Iraqi army chief is fired

[Barrett808]

Baghdad, Iraq (UPI) -- Iraqi newspaper reports said Saturday Iraq's chief of staff of the new armed forces has been dismissed, along with four other top officers.

Al-Sabah and al-Mashreq dailies quoted Iraqi Defense Ministry sources as saying army chief Gen. Amer Baker al-Hashemi and his aides were fired following last week's assassination of the head of contracts at the ministry in Baghdad by unidentified assailants.

Al-Mashreq daily said the defense ministry was also taking "tough disciplinary measures" after the leaking of security information to rebels related to the movement of employees at the ministry.

Defense Minister Hazem al-Shaalan last week said a ministry employee was arrested on charges of passing on information to armed groups through his son, who was recently injured in clashes with Iraqi police.

(a bit more)

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040724-080415-5291r.htm

[NMDemDist2]

1. oh the joys of a budding "democracy" n/t

[The Doctor.]

2. "Lovely"

So a 'President' whose greatest depth of diplomatic training comes from his mother telling him why the little fork on the far right isn't for keeping the cat from running away has trouble wrapping his simian head around Middle East socio-political dynamics...What a Shock!

So the Extremists are the most well-funded in Iraq right now. The politicians are too busy looking over their shoulders to get any real work done. (God bless 'em for trying though...) And disparate factions are still settling vendettas. What fun this is! (insert sacasm)

So all at once we have an administration whose first order of business seems to be to piss off the rest of the world in every way it can. To say this administration has been 'indelicate' would be gracious. This 'conflict' has demonstrated VERY clearly to the world over that 'W' is a raving fool in terms of diplomacy. (Reminds me of what young Kaiser Wilhelm did to Von Bismark's intricate structure of aliances right before WWI.)
So why can't we see it in this country?- We know why of course... The 'liberal' media seems to be in lock-step with this administration.

I'm sick of trying to convince people that they're not getting the whole picture - no one wants to read the Munich news. With any luck (and a whole lot of work from people like us) some more objective world opinion will filter through to these light-starved americans.
Maybe that will give this country the kick-in-the-pants it needs to put some real leadership in power.

Here's the line I get most often to rebut my illustration of world opinion; 'Who gives a damn about what the world thinks?'. I swear if I have to hear that piece of pure (and literal) ignorance one more time I'm moving to Switzerland!

My response to the 'Who gives a damn?' line is;

"Yeah - you're right, what can the rest of the world do to this country? Like, raise tariffs, boycott American products, restrict travel, harass American tourists, levi bigger taxes on American companies operating overseas? For crying out loud it's not like we're going to piss anybody off enough to fly a plane into a building or anything - right? So who cares about world opinion? It's not like Americans live in it."

Americans really do seem to believe that the rest of the world is on some other planet somewhere. Heck over 80% of Pro-War Americans polled in March 2003 couldn't find Iraq on a map!

[Barrett808]

3. Good post -- welcome to DU, Dr_eldritch

:hi:

[never cry wolf]

4. Nice rant, Dr_eldritch!!

Welcome to DU, you'll find many like minded patriots here, enjoy your stay!

:hi:

[The Doctor.]

5. T. Y. all...Pleasure to be here

[UpInArms]

6. Welcome to DU Dr_eldritch!

Glad to have you with us :hi:

[pfitz59]

7. I like "Little Fork" and the cat story....

New Bush* nickname: "Little Fork" (or as Poppy called him: "Little Forker"!) Welcome to DU!

[The Doctor.]

9. Posterity...

I don't know about whether young George ever tried to stick a fork in a cat for certain... but basic psychological extrapolation with regard to his overt as well as thinly veiled characteristics tell me he was the kid who would do it.

Come to think of it- I wonder how many nuggets of horror may be in this critter's past....

[leftchick]

8. Great post Dr. e.....

Welcome! :toast:

[dw]

10. Haven't heard about forking the cat...

but he did shoot b-bs at his younger brothers to terrorize them, and he tortured frogs and other animals.

Welcome, Dr_eldritch.

[newyawker99]

11. Hi Dr_eldritch!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[mom cat]

12. Welcome dr_eldritch.I just love it when you are angry. Keep it up!

:hi: :toast: