Robert Fisk: Bush's new strategy

[cal04]

So into the graveyard of Iraq, George Bush, commander-in-chief, is to send another 21,000 of his soldiers. The march of folly is to continue...

There will be timetables, deadlines, benchmarks, goals for both America and its Iraqi satraps. But the war against terror can still be won. We shall prevail. Victory or death. And it shall be death.

President Bush's announcement early this morning tolled every bell. A billion dollars of extra aid for Iraq, a diary of future success as the Shia powers of Iraq ­ still to be referred to as the "democratically elected government" ­ march in lockstep with America's best men and women to restore order and strike fear into the hearts of al-Qa'ida. It will take time ­ oh, yes, it will take years, at least three in the words of Washington's top commander in the field, General Raymond Odierno this week ­ but the mission will be accomplished.

Mission accomplished. Wasn't that the refrain almost four years ago, on that lonely aircraft carrier off California, Bush striding the deck in his flying suit? And only a few months later, the President had a message for Osama bin Laden and the insurgents of Iraq. "Bring 'em on!" he shouted. And on they came. Few paid attention late last year when the Islamist leadership of this most ferocious of Arab rebellions proclaimed Bush a war criminal but asked him not to withdraw his troops. "We haven't yet killed enough of them," their videotaped statement announced.

(snip)
Historians will one day ask if the West did not plunge into its Middle East catastrophe so blithely because not one member of any Western government ­ except Colin Powell, and he has shuffled off stage ­ ever fought in a war. The Churchills have gone, used as a wardrobe for a prime minister who lied to his people and a president who, given the chance to fight for his country, felt his Vietnam mission was to defend the skies over Texas.
But still he talks of victory, as ignorant of the past as he is of the future.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/article2144057.ece

[BeHereNow]

1. Kick ass post! Thanks!

Ever wonder why Fisk, an EXPERT on the ME, has
never been asked to appear on a US "news" program?
This post should clear up any and all confusion about that question.

BHN

[teryang]

2. The security crisis needs to be maintained to break OPEC

The consequence of the US colonial misadventure (other than enriching war contractors, defense contractors and energy corporations) has been to empower Iran like never before, by destroying Sunni power in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia is petrified as the new giant emerges across the gulf, so they have broken their OPEC promises and thrown their backing behind the US petrodollar by selling cheap oil to assist in breaking down the Iranian economy. The hope is that this will result in regime change. Iran sells oil in Euros. They were making big energy development plans with Russia and China (and Japan). Japan is honoring the financial embargo and pulled out. It remains to be seen how American coercion works against Russia and China and whether these nations can help Iran weather the US led embargo.

The petrodollar war and the real war with Shia interests in Bagdhad and Teheran require the symbolic and aggravating US presence in Baghdad. Otherwise Saudi Arabia will wage guerilla war against Shia Iraq on its own. So the saudis and perhaps the other sheiks support the petrodollar which they had been gradually stepping away from, in order to wage economic warfare against Iran.

Discussions of Iraq strategy at this point are characterized by omission and tunnel vision. The US is maintaining the petrodollar system of fiat currency at the point of a gun. Just in case any of our "allies" didn't get it, we conducted an arbitrary and illegal bombing of Somalia.

[Bhaisahab]

3. I'm sending it to the Greatest page

more need to read this.

[enough]

4. k&r