Powell Rules out US Pullout of Iraq under attack

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031108/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_us_powell&cid=1514&ncid=1473

<snip>
"We will remain in Iraq until security and stability are restored," Powell told the Asharq al-Awsat daily.

"Our troops are not under attack from an army but from groups of rebels who do not represent the Iraqi people," Powell said Saturday.

"We want to end our presence in Iraq as soon as possible but we will never turn our backs and run because the situation gets difficult from time to time," he vowed.

Twenty-seven US soldiers and two American civilians have been killed along with a Polish major in the past week, the worst seven-day casualty toll since Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime fell on April 9.

[Fovea]

1. This is so sixties

I keep expecting to turn on the TV and see the Greatful Dead on Ed Sullivan, in Black and White.

[wtmusic]

2. Gonna be there forever

This is exactly like 'Nam.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Didn't Powell make a big mistake in Vietnam too?

Seems his quota on mistakes was up in the last big war.

[asjr]

5. powell

Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Powell help cover up the My Lai massacre?

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. That's what I'm thinking.

Why, exactly, should we feel good about his comments knowing what we know about him; and knowing that he knows that we know what he knows? Hmm?

[Voltaire99]

12. He certainly helped cover up Iran-Contra

Unaware of a role, if any, in My Lai; however, see his convenient amnesia during Congressional testimony on Iran-Contra.

[alcuno]

4. How about admitting we made a MISTAKE?

Notice he calls them rebels and not terrorists. "You're off script, Colin!"

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. He may be right that they don't represent the Iraqi people

but neither does the appointed council. Until there are real elections for a new government, to many Iraqis the situation will look like a civil war between American-supported power-grabbers, and the remnants of the last dictator's regime. So they'll try to stay out of it; which means the police don't look legitimate, and get no help in tracking down, or preventing bombers. So the killing will go on.

[cliss]

7. The last thing Powell wants is for

the "rebels" to be identified. I believe that they are Iraqis. The administration will go to great lengths to portray them as Syrians, or Al-Qaida, or Ansar-Al-Islam. The truth is, they're a little closer to home. Bush needs to justify the war, and he cannot do that if the resistance fighters are identified as Iraqis. They are "foreign elements at work", or some other outside source.

Because, you see, we are here to liberate them. Notice, before the war, we were liberating them from Saddam. Now, we're liberating them from the foreign insurgents. It's a huge driving force, made for domestic consumption, to have an identified "bad guy" that the American public will swallow, and direct their anger towards, to justify their actions.

It's a Enemy-of-the-month club. Sorry, I can't take credit for that, read it at Counterpunch.

Anyway, it's awesome when the media does its job. This week, Bush made some comment about Saddam. Oh yes! The insurgents are Saddam loyalists. "There are a lot of - I mean, a few who want to see him succeed". This was an actual quote. He started to say a lot of people, then corrected himself and made his own "edit".

[Voltaire99]

11. Another great Counterpunch piece

...is the recent essay by Mark Hand on the shared goals of neocons and neoliberals: "The Dirty War of the Tough-Minded: Democrats Seek to Disappear Chomsky and Nader".

http://counterpunch.org/hand10202003.html

[dbt]

9. It would be better if we WERE under attack from an Army

We can deal with that. What we cannot deal with is guerilla war. Which is why we are fucked; we can admit it now or we can admit it later (that is, AFTER the profits have been taken by Halliburton, et al).

Gee, you'd think the Regime would have learned something from Viet Nam. Oh yeah, they weren't there.

Love to Semi Colin Powell, (that Half A Man)

dbt

[leftchick]

10. They are Iraqis all right colin, read this and get a CLUE!...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=19&u=/ap/20031107/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_resistance_fighter_1

Iraqi Resistance Takes Many Shapes, Forms

<snip>
However, Abdel Jawad Mohammed Safo, a Muslim cleric at the al-Shaheed Bashar Qalandar mosque, said he believes many of the resistance fighters are young and deeply religious.

"The former regime in Iraq is like a book that has been closed. It's over. Most acts of (resistance) in the country stem from religious reasons," Safo said. "A Muslim doesn't accept a foreigner and a nonbeliever to rule over him."

Ibrahim's mother said her son was a "hero" for attacking the Americans. "We're proud of him. He raised our heads.... He defended his country and honor."

[westernunion]

13. Collin Powel is demoted

Poor Colin Powell, now demoted to TV talk show guest, disgraced himself Before the world at the UN by his lurid nonsensical claims about Iraq,

[Eloriel]

14. rebels who do not represent the people?

They ARE the people, you numbskull.

Sheesh. Didn't you learn ANYthing in Vietnam?

Eloriel