McCain among important
Cal. Voters.

WILL ISRAEL BOMB IRAN? Another dress-rehearsal for attack.
--if Israel does attack, Iran will retaliate
vs. Israel AND VS. US.
(Iraq GIs will be slaughtered/Oil prices will spike.)

--However, Israel has bluffed before. Who knows?
GUARDIAN/20JUNE

BUSHIES DENIES TAL. SHOW OF FORCE
NEAR KANDAHAR:
Local reports telll of mine-laying, bridge-blowups,etc.
Voice ofAmerica/20JUNE

Thousands flee, perhaps fearing US bombs.

100s of SADRITES PROTEST
MALIKI/ US PACT:
Pact wd. legitimize long-term US dominance.

Sadr has called for weekly protests so Maliki
Can’t sneak pact past Iraqis.
INT.HERALD TRIBUNE/20JUNE

If Malikites force pact thru parliament,
This may hurt them in Oct. elections.

ALL AIRSTRIKES ARE COWARDLY:
Pak. Honcho denounces US airstrike killing Pak.soldiers as ‘cowardly’. When you think of it, every time an air-crew SAFELY bombs helpless people on the ground, that is a COWARDLY act.
(It may be necessary, and effective, but it is not manly.)

When crews jumped into bombers in Kansas, bombed the hell out of Afghanistan,
Then home for supper & playing with children..not very manly!

We thought Mussolini’s attacks on Ethiopia, and Nazi strikes in Spain were despicable;
then we accepted such tactics ourselves,
with no hesitation now.

When DRONE planes are fully developed and used, such strikes will count as even more cowardly, unmanly. A mean old lady could guide such drones to strike at natives.

Few humans will be required to shepherd many drone planes.

Already the glamour of fighter planes dueling in the air has disappeared—since recent enemies have had no fighter planes to use against us.

Soon the shabby glamour of bomb-crews will also evaporate.

DUBIOUS USEFULNESS OF CHECKPOINTS:
Survivors of the latest suicide bomber complained that he wasn’t stopped
At a checkpoint.

But look at it from point of view of guys manning the checkpoint:
A suspicious vehicle approaches; if it IS a suicider, and they stop it to search it, the suicider will explode it immediately, finishing off the checkpoint personnel.

The amazing thing is that now and then heroic checkpoint soldiers DO Stop the vehicle and get blown up themselves.

LYONS doesn’t pretend he is sure our Iraq & Afghan projects will end in failure.

For a parallel , Imagine an island where the volcano is rumbling dangerously.
The priests begin throwing in virgins
to appease it;
To a critic, they say “If we don’t do this,
the volcano will surely explode!”

The critic can answer: “It probably will, perhaps not. But throwing in virgins will surely not change the odds of disaster.”

Analogously, Bushie hawks warn that if we pull out of Iraq, various disasters will happen (e.g., full civil war). Indeed, that may happen; but sacrificing our troops and treasure will not likely change the odds in the long run for disaster.

So continuing this sacrifice is a pointless, horrible waste of men and money..

CindyMcCain: “make America stronger”
But what counts as STRONGER?
Ability to bomb around the world?
Or ability to ward off terrorist attacks
on Homeland?
(Super-costly Pent. Planes, ships, missiles are useless
for defending Homeland from individual terrorists.)

In our situation, attack is NOT the best defense.

NIGERIAN OIL SHUT DOWN
after militant attack.
YAHOO NEWS/19JUNE

Cut in OIL supply makes it all the nuttier to attack IRAN.
Still, it might happen.

CANADIANS DEFEND NEW PIPELINE?
US backs new pipeline thru Afgh.
for oil to India,
wanting to weaken grip of Iran/Russia on this market.

But Canadian soldiers might have to defend this line,
running RIGHT THRU VOLCANIC KANDAHAR!
(Some said Taliban were driven out originally
because they wouldn’t OK this pipeline.)
Globe &Mail/19JUNE

Pipeline might gIve Iran,Russ new incentive
to undermine covertly NATO forces in Afgh.

Translating between Afghans & GIs is often hopeless.
GUARDIAN/19JUNE

AFGAN POLICE OFTEN CORRUPT--
sometimes side with Taliban !
LATIMES/19JUNE

SHIA BOMBS SHIA ? !!
A Bushie spokesman blamed the big bomb-attack
on a very Shia market
On a Shia ‘gangster’ !!
SEATTLEPI/19JUNE

‘TALIBAN CLEARED FROM AROUND KANDAHAR’ says Afghan source.
Hundreds of Tal. Claimed killed—
but this not confirmed by NATO forces.

Some Taliban dead are Pakistanis—
this will increase tensions between Pak. & Afgh.
AlJazeera/19June

PAKISTAN FURY VS. US:
US bombed an area inside Pakistan, & said
it bombed terrorists. But Pak. Said the attack was a cowardly, deliberate attack that killed 10 Pak. Military.

A program has started for US to train Pak. soldiers who will in turn train the local natives To fight Taliban. But now the Pak. Govt. is ready to back down—

besides, US Congressmen question the program’s worth anyway: many of the trainees might sympathize with Taliban !

A Pak.honcho said “US screwed up in Afgh;
Now they blame Pakistan !”

NYTIMES/ 18JUNE

NO IRAQ/US DEAL ON
CONTINUING US PRESENCE
LIKELY BEFORE AUTUMN, IF THEN.
GUARDIAN/18JUNE

PIPELINE SHOWS IRAN NOT ISOLATED
New pipeline planned from Iran to India.
Bushies annoyed.
VOICE OF AMERICA/18JUNE

125 casualties from one bomb;
US blames Sadrite Shia;but this bomb
was placed in a market in Shia district.
Int.HeraldTribune/

23 alleged Taliban killed;
4 for-sure Brits killed in Afgh.

4000 have fled from villages
to Kandahar-City (perhaps fearing
indiscriminate US bombs.)
Assoc.Press/18june
LATIMES

318 killed by Iraq bombs
in 1st half of ’08.
Assoc.Press/17June

TAL. DESPERATION OR RECUPERATION?
After Tal. Defeat in conventional war,
allied honchos said bomb attacks, etc.,
Were signs of taliban desperation.

But after recent freeing of prisoners and takover of villages near Kandahar, it may seem that Tal. Has recuperated, and is ready
To make big trouble.
Afgh.much larger & more populous than Iraq, but with only half the allied troops.
US can't send more, 'allies' WON'T send more.
(Britain just offered only 200 more.)

TIME MAG.

IN AFGH FOREVER?: American generals are trying to ‘rebuild’ Afghan society.
One French honcho denounces this ‘counter-insurgency’ (Petraeus-style).
“It means you are fighting the whole society; either you stay forever, or you lose.”
US honcho agrees; “My grandchildren will fight here.”

GLOBE & MAIL/17jUNE

Hundreds of Taliban dig trenches,
plant mines, destroy bridges just outside Kandahar.
NYTIMES17JUNE
SEATLE PI

Added Brits in Afghanistan/
Britain will add only 200 troops—
and Britain is our closest ally!
We broke it, we own it.
ABCNEWTV/16JUNE

HOW MUCH OIL FOR PENTAGON?
High price of gas is because of oil-shortage.
How many millions of barrels of oil are wasted by Pentagon on overseas bases,
Huge ships, planes?—
all useless for protecting Homeland from individual terrorists !

UPRISING THREATENED
if present US proposals go thru for long-term agreement with Iraq.
UNITED PRESS16JUNE

BRITS IN IRAQ?
Brown says they won’t be pulled out
until success warrants it;
But right now Brits are hiding out uselessly in one base,
Getting rocketed occasionally.
YAHOO/NEWS16JUNE

TAL. THREATEN KANDAHAR:
“SHIT HAS HIT FAN”

GLOBE & MAIL/16JUNE

NO CREDIBLE AFGHAN/IRAQ
ALLIED STRATEGY
GUARDIAN/16JUNE

WHAT COUNTS AS IRAQ SUCCESS?
There is no US strategy
promising enough good results
To justify our loss of blood and treasure.
CHRIST/SCI/MONITOR16JUNE

BUSH: ‘Noone gains by terrorists having safe haven.’ Not so:
Pak. Gains if its granting of safe haven for Taliban
(to attack Afghan) means fewer Tal. Attacks within Pakistan.

US ‘war vs. terror’ is very unpopular in Pak.

Karzai threatens to invade Pakistan. Ludicrous. Pak. Would slaughter invaders.

TALIBAN TAKOVER: They moved into several Afghan villages near Kandahar;
Orchards there provide hiding places.

When Russ were in Afghan, they never even tried to occupy this area, because they suffered so many casualties there.
Assoc.Press/16JUNE

Most Americans (2 in 3) say war goes badly;
Also, that Iraq will never be a stable democracy.
ECONOMIST/14june

US THREATENS IRAQ SOVEREIGNTY: Bushies have been negotiating with Maliki about arrangements after UN mandate expires.
Maliki just said these discussions have reached
a dead end,
because Bushie proposals would violate Iraq sovereignty.

Sadr says most of his forces will disarm, but a select cadre will continue
To attack GIs.
LATIMES/14JUNE

4 MARINES KILLED;
Afgh. May toll exceeds Iraq toll.

400 Taliban escape prison.
SeattlePI/14june

CASUALTY RATE VS. TOTAL

McCain says time of pullout from Iraq
is not so important,
compared to lowering of US casualties.
He notes that we’ve kept troops in Korea, Japan for half-a-century,.
with no objection from Americans.

In that time, US has suffered NO combat casualties in Korea, Japan.
We’re still suffering a few casualties weekly
in Iraq
(total now nears 4100 dead—
tens of thousands blinded, maimed,
shell-shocked.)

If the RATE of weekly casualties stays low, then dumb Americans
Might not object to prolonging the war—
TOTAL casualties might end up higher
than if a HIGHER RATEOf casualties
provoked Americans to demand quick pullout.

Bomber hits US convoy in Afgh.,
killing how many GIs?

Brit.source says 9 GIs killed,

US says none killed.

Who will Afghans believe?

CBSNEWS/13june

At least 4 GI casualties in Iraq. 2 dead,
2 announced wounded.

Bushies don’t usually tell how many wounded each day;

Americans don’t mind not knowing this;

But while dead will be quickly forgotten
(near 4100 SO FAR)

the thousands of wounded
(blinded, maimed, shell-shocked)
will haunt us for decades.

SADR EMBRACES ANTI-US FIGHTERS

US/MALIKI TALKS FLOUNDER:
Talks would have legitimized
Long-term US presence in Iraq.
CNN/13JUNE

CANADIAN GIs WILL STAY IN AFGHAN. PAST 2011Say Can. Senators.

That means US govt will want to keep
US GIs there longer also.

GLOBE & MAIL/12june

US TRIES TO JUSTIFY AIR ATTACK INSIDE PAKISTAN.

Attack called ‘unprovoked and cowardly’
by Pak. Honchos.

Guess who will be believed by Parkistanis:
their own honchos Or hated Americans?
GUARDIAN/12JUNE

BUSH CAN’T ATTACK IRAN without
moving Gas to $12 a gallon,
Causing riots in US cities.

Also,Iran could slaughter Iraq GIs.

Israel can’t attack Iran without US involvement.
TIME MAG/11JUNE

Iran can’t be attacked SANELY;
That doesn’t mean it WON’T be.

NINETEEN GI CASUALTIES from one bomb
CBSNEWS/11JUNE

$136 OIL:
UNITED PRESS/11JUNE
It would be really stupid to attack Iran !

US BOMBS PAKISTAN TROOPS:
‘COWARDLY ACT OF AGGRESSION
HITS AT VERY BASIS OF
PAK/US COOPERATION’
SAY PAK. MILITARY.’
GLOBE &MAIL/11JUNE

MCCAIN OK’S LONG-TERM
IRAQ PRESENCE
GUARDIAN/11JUNE

IRAQI HONCHOS OPPOSE
PERMANENT US PRESENCE:
Pols from every faction oppose present proposal
with minimal Iraqi sovereignty.
LATIMES/11JUNE

OBAMA LEADS BY 7%
After Clinton conceded,
O. pulled ahead of McC.
ELECTION HQ/11June

US CULTURAL IGNORANCE turns Egyptians (& other mideasterners) against us.
NYTIMES/11June
US has no cadre large enough of people who understand foreign languages and cultures.

So we should pull out of foreign meddling for the years it would take
to develop Such a cadre.

Bush calls overwhelming Iraq Public Opinion 'NOISE'
(vs,permanent US presence there)
wASHpOST/11JUNE

MOST OF IRAQI POLS WANT GIs OUT
(& Bush out of office) before any long-term
agreement between US & Iraq.
REUTERS/5JE

AFGH. NEEDS TEN THOUSAND MORE TROOPS says Aussie honcho.
He thinks they’ll have to come fromUS, NOT from allies.
GLOBE&MAIL/5JUNE

A given Afghan GI has about the same chance of
being killed/wounded as one in Iraq.

STAKES IN NOV. ELECTION:
If McCain wins,
our TWO wars will be prolonged:

THOUSANDS of GIs, NOW HEALTHY,
Will be killed, blinded, maimed, shell-shocked.

FOOD $ VS. WAR $:
UN says $20 billion is needed yearly
to fight WORLD hunger crisis;
MSNBC

US shovels $SEVEN HUNDRED BILLIONS YEARLY to Pentagon,
useless to protect US homeland from individual terrorists.

THREE GIs shot/cbsnews/4je

SIXTY-TWO CASUALTIES IN BAGHDAD
From one bomb.
REUTERS/4JUNE

WAR $ VS. UNEMPLOYMENT $ :

A caucus of ‘BlueDog’Dems in Congress will endorse
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS for continuing our 2 wars—
But They veto (as would Bush) extending unemployment benefits.
UNITED PRESS/4JUNE

THE FORGOTTEN AFGHAN WAR:
Marine honcho complains that
Americans don’t think about this 2d war.
GLOBE&MAIL/4JUNE

But of course that’s what Bushies want:
US ignoring winless Afghan project.
For instance, GI deaths are camouflaged as ‘coalition’ deaths.

Everyone knows success is impossible with so few NATO troops;
Our ‘allies’ WON’T contribute more troops;
we can’t, being entangled In Iraq.

Pak. Is making a separate peace with Taliban, hoping to cut Tal. Attacks inside Pak.
This guarantees a safe haven where Tal. Can
Regroup, train, arm, etc.

Tal. Attacks inside Afghan. are rising.

AfghanWar UNDER-RESOURCED (troops, equipment)
Says US general.
United Press/3June

Question is: where will needed
extra resources Come from?

IRAQ CASUALTIES LOWEST EVER
GI & Iraqis/
Question is whether Sunni Insurgents
Are unable to cause more casualties,
or if they areHanging back temporarily
for some reason.

Cheney group says dreadful’molten-metal’ shells are from Iran;
but other govt. agencies deny such proof.
IPS NEWS/3June

TALIBAN.HONCHO FLAUNTS POWER
IN PAKISTAN
“Peshwar (district capital) cd. Fall to Taliban.”

NYTIMES/2JE

INTERPRETING MIL. CLAIMS:
When ‘our side’ tells how many ‘enemies’ they’ve killed,
Take this with a grain of salt;

But when they say how many on our side
were killed, You can trust that news.