Dan Lyons

US INTELLIGENCE WAS BAD WHEN IRAN INVADED OUR EMBASSY;
LIKELY EVEN WORSE NOW,
WITH NO OFFICIAL PRESENCE
FOR DECADES.
REUTERS/30JY

US intel is bad all over the world.
We don’t have enough who speak foreign languages
and understand foreign cultures.

We should quit meddling in world affairs,
And concentrate on Homeland Defence (which now gets piddling fundingCompared to Pentagon,useless vs. individual terrorists.)

Pak.PM talks ‘no moves’ vs. Taliban
Meeting Bush in D.C., PM urges no UNILATERAL US moves vs. Taliban
Hiding out in Pak. [AFP30jy]

That would mean no moves at all vs.
Taliban hideouts. Pak. Is making a separate peace w/Tal.

“A miracle that McCain is still electable”
says WallSt.Journal (30jy)/

Earlier he said he’d never raise ANY taxes. Now, asked about a rise in Soc.Sec.taxes on the super-weaalthy (which Obama favors) McC says ‘Nothing is off the table.”/

Trouble with that gnomic utterance is that nothing is ON the table, either./

He’s handing the economic issue over to Obama.

Military Force not remedy for terrorism,
says RAND study for Pentagon.
CBSNEWS/29JULY

In other words, Pentagon is useless vs. individual terrorists.
ONE MILLION MILLIONS shoveled to Pentagon this year;
Our deficit is only $400,000 millions.

NIGERIAN PIPELINES BLOWN/
WORLD OIL PRICES RISE
AllAfrica.com/29jy
If Bushies are at all sane, they’ll block Israeli attack on Iran
Which would aggravate oil shortage enormously.

300 SHIA, KURD CASUALTIES:

This will dampen hopes of these dominant groups making nice with Sunnis.

Assoc.Press/28Jy

McCain MIGHT RAISE SOC.SEC.TAX:
This tax hurts ordinary people,
not the wealthy—
/They pay no SS tax on stock dividends or interest;
/No SS tax on income over $80k.
Abc/27jy

SS tax falls on firms employing Americans,
not on those automating or outsourcing..
Automators get tax breaks !

TALIBAN CLOSING IN ON KABUL
Not to conquer it, but to terrorize its citizens, undermine respect for Karzai regime,
And discourage Afghan investment. It’s working.
/newsweek27JY

TALIBAN ATTACK POLICE:
Govt.. says T.casualties over 10, only ‘small number
Of police killed./cbsnews17jy

Kandahar needs SIGNIFICANT troop-increase;
But Canada will send only 200 more.
Globe & Mail27Jy

PENTAGON SPENDING TOO HIGH—
in the last 7 years, agreement with this went from 19% to 44%.
NYTIMES26JY

BILLIONS NEEDED FOR UNSAFE BRIDGES
/USATODAY/25JY

We haven’t GOT the billions needed;
Nor can we raise it as long as we’re shovelling
Nearly ONE MILLION MILLIONS A YEAR
To the Pentagon, useless against individual terrorists.

(Taliban)foreigners fight (NATO) foreigners in Afghanistan.
Large number of non-Afghan guerillas.
NYTIMES/25JY

87 Iraqi casualties last week;
35 Thursday
SEATTLEPI/25JY

NEARLY 50 IRAQI CASUALTIES
IN 3 DAYS:
CBS/24JULY

BIG OBAMA LEAD IN SWING STATES:
Was 8%/ is now 14%
UNITED PRESS/24JY

NO IRAQ ELECTIONS THIS YEAR:
Parliament passed a law for elections (but not for oil-soaked
Kurdish Kirkuk!)
Kurdish Pres. Vetoed the law, which was backed by Americans.
So there willl be no such provincial elections this year.
NEWS.YAHOO/23JY

CANADIAN AFGHAN GOALS SHRINK:

Right-wing govt. shrinks goals so it can’t be accused of failure
when they pull out in 2011.
GLOBE&MAIL/23JY

AFGHAN AIR-STRIKES LIMITED?
Bushie military honchos say
they limit airstrikes to avoid killing civilians.
Yet the number of airstrikes this year is double that in the first half of ’07.

Karzai has complained about the number of civilians killed.
NYTIMES 23Jy.
‘Oh,well, they hate us anyway.”
Guerilla sympathizers form 3 subgroups:
the outer circle just talks support. The middle circle offers money and shelter to guerillas, but won’t fight themselves. The inner circle of ‘hard men’ will kill AND DIE for the cause.

Rage over the killing of civilians may move men in outer circle to middle one, and middle circlers to inner circle.

“Taliban sympathizers lie about civilian casualties !” But they—not the infidel invaders--are believed by ordinary Afghans, as long as the airstrikes continue.

BUSHIES IRKED AT IRAQ STATEMENTS:
…Iraq leaders advocate US pullout by end of 2010.
That’s what you call a deadline./

No longer can Bushies say that any deadline is a boon to insurgents. /

Everyone agrees that a deadline can be changed if circumstances demand it./
MSNBC/22JY

Under pressure from Bushies,
Iraqi spokesman said that German story of Maliki’s backing Obama’s timetable was ‘misinterpreted’ (by Maliki’s interpreter!)
But did NOT PROVIDE SPECIFICS.
Nytimes/21Jy

Direct translation of Maliki’s statement from Arabic:
“Obama’s plan to withdraw in 16 months…
it could be suitable…The person who wants the quickest withdrawal understands best the Iraqi situation.”
ABCNEWS/21JY
Later, the Iraqi govt. pointed out that Maliki did not endorse Obama for president;
He just endorses his withdrawal plan. But that’s enough to undermine McCain’s claim that he has a better grasp of the Iraq problem—saying he’d approve of staying 100 yrs, if GIs weren’t getting killed.

An Iraqi spokesman said he hoped GIs could pull out by 2010—which is Obama’s proposed deadline/BOSTON.COM

‘More troops NOT the answer: ‘
Experts gathered to discuss the Afghan fiasco
Say that more troops are NOT the answer; that would simply trigger more insurgents moving into Pakistan, ready to attack Afgh.

Parallels between primitive Afgh & Westernized Iraq are weak.
Chances for victory are grim.
NYDAILYNEWS/20JY

Obama has been called naïve—but in foreign policy he’s the realist—
Says S.Zakaria in NEWSWEEK

US TURNING VS. AFGHAN WAR !

54% SAY IT’S UNSUCCESSFUL.
45% SAY IT’S NOT WORTH FIGHTING.
/ABC/19JULY/

Neither Obama nor McCain dare to say they
Oppose this war—
opposing the Iraq war,
Obama dare not oppose also Afghan war !

QAEDA WINS & LOSES
Single-minded insurgencies tend to wilt
AFTER DECADES.
But Qaeda is a complex of rising & falling movements.
So the threat of world terrorism is nowhere near ending.
GUARDIAN/ 19jy

In any case, Pentagon’s pricey ships, planes, missiles, bases
are relatively useless in fighting terrorism,
In preventing new attacks on our Homeland.

MALIKI SUPPORTS OBAMA PLAN !
‘We want US troops out as soon as possible;
Obama’s 16-month plan is right.”
Cbsnews/19jy
A bombshell for McCain !

INSANE ECONOMIZING: Three factors of production: Land, Labor, and Capital.
Land and Capital are typically scarce;
Labor is in huge & growing SURPLUS.
So what gets (insanely) economized: Labor !! Why? Because the owning class can control land and capital, but not labor so easily.

Any change that increases the SUPPLY of labor
(e.g., churches opposing birth-control)
or decreases the DEMAND for labor (automation, outsourcing)
is harmful to a given society.

OVER 100 IRAQI CASUALTIES:/
SEATTLEPI/17JY

‘NO TIMETABLE’ ?
this is naïve, thinking that announcing this deadlinewill trigger an insurgent preparation to ravage Iraq.
Firstly, withdrawal couldn’t be immediate, so insurgents will have advance notice whenever we pull out.

Secondly, they can ‘ramp up’ very quickly.

Thirdly, the Iraq govt. DEMANDS that we set a timeline !
/USATODAY/16JY

TALIBAN CAN MOUNT BIG ATTACKS
Bushie generals have been saying Tal.
Was weakened,
Could only mount small attacks.

But this time 200 insurgents attacked Americans,
Got inside the compound,killed a large %
Of US troops there.
CBS NEWS/16JY

2 IRAQ GIs KILLED---
HOW MANY WOUNDED?
UnitedPress/16jy

KANDAHAR CONTROL:
Karzai’s govt. controls 4 provinces;
Taliban control 6.
GLOBE & MAIL/16JY

AFGHAN APPROACH NOT WORKING
Says eminent expert.
/Globe & Mail/ 15jy

AFGHAN WIN-TALK IS FANTASY
Taliban will control Pashtun areas;
Warlords we sided with will control
Other areas.
(just as before our invasion!)
We need to negotiate with Taliban.
/GUARDIAN/15JY

A WAR WE HAVE TO WIN?
So says Obama. But we likely CAN’T win
this Afghan war,
Any more than the Soviets could.

True, Quaeda would have haven in Afgh.
If we pulled out;
But they already have haven in Pakistan (which has nukes to discourageAttacks
on them)
and in many other places.

US will not be much less safe when we lose in Afgh.
We’d be a lot safer if we spent Pentagon-money
On Homeland Defense.

TWO WARS AT ONCE:
Obama opposed 2d war in Iraq;
McCain favored it;

Who has better military judgment?

NEW AFGHAN FRONT
Bushies used to say the Eastern front was pacified—but
Now Taliban attack there regularly, with sophisticated tactics.
Afghan tribesmen go with ‘the winners’.
AFPGOOGLE/15JY

Nearly 100 Iraqi recruit-casualties;
Int.HeraldTribune/15Jy

SWITCH FROM KASHMIR TO AFGH:
Pak. Jihadists deemphasizing fight
over Kashmir,
To focus on fight in Afgh.
/MSNBC/14JY

OBAMA CRITICIZES SURGE:
‘More strain on our military”/
”huge overspending/ crisis in Afghanistan/
Maliki govt. not spending its money/No accommodation with Sunnis.

Iraq govt. says “Get out’ ==a great opportunity to get out.
FOX/14july

HEARTS/MINDS IN AFGH?
US says it goes to great lengths to avoid bombing civilians,
But this happens with depressing frequency.
Also true of Britain, who BOMBED THEIR OWN TROOPS.
GUARDIAN (j. Sturke blog) 14jy

“MCCAIN TOO OLD’ say 38%/
‘Obama too young” say 30%
/ap.google/14Jy

WE’RE LOSING
Expert A.Cordesman says flatly that
we’re losing in Afgh.
/ABC/13JY

230 Western soldiers killed in Afgh this year;
(equiv to 700 soldiers in Iraq)
BBC/14JY

TWENTY-FOUR AFGHAN GI CASUALTIES IN ONE DAY
/ABCNEWS/13JY

It’s said that GIs will be pulled out of Iraq soon;
McCain will say this is a sign of victory;
Instead, it’s a sign of Afghan emergency.

PERMANENT IRAQ DEAL FAILS:
Substituted: a deal for 2009,
after UN mandate expires.
‘Minimum time US will stay’ vs. “When US will leave.”
/MSNBC/13jY

TOWN REGRETS TROOP DEPARTURE
German town will lose many $ when Brits leave.
/GUARDIAN/13JY/
100 US bases overseas don’t benefit US much, but they do benefit host countries.

So why? To bribe host countries to back Pentagon policies.
Bribes don’t work very well.

47 killed by US in Afgh;
USATODAY/13JY

This is worse news than those killed by Taliban.
(Enraged survivors may join Taliban.)

IRAQ TROOPS TO AFGH?
GOP h oncho says more troops are needed
for Afgh,
So troops may be moved there from Iraq.
FOX/13JULY
Too bad for those GIs! Casualty RATE in Afgh.
Is much higher than in Iraq:
higher chance for a given GI
to suffer in Afgh.

208 casualties at Indian Embassy in Kabul:
Casualty-number higher than first thought.
InternatlHeraldTribune/13july

NEW INSURGENT BOMB—
‘the worst weapon we face’saysUS honcho.
Msnbc/12jy

If this is from Iran,
it shows how their retaliation
could devastate Iraq GIs.

OBAMA LANDSLIDE AMONG HISPANICS:
66% TO 33% FOR MCCAIN.
/UnitedPress/13jy

TAL.CAN’T BE BEATEN/
US REPEATING RUSS MISTAKES/
US WILL BE FORCED OUT/ says Russ expert
GLOBE&MAIL/13JY

OBAMA LEADS IN 6 SWING STATES: IN 3 BY 3 POINTS,
IN 3 BIGGIES,
BY 7-10 POINTS./
BLOOMBERG/12JULY

MOST PREFER DEATH TO DISABLED--ESP. AMONG EDUCATED.
YAHOONEWS/11JY

Likely support to legalize assisted suicide.

US BOMBS 11 PAKISTANIS;
Taliban warns of attacks on Pakistan
If US raids inside Pak. Continue.
CBSNEWS/11JY

“US IS NATION OF WHINERS’, “We’re only in a MENTAL recession !”
said co-chairman of McCain’s campaign.

Many Americans have reason to WEEP
Over their collapsing economic condition.

BRIT COPTER HITS 9 BRITS:
/TIMESONLINE/11JY
Once again, all airstrikes are indiscriminate.

527 ATTACKS ON KANDAHAR THIS YEAR:
This city houses ‘Mohammed’s cloak’,
the most sacred Relic in Islam.
/GLOBE&MAIL/11JY

WOMEN FAVOR OBAMA:
He wants govt. protection of their equal rights
in workplace;
McCain wants it left to bargaining (between Giant owners
And midget workers).
/SeattlePI/11Jy

US AIRSTRIKES SAID TO KILL 62 CIVILIANS
In 2 days.
39 of the victims Sunday were said to be women&children.
US denies any non-militants were killed.
REUTERS/11JY

How many Afghans will believe US?
There’s no such thing as ‘precision’ bombing.
All bombing is indiscrimate.

SPENDING MORE THAN WWII OR KOREA
Nearly one million millions of dollars,
To counter ragtag guerillas.
Robert Scheer
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20030.htm

MC CAIN NEVER FLIP-FLOPS
He never forgets anything,
never learns anything.
You can't teach this old dog
new tricks.

BUSHIE GENERAL SAYS
JUST WHAT’S EXPECTED:
On the one hand, Iraqi forces are improving impressively;
On the other hand, US forces will be needed there
‘for the foreseeable future’.
CBSNEWS/10jy

US WILL DEFEND ISRAEL FROM IRAN
(if Israel attacks Iran & Iran retaliates).
REUTERS/10JY

Everyone knows that; this guarantees that
Iran will retaliate also vs. US
(against oil supply, US ships, and IRAQ GIS!)

INSURGENTS CAUSE 84 IRAQ CASUALTIES
Latimes/10jy

INSURGENTS FLOW INTO PAKISTAN
To join the ‘winning fight’ in Afghanistan.
NYTIMES/10JY

IRAQ WANTS PULLOUT TIMETABLE
Maliki says Iraq wants substantive concessions , to authorizeUS presence beyond Dec.’08.

Bushies say timetable would help insurgents—
But embarrassingly, Malikites disagree.
GLOBE&MAIL/8jy

OLD VS. CHANGE:
Asked what word the 2 candidates immediately suggested,
People said McCain was ‘OLD’ and Obama stood for ‘CHANGE’
(1 in 5, up from 1 in 10…largest single responses.
SeattlePI/ 8jy

MCCAIN BALANCE THE BUDGET ? !!!
He says part of his plan is
VICTORY IN THE 2 WARS!
Even if he could walk on
those 2 stretches of water—
The cost of those wars is only a small part of
the Pentagon budget—
Less than$200,000 millions compared to nearly a million millions!

IRAQ QUESTIONS:
NYTIMES LISTS 6 QUESTIONS
FOR BOTH CANDIDATES:
--Can the provincial elections take place correctly?

--How persuade the 2 million refugees from Iraq to return,
and the 2 million displaced within Iraq?

--Can Sunnis & Shia be reconciled?

--Can Iran & Syria be persuaded
to work for Iraq stability?

--Should a small US force be kept on in Iraq?

--Should US pull out QUICKLY OR SLOWLY?
(forget McCain’s loony chatter about ‘victory’ !)

180 casualties at Indian Embasssy in Afgh.
(India has sided with Karzai,
as it sided with Soviet invasion—
and opposed Taliban in past.
AFP.google/7JUNE

Dozens of casualties in other attacks in last 2 days.

6 HUGE attacks this year.

PAK. EXPERT: 2 WARS ARE TOO MANY
RASHID was expert on Afghanistan before 9/11. His book sold 1.5 million English copies !

Now he says the fatal mistake was taking on Iraq, distracting our forces from Afgh.
NYTIMES5JULY

Probably everyone agrees with that—but not with what follows:
that we must decide now about pulling out of Iraq or facing failure in Afgh.
(Our allies won’t help there much.)

3 safe havens for Quaeda: Pakistan, Somalia, Algeria.
TIMESONLINE/6JY
We can’t wipe out such safe havens from all over the world, given 1000 millions of Muslims all over the world, of many races and colors.

So we should invest, not in unwinnable foreign wars, but in Homeland Defense
(we now spend only $1 to defend Homeland for every $20 on useless Pentagon planes, ships, missiles).

TOP MIL. HONCHO OPPOSES IRAN ATTACK
Msnbc/5Jy

30K TROOPS TO IRAQ IN’09
That’s tens of thousands of GIs
NOW HEALTHY
Who’ll be killed, blinded, maimed, shell-shocked.
CbsNews/5Jy

22 Afghans killed by US airstrike:
militants or civilians?
Local governor says civilians,
US says militants.
AFP/5JY/seattlepi

Who will be believed by Afghans?

GATES REVERSES HIS PROMISE:
A while ago DOD honcho Gates said he did not think it ‘possible’
that the marines in Afgh. Would have their tours extended.
Now he says they will be extended.

The top mil. Honcho said he has no troops available except from Iraq.
ABCevening TV/3Jy

But nobody discusses the MILLION troops who have NEVER been exposed to combat.

UNLUCKY GIs:
Bush will send ‘more troops’ to Afgh.
It’s generally thought these will be moved from Iraq,
To Afgh, to FAR GREATER CHANCE
FOR EACH GI TO BE KILED, WOUNDED !
Why not send some of one million troops who’ve had
NO COMBAT EXPOSURE?

BAD OBAMA NEWS
Latest Gallup poll: O 46%, M 44%
(NEWSWEEK, BLOOMBERG
SHOW O far ahead ! ???)

2d COPTER DOWNED
this week in Afgh/by rifle-grenade.
So far, no GROUND TO AIR MISSILES
(which helped drive Soviets from Afgh.)
/MSNBC/3JY

140,000 US IRAQ TROOPS ARE HOSTAGES:
Top Bushie Honcho warns
they could get ‘entangled’
If Israel bombs Iran.
LATIMES/3JY

BUSHIES ‘WARN’ ISRAEL NOT TO BOMB:
This may be sincere concern not to start another war;
Or it may be the fond hope that when Israel bombs,
Iran won’t blame (& retaliate vs.) US.
NYDAILY NEWS/3JY

WE CAN’T FIGURE PROBABILITY OF TERROR ATTACK ON NUKE PLANTS,

SO WE DON’T NEED TO CONSIDER THAT IN ASSESSING DANGERS.

Said Bushie commission. But some mothers sued, and the general danger came out, though details are kept secret for fear that terrorists find out what would work.

MCCAIN WANTS MORE NUKE PLANT BUILT.

NYTIMES/2JY

NATO ALLIES WON’T FIGHT
The allied soldier who ARE in Afgh
Are restricted from fighting !
REUTERS/2JY

US SATELLITES SPY ON OUR ALLY,
Iraq army.
LATIMES/2JY

Iran would block 40% of world’s oil in Strait;
Bushie honcho says that will never be allowed;
We’ll see.
Seattlepi/2JY

Chances for a given GI in Afgh
to be killed/wounded are MUCH HIGHER than for a given GI in Iraq.

NYTIMES/2JY

CONCERN ABOUT MCBUSH:
62% are concerned that M would follow
Bush policies; 50% are VERY concerned.
LATIMES/2JY

QaedaTrainingCamps in many places,not just Pakistan.
NYTIMES (2+ FULL PAGES,1jy)

So, thinking just of our national interest,
why invest so much blood/treasure
In Afgh & Pak?

What we need is more Investment
In HOMELAND DEFENSE !
(now we spend about $1 there
for every $20 on the Pentagon,
whose pricey planes, ships, bases
are USELESS to protect
our Homeland from individual terrorists!)

REMAINING IRAQ PROBLEMS:
--Still only ONE IN TEN security forces can operate w/o US backing. Police are the worst.

--3 million have left the country—
2 million recently !—Ministries are corrupt
.—‘Sons of Iraq’ might revert to insurgency.
—Need for competent army/govt. before we can pull out.
USATODAY/1JY

MANY AMERICANS BELIEVE
THE BUSHIES EITHER KNEW
(WITHOUT ACTION)ABOUT 9/11
OR WERE ACTUALLY INVOLVED—
even tho binLaden claimed credit !

Govt. LIES are more dangerous than govt. murders
—undermining faith when govt. needs to be believed !

ISRAELI IRAN ATTACK THIS YEAR,
warns Pentagon.
ABC NEWS/1 JULY

Get ready to mount a 2-wheeler.

CHANGE: TOO MUCH? TOO LITTLE?
50% VERY worried that McCain wouldn’t change Bushie policies enough.

30% VERY worried that Obana would change status quo too much.

United Press/1Jy