Dan Lyons
Archives:
11/2002
12/2002
01/2003
02/2003
03/2003
04/2003
05/2003
06/2003
07/2003
08/2003
09/2003
10/2003
11/2003
12/2003
01/2004
02/2004
03/2004
04/2004
05/2004
06/2004
07/2004
08/2004
09/2004
10/2004
11/2004
12/2004
01/2005
02/2005
03/2005
04/2005
05/2005
06/2005
07/2005
08/2005
09/2005
10/2005
11/2005
12/2005
01/2006
02/2006
03/2006
04/2006
05/2006
06/2006
07/2006
08/2006
09/2006
10/2006
11/2006
12/2006
01/2007
02/2007
03/2007
04/2007
05/2007
06/2007
07/2007
08/2007
09/2007
10/2007
11/2007
12/2007
01/2008
02/2008
03/2008
04/2008
05/2008
06/2008
07/2008
08/2008
09/2008
10/2008
11/2008
12/2008
01/2009
02/2009
03/2009
04/2009
05/2009
06/2009
07/2009
08/2009
09/2009
10/2009
11/2009
12/2009
01/2010
~ Sunday, August 31, 2008
PLUS FOR BIDEN:
He’s the ONLY big pol who has favored IRAQ PARTITION
(into Kurdland, SunniArabLand, and ShiaLand.
This is (a) inevitable, and (b) the only way to avoid civil war.
LOVE AT 1ST SIGHT? McCain meets Palin just ONCE, then names her as his VP !
Even at 72, men love to LOOK at beautiful women—maybe he preferred to look at HER every day . Should Cindy worry?
Never mind that if he is struck down, or contracts Alzheimers….
WHO FIRED FIRST? An Afgh honcho says US troops were fired on first, before they killed 90 civilians. So what?
Both in Vietnam & in Afgh, insurgents fired on GIs to provoke them to slaughter civilians, strengthening insurgents.
News.yahoo/31AUG
MALIKI SABOTAGING AGREEMENT?
In 4 months, the UN authorization for GIs
in Iraq will run out.
Originally, US made arrogant demands about replacement agreement with Iraq.
They’ve yielded somewhat, but the present agreement would never pass Iraq parliament.
Maliki demands all GIs out of cities next year (!),
ALL gone by 2011.
He worries that he’ll be seen as US puppet.
His new move of replacingNegotiators
with cronies makes some say he doesn’t want such an agreement.
~ Saturday, August 30, 2008
PENTAGON BURNS 400,000 BARRELS
OF OIL EACH DAY!
A SMALL PROPORTION ON 2 WARS.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/snapshot.htm?section=N&label=2008-08-29-fuel
PALIN as VP IS ‘HAIL MARY PASS’
FOR DESPERATE MCCAIN
A person with only 2 yrs experience as governor, no apparent knowledge
Of world affairs. (She could well be President if 72-yr-old McCain passes from the scene.)
Apparently McC has despaired of attracting independent voters,
Chosen a “big-family, big guns’ person to try at least to keep His right-wing ‘base’ loyal.
WHO WILL BE BELIEVED:
UN & Afghan observers say US airstrike killed 90 civilians.
Bushies deny this;
LATIMES/30aug
2008aug29,0,4030005.story
Who will Afghans believe?
Airstrikes are necessarily indiscriminate.
====================
Boston. com / forums /world/ general/
7 abusive, non-content posts aimed at dlyons today.
~ Thursday, August 28, 2008
BUSHIES WANTED 2015 PULLOUT;
Iraq Pres. Says compromise was 2011
(even quicker than Obama goal !)
MSNBC/28AUG
FRENCH GIs’deaths from blunders?
In Sept., a Parliamentary debate on French involvement in Afgh.
TIMESONLINE/28AUG
Most French want OUT of Afgh.
~ Wednesday, August 27, 2008
DISTRICTS RUN BY TALIBAN:
Canadian general: 2 districts in Kandahar province
are controlled by Taliban.
GLOBE&MAIL/27AUG
VULNERABLE KANDAHAR:
Security there has deteriorated
EVEN FURTHER SINCE THE SPECTACULAR ATTACK ON THE PRISON, freeing hundreds of Taliban prisoners..
Tal. Could have seized Kandahar, but they didn’t realize how weak were the security forces there. The governor of K. province was arrested later, charged with collaborating with the Taliban. One observer said situation reminded him of last days of Communist rule, just before the ‘freedom fighters’ drove Soviet out.
NYTIMES/27AUG
~ Tuesday, August 26, 2008
TAL. POPPY RICHES:
UN says Taliban will get $50-70 millions
from this year’s Afgan poppy crop.
They can use this $ to finance their attacks
on Afgh.
Assoc.Press/26AUG
A USATODAY editorial (26Aug)
put it succinctly:
If the Iraqi people want a firm timetable
for our pulling out,
And Americans want us out, it will be awkward for Our government
to stay any longer than they are welcome.
CAN BUSH IGNORE ELECTED IRAQI PM’S DEMAND?
For a ‘date certain’ for pullout of ALL GIs,
no matter what conditions are on ground?
If he does, Bush reveals that his call for Iraq democracy was phony,
That he wants permanent control of Iraqi oil.
INT.HERALD TRIBUNE/26AUG
US AIRSTRIKE (21AUG) CAUSED
OVER 100 AFGH. CIVILIAN CASUALTIES:
(Bushie honchos deny any civilians killed—
but UN observers say otherwise.)
CHINA NEWS/ 26AUG
~ Monday, August 25, 2008
WHY IS SHIA GOVT. ATTACKING
NEW US SUNNI ALLIES?
Because whenever US leaves,
a full civil war will break out—
And Shias don’t want Sunnis armed.
TAL.BORROWS IRAQ-INSURGENT TACTICS:
Pass for natives, infiltrate govt. militia.
Uniformed armies--ESPECIALLY IF THEY CAN'T SPEAK
THE LANGUAGE!-- can’t beat such infiltrators.
UNITED PRESS/25AU
MALIKI WON’T SETTLE FOR ‘PULLOUT HORIZON’
He demands that ALL GIs pull out by end of 2011—WHATEVER CONDITIONS ON GROUND!
NEWS.YAHOO/25AUG
McCain says we should listen to Bushie generals--and stay on indefinately.
He should listen to top Iraq honcho !
~ Sunday, August 24, 2008
TALIBAN NOW A REAL FIGHTING FORCE—
once derided as rabble,
Now they can launch organized attacks—
101 GIs killed in last 7 months.
NEWS.YAHOO.COM/24AUG
TAL JUST OUTSIDE CAPITAL
PARALLEL TAL. ADMINISTRATION
just outside capital Kabul.
Karzai’s administration is corrupt & inept.
GUARDIAN/24AUG
~ Saturday, August 23, 2008
KARZAI BLAMES US FOR CIVILIAN DEATHS
Our puppet pres. Says unilateral US attacks
Kill many civilians.
UNITED PRESS/23AUG
UNILATERAL US ATTACKS INSIDE PAKISTAN?
Pentagon debate;
price would be Pak. Rage,
more Pak.Volunteers to attack Afgh.
Malikites attack new US Sunni allies.
These allies are given much credit for lowering violence;
Now they may revert to insurgency.
LATIMES/23AUG
OBAMA SLAMS MCCAIN for advocating ‘indefinite’ Iraq stay,
up to 100 years!
Obama says new deal between Bushies/Iraq govt.
is very close to his own withdrawalProposal.
AFP.GOOGLE.COM/23AUG
Truth is, ANY proposal for GRADUAL pullout would leaveRemaining GIs at higher risk.
BIDEN & PARTITION: The new VP candidate has a great reputation in foreign affairs;
He has served in Senate since he was 29 !
He is the only big pol who has pushed for IRAQ PARTITION.
Iraq is already split deFacto between Arabs and Kurdland--
Kurds make oil deals on their own, ignoring ‘central govt’. Kurds veto any election law until they are assured they can control oil-soaked Kirkuk region.
If Kurd secession is OK, why can’t the Southern Shia secede deFacto?
this Shialand Would have most Iraqis, most OIL, the ONLY Iraq SEAPORT,
It would also be closely allied with Iran—
which is why Bushies have vetoed This 2d partition.
~ Friday, August 22, 2008
US kills 76 civilians in one day,
says Afgh.honcho.
US denies this.
Which side will Afgans believe?
REUTERS/22AUG
17 NATO CASUALTIES in 1 week in Afgh.
‘They can’t hold territory in Kandahr”
but in other regions, yes.
GLOBE&MAIL/22AUG
US PROGRESS IN IRAQ IS ‘HOUSE OF CARDS’:
Anonymous NYT blogger long in Iraq (NYTBLOGGER/22AUG)
Is dubious about our progress in Iraq.
Reconstruction & reconciliation: little progress.
Average Iraqi now loathes all Westerners.
(He credits any progress to our new Sunni allies;
but now Shia Govt. is attacking these allies.)
KABUL INSECURE?
US commander: ‘I’m certainly concerned about security in Kabul.”
Tal attacks all around the capital.
USNEWS&WORLDREPORT/22AUG
CRITERIA FOR JUST WAR(PART I)
First, if US were invaded and CRUELLY occupied:
--Expelling invaders would be NECESSARY:
their presence is a terrible evil—
so IF we could expel them WITHOUT working even WORSE havoc, this condition for just war would be fulfilled.
--However, if we did not have GOOD REASON beforehand to think we could SUCCEED in war vs. invader, then STARTING the POINTLESS revolution would be unjust:
----Georgian govt. would be wrong to resist mighty Russia,when they couldn’t possibly succeed.Slaughter would be POINTLESS. They should know that US will NOT intervene to help them.
---until recently, the IRISH revolt vs. unjust Brit occupation should itself count as unjust,
because they had no good reason to think revolt could succeed. And even recently, slaughter by IRA would count as WORSE SIDE-EFFECT than relatively benign Brit occupation.
--Americans occupied (unjustly but rather benignly) by Britain had NO GOOD REASON beforehand to think they could succeed—they did succeed only by intervention of French, which was NOT foreseeable at the time of decision to revolt. So the US revolution was unjust--
(only 1 in 3 Americans backed the revolution; the harm to other Americans
was unjust.)
SUPPOSE WE WERE NOT INVADED/OCCUPIED’
Then STARTING a ‘War of choice’ should be presumed OF COURSE unjust, UNLESS
A_ the war is seen beforehand, with good reason, as NECESSARY to prevent a clearly worse situation than the war constitutes. E.g., UN occupying the bloody Congo might qualify in this respect.
B/ war of choice counts automatically as unjust if there is no good reason
BEFOREHAND to think it will succeed in preventing awful present evil, without causing worse evils.
--CONGO INVASION WOULD LIKELY SUCCEED.—will likely not happen.
--AFGHAN INVASION:
--Control of Afgh. By Taliban was evil, so perhaps invasion by US
was NECESSARY.--esp. since Tal. Was allied with Qaeda, which had attacked US
on 9/11.and showed every intention to go on attacking Western countries.
However, Afghans are bloody-minded enough to resist any invader.
They drove out Soviet; also they drove out Brit invaders 3 times in 19th century
(in one episode, not a single invader survived.)
Obj: “Afghans drove out Soviet only with the covert help by US.”
ANS: “It seems likely that Putin’s Russia is helping Taliban reconquer Afgh..from Americans,Just from spite/revenge.”
So US had no good reason beforehand to think invasion of Afgh. Would succeed.
Whenever we finally bug out, Taliban will likely take over ‘their’ part of Afgh. Again.
SO INVASION OF AFGH. WAS UNJUST--AND CONTINUING POINTLESS
WAR IS UNJUST.
IRAQ INVASION:
--was NOT NECESSARY to protect US. Saddam had no WMDs, not even any missiles or airplanes !
--Side-effect evils of our invasion have already been worse than evils caused by Saddam.
--US ‘intelligence’ was already known to be inept, as was ignorant Bush Administration;
so WE COULDN’T HAVE HAD GOOD REASON TO THINK THIS INVASION WAS NECESSARY AND WORKABLE.
--There is every reason to think our eventual withdrawal will leave Iraqis
worse off than before invasion. Most Iraqis think this, and they’re probably right.
There is no good reason to think this worse result will be eliminated
If we stay in for, say, 3 more years. So CONTINUING our war there is
To be presumed UNJUST.
Vatican beforehand assessment was correct:
“Invasion of Iraq would be illegal, unjust AND DISASTROUS.” Vatican has smartest intel going—we should have heeded their advice.
~ Thursday, August 21, 2008
AIR-RAID UNITED QUAEDA, TALIBAN
US MISSILE ATTACK IN 1990s converted Taliban from wanting
Only theocracy in Afgh to wanting Osama’s version of pan-Islamism.
CBSNEWS/21AUG
US foreign svc. ignorant of other cultures.
‘MORE THAN 12’ AFGHAN CIVILIANS KILLED BY US AIR-RAID/(how many wounded?)
US puppet Karzai says such raids kill ONLY civilians, don’t help win war.
If he had said these raids kill MAINLY civilians, that would be more plausible.
REUTERS/21AUG
COVERT SHIA ATTACK ON BAQUBA:
Claimed they were special force of MALIKITES.
Another obstacle to shia/sunni reconciliation.
NYTIMES/21AUG
127 CASUALTIES AT PAK.ARMS FACTORY
Taliban claims ‘credit’, promises more attacks
unlessPak. Govt.declares ‘serparate peace’ with them.
AFP GOOGLE.COM
Overwhelmingly, Pakistanis oppose Bush’s
‘war on terror’.
MOLD WHISTLE-BLOWER FIRED/
The man who leaked the mold-scandal to USATODAY (20aug) was forced to resign.
Mil. Honchos said this was
just a Coincidence.
This will deter
other would-be whistle-blowers.
~ Wednesday, August 20, 2008
RUSSIA & GEORGIAandOIL:
When Castro’s Cuba (only 90 miles from our shore) sided with Russia,
Kennedy (caring nothing for Cuba’s territorial integrity) INVADED CUBA.
When he realized that the Cuban people backed Castro, Kennedy bugged out.
Apparently the people of South Ossetia are pro-Russian. The nincompoop pres. Of Georgia set out to invade S.O., coming right up against the Russ border, giving Russ an excuse to invade Georgia.
The difference between the 2 cases is that Russ will NOT BUG OUT.
We had no real interest In Cuba.
But Russ have good reason to occupy S.O. & the other region (Abkazia?) that want to secede from Georgia (as Georgia seceded from Russia).
A pipeline thru one of these regions would bring Caucasus oil to the outside world without having to go thru Russia.
WHO BENEFITS FROM EXPENSIVE OIL?
WHO BENEIFTS FROM CHEAP OIL?
China & America and Europe wd. Benefit from cheap oil,
so there is an interest-alliance between them.
Russia and Iran benefit enormously from expensive oil.
So together it’s in their interest to see that the huge oil-potental of IRAQ
Does NOT get fulfilled. (Canada & Venezuela would also benefit.)
On the other hand, if we bombed IRAN, and their retaliation
Blocked the international flow of oil, oil prices would spike up
And Russian oil would be worth much more.
So Iran shouldn’t count on Russia as an ally.
~ Tuesday, August 19, 2008
DRAWBACKS OF US PULLBACK:
In strategic TalaFar, US has pulled out most troops.
Security is now in hands of Iraq Police,
Whom even the Iraq army doesn’t trust.
MSNBC/19AUG
NINETY BOMB CASUALTIES IN ALGERIA
REUTERS/19AUG
REFUTES CLAIM THAT IRAQ WAR IS ‘SOAKING UP’
GUERILLAS AROUND THE WORLD--
e.g., making US safer.
MORE ON CONSIDERATION FOR WOUNDED:
At Fort Sill, OK, shell-shocked patients take psychiatric medicine
Which leaves them groggy in the morning.
Neverthelesss, they are made to ‘fall out’ (pointlessly) early each morning.
USATODAY/19AUG
~ Monday, August 18, 2008
MOLDY ROOMS FOR WOUNDED:
Complaints about neglected moldy rooms for wounded vets at Walter Reed hospital—
this problem led to dispersal of wounded vets
to several smaller units ‘to expedite care’.
But it turns out that at least 1 of these small units has similar complaints.
THE PROBLEM:
Inmates complained about the mold LAST APRIL.
One soldier noticed crud on his eyelids and in the back of his throat.
Nothing happened, except that they were ORDERED NOT TO TALK about the problem!
USATODAY exposed this scandal (19AUG).
TOP HONCHOS’ RESPONSE:
:”We were never informed about complaints.” /
”The silencing order was INAPPROPRIATE.”/
“It’s just common mold, NOT HAZARDOUS.”/
“The barracks are safe.”
“The number of wounded in these units has DOUBLED in last year, stretching resources.”
{We shovel nearly one million millions of dollars each year to Pentagon.)
Congrats to USATODAY for exposing so many Pentagon scandals.
War is a demented enterprise, WITH PERSONNEL and policies corresponding.
~ Sunday, August 17, 2008
100 SHIA CASUALTIES among pilgrims walking to Karbala.
CBS/17AUG
Such attacks make less likely any Shia ‘making nice’ with Sunnis.
RIGHTS ‘BEGIN’ AT CONCEPTION?
So says McCain.
Right-to-life turns out to be more-or-less;
Killing embryo-persons not as bad as killing babies.
FEARFUL OF TAL. ATTACK
Celebration of Afghan ‘Independence Day’ will be moved to SECRET VENUE,
Allegedly to avoid interfering with traffic !
Real explanation is of course fear of Tal. Attack.
7000 police will be on duty in Kabul.
REUTERS/17AUG
DESPERATION IN AFGH:
US (critical of NATO allies) plans to take over ‘all military operations’Next year,
sending in around 10,000 more troops.
TIMESONLINE/17AUG
~ Saturday, August 16, 2008
FAITH VOTERS FOR OBAMA:
‘W’ GOT ‘FAITH VOTE ‘
BY HUGE MARGIN;
BUT RIGHT NOW IT GOES TO OBAMA.
NEWS.YAHOO/16AUG
~ Friday, August 15, 2008
A PERSON IS A PERSON.
If fertilized egg counts as a full person,
Then killing a baby is no worse than
Flushing out an egg (by IUD or
Morning-after pill.)
Either both count as capital crimes,
Or neither..
McCAIN: PRO-ABORTION-RIGHTS STAND WDN’T ELIMINATE POSSIBLE
VP CHOICE:
CBS/NEWS/15AUG
SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES ENRAGED.
MALIKITES UNDERMINING FAIR ELECTIONS?
Monitors complain of intimidation
vs. registration,
And destructions of signs informing of the need
To register.
USATODAY/15AUG
Americans back Malikites.
~ Thursday, August 14, 2008
3 ‘allied’ troops killed in Afgh.
They won’t tell what nationality,
But it’s probably American.
SeattlePI/14
~ Wednesday, August 13, 2008
US REFUSES HELP FOR ISRAELI ATTACK ON IRAN
Refuses offensive weapons for such an attack.
REUTERS/13AUG
US HONCHO WARNS OF QUAEDA
IN PAKISTAN:
Quaeda is more secure than ever in the regions near Afgh.;
They’re training Caucasian-looking operatives for attacks against the West.
He says there’s no evidence that Quaeda plans attack before election,To help McCain.
NYTIMES/13
Not clear how reliable is report fromINEPT US intel.
~ Monday, August 11, 2008
~ Sunday, August 10, 2008
IRAQ DEMANDS
FIRM US PULLOUT DATE:
Bushies talk of ‘aspirational-goal’ timeline,
But that won’t do.
55 CASUALTIES ON SATURDAY.
YAHOO.NEWS/10AUG
AIRSTRIKES HIT ONLY
AFGHAN CIVILIANS
Says Karzai—adding that allies should strike against Pakistan regions supporting Taliban.
Int.HeraldTribune/10aug
Such foolish airstrikes would tend to recruit
enraged survivors into Taliban.
~ Saturday, August 09, 2008
US PLANS MORE FORAYS
INTO PAKISTAN.
Msnbc/com
Will this result in more Pak. Volunteers joining Taliban?
~ Friday, August 08, 2008
SADR’S LIMITED CEASE-FIRE:
He orders most followers to give up weapons, concentrate on social improvements.However, limited cells will be ready to attack Americans
if necessary.
And this yielding will happen ONLY IF there’s a timetable for US withdrawal.
Will he be satisfied with ‘aspiration goal’ instead of a firm timetable?
News.yahoo/8aug
~ Thursday, August 07, 2008
“Afghanistan is not lost, but the signs are not good.” Says Internat.Crisis Group.
“As a reinvigorated insurgency threatens our gains,
and as Western Capitals BEGIN TO EXPLORE END-GAMES AND EXIT STRATEGIES,
THE RISK OF LOSING AFGH. IS VERY REAL.
NYTIMES/7AUG
McCain says he trusts nuke power because he served on a ship powered by nuke plant.
But now it’s revealed that a nuke-powered sub leaked radiation
(in Japanese ports & elsewhere) for 2 years.
LATIMES/7AUG
Also, McCain ignores vulnerability to terrorists of nuke waste ponds.
Don’t worry; no local govt. will allow any of
his 45 new nuke plants‘in their backyard’.
‘IN AFGH, WE ARE NOT WINNING:
UNLESS WE FACE THAT FACT,THE FUTURE THERE IS BLEAK !”
says an on-the-spot observer.
NYTIMES/7AUG
~ Wednesday, August 06, 2008
McCain wants 45 new nuke-power-plants/
But what region will allow them
in its ‘back-yard’?
RAdio-active Waste-ponds are vulnerable to terrorist attack.
NO ELECTION LAW THIS YEAR/
Iraqi parliament ended session
without passing this law—
Indicating that elections
(for which Bushies panted)
Will likely not occur this year.
Ap google.com/6Aug
~ Tuesday, August 05, 2008
~ Monday, August 04, 2008
Disabled GIs returned to combat:
Tens of thousands of GIs who have disabilities like severe hearing loss
Or Shell-shock Are returned to combat.
USATODAY/4AUG
The Pentagon cares for its soldiers
the way a chicken corporation Cares for its chickens.
WORKING POOR FAVOR OBAMA:
White poor favor him by 10%--
But poor realize NEITHER candidate can fix economy.
MSNBC/4AUG
TALIBAN UPPER HAND?
T.’S new strategy is just to OUTLAST NATO
(just as insurgents are pushing out all of US allies from Iraq).
They may be succeeding.
UNITED PRESS/4AUG
MONDAY CASUALTIES:
344 Casualties, caused by women suiciders
(perhaps motivated by revenge
for relatives killed by US & Malikites.)
US NEWS REPOT/4AUG
~ Sunday, August 03, 2008
Iraq ‘election-session’ in doubt:
they passed an election law that postponed
Kirkuk elections, divided K. representation evenly..
(Kurds want complete control of Kirkuk)
But Kurdish Pres. Vetoed the law.
Now they’re trying to pass a new law—but so far they haven’t assembled a quorum.
WashingtonPost/3au
~ Friday, August 01, 2008
